Marketing vs. Advertising vs. Public Relations. Get it Right.

Ali Glemser

“OH! You want to go into the PR field? So you’re learning to do market research and make advertisements, right?” 

I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I heard this when I discussed my career aspirations with others in college. Even more surprising, I continue to hear similar comments from people when I tell them about my opportunity to intern for Obsidian Public Relations.

Although television shows about the creative communication process such as MadMen, The Pitch and Shark Tank have become mainstream, many people still struggle to understand the difference between marketing, advertising and public relations. Alas! I am writing this blog entry to set the record straight. Below are the technical definitions from each industry’s trade association, along with some colorful commentary, to help clarify all of this confusion.

Marketing

American Marketing Association:

 “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

As marketing is essentially the process of communicating the value of a product or service by the provider to the customer, it can be seen as the overarching umbrella of the creative communication process that public relations and advertising fall under. Not to say that it is more important, just that it has a wider scope by definition.  Read further to see how advertising and public relations complement marketing.

Advertising

www.flickr.com/photos/wingedwolf/5471047557/

American Association Of Advertising Board of Directors:

 “The placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas.”

The three main things to remember about advertising are it’s a persuasive, paid-for message distributed through mass media. Marketing plans include advertising as a way to communicate their product or service’s value message through media such as billboards, television commercials, magazine ads and radio spots. You know that hauntingly catchy jingle you can’t get out of your head because you heard it during your drive to work? Yeah, that’s advertising.

Finally…

Public Relations

Public Relations Society of America:

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Public relations at its core is about creating and maintaining relationships. Who do you need to build a rapport with to help create awareness about your company, raise funds for a project or announce a big change in your organization? How should you communicate your message? Through a news release, live event or interactive social media campaign? Effectively and efficiently answering and acting on these questions is the essence of public relations.

In reality, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals do end up dabbling in each other’s industries on a regular basis because they are all forms of creative communication. Yet, it is courteous to acknowledge these professionals by their established field of work. After all, you wouldn’t assume all doctors practice the same kind of medicine or all lawyers practice the same kind of law. 

“Oh! You want to go into the PR field?” Yeah, now you know exactly what that is.

A New Face for RadioShack

Joan Allen

By now, I’m sure many of you have forgotten about the Fort Worth-based store, RadioShack. I know I had (and I was born and raised in Fort Worth!). They’ve gotten lost among companies like Best Buy, Apple, Google and even Amazon – companies that are more “hip,” if you will, on the latest technology.

I read a Dallas Business Journal article recently and surprisingly, the company has made a comeback and is revamping their brand in all the right areas.

My first thought was, “It’s too late for RadioShack; they can never be as successful as they were.” That might be the case, but they seem like they are headed in the right direction. The first step that they needed to take toward a more successful company was changing management. In my opinion, if it doesn’t work, fix it! I’m always looking for ways to improve myself whether it’s professionally or personally, and that’s exactly what RadioShack did. They hired a new CEO who hopefully will bring great ideas to implement in the rebranding process.

The previous logo was used from 1995 to 2013.

RadioShack desperately needs to modernize its stores, concept and overall brand. They need a new face and fresh ideas to have a chance at being successful again. The company has definitely shown progress in this area, but it still has a long way to go. Yes, a new logo and tagline, “Let’s Play,” is a good start. But, RadioShack needs more than that. A change in slogans alone will not gain more customers.

To compete with the Best Buys and Amazons of the world, RadioShack needs to offer something completely different than that of its competitors. I think for a company that is in the position of RadioShack, it’s important to cover all the bases and don’t leave anything to chance. The company needs to bring something new to the table that no one has seen before to change its previous image, whether that’s with regard to a change in corporate culture, customer service or educational opportunities for customers related to its products.

Overall, I think RadioShack is headed in the right direction, but still has a lot of work to do. As a fellow Texan, I hope they can pull it off!

What do you think about RadioShack’s new marketing strategies?

Spring cleaning is for your house, summer cleaning is for your digital life

Thomas Whitehead

I actually took a real vacation this summer for the first time in a really long time. It was a good refresh. However, my first two days of vacation, I didn’t go anywhere. Instead, I took those two days to rest up and get settled on things I have been putting off, but also used that time to update and clean out my digital footprint.
 
Like many of you, I use spring to clean out my closets and power wash my patio. However, there isn’t really a set period to update your digital footprint. So, I am declaring the dog days of summer as the perfect time to go through and update your digital footprint. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Update all of your passwords for every account you have. This tip applies for everything you have an online account for - email, social media, bank, credit card, utility, Netflix, mortgage, etc. It is just a good rule of thumb to try and do each year. My favorite part of this is trying to see how many passwords I had forgotten in the last year.
2. Review your Facebook news feed at least once a year. I do this with my friends list. And there is no real way to do it, just what feels right to you. For me, I look at my friends list and decide that there are some people that I don’t really know that well or know well anymore. Nothing against them, but I am someone who likes to keep my friend list fairly tight. So if any of you are reading this and are still Facebook friends, congrats!
3. I also do this with organizations and places I follow. Sometimes, I don’t go to places as much as I used to or my interests have changed. Other times, I realize that I don’t want to see so much from an organization so I change it.
4. Review your email lists. OK, be honest. Are you on an organization’s email list and you automatically delete 95 percent of the emails you receive from them without even opening to see the content? Me too. Trust me, you will thank me for taking the time to unsubscribe to those lists that you no longer have time or interest in hearing from anymore. It will save you time in the long run and is one less distraction. And the good news is you can always subscribe again later.
5. Backing up your files. Do you have an external hard drive to back up your important photos and documents stored on your computer? When is the last time you updated it? Have you checked to see how much space you have on it now? This is the time to do it.

These five tips, when done, will help alleviate some of the clutter and distraction we spend part of our life complaining about. By taking care of it now, you can relax (a little bit) later.

Green Marketing

Sarah Burgess

Within the past 10 years, we have seen an obvious and dramatic trend reemerge from the 60s. Being environmentally responsible has become the cool thing to do and be seen doing. Instead of referring to people who care about the environment as “tree huggers” or “hippies,” many people are now looked down upon if they don’t take interest in helping Mother Nature. Our neighbors refusing to recycle is one thing, but what if a major company harms the environment and doesn’t take measures to fix or reverse the problem?

One of the main ways that companies in today’s society show the public that they are well-rounded and proactive is to be involved in bettering our environment. This is completely understandable considering that recent studies have shown that more than half of consumers are more likely to use products from organizations that support sustainability in some way. Even organizations and companies that are not directly affiliated with environmental awareness are still expected to participate in the green movement.

Many corporations participate in bettering our environment because of the legal and tax benefits. In fact, California recently passed a law stating that any company that yields carbon dioxide emissions greater than 25,000 metric tons will have to face penalties.

Photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/cellphonesusie/4406301243

 

Although many laws and regulations have been placed on car manufacturers and fuel distributors, would you be more likely to buy gas from a company many have deemed environmentally irresponsible? Think about the Exxon spill of the late 80s and how long it took them to recover because they took little to no action to be transparent with their publics and do anything to prove that they wanted to be environmentally conscious. However, today we regularly see Exxon commercials about how clean their fuel is and their efforts to help the planet. 

Companies may go green to get tax breaks and legal benefits, avoid breaking laws and to please shareholders. But in the long run, is it more than that? Is it corporate suicide to not take initiative to be environmentally responsible and show that to your target audience regularly? You be the judge.

How to Fascinate

Kim Haller

A soon-to-be college senior, I mechanically perform the motions of student life. Attend class, do homework, eat, sleep, repeat. Like a robot, I struggle to break the mold of conventional routine. When faced with the task to search for the perfect summer internship, I feared I would be overlooked. What made me unique? My life consisted of textbooks, Pop-Tarts and exams. How was I supposed to stand out amidst a sea of students? 

Sally Hogshead’s speech “How to Fascinate” presented by the TEDx campaign teaches us to capture the attention of others by harnessing our personal strengths. This 20-minute video shaped my perception of professional engagement. If you have a chance to watch Hogshead’s lecture, I promise it’s entertaining! Her charismatic traits aside, Hogshead delves into seven key triggers that, when controlled, leave a lasting impression. The seven traits Hogshead describes are power, lust, mystique, vice, passion, prestige and trust. Though we embody all seven, we relate better to certain characteristics rather than others.

In public relations, image is everything. Harnessing your personal strengths asserts positive confidence in the workplace. I take my triggers – trust and passion – everywhere I go. Yet, how I work best is not the only facet. It’s important to recognize that co-workers and clients identify with various triggers, as well. Learning to adapt your personal strengths to serve a client is vital for success. Not everyone is like you. Like a chameleon, a practitioner must be flexible in different situations. Hogshead’s words inspired my jolt of positive energy during last spring’s interview with Obsidian’s Dallas Division. 

As a student, I assumed the challenges were over after accepting my internship offer. However, I missed the memo about the night-before-your-first-day-at-real-life jitters! After a few deep breaths, I remembered the fascinating messages from the video. I needed to understand myself in order to shine. My favorite message offered by Hogshead was “Make people fall in love with your ideas.” PR practitioners are not just representing a client’s brand; they are simultaneously representing their own. Positive personality and individual brands are crucial to ensure success in the field.

I am beyond excited to begin my summer internship with Obsidian PR in Dallas. I look forward to jumpstarting my training in the public relations field. And, I’m quickly learning that working with a variety of clients requires time management and organization skills! With Obsidian breaking into the Dallas market, I anticipate (and already am experiencing) a fast-paced environment, which I am eager to take part in. Knowing my personality and understanding my co-workers’ and clients’ triggers is of the utmost importance to ensure harmony and success this summer. 

A Brand-New Game: Why Companies Need to Set Some Boundaries with Digital Media Activities

Thomas Whitehead

Now, as in decades past, companies have hosted contests or encouraged feedback/testimonials from customers and fans using the communication tools of the day - first messages sent by mail and wire, followed by phone voting and now, voting through digital media platforms.

And there have been some fantastic digital media campaigns by brands in the last decade. It is obvious that many brands have taken the challenge over the last decade to fine-tune and present stellar ways in which to interact and engage with their targeted audiences.

However, there is still one area where brands are leaving themselves susceptible to having good campaigns become abused by the misgivings of, and I hate using the word but, trolls. And that is through open voting and suggested campaign discussions.

Just yesterday, a Boston radio station, KISS FM, had to cancel its online Taylor Swift’s Biggest Fan contest after a 39-year-old man won the contest by actively soliciting votes to “crush the dreams of these girls.” The radio station had to release a statement acknowledging the contest was compromised and apologized to their loyal listeners. But, was the contest really compromised or did the station and its marketing team not thoroughly prepare for the possibility that literally any person could receive the votes regardless of the motive? If the station had planned in advance, they could have established various ways to have some control on who could win the contest. They could have selected finalists themselves and then had those finalists voted on by their listeners even. Instead, they relinquished control by saying whoever has the most votes will win this contest without thinking someone would try to pull a stunt like this.

Three other quick examples just from the last year:

• Taco Bell had a campaign allowing people to nominate, vote and decide where they would like to see the company drop off a taco truck filled with their Doritos Locos Tacos. The Facebook campaign became hijacked when many people basically launched their own campaign to have Taco Bell (along with Pitbull) drop down in the remotest part of Alaska. The end result is probably not what the company had in mind when they started the campaign. Perhaps they were hoping for a bigger metropolis than Bethel, Alaska.
• Durex had a similar Facebook campaign allowing fans to vote where to test their new SOS contraception app for those unprepared amorous situations.  The winner of this campaign was none other than the exotic European destination of Batman, Turkey, another remote outpost destination, besting London and Paris. The company had to cease the promotion of the campaign after it was evident that Batman was the winner.
• Even McDonald’s is guilty of a well-intended social media campaign that didn’t have the expected result with their infamous #McDStories hash tag campaign. The idea was to promote the Twitter campaign and have people share their positive experiences with McDonalds. Well, the exact opposite happened as trolls took it as an opportunity to badmouth the company and create negative connotations with the company. Within TWO HOURS of launching it, McDonald’s social media management had to pull the campaign because of the joke it had become.  

What can be learned from all of this? Well, several things.  

First, when brands are envisioning a campaign, digital or otherwise, there has to be a discussion about what the worst possible situations could be, leaving nothing on the table. And this must be creative, even if it enters into the realm of vulgarity, simply because attackers will go there if need be and your company has to be prepared for that. SIDE NOTE – it is now recommended when creating a new name, division, product, etc. to check Urban Dictionary to make sure your new name is not connected with vulgar slang. Trust me on this.

Secondly, especially in contests or polls where you are allowing for customer feedback to determine a result, accept that it is OK to have final say on the options that they are given. It is your brand; you do have that permission and responsibility. Perhaps in the Taco Bell and Durex examples, they could have selected 10 to15 destinations that were big markets already for them or targeted geographical locations where they wanted to boost business.

And finally, in the midst of a viral promotion, diligent monitoring is needed to ensure that a campaign is not sabotaged or hijacked. The fact that McDonald’s pulled their promoted hashtag campaign in less than two hours after launching it is very impressive. In that time, they recognized the situation, assessed the damage and fallout, determined various next steps and concluded that this was the time to pull it.

My question to you is this – would your brand have been ready to stop a campaign that quickly if it had gone awry?

Again, with the challenge of people wanting to be more and more creative on the Web and in this day of anything is a fair target to be the next meme, it is imperative that companies keep this in mind when they are developing their next digital campaign.

Stem Academy: An Experience of a Lifetime

William Young

Earlier this summer, I worked as a counselor at a summer camp called Stem Academy at The University of Memphis. The memories that I made while at the camp are some that I will carry with me forever. I met so many amazing people with awesome personalities. If given the chance, I would do it again with no hesitation. 

Stem Academy is a two-week summer camp where high school students who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math come to the U of M and experience college life. The students are provided with mentors and participate in many activities along with going to class. The students stayed in the dorms and were lectured by college professors.

My role as a counselor was to guide the students through the college experience. I also was a resource for the students whenever they needed someone to confide in. I was on duty 24 hours a day for two weeks. I was in charge of 50 students, and it really taught me how to have tolerance. Through this experience, I gained a new respect for people who work in the education field!

Upon arrival, I was very excited to be a counselor to a group of bright high school students. My passion is mentoring kids, and I wanted to use my positive attitude and energy to uplift them. I’m not that many years removed from high school, so I can remember how it was to be young, wild and free. 

At times, the kids got a little rowdy but never to the point to where I couldn’t handle them. They respected us counselors because we showed the kids respect. It was our goal to show them that school is not only about excelling academically but also having fun, as well.

I had tons of fun with the students.  One of the funniest moments of camp happened while I was resting my eyes one night. The kids caught me slipping! I was minding my business and sleeping with the door unlocked. Then all of a sudden, I was greeted with ice and lotion. I jumped out of bed and chased the kids down the hallway! I couldn’t believe that I had been pranked. 

The two weeks of camp went by quickly. I created some lasting bonds with people, and I look forward to keeping in touch with them. I was honored to be a part of the camp, and it has been one of the highlights of my career!