This past week provided another opportunity for Tanner Friedman to speak on communications – this time at the request of the Detroit Regional Chamber as we helped inaugurate their “Elevate” business series.
What was different about this presentation was that rather than focusing on a particular platform or tool, I was asked to go over “the basics”; specifically, what is PR, marketing and advertising (and how one can utilize all for a well-rounded, multi-tiered approach). By the way, I had about 20 minutes to do this!
When we talk about strategic communications (our firm’s tagline), we are describing what we do for our clients, namely, helping them to “tell their stories.” Thus, public relations is a medium that allows you to do this, using a range of tools, including:
-Traditional media: TV, radio, newspapers, magazines (and their online counterparts—another presenter went through social media). Like no other medium, PR provides ‘third party credibility.’
-Marketing: Website, e-blasts, (e)-newsletters direct mail, brochures, sales materials, conferences/trade shows, association involvement. We look at these marketing avenues, in fact, as ideal ways for clients to “tell their own stories” in light of shrinking news holes while also leveraging traditional media coverage, beyond original air and publications dates.
-Advertising: Finally, when discussing this avenue, we went through how various ad venues present particular advantages for audience targeting. Cable TV and billboards, for example, allow for pinpointing potential customers geographically, while, radio is better suited for honing in on demographics related to age, gender and income.
For the complete powerpoint on “The Basics” via SlideShare click here.