Why PR makes sense in hard times?

Renato Nieva, chairman and president of Perceptions, Inc. and national (Phils). chairman of the International Public Relations Association. PR practitioners have honed their skills and expanded their services beyond mere publicity and other traditional corporate public relations services to the whole gamut of what Tom Harris calls "marketing public relations" or MPR.

MPR includes almost anything under the sun (subject only to the PR’s creativity, imagination and experience and lessons gained from trial and error) that would help enhance the image of a corporation, market its products and services or even get directly involved in helping sell these products or services. These could range from special PR campaigns, direct mail, special events, contests and award programs, public service tie-ins, seminars, trade shows, flyers and posters.

Also, the increasing cost of advertising, especially TV advertising, has driven companies to look for less costly and yet more direct, focused and more "impactful" ways of reaching their target publics. With the advent of the Information Age and the Communications Revolution, these have come to include the internet and cell phones. Some derisively refer to these ways as mere "PR gimmicks". But so long as they get across one’s message, do not go beyond the bounds of good taste and ethics, and eventually help gain or keep a customer, why not?

Amylyn Sison-De Quiros, president of Full Circle Communications. Companies are more likely to hire PR companies these days than engage the services of advertising agencies. The first consideration, of course, is cost. The second is effective media mileage.

To illustrate, a two-page write-up about a clients would cost a few thousand pesos if we used (as the basis of our computation) the prevailing column inch rate as against a full-page ad which would run up to several hundred thousand pesos.

A well composed and truthful write-up is more likely to convey the message than a full-page ad in which you cannot even put the details of what you want to communicate to the intended public.

The former is the turf of PR companies. The latter is the expertise of advertising agencies.

While both a PR firm and an advertising agency are hired to project a certain image for a client, "prettifying" the product in advertising entails so much cost. The agency has to mobilize many people and resources to get the same results. This entails conceptualizing the ad, producing the whole thing, buying media space in radio, TV and print. And then, you wait for results.

It is a different ballgame for PR agencies. Cost matters, of course, but not so much as to eat a substantial chunk of the client’s budget. PR firms rely more on goodwill and pakikisama with media colleagues.

Of course, the assumption here is that the product or client being marketed is itself a good product. And that is where truthfulness in public relations come to the fore. That is basic among legitimate PR firms.

In terms of effect, we believe that feedback in PR work is more immediate and more personal. A good write-up here, a TV guesting there and a radio interview now and then draw immediate response from the target audience.

Dulce Festin-Baybay, head of the public relations department of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. PR is not only publicizing what the company is doing. It is also networking and establishing linkages and seeking out partners and supporters. Those who helped in times of crisis will also benefit in good times.

What is important is that, during times of economic downturns, the PR person, with the full support of the chief executive officer, should be open to the public regarding the company’s real situation. He/she must maintain his/her credibility and integrity, which is very important in sustaining a company’s good reputation.

The public will appreciate sincerity and truthfulness on the part of the company, especially if public service is part of its business.

Jocelyn Buensalido, president and chief executive officer of Buensalido & Associates. Publicity and public relations are turning out to be the wiser options for companies during these difficult economic times. They not only cost less than advertising, they also lend higher credibility to, for example, a company’s advocacy program or community involvement.

PR is no longer seen as simply a cosmetic or remedial measure but as a long-term investment which can serve the company well, if utilized properly.

Romeo Virtusio, founder of Virtusio Public Relations, Inc.. PR is versatile and flexible, with a relatively short start-up time and greater room for maneuverability and goal setting. In PR, you don’t have to have tens of millions of pesos all the time, especially for short-term objectives that client need to address.

And there is the often neglected factor of reputation and confidence. PR helps the key players in the economy see the big picture. And the big picture, more often than not, is a temporary downturn, a rough patch on the road that needs to be fixed. Beyond the patch is a longer road ahead that we all need to build together.

Beyond marketing, promotions and sales, businesses need to keep at enhancing their reputation and the products and services that they put on the market. Consumers need to be told, especially in a downturn, that business gives them top priority in terms of the quality, price, availability and value of these products and services.

In a downturn, all sectors must work together. Somebody has to be telling the story truthfully and patiently. That is what PR does.