Modern Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Public Relations and Lobbying
Public Relations
Public relations (PR) is about creating and maintaining a positive image and strong relationships between an organisation and the public. It helps organisations communicate effectively and engage with public authorities. PR firms assist companies in building a reputable image and gaining public trust.
Media Relations
Media relations are a vital component of public relations. PR agencies help organisations work with the media by building strong relationships with journalists. They also train spokespeople to communicate clearly and confidently. Additionally, they prepare materials such as press releases, fact sheets, and media kits, and organise press conferences and meetings with journalists.
Lobbying
Lobbying is the activity of attempting to influence politicians and government decisions. Companies, organisations, and governments often employ professional lobbyists or PR firms to promote their interests and ensure their opinions are heard.
Inside and Outside Lobbying
- Inside lobbying: Direct contact with politicians to support a cause. It includes providing information, expert opinions, or funding for political campaigns. This type is sometimes criticised for prioritising private interests over the public good.
- Outside lobbying: Attempts to influence political decisions by involving the public. It uses public campaigns, letters, protests, and demonstrations to exert pressure on politicians.
Media Strategy
Media strategy is part of the marketing plan and explains how a brand communicates its messages to consumers to reach objectives such as brand awareness, loyalty, and encouraging purchases. It identifies the target audience and the media mix—the combination of media used, such as TV, press, outdoor advertising, and the internet.
The target audience is defined through lifestyle and demographics (age, gender, education, and income). The media strategy also determines the allocation of the media budget. In a media-saturated world, brands must choose the best touchpoints using media research to understand audience habits.
Media Planning
Media planning selects specific channels, such as newspapers, TV, or radio. The media plan includes a schedule with dates and times for advertising and defines flighting patterns (when advertising is active). Some brands advertise continuously, while others focus on specific periods. The plan must respect the budget and objectives, measured in impressions, reach, time span, and frequency.
Media Buying
Media buying occurs after the plan is approved. Media buyers purchase advertising space or airtime using software to select the best options. Campaign results are measured using tools such as CPM (cost per thousand), which calculates the cost for one thousand impressions.
The Internet
Internet Advertising
Internet advertising uses various formats such as banners, buttons, and skyscrapers. Other common formats include:
- Pop-ups: Open new windows while browsing.
- Microsites: Small websites created to promote a specific product or event.
- Rich media ads: Animated and interactive advertisements.
Success is measured in impressions. Effective campaigns display ads on web pages relevant to the target audience’s interests.
Search Engines
Search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo!) help users find information via keywords. They are essential for marketers because they drive targeted traffic to websites. Users searching online are often high-intent buyers.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Paid search: Companies pay search engines to display ads as sponsored links.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Improving a website to rank higher in organic search results.
SEO techniques can be white hat (following rules) or black hat (breaking rules, such as keyword stuffing).
Outdoor Advertising
Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising
Outdoor advertising includes ads seen outside the home, designed to be eye-catching. Formats include:
- Roadside panels: Billboards, giant banners, and wallscapes.
- Lightboxes: Illuminated panels visible day and night.
- Dynamic boards: Tri-face billboards and scrollers.
- Street furniture: Bus shelters and pedestrian panels.
- Transit advertising: Ads on buses, taxis, trams, and trains.
- Ambient media: Unusual placements like receipts or supermarket floors.
- Digital outdoor: LED screens and interactive video billboards.
Effectiveness of OOH
Advertisers buy groups of sites to reach a catchment zone. Innovative formats include sonic, scented, or lenticular posters. Campaigns are measured using opportunities to see (OTS) or coverage.
Advertising
Advertising is a paid message used to present products, services, or ideas to persuade consumers. Modern ads combine text and images to create memorable messages. An effective advertisement includes a striking headline, an appealing image, a short explanatory text, the brand name, and a slogan.
Advertisements often suggest a desirable lifestyle or address small fears to make consumers feel that purchasing the product will improve their satisfaction. The language is creative, using short sentences, commands, and questions to engage the reader directly.
The Press
Newspapers
Newspapers are categorised by frequency (dailies vs. weeklies) and reach (national, regional, or local). They are also divided into tabloids (sensational, smaller) and broadsheets (serious, larger). Some are freesheets, funded entirely by advertising.
Magazines
Magazines are published weekly, fortnightly, or monthly and target specific audiences. Advertising sales departments provide media packs, which include:
- Rate card: Advertising costs.
- Copy deadline: Final date for submission.
- Circulation vs. Readership: Total copies sold vs. total people who read the publication.
Types of Magazines
- Glossy: Fashion, celebrities, and lifestyle.
- Special interest: Technology, cooking, or hobbies.
- Current affairs: News and analysis.
- Customer magazines: Produced by brands (supermarkets, airlines, car manufacturers) for their clients.
TV and Radio
Advertising Formats
- Commercial/Ad: Shown during breaks.
- Ident: Short video with brand logo before a programme.
- Sponsored programme (AFP): Content funded by a brand.
Audience Measurement
The audience profile tracks age and gender. Key metrics include:
- GRP (Gross Rating Points): Percentage of the target audience reached.
- Television rating: Popularity of a programme.
- Audience share: Percentage of viewers watching a channel compared to all TV viewers at that time.
Dayparts and Programmes
Dayparts are specific times of day used to reach target demographics (e.g., AM/PM drive time for radio, prime time for TV). Programme types include news, documentaries, films, series, soap operas, reality TV, and game shows.