Public Relation Campaigns

PR campaign is an integral part of your public relations efforts. PR campaign is the final product of ones research, brainstorming and creativity.

To have a successful PR campaign you must have few things in face like your press releases, news and media contacts, and that your strategies are well crafted for your company.

Let’s try and understand PR campaign with an example of “Jago Grahak Jago- An initiative towards consumer education and awareness”.

Objective of the campaign:

• To empower consumers through innovative and intensive multimedia campaign
• Intensify consumer education initiatives
• Emphasize the importance of framing standards to protect consumer interests

The multi media publicity campaign:

• Publicity through print media
• Publicity through electronic media
• Publicity through printed literature
• Publicity through Performing arts
• Participation in India International Trade Fair Joint Campaign

Publicity measures:

• “Jago Grahak Jago” weekly radio programme
•  Video Programmes ‘Grahak Dost’
•  Video Programme ‘Jago Grahak Jago’
•  Video programmes for schools
•  Quarterly Magazine “ Upbhokta Jagaran”
•  Booklet on welfare schemes of the Ministry
•  Newspaper advertisements

I am sure the above example would have given you slight idea about few things that you need to consider for a PR campaign. Let us summarize the key points that are needed to be considered in a PR campaign.

1. Set Goals
2. Identify the target audience
3. The budget for the campaign
4. Develop a plan

Importance of Public Relation in India

Every day, hundreds of so-called experts are quoted in the newspapers, on the radio, on news-oriented Web sites and on television. We often balk at adding a line for public relations services. How often do you hear fellow business owners say, "There's no direct line between public relations and increased sales"?

It is very important for industries to understand the power of media and the effect of Public relation to build in a layering effect, in which each mention in the press heightens your visibility, adding another layer of credibility to your company. This credibility in turn creates a desire among viewers and listeners to pay attention to you. In effect, you've been sanctioned by a trustworthy, objective third party.

As PR in India is still in its growing stage not many companies are managing their Public Relation effectively. Effective use of Media and PR opens the doors for new business and gives a competitive edge over their competitors.  An effective public relations plan for an organization is developed to communicate a message that coincides with organizations goals and seeks to benefit mutual interest whenever possible. The communication must be carried out through an effective and proper communication channel.

Key points:

• Maintaining image and relations of an organisation with the public
• Managing communication between an organisation and its target audience
• Manage crisis situations faced by the organisation
• Managing government affairs
• Internal marketing of the organisation among its employees, stake holders, communities, customers, industry, investors, media and visitors
• Managing websites
• Generating annual reports
• Employee newsletter
• Conducting and managing CSR activities

Public relations has gained a high importance in India today as companies realize the need and necessity of maintaining public relations apart from devising good advertising and marketing strategies. 

What are Brands? How are they different from products?

Ever since more firms and other organizations have come to the realization that one of their valuable assets is the brand names associated with their products or services. In today’s increasingly competitive world, all of us, as individuals or as business managers face more choices with less time to make them into brands. Thus a strong brands ability to simplify consumer’s decision making, reduce risk and set expectations is invaluable. Creating a strong brand which would deliver the promises made by the organisation, maintain and enhance the strengths of the brands over the period of time, is a management imperative.

It is very important to have a deeper understanding of the difference between a brand and a product without which understanding psychological principles at the individual or organisational level in order to make better decisions about brands is very difficult.

So first let us try and understand what brands are? A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors, whereas a product is anything we can offer to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a need or want. In simple terms we can say that brand is the identity of a product.

In marketing, a brand is a symbolic manifestation of all the information connected with the company, product or service. It is typically composed of name, logo, and other visual elements such as images, colours, and icons. Studies have shown that brands put forth an impression to the consumer on what to expect of the product or service being offered. Examples of brands are product (Coca-Cola), service (Eurostar trains), company (L&T Infotech) or even an individual (Michael Jordan), most popular fast food franchise (Mc Donald’s).

On the other hand product is more than just a material object. It is t is also an inclusive package of benefits or satisfactions that the consumer or buyer may achieve upon purchase or usage. A product is the total amount of all physical, psychological, symbolic, and service attributes. Examples of products are hamburgers, fries, soft drinks etc.

By creating perceived differences among products through branding and by developing a loyal consumer franchise, marketers create value that can translate to financial profits for the firm.

Media and Entertainment Industry in India

Through this year’s report, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and research firm KPMG have tried to unravel the tremendous potential of the Media and Entertainment Industry in India, where the report slated a growth at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent by 2014 in the Media and Entertainment industry.

The key drivers which have lead India to the tremendous growth of the Media and Entertainment Industry are:

• Economic growth of the country in general and rising disposable income levels in particular
• Gradually liberalizing attitude of the Government
• Greater interface with international companies
• Privatisation and growth of the radio industry
• Advancement in technology
• Favorable regulatory initiatives
• Liberalized foreign investment regime

The exponential development which has been witnessed in recent years in the media and entertainment industry has made them one of the most rapidly performing sectors in the Indian economy. While the mainstream sectors such as print, television and film entertainment continued to grow robustly, various emerging segments such as animation, gaming and visual effects, radio, out-of-home advertising, digital advertising and mobile marketing grew faster, although on a much lower base.

The report forecasts sustained growth for the next five years, estimating that the industry will grow to an overall size of Rs1.16 trillion by 2012.

Future Outlook

The Indian Film Industry is said to be one of the world’s largest industry with more than 1000 movie releases and over 3 million movie goers annually. It is also noted that the number of pay DTH subscribers is estimated to grow to around 28 million households by 2013.

The main reason noted which ensures an attractive market for entertainment is India's demographic composition (70% below 35 years). While steady economic growth and increasing cable TV penetration continue to boost the growth of TV advertising, the studies have proved that TV’s share of the ad pie, which in 2007 was 42%, will come under threat in the long run from the growth of out-of-home media, radio and online advertising. It said advertising on TV will grow at an average annual rate of 19% between 2007 and 2012 to reach $3.5 billion and further to $6.3 billion by 2017.