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Publicity: An Overview
By David M. Grant
President, LVM Group Inc.
Copyright 1998
What is public relations?
One of the best definitions I've ever heard -- and I can't even recall where I read it -- is as follows:
Doing good. And letting people know about it.
While public relations people do many things, such as arranging speaking engagements and writing brochures, the one talent we have with which we are most associated is arranging publicity, so that's what I'll emphasize this evening.
Before going further, it might be worthwhile to speak briefly of the distinction between public relations and advertising, which is often misunderstood.
Buyers of advertisements work with the ad departments of radio, television, magazines and newspapers. The finished product -- the ad -- runs exactly the way the ad agency prepares it. In contrast, public relations people work with the editorial departments of magazines and newspapers. The reporters and/or editor may take an idea from a public relations person -- but the journalist will probably tell it the way he or she wants to. Accordingly, while advertising provides complete control, public relations does not.
That's the bad news. The good news about public relations -- or publicity -- is that, in general, it's much less expensive than advertising, and it has much greater credibility with the audiences you wish to reach.
Given these advantages, what specifically can publicity do for your firm? Many things. Let me mention just seven:
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Get your firm better known
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Get a particular product or service better known
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Build employee morale (and attract more employees)
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Increase stockholder goodwill
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Eliminate misconceptions, rumors or bad publicity
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Augment client loyalty
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Last -- but certainly not least -- help make you look good to your boss.
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How do public relations people work? In general, we interview the people at your firm to get information, employ that information so that it has maximum appeal to the press, and match it to the right journalist. This will help to explain why so many people in my line of work -- such as me -- are former journalists.
Now then, if we're to reach out to journalists to get favorable stories, we need story ideas. And what makes a good story?
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