In a insightful essay on the Council of PR Firms Web site, Kathy Cripps, president, provides the rationale for hiring a PR firm, especially now. She cites stories in The Economist and data from Proctor and Gamble. An excerpt from The Economist story:
“For business, public relations is an increasingly vital marketing tool-especially as traditional forms of advertising struggle to catch consumers’ attention.” The Economist (2)
That observation from The Economist was supported in part by a landmark study conducted by marketing giant Procter & Gamble in 2005. When P&G employed a marketing mix model for six brands over a one to three year period, it found:
* PR drives sales, often on a par with advertising;
* PR delivers stellar ROI (275%), much greater than advertising;
* PR Provides a halo effect over other marketing tactics.
The essay goes on to provide nine reasons for hiring a PR firm — definitely worth sharing with colleagues throughout the profession.
Posted by Tom Gable
