test bank for marketing public relations gaetan t giannini

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Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Marketing Public Relations (Giannini)

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Marketing Public Relations

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1) Public relations played a major role in the successful publication of the final installation of the

Harry Potter books by ________.

A) building anticipation for the book's release

B) providing the back story on the upcoming film version

C) embargoing any hint of the book's plot

D) investing heavily in conventional advertising strategies

E) limiting supply of the book in its first week of sales

Answer: A

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 1

Skill: Application

LO: 3

2) The term marketer refers to the ________.

A) advertising agency developing a product campaign

B) public relations firm in contact with media organizations

C) organization that has the product, service, or idea it desires to sell

D) purchaser of a good or service

E) media channels through which a product is promoted

Answer: C

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 2, 3, 4, 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

3) Marketing public relations is a unique form of marketing because ________.

A) marketers rely solely on non-media channels to disseminate their messages

B) consumer behavior is more reliable than with other forms of marketing

C) firms pay their public relations agencies only if they produce measurable results

D) it has almost entirely replaced advertising as a means of promotion

E) audiences are drawn to communication outlets where they gain access to information they

crave

Answer: E

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 3

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

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4) Why are marketers decreasing their usage of advertising to reach audiences and increasing

their use of public relations tactics?

A) The mass market has become more uniform in its needs and preferences.

B) The global market for goods and services is diminishing.

C) Advertising results are hard to measure.

D) Consumers are taking greater control of the communication process.

E) Most audiences have completely migrated away from television.

Answer: D

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 3-4

Skill: Application

LO: 2

5) The "father" of modern public relations is ________.

A) Marshall McLuhan

B) Edward Bernays

C) Al Ries

D) Philip Kotler

E) Mark Zuckerberg

Answer: B

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

6) Tools by which consumers create marketing messages and other brand exchanges themselves

are collectively known as ________.

A) public relations

B) personal selling

C) consumer-generated marketing

D) brand advertising

E) publicity

Answer: C

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

7) Identify one way public relations and consumer-generated marketing resemble each other.

A) Firms rely heavily on creating advertising campaigns in traditional media outlets.

B) Marketers hand over their promotional messages to intermediaries in order to reach the

ultimate consumer.

C) Companies have no tools with which to measure outcomes.

D) Consumers are totally in control of message creation.

E) Neither are elements in the promotional mix.

Answer: B

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Application

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LO: 1

8) Consumer-generated marketing (CGM) ________.

A) is most effective in non-electronic communication environments.

B) emphasizes expensive, well-targeted advertising messages.

C) works best in large metropolitan areas.

D) relies solely on digital communication outlets.

E) encourages consumers to create marketing messages themselves.

Answer: E

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

9) How does MPR differ from conventional marketing?

A) MPR encourages media to voluntarily convey messages about products.

B) MPR emphasizes personal sales above all other elements of the promotional mix.

C) MPR concentrates on business-to-business marketing.

D) MPR eliminates the need for intermediaries.

E) There is no difference. MPR and conventional marketing are the same.

Answer: A

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Application

LO: 2

10) In the MPR context, CGM is the abbreviation for ________.

A) consumer goods market.

B) cost of goods manufactured.

C) consumer generated marketing.

D) communication generated messages.

E) corporation general meeting

Answer: C

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

11) ________ occurs when consumers assume a large part of the promotional function.

A) Consumer activism

B) Public relations

C) Integrated marketing communication

D) Consumer-generated marketing

E) Brand management

Answer: D

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4, 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

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5


12) Blogs are a type of ________.

A) online measurement tool

B) organizational stakeholder

C) retail outlet

D) communication medium

E) software

Answer: D


Skill: Concept

LO: 2

13) ________ is the process of planning, conceiving, pricing, promoting and distributing goods,

services, and ideas in order to satisfy consumer and business needs.

A) Trade promotion

B) Integrated marketing communications

C) Marketing

D) Advertising

E) Public relations

Answer: C

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

14) ________ is the coordination of a marketer's efforts to persuade customers to buy a firm's

goods and services.

A) Publicity

B) Organizational communication

C) Promotion

D) Public relations

E) Personal selling

Answer: C

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

15) The basic elements used to carry out an organization's marketing communications are

referred to as ________.

A) the marketing mix

B) the four Ps

C) public relations

D) sales strategy

E) the promotional mix

Answer: E

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

6


LO: 2

16) ________ are the set of organizations and individuals involved in the process of channeling

product messages to consumers.

A) Marketers

B) Intermediaries

C) Advertisers

D) Facilitators

E) Hierarchies

Answer: B

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

17) One of marketing's main goals is to ________.

A) transform all promotional efforts into public relations campaigns

B) place the bulk of a firm's messages in digital media outlets

C) control every single message in the promotional mix

D) purchase media time and space as cheaply as possible

E) change consumer behavior relative to a product

Answer: E

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

18) Goods and services ________.

A) constitute two categories of products, along with ideas

B) are exclusively promoted through public relations

C) exist solely in a market economy

D) are used only by consumers, not businesses

E) are unlikely to be promoted in an MPR campaign

Answer: A

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

19) In public relations, media are considered to be ________.

A) outmoded channels of communication used solely for advertising purposes

B) profit-making organizations with a stake in the messages being distributed

C) communication tools that directly disseminate messages to consumers and businesses

D) limited to print journalism outlets - newspapers and magazines

E) adversaries that firms should avoid communicating with

Answer: C

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

7


LO: 2

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20) The marketing mix is an assortment of tools that ________.

A) marketers use to manage the consumer purchase process

B) public relations agencies employ to conduct public opinion research

C) marketers use exclusively to formulate MPR campaigns

D) media outlets utilize to measure audience response

E) consumers use to make online recommendations

Answer: A

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

21) What is one way MPR protects the sales and/or image of a product?

A) MPR encourages firms to develop crisis management plans.

B) MPR invests heavily in creative branding campaigns.

C) MPR encourages intermediaries to communicate directly with consumers.

D) MPR emphasize search engine optimization.

E) MPR places tremendous importance on prices for media space and time.

Answer: C

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Application

LO: 3

22) The Four Ps of the marketing mix are ________.

A) positioning, placement, profit and predictability

B) public relations, production, pull and precision

C) publicity, preference, pre-test and post-test

D) product, price, place and promotion

E) publicity, profit, product, and pull.

Answer: D

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

23) Marketers commonly refer to any good, service, idea, or personality to which public relations

can be applied as ________.

A) product

B) place

C) public

D) promotion

E) positioning

Answer: A

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

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24) Intermediaries are ________.

A) firms that broker media space and time for advertisers

B) organizations or individuals that pass product messages from a firm to consumers

C) media measurement firms that rate the satisfaction of online purchasers

D) consumers who volunteer to test new product releases

E) media representatives who negotiate advertising rates

Answer: B

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

25) Which of the following conditions must be met to effectively employ marketing public

relations?

A) Marketing and public relations practitioners need to better understand how to use a variety of

intermediaries to convey promotional messages.

B) Public relations agencies need to acquire firms specializing in other communication

strategies.

C) All promotional elements need to be brought under control of the marketing department.

D) Practitioners of MPR need to have backgrounds in creative advertising.

E) Firms must establish a directly proportional link between promotion and sales.

Answer: A


Skill: Application

LO: 3

26) The central idea of ________ is that all of an organization's activities communicate with its

various audiences and stakeholders.

A) advertising

B) public relations

C) marketing

D) return on investment

E) consumer generated marketing

Answer: B

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

27) Marketing intermediaries is a term used to describe ________.

A) consumer advocacy groups

B) channels of communication

C) public relations agencies

D) product distribution channels

E) front-line sales personnel

Answer: D

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

10


Skill: Concept

LO: 2

28) A firm's stakeholders generally do NOT include ________.

A) investors

B) journalists

C) customers

D) employees

E) audiences

Answer: B

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

29) Public relations practitioners define a public as a ________.

A) key audience segment in an advertising campaign

B) group of people who shop for products based on brand recognition

C) media organization responsible for distributing messages

D) group that affect an organization and is affected by the organization's activities

E) measurement of audience response to a promotional message

Answer: D

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

30) A firm's prospective customers generally ________.

A) purchase a firm's products without first obtaining information

B) count among an organization's stakeholders

C) do not respond well to consumer generated marketing

D) tend to be more brand conscious than existing customers

E) are an abstract concept of little importance to sales

Answer: B

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

31) Clorox's partnership with the Sierra Club to launch a line of green cleaning products is an

example of a firm ________.

A) using advertising to reach a mass consumer audience

B) reaching out to various stakeholders to create a positive public impression

C) abandoning its traditional consumer base

D) launching a new product without need for psychographic testing

E) bowing to government pressure

Answer: B

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 7

Skill: Application

11


LO: 3

12


32) Which of the following statements best describes marketing public relations?

A) MPR is difficult to integrate into a marketing strategy.

B) Firms with low credibility use MPR relations the most.

C) MPR is the least effective promotional tool.

D) MPR outcomes are not always under the control of the marketer.

E) MPR is significantly more expensive than advertising to implement.

Answer: D

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 7

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

33) Calculating return on investment (ROI) is often different for MPR practitioners since

________.

A) the public relations discipline does not use quantitative tools

B) ROI is exclusively used to monitor advertising expenditures

C) marketing goals can be based on hard-to-measure attitudes and opinions

D) firms rarely trust ROI figures tabulated for communication efforts

E) MPR is solely a communication function, not a business tool

Answer: C

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 8

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

34) The fact that most U.S. companies do not have a formal MPR process is puzzling because

________.

A) MPR efforts are highly credible and relatively inexpensive to conduct

B) MPR is the oldest form of marketing communication in America

C) MPR has replaced public relations and advertising as the preferred mode of promotional

communication

D) MPR is taught in practically every business school

E) MPR accounts for every case of successful crisis management

Answer: A

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 8

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

35) An organization should be especially cautious about using MPR when ________.

A) the economy is in a downturn and marketing budgets are low

B) the firm is concurrently running advertising campaigns

C) return on investment is inherently unpredictable

D) the message of the firm is not particularly newsworthy

E) the public relations function is overseen by the legal department

Answer: D

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 9

Skill: Application

13


LO: 4

36) Packaging a message in an easily digestible way allows MPR practitioners to better

________.

A) measure ROI and prepare future marketing budgets

B) optimize the message for Internet search engines

C) demonstrate the value of a story and gain the media's attention

D) find advertisers to underwrite message distribution costs

E) negotiate rates with mass media organizations

Answer: C

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 10

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

37) What is one critical indication that an MPR campaign is becoming successful?

A) Journalists call for more information.

B) Media mentions diminish significantly.

C) A firm launches an advertising campaign.

D) The media stop reporting your story.

E) A firm develops a crisis communication plan.

Answer: A


Skill: Application

LO: 3

38) Marketers optimally can make their presence felt by ________.

A) distributing messages about everything they do, no matter how trivial

B) understanding the needs of their customers and how to influence them

C) holding regular news conferences

D) getting their employees to blog about their organization's products

E) purchasing advertising air time during the Super Bowl

Answer: B


Skill: Concept

LO: 4

39) In what way has technology magnified MPR as a marketing tool?

A) Blogs and other social media have rendered advertising obsolete.

B) Messages, in whatever medium, now have global reach.

C) High definition images allow better product close-ups in television commercials.

D) Audiences now have access to hundreds of specialized television channels.

E) Store managers can instantly update suppliers about changes in product demand.

Answer: B


Skill: Concept

14


LO: 4

15


40) The PRSA ethics code ________.

A) provides public relations practitioners a constructive way to frame ethical issues in their

profession.

B) is used by the federal government to prosecute ethics violators in the private sector.

C) was first drafted by Edward Bernays.

D) helps mass media organizations to develop their own editorial policies.

E) is merely theoretical and used mostly to teach communication ethics to students.

Answer: A


Skill: Concept

LO: 4

41) When the source of conversation about a product is trustworthy, consumers are more likely

to purchase the product and, in turn, talk about it.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 2

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

42) According to Al and Laura Ries, there is already a noticeable shift in the ways organizations

are promoting products, services and ideas.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 3

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

43) Advertising is a firm's efforts to build good relations with its various publics.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

44) MPR relies on intermediaries to spread the word about a firm's products and brands.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

45) Marketing Public Relations is public relations used for marketing purposes.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

16


46) Public relations is limited to an organization's marketing function.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

47) Establishing a direct correlation between ROI and MPR activities is fairly easy.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 8

Skill: Concept

LO: 3

48) Newsworthiness is subjective and dependent upon the audience being targeted in an MPR

effort.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 9

Skill: Concept

LO: 4

49) In order to be successful, MPR typically does not depend on close collaboration between

marketers and the media.

Answer: FALSE


Skill: Concept

LO: 4

50) A newsworthy story may fail to attract attention if an organization has incorrectly identified

the channel(s) through which to disseminate its message.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 9

Skill: Concept

LO: 4

51) MPR is an ideal set of tools to reach mainly local audiences.

Answer: FALSE


Skill: Concept

LO: 4

52) MPR practitioners generally do not have to worry about ethical practices.

Answer: FALSE


Skill: Concept

LO: 5

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53) The PRSA code of ethics provides professionals in the public relations industry with specific

standards of practice.

Answer: TRUE


Skill: Concept

LO: 5

54) The Falcon's Lair wants to increase business by selling more products overseas.

Answer: FALSE


Skill: Concept

LO: 1

55) Consumer generated marketing is a marketing effort that puts the creation of marketing

messages in the hands of consumers.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

56) Intermediaries pass messages about products from advertising agencies to the media.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 1

57) The marketing mix is a set of tools that allows firms to manage the consumer decision-

making process.

Answer: TRUE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

58) Blogs are not considered a medium.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 8

Skill: Concept

LO: 4

59) A public is any group that can affect the activities of a marketer and also be affected by those

activities.

Answer: TRUE


Skill: Concept

LO: 2

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19


60) Stakeholders generally include a firm's current customers, but not its prospective customers.

Answer: FALSE

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Concept

LO: 2

61) Define Marketing Public Relations.

Answer: Marketing Public Relations (MPR) is a unique form of marketing that takes a

marketer's

perspective on public relations. MPR emphasizes the importance of a two-way brand relationship

that utilizes both traditional and new media channels. MPR efforts improve, maintain, or protect

the sales or image of a product by encouraging these intermediaries to voluntarily convey

messages to audiences in order to draw consumers to information they crave.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 2, 3 and 5

Skill: Application

LO: 1

62) Briefly explain the change in the promotional environment enabled by the Internet, as

postulated by Al and Laura Ries in The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR.

Answer: Organizations are seeking more credible and durable ways of establishing dialogues

with their existing and prospective customers than traditional mass advertising has been able to

provide. The Internet has allowed marketers to employ traditional public relations strategies in

innovative ways that foster interactions among organizations, products, consumers and the media

at an unprecedented pace.


Skill: Application

LO: 2

63) How do word-of-mouth and buzz differ from traditional public relations?

Answer: Word-of-mouth and buzz are examples of consumer generated marketing (CGM). PR

and CGM both depend on marketers handing over their messages to an intermediary to reach the

ultimate consumer. However, word-of-mouth and buzz are cases where consumers themselves

create and disseminate the content of marketing messages.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 4

Skill: Application

LO: 2

64) Briefly explain why such promotional activities as advertising, personal selling and trade

promotions do not qualify as MPR.

Answer: The promotion category of the marketing mix comprises several non-MPR activities.

Advertising, personal selling and trade promotions generally are not considered part of MPR

because marketers pay to use these techniques, and most likely voluntary intermediaries are not

involved in spreading a firm's messages.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Application

20


LO: 2

65) Who are an organization's stakeholders?

Answer: Stakeholders typically include an organization's current and prospective customers,

employees, stockholders and other publics — groups that have an interest in or effect upon a

firm's activities or that may be affected by those activities.


Skill: Application

LO: 2

66) What is one major drawback of new coverage generated by MPR? Provide a recent example

of MPR gone astray.

Answer: Consumers perceive MPR as news or opinion rather than a paid promotion. MPR

messages therefore possess high credibility. MPR depends on transferring ownership of a

message to channels of communication, where, on occasion, the message may be distorted, with

unintended results. In 2007, the Cartoon Network positioned suspect-looking devices around

Boston as part of a promotion for a new show. The authorities shut down sections of the city

after reports from anxious residents.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 7

Skill: Application

LO: 2

67) MPR is the technique of turning an organization's activities into news. Provide a few

examples of opportunities for MPR in today's media environment.

Answer: Typical opportunities for MPR include product appearances in the local or network

news and media mentions on independent blogs or in magazines with global readership. They

might also include recommendations by friends or even trade associations.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 8

Skill: Application

LO: 4

68) Why is it essential for an organization to properly identify the channels it uses to tell its

story?

Answer: Even if a firm has a professionally packaged, newsworthy story, the information will

not be compelling if it does not reach the right person within the right media organization. Many

individuals and groups disseminate all sorts of information. The key to success is reaching the

correct audience this means knowing which media and which individuals within the media

care enough about a marketer's story to spread the word.


Skill: Application

LO: 4

21


69) What is the purpose of the PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values?

Answer: The Member Statement of Professional Values presents the core values of the Public

Relations Society of America and the public relations profession, in general. The Statement is the

basis for the PRSA's Member Code of Ethics and sets the professional standard for the industry.

These values constitute the fundamental guidelines of behavior and decision-making for public

relations practitioners.


Skill: Application

LO: 5

70) Why does Falcon's Lair wish to utilize MPR?

Answer: Although Falcon's Lair is a successful company, the firm wants to increase business by

enhancing its relationship with its existing customers hikers and climbers in the company's

immediate region. Falcon's Lair also would like to establish itself as a resource for families and

recreational hikers and climbers. Furthermore, the firm hope to increase its online sales

nationwide.


Skill: Application

LO: 3

71) Explain in precise terms the ways MPR differs from other components in the promotional

mix and why marketers need to understand such differences.

Answer: Marketers generally consider MPR to be a marketing function because it does not

supersede other types of public relations. MPR is public relations employed for marketing

purposes. The purpose of marketing is to change or maintain the beliefs or purchasing behavior

of customers toward a product or service. The marketing mix is the set of tools marketers use to

manage this process, commonly known as the four Ps (product, price, place and promotion). The

final category, promotion, includes MPR. The promotional mix, sometimes referred to as

integrated marketing communication, includes public relations activities (of which MPR is one

type) and other non-MPR tools such as advertising, personal selling and trade promotions. The

non-MPR activities depend on marketers paying for promotional messages and generally do not

involve voluntary intermediaries who spread promotional messages about a firm's products.

MPR strategies and tactics are different, as are the ways consumers perceive promotional

messages created and disseminated within the context of a MPR campaign. Because of these

differences, marketers need to cautiously balance MPR and non-MPR activities in order to

optimize the effectiveness of the marketing program. In addition, communication between an

organization and its publics is not limited to marketing situations. Any type of interaction can

affect product sales or organizational image. Thus, firms need to devote appropriate resources to

managing this communication process, regardless of who the players are.


Skill: Application

LO: 2

22


72) Describe the marketing mix in detail.

Answer: The marketing mix is the method by which firms manage the purchase decision-

making process of consumers and business customers. The marketing mix is also known as the

Four Ps — product, price, place and promotion. Product is the good or service being marketed

and includes such aspects as product packaging, design, benefits and quality. Price refers to the

product's cost to customers, including the price and all other factors that contribute to the

perceived value of the good or service. Place means the distribution of the product — the ways in

which a product gets to market and into the hands of customers. Promotion is the last category,

and includes the various forms of marketing communication for a product. Promotion may be

controlled, where marketers pay for messages, such as in advertising, personal selling or trade

promotions. Promotion may also be uncontrolled, where marketers surrender their messages to

intermediaries in the expectation of the messages making their way to ultimate consumers of a

firm's goods and services. Public relations and MPR are examples of this type of promotion.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 5

Skill: Application

LO: 2

73) What is the task of MPR? What are the seven goals of communication that assist marketers

in accomplishing this task?

Answer: The purpose of MPR is to generate communication between an organization and its

stakeholders. This communication is conveyed through various channels, whether interpersonal

or mediated. Experienced marketers and practitioners generally communicate with stakeholders

in an effort to meet one or more of seven goals: (1) to build the identity of the organization or

product; (2) to increase the visibility of the organization or product; (3) to establish an

organization or individual as an expert in a given discipline; (4) to educate stakeholders on issues

critical to the organization; (5) to shape public opinion about an organization, idea or person; (6)

to maintain the image of an organization or product; and (7) stimulating the trial or repeat usage

of a product.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 6

Skill: Application

LO: 3

23


74) Explain in complete terms the nine basic rules of MPR.

Answer: Regardless of the tactics a marketer employs in an MPR campaign, a firm needs to be

aware of several rules that apply: (1) Use MPR. Most companies in the United States have not

made a commitment to an MPR process, although there is significant evidence that MPR is a

highly credible tool and is lower in cost to deploy compared to traditional marketing methods.

(2) Be aware of what is newsworthy. Newsworthiness in subjective and audience-dependent.

This means considering whether a large part of a particular medium's audience will be attentive

and receptive to an organization's message. (3) Share the news. MPR is a collaborative effort

between media organizations and a firm's MPR managers. Both traditional and new media

outlets depend on a reliable MPR process to keep their communication productions successful.

(4) Package it properly. Media outlets are swamped by organizations vying for their attention. It

is therefore essential that solicitations be packaged in a manner that is digestible for the media

and that underscores the value of covering the firm's story. (5) Get it to the right people.

Compelling, attractively packaged stories will not necessarily be effective communications if

they do not find their way to the right person within a media organization. Because the key to

promotional success is reaching the correct audience, this implies identifying which media and

which individuals within the media are sufficiently concerned about a marketer's news to spread

the word. (6) Be available. A telltale sign of a successful campaign is when journalists call for

more information. This means an organization's public relations and marketing professionals

need to be available to provide reporters the information they need when they need it. (7) Stay

engaged. Firms must make their presence felt by maintaining a regular flow of information

between themselves, customers and connectors. Marketers should also be aware of how best to

reach and involve the media and people who influence their customers. (8) Realize that MPR has

global reach. Whether a firm's message is delivered by traditional or new media, marketing

messages now have worldwide audiences. Marketers must be ready to respond to reaction from

anywhere. (9) Ethics are not optional. While marketers occasionally may be tempted to bend the

truth in order to make a story seem more newsworthy, such actions can haunt an organization by

alienating the media and their audiences.


Skill: Application

LO: 4

24


75) What are the major, compelling arguments in favor of ethical behavior by MPR

practitioners?

Answer: People in charge of the MPR process within organizations work with customers, media

and various stakeholders to promote the mission of their organization. They also interact with

internal constituents to ensure that organizational members understand the firm's mission and are

adequately prepared to communicate the mission to all of their publics. MPR practitioners

typically have responsibilities toward the firms they work for, their clients, the media and the

audiences of those media. Compared to other professions, MPR is characterized by a wide scope

of influence with high visibility, especially among the media and an organization's consumers

and business customers. In this way, MPR professionals are obligated, as the PRSA Statement of

Professional Values implies, to serve the public interest, adhere to accuracy and truth, and to use

their expertise credibly. They also must be accountable, loyal and fair in their interactions with

their publics.


Skill: Application

LO: 5