Creativity and Public Relations in Integrated Brand Promotion

Why does IBP require creativity?

Creativity helps brand messages break through the clutter, stay current, and connect with consumers.

Common traits of creatives

Self-confident, childlike, unconventional, hardworking, independent, internally driven, risk takers, high tolerance for ambiguity, self-promotes.

Right-brained characteristics

Creative, intuitive, artistic, non-verbal, emotional, imaginative.

Left-brained characteristics

Systemic, logical, analytical, linear, verbal, factual, sequential.

Creativity statistics in preschoolers

98% of preschoolers test as genius.

Creativity statistics in high school

This drops to 12% by high school.

Creativity statistics in adulthood

It barely shows up at 2%.

Steve Jobs quote on thoughts

Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind.

First Apple tagline

Think different.

The Twin Masters of Advertising/IBP

Advertising/IBP is an art and a disciplined solution to a communications problem.

Creative abrasion

Friction where ideas go to die? False! We want friction and pushback to improve.

Client perspective in IBP

Clients want big idealism but can be risk-averse.

Creative perspective in IBP

Creatives develop big ideas and are passionate about their concepts.

Account executive focus

Highly concerned with client needs and objectives.

Creative motivation

Display creative brilliance and advance reputation.

Teamwork advantages in IBP

Speed, synergy, growth, and confidence.

Ken Robinson's Key Ideas about Creativity

1. Creativity = original ideas that have value. 2. Requires taking chances. 3. Don't let creativity get squished. 4. Futures unpredictability requires creative thinkers.

What is Public Relations?

Communication efforts that attempt to foster goodwill between a firm and its many constituent groups.

Creativity emerges from

Integrating seemingly unrelated concepts and forging novel connections.

Creativity as a method

It is a way of approaching the world and a method of problem-solving.

Internal conflict in IBP

Tension between account executives and creatives due to differing focuses and motivations.

Creativity by committee

Can lead to diluted ideas and lack of originality.

Creativity in teams

Big ideas often come from teamwork.

Public Relations (PR)

A strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.

Public Goodwill

The greatest asset any organization can have.

Objectives of PR

Promote goodwill, promote product, improve internal relations, counteract negative publicity, and lobby.

Promote Goodwill

Build brand image via activities that reflect positively on the brand.

Promote Product

Press releases, events, and other 'brand news' that increase public awareness about a brand's products.

Internet Communication

Sharing information and correcting misinformation within a company to improve internal relations.

Counteract Negative Publicity

Prevent negative publicity from damaging the brand and the image, also known as damage control.

Lobby

Helps brands deal with government officials and pending legislation.

Give Advice

Help brand managers with communication issues such as position stances and public appearances.

Types of PR

Media relations, employee relations, financial relations, corporate relations, and public affairs.

Media Relations

Focus is on developing and maintaining media contacts.

Employee Relations

Focus is on communicating information to employees.

Financial Relations

Focus is on communicating with the financial community, such as shareholders.

Corporate Relations

Focus is on a brand's image and reputation.

Public Affairs

Focus is on political and regulatory issues.

PR Strategies

Two basic strategic categories: proactive and reactive.

Proactive PR

Takes an offensive approach, focuses on opportunities, and seeks to publicize a brand.

Reactive PR

Takes a defensive approach, focuses on problems, and seeks to quell negative publicity.

PR vs Advertising

PR focuses more on the organization and long-term image, while advertising focuses on product/service and short-term image.

Earned Media

Persuade media to give free coverage, with little control over the media message.

Paid Media

Buy media coverage with complete control over media and message.

Traits of a Good PR Practitioner

Interpersonally gifted, patient, energetic, good listener, enjoys uncertainty, prescient, and a lifelong learner.

Crisis Management

The managing and handling of a potential crisis facing a brand.

Internal Communications

Responsible for making the flow of information between organization members.

Policy Influence

The deliberate effort by individuals, groups, or organizations to shape public policies.

New Challenges for PR Practitioners

Brands have less control over messages, every employee is a spokesperson, and gossip spreads instantly.

Consumer-Based Strategy

A way of doing business that starts with consumer psychology to build or redo the creative strategy.

Creative Strategy

Guided by the creative brief in executing the broad plan of copywriting and art direction content.

Creativity

The ability to consider and hold together seemingly inconsistent elements and forces, making a new connection.

Synergy in Branding

A creative must pull various elements of the creative strategy together within ads and among all forms of integrated brand promotion.

Account executives

The liaison between an advertising agency and its clients; the nature of the account executive's job requires excellent persuasion, negotiation, and judgment skills in order to both successfully alleviate client discomfort and sell highly effective, groundbreaking ideas.

Creative brief

A document that outlines and channels an essential creative idea and objective guiding the creative team.

Cognitive style

The unique preference of each person for thinking about and solving a problem.

Interpersonal abrasion

The clash of people, often resulting from an inability to regard idea feedback as separate from personal feedback, from which communication shuts down and new ideas get slaughtered.

Effective brainstorming

A process that includes defining the question, building off each other, and allowing time while following specific rules.

3ps creativity framework

Indicates creativity is fostered by three inputs: people, process, and place.

Public relations

A marketing and management function that focuses on communications that foster goodwill between a firm and its many constituent groups.

Ad council

A nonprofit organization since 1942 that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors.

Antibrand entertainment

Content that pokes fun at itself, doesn't mention the product, or uses some other seemingly unmarketable device to attract attention to a brand.

Word of mouth

In marketing parlance, this is the process of encouraging consumers to talk or communicate with each other about a firm's brand or marketing activities.

Crisis communications

Communicating with and responding to the public and stakeholders in times of problems, crises, or tragedies.

Brand transgressions

When a brand does something wrong and trust is lost.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

An agency of the U.S. government that promotes the safety of consumer products by addressing injury risks, provides safety standards, and researches illness or injury that results from products.

Pre-roll advertising

Ads that are shown to consumers before a social media video or other content.

Text disclosures

When a company or organization sends product- or service-related disclosures or important information to consumers via their phones.

Feature story

Different from a press release in that it is typically more controllable, detailed, and substantial.

Publicity

Unpaid-for media exposure about a firm's activities or its products and services; free media exposure highlighting a firm's activities or brands.

Proactive PR strategy

A public relations strategy that is dictated by marketing objectives, seeks to publicize a company and its brands, and is offensive in spirit rather than defensive.

Reactive PR strategy

A public relations strategy that is dictated by influences outside the control of a company, focuses on problems to be solved rather than opportunities, and requires defensive rather than offensive measures.

PR audit

An internal study that identifies the characteristics of a firm or the aspects of the firm's activities that are positive and newsworthy.

Why teams matter

In most instances, teams are the only valid option for getting things done.

John Sweeney's advice on bad creatives

A list of practices to avoid, including treating the target audience like a statistic and blaming the creative for bad creative.

Effective teams

Find ways to let each person on the business team bring their unique contributions to the forefront.

Team leader's role

Ensuring that the work of the team is consistent with the organization's strategy or plan.

PR plan

A plan that identifies the objectives and activities related to the public relations communications issued by a firm.

Situation analysis

Part of a PR plan that assesses the current situation of the firm.

Program objectives

Goals that a PR plan aims to achieve.

Program rationale

The reasoning behind the activities outlined in a PR plan.

Communications vehicle

The medium used to convey messages in a PR plan.

Message content

The actual information conveyed in a PR communication.

Evaluation

The process of assessing the effectiveness of a PR plan.

Strategies in reactive PR

Approaches taken to respond to negative situations affecting a firm.

Influencer marketing

A series of personalized marketing techniques directed at individuals or groups who have the credibility and capability to drive positive word of mouth.

Micro-influencer

A person who represents a brand, usually having a specific knowledge area, who has between 10,000-50,000 followers on social media.

Macro-influencer

A person who is paid or compensated to deliver messages or content about a brand and has at least 500,000 social media followers.

Peer to peer influencer

The idea of giving influencers something fun or provocative to talk about.

Buzz marketing

The process of creating events or experiences that yield conversations that include the brand or product.

Viral marketing

Marketing to consumers via digital, social, or mobile media or through personal contact stimulated by a firm marketing a brand.

Publicity stunts

A type of public relations that serves as a 'buzz builder' crafted to get people talking.

Andy Senovits 5 keys for success with influencer marketing

1. Talkers: Find people predisposed to talk about brands. 2. Topics: Provide something interesting to discuss. 3. Tools: Use tools that promote viral conversation. 4. Taking part: Engage in dialogue, not just one-way communication. 5. Tracking: Measure word of mouth online.

Transparency in Buzz

The need to comply with laws and regulations and ensure transparency when providing influencers with compensation.

Corporate advertising

Not designed to promote a specific brand but to establish a favorable attitude toward a company as a whole.

Corporate image advertising

Focuses on enhancing the overall image of a firm among important constituents.

Corporate advocacy advertising

Attempts to influence public opinion on important social, political, or environmental issues.

Corporate cause-related advertising

Identifies corporate sponsorship of philanthropic activities to enhance the firm's image.

Green marketing

Corporate efforts that support environmental causes or programs.

Greenwashing

Using advertising to communicate misleading claims about goods or services having environmental benefits.