There’s a new research report available from the Marcomms group of the CIPR: A Marketing Communications Scenario for 2010 written by Professor Philip Kitchen:
‘In the following chapters I argue that the lead activity in marketing can be public relations – and we should probably be talking about the emergence of a new discipline of Marketing PR.’
The research confirms some aspects of the marketing mix to be in decline: above the line advertising; personal selling; price-related sales promotion are cited.
Growth areas are: public relations and sponsorship; electronic point of sale; internet communication; viral marketing and blogging. (Included in the case studies is the LEWIS whale watch blog though it’s not immedately apparent to me how this counts as marcomms. Who’s selling and who’s buying?)
PR Studies 
This survey would seem to bear out what we are seeing in our business. The best new business opportunities are coming through our public relations and our events and sponsorships disciplines of late. Many times, they need other services, but these are the doors they are entering the company through. Thanks for the information.
I just can’t resist.
Without throwing the baby out with the bathwater …
What is Marketing – painting by numbers.
What is Marketing Communication – shouting.
What is a brand – the extension of a conversation in a relationship
What is Customer Relationship Management – spam
What is the supply chain – slavery
Want me to go on……..
Shouldda, wouldda, couldda…
If we define marketing PR as public relations efforts targeting customers/consumers, and corporate PR as public relations efforts designed for all other stakeholders, then here’s my prediction.
I estimate that marketing PR asborbs a greater amount of public relations industry efforts than all forms of corporate PR.
There’s sometimes a difference between what is and what should be. There’s real reality, virtual reality and idealised reality.
Ah! Two if’s I cannot agree with.
If we define marketiing PR, we have to define marketing. Every definition todate has been overtaken by events. Even painting by numbers has been disintermediated.
If all other PR is Corporate PR we have to define what an organisation is. If, as I propose it is a nexus of relationships, then PR is a very broad and flexible kirk indeed.
What Amazon did to W H Smith and Dell did for the PC is the thin end of the wedge. We now have true online banks that disintermediate traditional banking (Lending and Borrowing), disintermediated telcos (now that we can get broadband as WiMax and cellular bandwith) an so on. The pace of change is fast and getting faster.
The nexus of relationships is truly powerful.
Marketing PR just gets swept aside in digital the tsunami.
The conversation wins.
i will like to receive a brief summary on public relations and Sponsorship. this is because i will like to specialize in this field of study both in my Masters and profession. at the moment am a 3rd year student in mass communication. please can provide to me some tips and advice about public relations and sponsorship.
thanks Olivia
Olivia: a good start point for you should be Sierk Horn’s chapter in Exploring Public Relations published this year.