1. Understanding the Functions of Marketing and PR
Use this work book to help you explain the functions of marketing and public relations. You
should ensure you use additional examples to support your explanations.
Marketing
Explain what market research is, how it can be carried out and why it could be
important.
Market research is the process of gathering valuable information about consumers’
needs and preferences. This information is vital to entrepreneurs who wish to make
wise and profitable business decisions.
One example of market research in the business world is a focus group. These are
when a small group of the public are assembled and asked a number of questions or
lead in a discussion about their attitudes towards things or towards a product.
Explain market analysis. Why is it done and who could carry it out for you?
Market analysis is when a company has a certain business market that they are or
wishes to be involved in analysed.
They are analysed by gaining lots of data on what customers using this market want,
what the competition is, if there are any gaps that could be taken advantage of and
many other things.
Analysing the market so thoroughly helps businesses to work out their marketing
strategy. One way this is done is by allowing a business to split the market they are
entering into market segments. A single Market segment is much easier to target than
a whole market so will make for a much more successful marketing campaign.
Explain marketing strategy using examples.
Marketing strategy is the goal of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable
competitive advantage. From the market research that has been carried out an
informed strategy can be made and with this strategy the goals can be met much more
efficiently and easily.
Why is advertising so important to an organisation? Use examples to help you
explain.
Advertising allows a company to get their brand out there. The more a person hears
about and sees a brand or product the more likely they are to remember it and then
subliminally make a decision towards the brand. That’s just with repetition not to
mention if the advertisement seen is actually witty, creative and enjoyable to watch.
This will make a person not only subliminally choose a product but consciously prefer
and want to try it, this is very important to an organisation as more people will
purchase their products.
2. What is brand promotion and what methods could you use to promote a brand?
Brand promotion is an element or marketing that is designed to inform, remind,
persuade and influence the customers so that they purchase the brands of the
advertising company.
There are many different methods of promoting a brand. Advertisements broadcasted
on television or print can be planned to become nationwide or even worldwide
promotion pushes of a brand. Smaller examples can be things like giving out free
samples or pens that will feature the brand, then the person who receives it, and then
anyone else who borrows or comes across the pen will see the name.
PR
What are some of the key principles involved in managing the message?
What is positive publicity? Find an example of it to help explain.
Positive is when a company gains publicity, and this publicity gained has a positive
impact on sales. When done right publicity stunts can produce a lot of positive publicity
for a brand, one example of this was “The Great Jump” in 2012. In this stunt Felix
Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without help of a
machine by freefalling 23 miles from the earth’s stratosphere. This stunt was
sponsored by Red Bull and with the jump gaining worldwide recognition, and being a
success, Red Bull received a huge amount of positive publicity.
In public relations terms, what is spin? Find an example to help you with your
response.
In public relations a spin is a form or propaganda that’s aim is to make an audience
perceive an event or campaign in the way a certain organisation wants them too. They
can imply deceptive and highly manipulative tactics in order to achieve their aims.
Million pound advertising campaigns can be ruined by a spin of a rival company
shedding the campaign in a bad light and relatively small campaigns can be made
hugely successful by the implication of a good spin.
Why might a person or a company engage in damage limitation? Using an
example will improve your grade.
Damage limitation is about minimizing the negative perception caused by a crisis
situation.
One example and something that does sadly happen quite often is oil spills. This is
incredibly damaging for the oil companies as it damages the environment, kills wildlife
and angers thousands of people across the globe. The oil companies must then
control the amount of information being released about the accident all the while giving
the impression they are working with the public and with the best interest of the
3. environment and wildlife in mind, rather than just a company who’s only concern is
profit. They often release footage of company employees cleaning up oil and rescuing
animals from beeches etc.
What benefit could there be to an organisation to create an event? Use an
example of a marketing or PR event to support your responses.
PR events can greatly benefit an organisation. One example of this type of event
would be a press interview. The organisation could put forward a happy customer,
employee or boss or even an endorsed celebrity to talk about the organisation and the
great things they do or that their products do for them and the people that use them.
Allowing the public to hear from a person they trust like a fellow member of the public
or their favourite celebrity that this organisation is the best will make them like the
organisation more and will make them m ore likely to use them in the future.
What is lobbying and who is most likely to be influenced by it?
Lobbying is when a person or organisation attempts to influence the decisions made
by officials in the government. The people most likely to be targeted are legislators
and members of regulatory bodies. This is because they make decisions that can
negatively effect an organisation and so these organisations do what they can to stop
this.
