by G.A. "Andy" Marken, Marken Communications

Don't waste your PR efforts

All too frequently PR people tend to list the tangible, technical and functional benefits and stop. Referred to as specsmanship, the focus is a one way stream from the company to the marketplace, rather than giving the effort to understand and project this information in consumer terms.

More importantly, PR people often list the tangible values and stop. Even in business-to-business there are intangible values -- the emotional areas that must be satisfied. In the early computer days there was a common, never-listed line item on purchase orders: the intangible value that no one was ever fired for buying from IBM. In recent history, Intel Inside has been used by PC and notebook manufacturers to give the buying public added reassurance with their system purchases.

Intangible and tangible customer values must continuously support each other, and support/reinforce the company's anchor values.

Positioning

The third leg of the PR program is product/service positioning, which will vary from market segment to market segment. If the dotcom trials and tribulations of the past year have shown us anything, it is that there is no such thing as one global market.

Using Intel as an example, there is a different positioning proposition for dealers, first time buyers, corporate buyers, professional users, software developers, video/multimedia developers, computer manufacturer management, engineers and buyers, as well as other micro markets.

The same positioning process holds true for consumer products and business/consumer services. Auto manufacturers tailor different messages for dealers, fleet buyers, people in different age groups, men and women, and even different nationalities. Online services that survive are quickly learning to micro manage their positioning messages. Service organizations like legal, financial, venture capital, market research and, yes, even public relations are tailoring their messages to specific market and client segments.

Finding your program legs

When a PR program is based on clearly defined anchor values, customer values and positioning, the PR tactics are easier to manage and carry out. Or to put it in the vernacular of the day, it's a program with legs or a program with traction.

Suddenly it becomes easier to establish and manage the relationship with the company's many audiences. Not slam-dunk easy but easier.

The most difficult aspect of the program will be the internal management issue. We increasingly live and operate in an environment of instant results, instant gratification. No part of a public relations or communications program is instant. It requires consistency and continuity.

Too frequently management is willing to approve a given tactic or activity, but immediately expects positive results -- sales, favorable legislation, increased stock valuation, or a similar ripple in the time/space continuum.

The effort or activity may build awareness but awareness seldom develops an initial relationship and certainly doesn't develop a long-term relationship. That only comes with a consistent and continuous program.

At the same time public relations people have to continuously manage, monitor and question every tactical aspect of their programs and the individual messages. Internal and external forces are in a constant state of flux. What was effective last month or yesterday can be totally ineffective -- or worse, counterproductive -- today.

That's one of the key reasons that applied common sense delivers value in your organization's public relations and communications program.

Prior to forming Marken Communications in mid-1977, Andy was vice president of Bozell & Jacobs and its predecessor agencies. Marken Communications is a full-service agency that concentrates on business-to-business market planning, positioning, development, and communications. For more information, visit www.markencom.com or write Andy@markencom.com