This document discusses key concepts in marketing and public relations, including understanding clients and their requirements, market research techniques, audience profiling, and the four elements of the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion). It emphasizes the importance of understanding client needs and specifications when doing work for them. It discusses tools for researching markets like SWOT analysis and explains how understanding the target audience through profiling techniques like demographics, income levels, and geodemographics can help tailor products and marketing. Finally, it provides an in-depth explanation of each element in the marketing mix - product features, pricing strategies, placement considerations, and promotional approaches - and how understanding these elements is essential for a successful marketing strategy.

1. Understanding the principal methods and techniques used in marketing and public relationships
Marketing:
Whyis it important in marketing to understandingyour clientsand their requirements?
The keyelementwhenmakingworkforaclientinmarketing isthatyou mustfitinwiththeir
specificationsandideasandnotto go and doyou ownidea,due tothe fact thatthis hasbeen
outsourcedtoyou; an external company.If thisideaisfailedthenall the potential ideasforthe
projectwon’tbe takenforward,due to the fact that you’ve gone againstthe client’swishes.
Continuationandconsistencywhenfailingthese thingscanhave detrimentaleffectsonthe company
and if youare the ownerof the company,financial difficultmightbe aconsequence.However,this
whole ideaof understandingyourclientandtheirrequirementisn’tamarketingthing,it’salso
fundamental anduniversal toalot more scenarioswhere workingfora clientisthe norm.For
example if aclientreallywantsacertainfeature includingandyoutake thaton board at one of the
manymeetingsyouwill have withthe clientbutdon’ttake the ideaforwardindevelopment,youwill
be wastingyourown time withaproduct that won’tevenbe made andmore importantly.You’re
wastingthe client’stime whentheycouldgetthe productfromanotherexternal company.A
consequence of thiscouldbe thatfuture potential productswon’tbe giventoyouto develop.
However,the example Ijustgave existedinascenariowhere the external companyhad alreadybeen
giventhe project.However,insome instances,thereisarange of companiestryingtopitchand
impressthe clienttotryand get the all-importantordertomake the product.If the client’sideas
aren’tunderstoodatthispoint,itis highly likelythatthe contractwon’tbe giventothiscompany.
Whyis understandingthe market you are working in important? What techniquesandtools could
be usedto helpsomeone understandtheir market?
Understandingthe marketthatyoumightbe aboutto enteror youalreadyhave gone intoisa key
part of marketingandisone that shouldn’tbe takenlightly,extensive researchisneededbeforea
productcan evenbegin itsdesignstages. Exploringmarkets isagoodway of establishingthe
competition,howmuchcanbe made in the marketand where yourproductcan fitin the market.The
resultif youdon’tis thatyou won’tknow whatfinancial potential yourproductcanhave so youmay
endup strugglingwith profitandprofitmargin.Also,inabilitytoknow how yourcompetitorsare
doingmightleadtoyou beenknownaslowerdownthe marketranksas those competitors,aswell as
the fact that youmay make a productsimilartoone that isalreadyon the market,leadingtofew
salesbeenrecordedforyourcompanyanda potential lawsuitif the companywhooriginallymade it
seesitas identical/verysimilar. Byfine combingthroughexistingproductsandmarkets,companies
will be able tofindthe gapsand popularfeaturesof the market,aswell asthe featuresnottoinclude
and the onesto stayaway fromcompletely.Thiscanbe done throughprintor an e-mediaplatform
but nothingquite beatsthe use of the physical productasan analysistool. Forexample,before
releasinganewproduct,McDonaldswill have tolookthroughthe existingmarket(hopefullynotvery
hard because afterall thistime,theyshouldknow the marketsprettywell) andestablishwhetherthe
producttheyare thinkingof existsandif itdoesn’t,willitsell well anditwill itmake agreat profitfor
the company.In addition,McDonaldsmightwanttosubstitute thisproductforan existingproducton
theirmenu,dependantonif there isan itemthatdoesn’tsell particularlywell onthe existingmarket
(lookingatsalesfigureswill helpthis).
What is a SWOT analysis?Why are theyare theya useful tool?
SWOT analysis,standingforstrength,weakness,opportunitiesandthreats,isthe analytical wayto
assessthe productthat you are goingto make or a productthat is alreadyonthe marketto try and
geta betterunderstandingof howtoimprove them.Usuallyusingagridtype methodtohave the 4
headingsinthe boxes,the SWOTanalysistool isall aboutimprovementof yourproduct,while
exposingthe weaknesses,whichallowsthe companytotackle the problemsbeforetheybecomea
problemonthe final design.Aswellasresearchandprofiling,thisfeature of the pre-productionstage
isimportantand iskeyto makinga successful andeffective product,whichmakesasizeable markon
the market.

2. SWOT analysisof IPod
Strength – The memoryandcapacity iseffectiveandithasa greatscreendisplay
Weakness– The batterydoesn’tlastas longas youhope it would
Opportunity – Improvingthe batterythroughextensivetestswouldimprove the overall product
Threat – Improvingthe batterytothe level discussedwouldtake toomuchtime andthe cost of said
batterywouldreduce the profitsmade bythe company.Eitherthe batterygetsimprovedand
somethingelsesuffersorthe productremainsthe same.
*This is a simple example ofSWOTanalysis; companieslookingto market a product would add
more depth.
What is audience profiling?Whatsort of informationmight be includedin an audience profile?
Throughaudience profiling,youare buildingyourknowledge aboutaclient,understandingwhothey
are and whatare theirspendinghabitsandpatternsandhow oftentheypurchase certainthings,as
well assimple informationaboutdemographyandgeodemography(age,location,income).These
facts can establishwhetheryourtargetaudience hasadisposable income andcanspendmoneyon
luxuriesinsteadof onnecessities,aswell asestablishinghow toadvertise tothistargetaudience.For
example,if youare lookingtocaterforan olderaudience,itwill be unlikelythatyouwouldpickane-
media/social mediaplatformtoadvertise tothemandinsteadwouldpickbroadcastorprintas a
desiredmedium. Thingsthatmightbe includedinanaudience profile:
 Gender– Thispiece of informationisrelativelyself-explanatoryandhelpsacompanyto
establishwhichgendertheyare goingtotarget.Thiscan alsobe usedto companiesthathave
alreadymade a successful product,itmighttranspire thattheyare lookingtochange their
target audience becausetheyare nottargetingthe demographictheysetoutto.Thiswill
thenleadto massresearchbecause the companyhave to decide whetherstickingtotheir
ideologiesandideasorprofitmarginsare more important.
 Age – Eventhougheverythingfromthe gendersectionlinkstothissectionalso,age is
somethingthatcan be more focusedonadvertising.Findingoutthe age demographicsof
your audience orpotential audienceiskeybecause byknowingthis, youcanadjustbothyour
productand advertisingtotryand fitthe demographical specificationperfectly.Thiscould
include the colour,fontandextendtothingslike imageryand layout.All of these profiling
featuresare justas importantas eachotherand if one of these isn’tfulfilled,aproductthat
doesn’tmake muchprofitwill be the result.
 Income – While thisdoesn’tseemrelevanttoaudience profiling,thisisakeypart of it.By
establishingaparticularperson’s income,youcanassume how much moneypeoplehave to
spendonnecessitiesandluxuriesandwhetherornottheyhave a disposableincome.Having
a disposable incomemeansthatpeople have moneytospendonbothnecessitiesand
luxuries,therefore,theyare more likelytospendtheirmoneyonmediaproductsandmake a
bettertargetaudience thansomeone onalow income.Onthe otherhand,thisprofiling
feature survivesbymakingmanyassumptions.Firstly,youmust,tosome extent,assume
someone’sincomebecause veryfew people reveal theirexactincome.Afterthis,itwould
take a longtime toanalyse people inalarge capacity,soby usingthe few people youhave
extensivelyanalysed,youmustmake anassumptionaboutcertaingroups(youwouldanalyse
at leastone personfrommostage groups,ethnicitiesandhave equal people frommale and
female respondents)
 Geodemographics–By knowingwhere someone lives,youare able tomake certain
assumptionsaboutthem.However,knowingthisinformationwon’thelpyouunlessyou
actuallymange to collectinformationaboutincome fromone residencefromeacharea.From
there,you will be able toestablishthe average spending andspendingpatternsfromeach
area,while makingassumptions aboutthe residentsof these areaswithoutknowing
individualinformation.Thisisrelativelyriskybecauseif youmake anassumptionsandit
provesto be wrong,youmay misjudge yourtargetaudience andtherefore,itwill have tobe
changed,wastingtime andmoneyinthe process.

3.  Social class – Findingoutsomeone’ssocial statuscanbe useful whentryingtotargeta certain
audience.However,the amountof productsthatactuallytargeta certainsocial class isvery
fewandwhile peoplewithdisposable incomesthatcanspendmoneyonluxuriesand
assumptionsaboutthiscanbe made,a companydon’tgo outto target eitherthe ABC1or
C2DE audience,thisisjustanalysedafteraperiodof time.Forexample,the use of complex
lexisinmagazinessuchasQ andMOJO magazine suggestsanABC1 demographicbutthese
mediaproducersdidn’tdothisandseta clearmessage thatthisiswho it’sfor,theyjusthad
to analyse the sale dataaftera yearof Q andMOJO beenestablishedtosee whatsocial class
theyare targeting.Fromhere,noamendmentswill be made,theywill juststaywithasteady
continuation.
Selecta magazine and findtheir audience profile:
The statisticsthat followwere collatedby:
http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/magazines/detail/Q andworkstoestablishvarious
demographical information. These figuresare asof 2012 so couldhave alteredinthe 2 yearsthat
have followed.
Gender
Male – 68%
Female – 32%
While these statisticshave beenanalysedovertime,withtheseparticularfigurescomingin2012, this
male majorityviewershiphasalwaysbeenafeature of Qmagazine andwhile it’snotevidentwith
otherpublications,itcertainlyiswithQmagazines.The use of mainlymale coverstarsonthe media
productsuggeststhat Q are alreadytryingtotargetthe male viewershipandwhenthisbecame more
apparentafterthe marketanalysisa yearafterthe magazine wasestablished,Qdecidedtomake it
evenmore Male orientated tokeepthe viewershipata constantand to keepexistingconsumers
comingback.
Age
The medianage of a Q magazine readeris32 and a mirroringview of the genderdemographicis
taken;the coverstars are similaragestothe targetaudience, therefore,familiarisationamongst
consumersare howQ aimto sell theirpublication.Witha15-24 age demographicbeenthe most
commonage groupto read Q though,there hasto be a mix of youngerbandsandmusiciansfeatured.
Thisis an example of one of
the firstQ magazines,which,
as youcan see,hasa majority
of malesasthe cover stars.
Fast-forward28 yearsand withthe
exceptionof LilyAllen,Kate Bushand
Lana Del Ray, there have beenfew
female coverstarsinQ magazine.As
well asthe coverstars, the colour
scheme of redsand blacksalsoshows
how male orientedthe media
publicationis.

4. However,withthe 55-64 age categorybeenthe leastlikelytoreadthe musicmagazine,itishighly
unlikelythatQ will have anoldercoverstar(despite everyissue,Q feature aflashbackfroma classic
star, as youcan see fromthe Stone RosesandAC/DCon the most recentcoverof Q.
Social class
From the mediapackat http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/uploads/QMediaPack-Feb2013.pdf I was
able to establishthat72%of people thatreadQ magazine are inthe ABC1 categoryof social class.Ike
I mentionedbefore,notmanyproducerssetoutto target a certainsocial classbefore theyhave
analysedsalesfiguresinthe firstyearof establishment.However,throughcomplex lexisandanin
depthanalysisthathasbeenproventoput off a C2DE social class,Q magazine have beenable to
continuouslymake aproductthat accommodatesforthe ABC1 demographic.Due tothe fact that the
publicationhave managedtogetthismanyconsumers,itwouldbe unwise tochange theirproduct
and lose these readers,like anyothersuccessful brand,youmake whatthe consumerwantsandwhat
has beensuccessful foryou.Fora more informal musicmagazine alternative,NMEuse a lotmore
simple lexisandhave more chattycolumnscomparedwithQ.
Explainin detail the 4 differentelementsofthe marketing mix.
Product – Thispiece of the marketingmix concentratesonthe featuresandappearance of the
product.Thissectionwill take care of the lookof the product,whichisn’tthe mostimportantarea of
the marketingdiagrambutis still keytoa successful project.Withoutconcentrationonthe features
and appearance,evenif youradvertisingcampaignandresearchisperfect,youwillnotbe able to
profitbecause of the lackof qualityonthe final design.Forexample,Apple haveateamsolely
responsible forthe aestheticsandfeaturesof theirproductsandjustafterthe salesfiguresforthe
past product,theylooktowhere consumershave flaggedissuewiththe productandnote them
down.Fromthese notes,theywill produce aSWOTanalysispiece (mentionedinanearliersection)
and act on these issues.Thismeansthattheirnew productsare nearlyalwayssuperiorandhave
plentyof changesonthem,whichhasmade Apple one of the most successful andrecognisable
brandsin the world.
Price – Thisfeature of the marketingmix isall abouthow much a customeris willingtopayfor a
certainproduct/service.Mostof thisinformationcanbe foundbydoingsimple researchbutcanbe so
keyto makingan effective productthatwill sellwell onthe market.Forexample,byfindingouthow
much a competitor’s productisonthe marketfor can helpyouprice your product. Withthis
information,youcaneithertryandmarketit for the same price and hope thatthe qualityand
featuresof ourproduct will outsell yourrival ormarketitfor a percentage of the price yourrival is
and notmake as muchper unitbutsell theminmassquantities. Aswell asestablishingthe
competitorinformation,thingslike profilingcanhelptofinda reasonable price foryourproduct.
Thingslike social statusandgeodemographicscandiscoverwhetherpeople have disposable incomes
for luxuriesandprice theirproductaccordingly,dependentonthe targetaudience forthe product.
Place – Thissectioninvolvesestablishingsome factsbefore establishingthe outcome foryour
product.Like the price section,findingoutwhere competitorssell theirproductscanbe keyto the
positioningof theirownproducts.Fromfindingoutthisinformation,twoapproachescanbe takenas
a result,whichare:1) Place yourproducts indifferentstores comparedtoyourrivals,missouton
some rival salesbutavoidbeenmassivelyoutsoldbyyourrival inthe same store and itbeen
highlightedbythe people whostockyourproduct,whichcouldleadtoreductionof ordersforyour
productthe followingyear.2) Stockyour productinthe same typesof storesas yourrival,which
would,withoutadoubt,prove whichproductisbetterbutif it’syour productthat undersells, youget
a bad name in the process.Inadditiontolookingatcompetitor’sproductplacement,new,
experimental meanscouldbe establishedandanew stockistcouldbe foundwhichwouldleave you
witha bigprofitand a businesscontactat the same time. Aswell asthis,there isthe dilemmaof how
manystoresyou’re goingto place yourproduct in;isit goingto be mass-marketandbe inall major

5. retailerswhichmeansitwill be availablenationwide,orisit goingto be a niche productplacement
whichmeansthat itwill probablybe expensiveandfeaturedinafew storesinthe country,if not the
world.Thiswouldthenresultin youhavingtosell lessproductsbutfora higherprice or sell alot
more for a reasonable,more affordable price.
Promotion – Marketingmix finisheswiththe promotionsectionwhich involveshow consumersare
informedof the productfromthe companies. Eventhoughall the sectionsinthe marketingmix are
keyto a successful product,promotionisimportantbecauseif youhave agreat productfor a great
price and thenpromote itand advertise itwrong,yourprofitshave fallenatthe final hurdle and
somethingthathadso much potential isnothingbuta lossinprofitsfromthe company.Before
anythinggetspromoted,the companymustfirstdecide where toadvise,whichwill usuallyinvolve
themlookingatthe demographictheyhave targetedfortheirproductandmirror thatwith
advertising.Forexample,if the productisfora youngerdemographic,ane-media/social network
mediummightbe the bestwayto go,where as an olderaudience maydesire aprintorbroadcast
platform.Next,itmustbe establishedwhetherabigpromotioncampaignora small campaignis
goingto be takenby the company.Savingthe companymoneyonpromotional toolsissometimesnot
goodif itresultsina lossof sales,sometimesspendingalittle extramoneyonadvertisingandsuch
can make a monumental difference onprofitmarginsforcompanies.Thisdecisionhasa few factors
attachedto it; 1) It dependsonthe company’shopesforthe product,if the focusgroupand testing
groupsdon’texpectitto achieve aswell aspreviousproducts,itmightbe wise tocutback on the
promotioncampaign.Although,othercompaniescouldsee thisasachance to try and over-advertise
it andrealise theirproductisn’tverygoodbutstrive tomake back saleswithsubconscious
advertising.2) The spendingpowerof a companyisa big factor.Can the companyaffordto plaster
theirbrandand productsin everymediumordotheyhave to be strategicwhenitcomesto
promotion? Forexample,Applecanaffordto advertise andpromote theirbrandimage andproducts
on mostis notall mediums,where assmallerrivalsof the companylike Motorolamighthave tothink
aboutwhere to promote theirproducts,due tothemnothavingthe spendingpowertocompete with
Apple intermsof adverting.
Selecta publication,product or audience and explainthe range of marketing materialsthat they
use.

6. Many publicationsandproductsuse awide range of marketingmaterialstopromote theirproducts
and brands.However,beforeanyof these materialscanbe produced,abudgetforthe project,which
includesadverting,will be formed.Fromhere,the companywill be able toknow how muchtheyhave
available tospendandtherefore,they’ll be able toknow if theyare appealingtothe massmarket
throughall mediumsorto a niche one throughselective advertisingpositioning.Onthe otherhand,it
mightnot be the fundsthat isholdingthe companybackfrom advertisingthroughall medium,it
mightbe the resourcesandskillstheyhave oritmight be solelytodowiththe fact that the company
wantto attract a niche marketto theirproduct.For example, abrandthat I have mentioned
throughoutthistask,Apple,liketoplastertheirbrandandproductsthroughall marketingmeans,due
to the fact that theyhave the financial powertobe able todo this.Whether itsbillboards, public
transport,star power, E-mediaplatforms broadcastplatformsorprintplatforms,Applemanage to
reach mostof theirconsumersandgetacross the message thattheywant to convey.The iPhone was
and isa huge campaign,withthe advertbeenevidentinmostcitiesacrossnotjustthe UK but all over
the world.
Provide your own definitionofadvertising.
Accordingto dictionary.com,the wordadvertingisdefinedby “the activityorprofessionof producing
advertisementsforcommercial productsorservices”.However,Ithinkthisdefinition undervalues the
importance of the whole advertising,whichis,inactuality,one of the mostimportantthingsfor
companiesandindividuals.If advertingisnotcarriedout,a brand/individual will notbecome a
heavyweightof the marketandwill be unable tocompete withtheirrivals.Advertingisthe practice
of realisingwhatyourmessage is,establishingthe importanceof thismessage andturningitintoa
catchy still ormovingimage/audiopiece.Thismessage shouldn’tbe anylongerthana line ortwo and
shouldenable the consumerof the avertto rememberitandsubconsciouslyrememberitwhenthey
go shopping,therefore,makingyourbrandmore popularinthe eyesof the consumer.Anadvertcan
take many differentforms,whetherit’sbroadcast,print,e-media,and whetherthisispositionedon
buildings,publictransportordigital boards,the listisendlesstohow companiesandindividualscan
advertise theirproductsandservicestothe consumer.
What is the purpose ofsponsorship?Support your answer with detailedexamples.
While Sponsorshipissomehow viewedasacharitable thing,itcan alsobe a wayfor companiesto
promote themselvesandtheirproductstoconsumers,throughthe sponsorshipof eventsandawards
etc.By promotingthemselves,companiesare thenable toeitherbreakintoanew market,make
themselvesbiggerintheirexistingmarketorestablishthemselvesinarelevantmarket,dependanton
the size and visionof the companygoingforward.Some companiesuse sponsorshiptotryand send
out a message,almostlike adverting,while some justwanttopromote themselvesasabrand, after
all,sponsorshipcanbe fora range of reasonsandpurposes.Aswell asthe purposes,there are the

7. typesof sponsorshipyoucan get,whichare; events,awardsandbuildings,thatthengetsplitinto
newsponsorships(whichinvolvesthe companysponsoringsomethingthathasn’tbeensponsored
before because ithasonlyjustbeenestablished) orcontinuationof sponsorship(whichinvolvesthe
companycontinuingapartnershipthey’veformedwithanothercompanyandsponsorthemor
sponsorshipof aneventorawards that haspreviouslybeensponsoredbysomeoneelse).
Events- Througheventsponsorship,companiescanclimbtothe nextlevel of theirrelevantfieldor
remainintouch withthe top,much like Barclaysbankshave whensponsoringevents.The ATPWorld
Tour finals,atennistournamentinLondonatthe endof the yearthat featuresthe finesttennis
playersinthe world,has,inpreviousyears,beensponsored byBarclays,whichhasestablishedthe
bankas one of the besthighstreetbanksin the UK and helpedthemto maintainthatposition.While
the businessof the companyhadsomethingtodowiththis,the sponsorshipandpartnershipwiththe
eventhasalso done itspart, alongwiththe BritishSummertime MusicFestival thatBarclaysalso
sponsor.
Awards – Notas effective aseventsponsorship,awardssponsorshiphelpsthe brandtobe recognised
to some extent,while notwastingthe financesonareasthatthe company believe canbe bestspent
elsewhere. While youcangetawardsfor a range of things,the sponsoredandmostindemandones
come in the musicand filmindustriesrespectively.The recentQawardsexhibitedsomeof the
greatestmusiciansof the yearandthe fromthe past but playingasmall role were the sponsorships
that had beenaddedtoeachaward givenoutby Q.Companiessuchas Citroen,CarlingandSony
sponsoredthese awardsandinturn,got publicityfordoingsowitha mentioninthe Qmagazine
publication.While the companiesmentionedabove couldandhave stagedeventsinthe past,they
see these smalleropportunitiesasa goodinvestmentbecause theyhave realisedthe viewershipof Q
(the mostread musicmagazine inthe UK) and have promotedtheirbrandaccordinglytotry and get
themselvessome positive publicityandachance to keepthemselvesrelevant(especiallySonywho
are tryingto battle withApple,Samsungandothertoptechnologybrands).
Buildings– With the establishmentof commercialismcame asense of masspromotionandan even
biggeramountof adverting.However,anevenbiggerstepupfrompromotion,advertingandevent
sponsorshipisthe relativelynewideaof buildingsponsorship.While inpast times,youwouldhave
the buildingnamedbythe architectorsuch, however,throughouttime,ithasbecome asort of
biddingwarof sponsorshipstohave theircompanyname onthe building.Eventhougheventswill get
a brand noticed,there isnothingbiggerthanabuildingsponsorshipthatwill be seenbymillionsona
dailybasis,whichiswhythe smaller,lessobtrusivebuildingsaren’thighindemandforsponsorship
(the brasherandmore noticeable,the better). A few examplesincludethe BTtowerand O2 arena in
London,the Emiratesstadium(alsoinLondon) andthe FirstDirectArenaopenedinLeedslastyearto
name a few.
What is the purpose ofendorsements?Explaina range of differenttypesofendorsementsand use
examples.
Like sponsorship,thisisatool to aidcompaniesinpromotingtheirbrandand gettingitnoticedbythe
mass marketandtheirtarget audience.However,insteadof doingthisthroughamessage orslogan
of theirown,theyrelyonotherpeople,whetherthis isacelebrity(starpower),expert(expertpower)
or by a general memberof the public.The mainpurpose of anendorsementistotry and conveya
positive viewof yourbrandand productsthrougha personwhocan be seenastrustworthyand
honestbythe consumer.
Star Power– Throughthe use of celebrity,the consumercanbe swayedto use services,buyproducts
and supportbrands,thisisa feature of the celebrityobsessedworldwe now live in.Evenif the brand
or product doesn’tlooklike auseful or effective product,acelebrityendorsementcanchange all that
and subconsciouslyswaythe mindof the consumerstobuyit.While it’snotas seriousasmind-

8. control or anythinglike that,mostcompaniestendtouse a celebrityendorsement,due tothe fact
that companiesthataren’thave to notonlybattle withthe qualityof otherproducts,theyhave to
battle withthe highprofile endorsementsof otherbrandstoo,havinganendorsementthemselves
givesthemone lessthingtoworryaboutwhenmarketingand advertisingthe product. A few high
profile celebrity endorsementsinclude the use of UsainBoltandDavidTennantinthe Virginadverts,
the use of ChrisPine inthe Armani advertandRoger Federer’sendorsementof Moet& Chandon
champagne.
Expert power– Star powerisgood foradvertisingandpromotingvariousproductsbutwhenitcomes
to the seriouscosmeticsandhealthrelatedproducts,consumersaren’tconvincedbycelebrities,they
are convincedbyanexpertof the filedthatthe productis from.A reassurance,atag-line anda
guarantee isall that isneededfromthe experttogetthe consumersapproval though,asbrandsaim
to make quicksalesfromtheirproducts. Despite medical productsbeencommonlyendorsedby
experts,things like technologyandfoodare alsopromotedbyexpert,itall dependsonthe nature of
the advert.If the companywantto concentrate onthe qualityof the product, theymightthinkabout
an expertora memberof the public(mentionedinthe nextsection) butif theywantto draw lotsof
attentiontotheirbrand,a celebrityendorsementmightbe the betteroption. Expertendorsements
include toothpaste brandssuchasPro White andOral-Businga range of experts,aswell asskincare
brandslike Dove andGarnieroftenusingskinexperttopositivelyreinforce theirproductstothe
consumer.
Use of membersof the public – While thisvoyeurisminto celebrity’s livesthathasbecome partof
our dailylives exists,consumerssometimesfeelasif theyaren’t equal tocelebritiesandtherefore
can’t buythe products that celebritiesendorse.Onthese occasions,companiesmayuse a general
memberof the publictoendorse theirproduct,whichwouldintroduce afamiliarisationelementinto
the endorsement,due to the fact that the consumercan now put themselvesinthe same scenario
and realisticallycompare withthe endorser(whichwillthenextendtothe brandandproducts of that
brand). Startingin2005, the men’sskincare brandGillette usedThierryHenry,RogerFedererand
TigerWoodsto endorse theirbrand,butin2010, thiswas changedaftera general memberof the
publicreplacedthe three,whichsuggestedthatGillettewantedtotargetthe everydaymanandsaw
thischange as a positive wayof doingthis.
Whycould holdingan eventbe a good marketingstrategy? What are some ofthe opportunitiesand
threats of holdingan event?

9. Eventsaimto promote a brands image and productsthrough the use of subliminalmessaging,
whetherthat’s constantlyremindingthe consumerandthe event-goesof yourproducts,anaudioor
visual message oroveruse of the brandlogowhichwill thenbe afamiliarsymbol tothose who
attendedthe eventbythe end.Stagingsuchan evenisa verygoodway of marketingandpromoting
productsand isan effective marketingstrategybecause somethingthatpositivelyreflectsyourbrand
image andproducts surelyhasto be a good thingforany company.Anotherreasonwhystagingan
eventisan effective marketingstrategyisthe factthatyou are showingthe consumerthatyou’re
willingtoputonan event,therefore,conveyingthatyouare a brightcompanywhoare moving
forwardinthe targetand are innovativeandnew atthe same time.Aswell asshowingthe consumer
these features,youare alsoshowingthe rivalswhatthe competitionislikeandf youreventruns
withoutanyhitches,youhave increasedthe lengththeymustgoto rival you.While rivalsare an
importantpart of business,alliesandlinkswithothercompaniesare importantto;bystagingan
event,youare positivelyshowingthatyouare a good companyto workwith,whichmayattract
companiestoworkwithand alongside you,whichwill generate more profitandcreate stability
amongstour company.
Opportunities– Not onlyisan eventachance to showcase acompany’sproductsand brand,it isa
time to showwhatthe companycan doand what it’sintentionswiththe marketis,are theygoingto
try and breaka newmarket?Create a new market?Anevent isalsoan opportunitytogetyour
message outas a company.If you have a brand ideology,youwanttotryand breakthisdownintoa
memorable sayingandrepeatingitduringthe event(bothvisuallyandaudibly)totryand subliminally
hone inon the consumerisan effective thingtodo.Last of all,aneventisa time where youare trying
to setyourself aheadof yourcompetitionandtoprove withoutdoubtthatyouare above the restisa
feature thatshouldbe included,whetherit’saconceptdesign,an aestheticfeature oramain
attraction,youreventmustsetyou apart fromthe rest.
Threat – Everythingonthe opportunitiessectionwasaneffectivewayof makingsure youhave an
eventlike nootherandare all featuresthatshouldbe followedwhen creatingsuchanevent.
However,somethingthatismore importantthanany of the opportunitiesisthe factthat a perceived
threat,bigor small,mustbe consideredbefore addingthatfeature tothe event.If itisthendecided
that the threatis biggerthanthe opportunity,the feature maybe pulledfromthe schedule. Afterall,
companiesdon’twanttobe rememberedforanynegative nature atone of theireventsandthey
mustensure thatall threatsare thoughtabout before the eventtakesplace.Negative presscanbreak
companiesandsomethingthatwassupposedtoincrease andstrengthenacompany’spositioninthe
markethas causeditto be demotedandembarrassedbythe event.Anexampleof thiswouldbe the
LG eventinSeoul where 20people were injuredafterapublicitystuntwentwrong.The technology
expertstagedaneventwhere balloonsthatspeltoutthe company’sinitialswerereleasedwith
vouchersforproductsinside.Somethingthatstartedoff sonormal thenturnednastythough,asthe
crowd broughtknives,sticksandBBgunsto try and bringthe balloonsoutof the sky.While this
hasn’thurt the company’sreputation,ithasgivenitunwantednegative publicityandhasn’tbrought
the positive publicitytoLG,whoare still behindthe giantsof the technologyworld.
What is merchandising?Use detailedexamplestohelpexplain.
In marketing,merchandisingisapopulartool for companiesbecause itmakesthemgreatprofit.
Merchandisingisthe practice thatinvolvesadisplayof productsthatare connectedtobe soldunder
the same bracket,due to thembeenfromthe same franchise orcategory as one another.Whether
it’slogosor modelsorclothing,merchandisingmakesupahuge marketinthe UK andgeneratesgreat
profitforcompanies.Thisisdue to the fact that theyare usingone brand or producttype to sell a
whole range of products.However,thismarketisone where the consumercaneasilybe exploited,
throughthe consumersbringingoutsimilarproductsthathave small changesandaddingthemtothe
productrange as somethingdifferent.Onthe otherhand,thisistothe company’sadvantage fora
biggerprofitandit isinthe handsof consumerswhethertheybuythe productsothe wordingof

10. ‘exploitation’mightbe unjust.Merchandisingisespeciallybigwithmediaproducts,suchasfilmsand
TV,withDVD’s,clothingandcharacters beenjusta numberof the productsthat are available through
thismarket.A highprofile exampleof merchandisingisToyStory.The filmthatfirsthitour screensin
1995 isone of the biggestbrandsaroundtoday andhas generatedendlessamountsof profitfromthe
maincharacters inthe film,toys.Inone instance,the salesof Mr. PotatoHead rocketedafterthe film
came outand manychildrenwere leftdisappointedasthe demandforBuzz Light-yearsaw
unpreparedstoresrunoutof the toy inthe Christmasof 1995. Similarexamplesare HarryPotter,
Lord of the ringsand Star Wars, three of the most symbolicfilmfranchisesthathave broughtthe
merchandisingindustryalotof profitoverthe years.
PR:
What is the purpose ofa press release?Whatsort of thingsshould a good press release contain?
A pressrelease isashort piece of writingthatisusedtoannounce somethingof note tothe media,
whichwill thenbe writtenupinmore depthandbe publishedforthe general publictosee.Thispiece
of writingisnormallyusedbycelebritiestotryandget some publicityfortheirfilm, TV show ornew
album.However,if yourmediaproductisattemptingtotargeta certainaudience,sendingittoa
niche publicationwouldn’tbe inthe bestinterestsof the celebrity.A pressrelease isagoodwayto
try and geta lotof informationoutthere atthe same time,however,thiscanbe unreliable,due to
the fact that the pressrelease isnowinthe handsof the newspapersandmagazinesandyou can’t
predictwhatis goingtobe saiduntil it’spublishedforthe consumertosee. Onthe otherhand,you
have providedthese mediaoutletswiththisinformationandif youfeel it’snotdome toa high
standard,considerationastowhethertoendhemfuture pressreleasesshouldbe taken. This
documentaimstoanswerthe keyquestions whichwillthengive the consumeraproper
understandingof whatyou’re tryingtopromote throughthese variouspublications.The questions
that needtobe answeredare:Whatthe product is?Why are you doingthis?Whenisthisproduct
comingout?Where will itbe available?Whoisthe productfor?These five questionsshouldbe added
to the firstpart of the pressrelease because it’sthe mostimportantpart.Lateronin the piece,the
additionof extrainformationandbackgroundinformationshouldbe addedtothe pressrelease,due
to the fact that if the mediaoutletsdon’tknow thisinformation,youwill endupwithanunusually
brief pressrelease.
What is the purpose ofan electronicmediapack? What sort of things shoulda good electronic
mediapack contain?
Like a pressrelease,anelectronicmediapackissomethingsenttovariousmediapublicationstogive
themmore informationaboutaproduct andthe individual/companythemselves.Sendingoutone of
these isa sure fire wayof makingsure that youare noticedbythe media,withouthavingtodoa lot
of pressconferencesorinterviews.Anelectronicmediapackcouldbe useful foranew,up-coming
bandto sendto the media,due to the pressnotknowingmuchaboutthemand thingslike press
releases,bios,testimonials,articlesandphotographscanhelpthe mediaestablishexactlywhothese
people are.Aswell aathis,the presscan lookat the previousarticleswrittenaboutthemand
establishthe nature of howtowrite aboutthem, as well as theirhistoryandstartingpointas a
band/actoror personof interest.Unlike apressrelease however,there isn’tanegative side to
sendingoutanelectronicmediapack. Bygivingthe mediaadditionalinformation,youare notdoing
yourself oryourcompanyay disservice bydoingthisandare,infact, buildingarapportwiththe
media.
What is the purpose ofa PR briefing?Whyshouldyou create one?Explain some of the areas a brief
shouldcover.

11. The sole purpose of a brief intermsof PR is to setout the requirementsof the project,whetherthisis
howyou will organise peopleorhowyouwill make the product.Thisissomethingthatwill be created
before the projectbeginandwill be reviewedduringandthenafterthe projectto see if ithas been
stuck to andif not, a reasonmustbe made.Makinga brief can helpstayon task andcan evenhelpto
run thisand future projectmore smoothly,it’salsotokeepthingsonschedule.Inaddition,itshould
establishthe goalsof the projectandthe thingsyouwant to achieve duringthistime,aswell asthings
like the budget,the maineffectandthe targetdemographicof yourproduct.This documentmight
alsobe tiedtothe specification,due tothese twodocumentsbeentwothingsthatare createdbefore
the projectand thenreviewedthroughoutthe project.Creatingone canmake the companywork
more efficientlybecause theyhave somethingtoworkwithandsomethingtotry andaim forinstead
of a generalisedtarget.Inbusiness,usuallyif the brief isnotcompletedintime,the companywho
have beengiventhe projectmightnotgetpaidfullybythe clientandfuture workwon’tbe givento
thisexternal company.The budgetisamainthingto include inthe brief,due tothe fact thatif it’snot
completedusingthe targetedfigure,therewillbe lessprofitforthe companyat the end.Thisbudget
figure isusuallyinconjunctionwiththe sumthathasbeenagreedbythe clientandthe companyprior
to the start of the project,whichiswhythe external producerswill have some sortof ideahow much
theycan spendandhow muchpotential profitthere will be.If the productismade in-house,there is
no riskof future projectsbeencutbythe clientbuta delay inthe schedule couldlose the companya
profitthat theycouldhave hadif theywouldhave releasedthe productonthe scheduledday.Even
thoughthe audience profilingresearchwill show the targetdemographicforthe project,the brief will
alsocoverthis.However,everycompanyrealise thatasecondaryaudience mightpreferthe product
and a contingencymustbe createdas well asthe initial targetaudience,due tothe factthat it’s
betterto have a secondaryplanthanhavingto back to the drawingboardin the middle of the project
or evenworse,afterfirststage of testing.
What is the purpose ofa pressconference?Whymight you holdone? Use specificexamplestohelp
you with your response.
A pressconference involvesaseriesof journalistsaskingacelebrityora personof interestquestions
abouta productor eventthatis inthe past or goingto happeninthe future.The functionof this
conference istotry and establishsome factsaboutthe person’sproductoreventandina way,try
and findoutmore about the individual thathasn’tbeenestablishedbefore.Eventhoughpress
conferencesare topromote positivepublicityaboutyourself,some of these PReventsendina
negative way(the celebritywalkingoutormeetingaquestionwithanangry,expletive filled
response) orthe reasonthatthe PRteam of the celebrityhave setuphisconference istowither
eradicate some negative pressorto attempttojustifywhattheyhave done.Withthe amountof
journalistpresentatthese conferences,itisvery rare that youget more thantwo questions
answered,whichthenmakesyoureplyonthe questionsandresponsesof otherstowrite yourreport
or mediapiece.Some examplesaboutwhere pressconferencesare heldare firstly,post-football
match. These conferencesare setupto try and establishthe factsthatthat consumerdon’tknow
aboutthe game and insome circumstances,totry and bringan angryresponse fromthe managerof
the team thathas beendefeated.Anotherpopularpressconference scenarioiswhenanumberof
celebritiesare bringingoutafilmtogetherandinsteadof interviewingthemindividually,itmightbe
easiertocall a pressconference,as well asthe factthat some celebritiesbringthe bestanswersout
of eachotherso youmightget betterresponsesthanyouwouldhave done inindividual interviews.
Whycould hand-outs be useful whenmanaging a PR event?
Hand-outsare the physical,writtenproductof whatisbeensaidinthe PR eventandis a goodway of
makingsure youhave coveredeverythingandcommunicatedeverythingtothe journalistsatyour
event.While youneverwanttoforgetthingswhile talking tothe media,if youdoand youhave hand-
outs,the mediapublicationswill getthatinformationanyway;it’sinaway,a safetymechanismfor
companiesinPReventsituations.Aswell asthisfunction,hand-outsalsomanage yourmessage and
your companyvaluesandreinforce those tothe media,evenif youhave repeatedthe slogan
throughoutthe PR event,youcanneverself-promoteyourself enoughtothe press.Afterthe PR

12. eventhasbeenstaged, journalists fromawide range of publications now have the hand-outsandcan
do withthemwhattheysee fit,theycouldwrite a report,theycouldwrite a review of the eventor
theycouldsimply publish ourfindings.Due tothe consequences,shouldthe pressfindagap inyour
hand-out(these days,if youare bombardedwithnegative publicitybythe press,it’scommunicated
to the consumerand somethingthatseemedlikegoodpublicityhasfastshiftedtoa negative nature)
youshouldcheckall the informationcan’tbe spunby yourrivalsto make negative factsandstatistics
and the researchmustbe checkedbecause itdoesn’twanttotranspire thatyouhave rushedyour
hand-outbecause thenmore mightbe atstake;consumersandthe pressmightstartto questionyour
products.
What are some of the advantages of holdingan interviewinsteadof a press conference?
 The one to one elementof aninterview ismore personalandwill produce more in-depth
answersinthe process.Whenan interviewerisinterviewingthe personforthe firsttime,the
interview mightnotbe as smoothor personal,due toneitherknowingone another,butby
the time theystart to familiarise themselveswitheachother(duringthe secondorthird
interview if theyare writing/broadcastingforabig company) whichwill bringaboutthe in-
depthanswersthatthe consumerlikesreading/listeningto.
 In an interview,there ismuchlesschance of a celebritybeenmisquoted,comparedwitha
pressconference.Thisisdue tothe fact that there isonlyone personrecordingthe
interview,therefore,it’slesscommonforthe interviewee’sanswerstobe misconstruedor
misrepresented.Inaddition,due tothe fact thatit’spersonal andone to one, the interview
can claritya certainpointwithafollow upquestion,where asit’sunlikelythatafollow up
questiontoclarifywill be allowedinapressconference,whichiswhymisquotinghappens
quite often.
 Due to the fact thatinterviewerstendtosendelectronicversionsof theirinterview questions
to the intervieweebeforehand,there islesschance of asensitivequestionbeenasked.Of
course,if one isaskedand it wasn’tonthe questionlistsent,the interviewee canrefuse to
answerthe question(he coulddothatevenif itwas however) ortheirPRpersonmay
interjectandtell the interviewertomove the interview questionsalong.If the questions
aren’tokayfor the celebrity/persongettinginterviewed,theycanbe amendedreadyforthe
interview.
 The questionsseemtobe more orderedandeventhoughit’satenuouslinkoccasionally,all
the questionsseemtobe ina chronological orderandfollow onfromone another.In
contrast,a pressconference bringsaboutan‘everymanforthemselves’mentalitywhichis
negative forajournalistwritingitupanda celebritywhodoesn’tknow the nature of the next
questionandtherefore mightnotbe preparedforthiseventuality.
 The time elementinapressconference meansthatbrief answersare the norm, where asan
interview allowsforindepthanswerswhichgivesatrue representationof the interviewee.
Thismay be a goodthingif the interviewee hasn’tbeeninterviewedforawhile oris newto
the PR events andthere isplentyof enigmasurroundingthem.The intimateandin-depth
answers mightbe the bestoptionforthembecause theywantto putthemselvesacrosswell
and ina positive way.
 You are more likelytogetthe keyquestionsanswered,some pressconferencesdriftoff
topic.
 In a pressconference,the intervieweesometimesgetsdisgruntledbyaquestionand
answersthe restof the questionsinthe conference half-heartedly,whereasyoucan order
your questionsinaninterview andputthe riskyoneslastsothe interviewee answersthe key
questionsinfull.
 Some people showoff forthe camerasina pressconference soyoumightsee a different,
rare side tothe celebrity,therefore givingyouanalmostexclusive interview. Thisexclusive
interview piece couldthenbe goodforyourpublicationwhothenholdanexclusivepiece,
whichmightbe indemandwiththe consumers,dependantonthe interviewee.

13.  The publicationyouworkforcan brand it‘exclusive’due tothe factthat no otherjournalist
will recordexactlythe same interview,unlike apressconference,therefore salesforthat
publicationwill rise,comparedtoyourrivals.
Whydo people setup filmand picture opportunities?Use examplestohelp our response.
Filmandpicture opportunitiesare usedtohelpa celebrityorapersonof interestconnectwiththeir
fansand people aroundthem.The reasonthatthese people setupthese opportunitiesisbecause
theywantto promote themselvesinapositive wayandshow themselvesasarole model anda
positive influence.Whilethisisagood thing,some mayuse the filmandpicture opportunitiesto
make up fora piece of negative presstheyhave receivedrecentlyoruse itto advertise the factthat
theyare a positive influence whentheyinevitablydosomethingnegative inthe future.Onthe other
hand,otherpeople use itasa chance to show that celebritiescanconnectwithmembersof the
publicandfitin,therefore,givingthe sense thatthe celebritiesare normal also,whichisagood thing
whentryingtopromote a product of theirs. However,there canbe nofilmandpicture opportunities
unlessacamera isthere to capture the personof importance carrying outpublicpublicity,whichwill
translate as good publicityforthisperson.Forexample,while oninternational dutyatthe WorldCup,
a handful of the Englandplayerswenttothe worst partsof the Braziliancapital,Rio,andworkedwith
some disadvantagedteenagersattheirfootball skills.This,of course,wasn’tdone while all the media
weren’taround,there wasmassmediacoverage andthe playersinvolvedtherefore gotpositive
publicityfromdoingso.However,itisdifficulttoestablishbetweenanactof genuine kindnessoran
opportunitytobuild yourprofile asacelebrity;inEdSheeran’scase,itisboth.The singerhas visiteda
numberof sickkidsin varioushospitalsaroundthe wordandhasbeenverycharitable withitems
while beenthere.Sheeran,whoIbelieve wasshowingagenuine actof kindness,wasalsocaughton
camera so therefore,itwouldbe classedasa photo/filmopportunity,despite the nature of it.
Whyare contacts and networkingimportant in marketingand PR? What kindsof contacts couldbe
useful?Provide detailsofa PR contact from at leastone organisation.
In the industry,PRofficersof celebritiescompaniesandthe like will have tohave contactsif they
wantto successfullypromote themselves.Some of these contactsmightbe able togetyouexclusive
access to places,some mightbe able togetthat exclusiveinterview andsome mightbe able to
squeeze youintothe lastslotona televisionshow.Basically,inshort,contactshelpyoudoyourjob
more successfullyandmore professionally,theymake youlookgood.Contactscanbe gainedthrough
doingthe contact a favourin the past,linksof your twobusinessesorsimplyameetingata big
corporate event,itdoesn’tmatteraslongas you acquire the contact.
Celebrities–Inthisday and age,if you know celebrities,youcanbasicallydo as youplease.
Celebritiescanhelpyoumake newcontactsinthe formof othercelebrities,theycanintroduce youto
directorsof filmsorproducersand label bosseswithinthe musicindustry.
Agents– Maybe evenmore importantthancelebrities,agentshelptomake PR appointmentswith
the celebritiessoif youare hopingto make a celebrityacontact,you needtostay the rightside of the
agentand make sure theyare yourcontact too, due to the fact that agentsare sometimesagentsfor
a range of celebrities.
TV bookers – it’sgood havingpeople thatare ontelevisionasyourcontactsbut theywouldn’tbe on
that showif it wasn’tforthe TV bookers.If youare a journalist,these peoplecangive youexclusive
access backstage andto the celebrities(if it’sgoodwiththe agentsanyway).However,if youare an
agent,youcan helpgetyourcelebrityatelevisionslot,itisthe agent’sjobtotry and make the TV
bookera goodcontact because televisionpublicityisone of the biggestmediumsaround.

14. Editors – It isinthe bestinterestof celebritiesandagentstohave at leastone,if notthe majority,of
magazine andnewspapereditorsascontacts.Especiallyinthe time of mediadominancy,where a
consumersopinionof someone canbe formulatedandmouldedbythe mediaandjournalistthat
write it.Positive publicityisagoodthingfor celebritiesandwithaneditorascontact, positive
publicityiseasiertocome by.
Bloggers– Eventhoughtheyaren’tas bigas editors,bloggerscanbe everydaypeoplebuttheir
opinionmatters,especiallyif theyhave abige-mediapresence.Justasmuchas printmedia,if not
more,can swaythe consumer,ablogabout a negative aspectof a celebrityispotentiallydamaging,
therefore,itisinthe bestinteresttokeepbloggersascontacts.However,there are somany of them
out here,due tothe fact that anyone can become one,thatyoucan onlyaffordto make the ones
whohave a huge blogpresence contacts.