THE PR SKILLS SPECTRUM

I recently took part in a relationship style questionnaire and discovered that I’m a harmonising realist. Apparently I’m co-operative and accommodating but also practical and level-headed. These are all good attributes to have as a PR practitioner. It seems I should concentrate on the things I’m not to become more adaptable. I feel that being adaptable, flexible and a generally easy-going person is very important as a PR practitioner. This could relate to a GP who has to deal with a variety of different people on a day to day basis, therefore they must be easy-going, flexible and most of all calm.

Flexibility is an absolute necessity in PR. You may begin your career as a PR practitioner in entertainment and then shift to healthcare which is a completely different. You must be able to shift your skills to apply wherever you may be needed. This could relate to being a parent as there are many occasions where one might need to shift their parenting style. For example, there are times when one needs to be a strict parent and others when one needs to be flexible and understanding to the child’s needs.

To have a successful career in PR, knowledge and research skills are essential just like a research professional. You must be able to apply yourself in a variety of ways; therefore soft skills are vital along with presentation skills. It’s crucial that you can put together a presentation that isn’t going to send people off to sleep. You need to ensure your own individual creativity shines through and also be able to conform to a brand image if needed. Attention to detail like the law profession is beneficial, for example ensuring that all presentations, press releases etc. are proofread. These are all mediums of communication, it’s vital to be able to communicate effectively with anyone.  You must be professional and treat all clients the same even if you have differences. These attributes relate to the teaching profession. Teachers must ensure anything they show their pupils is correct. They also have to make sure subjects are interesting otherwise it makes their job harder as the pupils are less likely to pay attention. Also the need for soft skills and presentation skills are vital in the teaching. Finally, teachers have to treat all pupils as equals which relates to putting differences aside and treating all clients in the same manner with respect.

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT IN THE COSMETICS INDUSTRY

 Since the very beginning of celebrity culture celebrities have been used as role models, especially in the area of personal appearance. In our modern society advertising companies take full advantage of this fact by the use of celebrity endorsement as previously discussed. There are two main ways that celebrities can positively affect a brand’s image. The first is by creating “borrowed equity” in which the celebrity heightens awareness of the brand and pulls more potential consumer’s attention to their products. The second is the spokesperson which usually increases the brand’s equity- the positive qualities of the celebrity spokesperson are projected onto the brand and therefore reinforces the brand values (Passikoff).

L'Oréal and Rimmel have both been involved with celebrity endorsement for a very long time, L’Oreal have used many different female celebrities from Beyoncé Knowles to Cheryl Cole and Rimmel is best known for using Kate Moss.

L’Oreal are said to spend over $1.7 billion a year on advertising to maintain their image and popularity (Cashmore, Celebrity/Culture, 2006, p. 172). Cosmetics do all seem to look the same, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a L’Oreal face cream and a Olay one so they spend huge amounts of money on their advertising and pay celebrities to personify their products to sway consumers into choosing their product over the many others out there. Using celebrities gives the consumer the idea that they need that product (even if it is extortionately priced) because it will make them a better version of themselves, like the celebrity endorsing it. This is a technique that may not be quite so successful with car adverts, we look up to celebrities in our culture and may build up certain opinions of cars due to people that own them, but cars are individually personified- each car looks different and we can differentiate between them easily unlike cosmetics. Each mascara sold by each company is pretty much the same just with a slightly different brush that is said to give our lashes volume or make them appear longer and a different packaging. I’m sure many women would choose a mascara endorsed by Penelope Cruz rather than one that has no endorser even if it does cost more. Penelope Cruz herself probably doesn’t actually use that particular mascara she’s endorsing but we will still buy it because we think it must be good if such a high profile celebrity is seen to be using it. If it was endorsed by a ‘Z list’ celebrity, depending on our opinion, we would be more likely to think the mascara will be rubbish.

THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND IN CONSUMERISM

[I will be exploring the use of the unconscious mind in advertising and marketing and how celebrity endorsement exploits this and uses it to sell products, similarly to the use of opinion leaders in PR. I will also consider Edward Bernays and how he applied Sigmund Freud’s ideas of psychoanalysis and the unconscious mind in the 1920’s to manipulate the minds and behaviour of the masses.]

Celebrities have lent their names and faces to products and places since the late 1800’s. It all began with English actress Lilly Langtree endorsing Pear’s Soap and Admiral Peary appearing in an Eastman Kodak advert. In the late 1940’s, when television first began, celebrity endorsement became even more popular.

 Jack Benny was known for endorsing Jello, with his well-known opening line, "Jello everybody, this is Jack Benny”. Celebrities have endorsed everything from holiday destinations to cigarettes. Before cigarette advertising was banned in 1965 many stars were known for promoting them through print and television. One of the most famous was Ronald Reagan who promoted Chesterfield Cigarettes in the 50’s and 60’s.

It’s been argued that celebrity endorsement began with Edward Bernays. He combined the idea of crowd psychology by Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter with the psychoanalytical ideas of his uncle, Dr. Sigmund Freud a psychologist who developed ideas of the unconscious mind and the desires it has- he shirted America from needs to desires. Bernays found a way to make people want things they didn't need by systematically linking mass-produced goods to their unconscious desires. He was the first man to attempt to manipulate public opinion using the subconscious. The use of celebrities in advertisements addresses the subconscious desires of the public. In explanation, it is the idea that using influential people in advertising, like celebrities, will make people subconsciously want the product.

THE MARKETERs VIEW OF PR VS. THE PRs VIEW OF PR

Lets begin by  defining the difference between PR and Marketing…

 

Public relations (PR) is a growing, ever changing discipline which is defined and used in Different ways by PR practitioners and marketing practitioners. When a business first launches they do not always grasp the long-term benefits of PR. It is often taken on as part of marketing duties and marketing professionals seem to have a less complex view of PR than a PR professional. Marketers tend to view public relations as only one aspect of the communications mix available to them. A PR practitioner may argue that PR can be a useful tool to many more aspects of the communications mix.

Paul Smith and Jonathan Taylor define PR as “the development of and maintenance of good relationships with different publics” (Smith & Taylor, 2004, p. 444). This is all very well but there is a large variety of many different stakeholders. For example investors, employees, suppliers, the media and of course the consumers of the services and products the organization provides. All of these stakeholders have individual needs which a PR professional must take into consideration when addressing them and building a two-way communication channel and relationship between the organization and the stakeholder. A PR practitioner has the responsibility to not only begin to build relationships with these stakeholders but also the sustained effort of maintaining the relationships over a long period of time.