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PR vs. Advertising in the Dotcom Marketing Mix
UK-Netmarketing Weekly Round-up - July 28, 2000

More than ever, investor’s beady eyes are scrutinising what their marketing pounds are buying. Which weapon in the marketing arsenal works best for dotcoms? PR? Advertising?

Anthony asked the list for some help with a client, "I'm looking for evidence to suggest that my client should spend more on PR than advertising - research shows that ads are just not working as well as advertising for the website. I recall that McKinsey released this recommendation recently - can anyone suggest where I might find evidence about this?"

Anne Holland replied, "General research means diddly-squat when it comes to a particular company. It depends on your product, your price point, your story and your marketplace. You got a me-too ecommerce solution or new site? Go to the back of the PR line. Reporters on both sides of the ‘pond’ are dot-commed out. You got a highly targeted, niche product or service? Banners and ads in ezines could do wonderfully for you. Yes ‘general’ consumers don't click anymore on ‘general’ banner ads. But niche, vertical banners are going very strong. ... If marketing and PR were so easy that you could get good advice in a ‘general way’, then they wouldn't pay marketers so much, now would they?"

Ben Rooney added, "Having been on the receiving end of god knows how much Hi-tech PR for years I would suggest a great deal of caution before signing someone up. PR companies are very good at talking up – after all that is what they are supposed to do. But examine their claims very carefully – they claim all manner of things that actually they had nothing to do with, and make some pretty outlandish guarantees about coverage etc. Those who think PR consists of sending out 400 one-size-fits-all press release and then getting the office junior to follow it up should be avoided at all costs. That is not PR that is just irritating. Grill them about their methods"

Defending the somewhat negative response to PR, Tessa Hyams emailed, "So why do people always end up having a pop at PR? As usual the minority give a bad name to the rest of us! If you've got a brain, a thorough understanding of – and interest in – technology, you can do an awful lot with PR. Yes, there are some terrible agencies who'll let the side down, so what? Does the News of the World represent all journalism? The Internet offers better opportunities for PR bunnies to communicate with different publics cost-effectively and in real-time – for example, monitoring & contributing to relevant customer newsgroups, providing immediate industry comment to journos etc. PR should always be treated as part of the marketing mix. PR should be used to show the human and the professional face of the business - 'the approachable expert', not to cover up and create barriers."

Ben Rooney replied, "Could not agree more. Just that in my experience – and it was reasonably extensive – a lot of PR I was subjected to was at the boil-in-a-bag end of the spectrum. And anyone who was thinking about signing up a PR agency would do well to really grill them very hard about exactly what they can offer and what their methods are. If they are any good then they will be able to show real results. If they are a bunch of charlatans then it will become pretty obvious."

Subscribers to UKNM, in general, aren’t obsessed with their working environment but when Giles Turnbull asked for recommendations for a new comfy, RSI-free chair for his new office, there was a deluge of recommendations. The consensus was an Aeron from Herman Miller, apparently they can be picked up cheap at various liquidation sales.

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