This is a guest post from Terri Schepps, President at Retention Resource Center
id the recent Tiger Wood’s ad for Nike reflect Nike or Tiger Woods? Was this an ad or PR campaign? Nike most likely created and aired the ad to clear its own image for sticking with Tiger. Did the ad make current customers feel better? Did it appeal to new prospective customers? After all the smoke clears, consumers will reflect more negatively about the ad than they would had Nike just kept Tiger as a spokes person and lowered activity until Tiger repaired his own image. What Tiger does in the future will clear Nike, not an ad reminding consumers of what Nike’s paid celebrity did by his own admission.
Advertising and PR work in concert. Advertising is supposed to attract public attention to a service, product or organization. Public Relations is the art of developing a positive image with the public. Customer retention efforts are weaved into every aspect of an organization, including advertising. Strong relationships are the backbone of a viable organization. Ads should reflect the branding and culture of a company. By placing the focus on the end result or the relationship, then the sales process from lead to customer is seen in advertising. Customers don’t feel left out and new customers understand the organizations commitment to the customer.
Look at organization ads and put it through the Customer PR, PR test:
- Does it… Peak the interest of the right customers?
- Does it… Reflect the organization’s values/mission?
- Does it… Prompt wanted action?
- Does it… Reassure existing customers?
The best advertisements are PR for the organizations. Peak, Reflect, Prompt and Reassure or PRPR is a simple way for decision makers to put advertisements to the test. Ads should attract right customers or target market. The ad should reflect the organizations values. Will it cause conflict or does it prompt impulse? The best ads have a “call to action”-making it easier to measure. Customers read ads too, so if an advertisement is perceived desperate or devalues the product it could attract a new target but at the same time cause an existing customer to reconsider repeat business.
Advertising firms are trained to look at the PR opportunities within an ad. The conflict comes when decision makers look at the ad only from a prospective customer’s point of view or perhaps from their own point of view. Sometimes, even against the advertising firm’s recommendation, elements to the ad could even turn off an existing customer. Offers in ads only for new customers, can leave existing customers asking “What about me?” The goal is for the prospective customer to ask this same question not the existing customer. Showing prospective customers the level of attention they can expect, even within an ad, is strategic and well thought. This is why testimonials are used in many advertisements and PR campaigns. It’s actually focused on the customer first, leaving a prospective customer wanting to have a similar experience.
How can advertising build relationships? Advertising is a way to communicate with the masses. Typically the intent of advertising is to increase interest and potentially create a new customer. Organizations reap the rewards of excellent advertising by having the vision to see all communication value well beyond the shelf life. Organizations using advertisements for public relations are thinking well beyond just getting a lead. The issue is if the ad doesn’t have the positive impact desired.
An organization can look through the customer’s eyes allowing them to monitor communications, hiring practices, training and processes serving the customer not the organization entity. This takes discipline and commitment from the organization. It means asking customers for ongoing feedback about advertisements, staff, and specifically about the products and services sold. Customers are the best resource for organizations to engage. While the Nike ad, didn’t exactly resonate with customers, other organizations can take note and learn to tap into the best resource they have, customers. …And don’t forget to use the Customer PR PR test- Peak, Reflect, Prompt and Reassure.
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