Product publicity—Sponsoring efforts to publicize specific products

PR ideas include hosting major academic conventions, inviting expert or celebrity speakers, and developing news conferences. Each event and activity is an opportunity to develop a multitude of stories directed at different audiences. A good PR campaign will engage the public from a variety of angles, as did this award- winning Dreyer’s Ice Cream campaign. 88 Dreyer’s Ice Cream In PRWeek’s Campaign of the Year in 2010, Dreyer’s Ice Cream teamed up with PR firm Ketchum to launch a campaign to turn the tough economic environment into a positive. Taking advantage of the 80th anniversary of its introduction of the Rocky Road flavor—designed to cheer people up during the Great Depression—Dreyer’s launched a celebratory limited edition “Red, White No More Blues” flavor. The ice cream combined rich, creamy vanilla ice cream with swirls of real strawberry and blueberry. The ensuing “A Taste of Recovery” campaign was designed to reinforce the feel-good aspects of the brand. A Monster.com-posted contest asked contestants to submit videos explaining a personal dream they would fulfill if they earned 100,000 for scooping ice cream. The contest drew over 85,000 online visits and more than 14,000 entries. A media blitz greeting the winner helped to contribute to the 46 million media impressions the campaign enjoyed. Despite tough economic times, sales of Dreyer’s Slow Churned Limited Editions ice cream increased over 25 percent from the previous year. IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN AND EVALUATING RESULTS MPR’s contribution to the bottom line is difficult to measure, because it is used along with other promotional tools. The easiest measure of MPR effectiveness is the number of exposures carried by the media. Publicists supply the client with a clippings book showing all the media that carried news about the product and a summary statement such as the following: Media coverage included 3,500 column inches of news and photographs in 350 publi- cations with a combined circulation of 79.4 million; 2,500 minutes of air time on TABLE 18.6 Major Tools in Marketing PR Publications: Companies rely extensively on published materials to reach and influence their target markets. These include annual reports, brochures, articles, company newsletters and magazines, and audiovisual materials. Events: Companies can draw attention to new products or other company activities by arranging and publicizing special events such as news conferences, seminars, outings, trade shows, exhibits, contests and competitions, and anniversaries that will reach the target publics. Sponsorships: Companies can promote their brands and corporate name by sponsoring and publicizing sports and cultural events and highly regarded causes. News: One of the major tasks of PR professionals is to find or create favorable news about the company, its products, and its people and to get the media to accept press releases and attend press conferences. Speeches: Increasingly, company executives must field questions from the media or give talks at trade associations or sales meetings, and these appearances can build the company’s image. Public Service Activities: Companies can build goodwill by contributing money and time to good causes. Identity Media: Companies need a visual identity that the public immediately recognizes. The visual identity is carried by company logos, stationery, brochures, signs, business forms, business cards, buildings, uniforms, and dress codes. A brand anniversary is a great opportunity to celebrate what is good about a brand, as Dreyer’s did via its special-edition ice cream.