PUBLICITY AND DIRECT SELLING| MARKETING MANAGMENT| L-17|

Publicity

The word publicity is derived from the French word ”publicité”. It is the movement of information to the general public from the media. The subjects of publicity include people (for example, politicians and performing artists), goods and services, organizations, and works of art or entertainment.

Publicity is gaining public visibility or awareness for a product, service or your company via the media. It is the publicist that carries out publicity, while PR is the strategic management function that helps an organization communicate, establishing and maintaining communication with the public. This can be done internally, without the use of media.

Some examples of  promotional tactics are Announce an appointment, Arrange a speech or talk, Arrange for a testimonial, Art people, Conduct a poll or survey, Event sponsorship, Invent then present an award, Issue a commendation, Issue a report, Make an analysis or prediction, Organize a tour of your business or projects, Stage a debate and Take a stand on a controversial subject

What Is Direct Selling?

Direct marketing consists of any marketing that relies on direct communication or distribution to individual consumers, rather than through a third party such as mass media. Mail, email, social media, and texting campaigns are among the delivery systems used. It is called direct marketing because it generally eliminates the middleman, such as advertising media.

Direct marketing consists of any marketing that relies on direct communication or distribution to individual consumers, rather than through a third party such as mass media.

The call to action is a common factor in much of direct marketing.

The effectiveness of direct marketing is easier to measure than media advertising.

How Direct Marketing Works

Unlike traditional public relations campaigns pushed out through a third party such as media publications or mass media, direct marketing campaigns operate independently to directly communicate with target audiences. In direct marketing, companies deliver their messaging and sales pitches by social media, email, mail, or phone/SMS campaigns. Although the number of communications sent can be massive, direct marketing often attempts to personalize the message by inserting the recipient’s name or city in a prominent place to increase engagement.

The call to action is an essential part of direct marketing. The recipient of the message is urged to immediately respond by calling a toll-free phone number, sending in a reply card, or clicking on a link in a social media or email promotion. Any response is a positive indicator of a prospective purchaser. This variety of direct marketing is often called direct response marketing.

Targeting in Direct Marketing

A direct marketing pitch that is delivered to the widest possible audience is probably the least effective. That is, the company may gain a few customers while merely annoying all of the other recipients. Junk mail, spam email, and texting all are forms of direct marketing that many people can’t get rid of fast enough.