What does publicity mean in marketing?

Publicity is also a way of mass communication. It is not a paid form of mass communication that involves getting favourable response of buyers by placing commercially significant news in mass media. Publicity is not paid for by the organisation. Publicity comes from reporters, columnists, and journalists. It can be considered as a part of public relations.

Publicity involves giving public speeches, giving interviews, conducting seminars, offering charitable donations, inaugurating mega events by film actors, cricketers, politicians, or popular personalities, arranging stage show, etc., that attract mass media to publish the news about them.

Publicity is undertaken for a wide range of purposes like promoting new products, increasing sales of existing product, etc. It also aimed at highlighting employees’ achievements, company’s civic activities, pollution control steps, research and development successes, financial performance, its progress, any other missionary activities, or social contribution.

Definitions:

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Publicity has been defined as:

1. William J. Stanton:

“Publicity is any promotional communication regarding an organisation and/or its products where the message is not paid for by the organisation benefiting from it.”

2. Philip Kotler:

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“Non-personal stimulation of demand for the product or service, or business unit by placing commercially significant news about it in public medium or obtaining favourable presentation of it upon radio, television, or stage that is not paid for by the sponsor.”

Characteristics of Publicity:

Key characteristics of publicity have been briefly described in following part:

1. Meaning:

Publicity is not a paid form of mass communication that involves getting favourable response of buyers by placing commercially significant news in mass media. It involves obtaining favourable presentation upon radio, newspapers, television, or stage that is not paid for by the sponsor.

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2. Non-paid Form:

Publicity is not a paid form of communication. It is not directly paid by producer. However, it involves various indirect costs. For example, a firm needs some amount for arranging function, calling press conference, inviting outstanding personalities, decorating of stage, other related costs, etc.

3. Various Media:

Mostly, publicity can be carried via newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. For example, in case a product is launched by popular personality in a grand function, the mass media like newspapers, television, radio, magazines, etc., will definitely publicize the event.

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4. Objectives:

Sales promotion is undertaken for a wide variety of purposes. They may include promotion of new product, pollution control, special achievements of employees, publicizing new policies, or increase in sales. It is primarily concerns with publishing or highlighting company’s activities and products. It is targeted to build company’s image. In a long run, it can contribute to increase sales.

5. Control of Producer:

Company has no control over publicity in terms of message, time, frequency, information, and medium. It comes through mass media like radio, newspapers, television, etc. It is given independently by the third party. It is presented as a news rather than propaganda.

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6. Credibility/Social Significance:

Publicity has high degree of credibility or reliability as it comes from mass media independently. It is given as news for social interest. It has more social significance compared to other means of market promotion.

7. Part of Public Relations:

Publicity is a part of broad public relations efforts and activities. Public relations includes improving, establishing, and maintaining direct relations with all publics. Publicity can help improve public relations.

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8. Costs:

Publicity can be done at much lower cost than advertising. Company needs to spend a little amount to get the event or function publicized.

9. Effect:

Publicity message is more likely to be read, viewed, heard, and reacted by audience. It has a high degree of believability as it is given by the third party.

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10. Repetition:

Frequency or repetition of publicity in mass media depends upon its social significance or the values for news. Mostly, it appears only once.

Importance of Publicity:

Like advertising and sales promotion, sales can be increased by publicity, too. Publicity carries more credibility compared to advertisement. Publicity is cost free; it doesn’t involve direct cost. Publicity offers a lot of benefits to the producers and distributors.

Importance of publicity can be made clear from the below stated points:

1. Publicity is an effective medium to disseminate message to the mass with more credibility. People have more trust on news given by publicity.

2. The credibility level of publicity is much higher than advertising and other means of market promotion. People express more trust on what the third party independently says. It appears directly through newspapers, magazines, television, or radio by the third party. It is free from bias.

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3. It provides more information as the valuable information is free from space and time constraints. Similarly, publicity takes place immediately. No need to wait for time or space in mass media. It enjoys priority.

4. The firm is not required to pay for publicity. The indirect costs related to publicity are much lower than other means of promotion.

5. It is a part of public relations. It is free from exaggeration; it carries more factual information about company. It is more trustable. It helps establish public relations.

6. Generally, publicity covers the varied information. It normally involves name of company, its goods and services, history, outstanding achievements, and other similar issues. The knowledge is more complete compared to advertisement.

7. Publicity directly helps middlemen and sale persons. Their tasks become easy. Publicity speaks a lot about products on behalf of middlemen and salesmen. Sellers are not required to provide more information to convince the buyers.

8. It is suitable to those companies which cannot effort the expensive ways to promote the product.

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9. Publicity increases credit or fame of the company. Publicity on company’s assistance in relief operations during flood, earthquake, draught, and other natural calamities highlights its name and social contribution in mass media. People hold high esteem to this company.

10. Publicity can be used by non-commercial organisations/institutes like universities, hospitals, associations of blinds or handicaps, and other social and missionary organisations. They can publicize their noble works by the medium of publicity.

Objectives of Publicity:

Publicity is aimed at a number of objectives.

The most common objectives of publicity have been discussed in brief as under:

1. Building Corporate Image:

Through publicity, a company can build or improve its corporate image. People trust more on what press reporters, columnists, or newsreaders say via mass media independently than what the company says. Publicity highlights the company’s name and operations. It popularizes the name of the company.

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2. Economy:

It is a cost saving medium. Here, a company is not required to pay for message preparation, buying space and time, etc. The cost involved is much lower than other means of market promotion. Financially poor companies may opt for publicity.

3. Assisting Middlemen and Salesmen:

Publicity can help middlemen and salesmen in performing the sales-related activities successfully. Information conveyed through publicity speaks a lot of things on behalf of sellers. Publicity makes selling tasks much easier.

4. Information with High Creditability:

Sometimes, publicity is targeted to disseminate information more reliably. Customers do not express doubts on what publicity appeals. Customers assign more value to information supplied by mass media via publicity than by the advertisement.

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5. Removing Misunderstanding or Bad Image:

Company can defend the product that has encountered public problems. In many cases, publicity is aimed at removing misunderstanding or bad impression. Whatever a publicity conveys is more likely to be believed.

6. Building Interest on Product Categories:

Publicity attracts attention of buyers. Due to more trusted news, people build interest in various products and activities.

7. Newsworthiness Information:

Publicity publicizes the fact in an interesting ways. Publicity is eye-catching in nature. People do not skip the news presented by publicity that more likely happens in case of advertising. For example, when a new product is launched by the distinguished personalities like film star, eminent artist, or cricketer in a grand function, the product becomes popular within no time.

What is the publicity meaning?

What are examples of publicity?