TMCnet News
Need for PR(Slogan (Pakistan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) It was interesting to read the news item headlined, “Indian elections to boost print advertising,” in your issue of March. GroupM has projected that annual advertising spend in India will grow by 8.5% in 2014, largely due to advertising spend by governments and political parties ahead of the general elections. A similar trend was observed in Pakistan last year where leading political parties invested heavily in the media – print and electronic - to reach their supporters. However, I am not sure whether any of the political parties hired the services of any PR and image building agency. This is in sharp contrast to developed countries where political parties and prominent politicians – such as US presidents – who actively involve PR agencies/consultants to boost their image. It is very well known that advertising helps image building efforts in short bursts. If an entity needs to carry on with the momentum thorugh advertising, it has to spend heavily to sustain its efforts. As opposed to that, while PR may be slow to take-off, its impact lasts longer and is generally more credible. Every marketing campaign must have PR as its integral part, not just as an after-thought. |