Gossage Revisited: Reflections of Advertising's Legendary Iconoclast

This article is an examination of the Supreme Court decisions that pertain to the status of advertising under the First Amendment's freedom of speech provision. The author asks to what extent national advertising—commercial communication from producers to consumers promoting the producers' brands—is constitutionally protected, and concludes that instead of giving the national advertiser greater freedom, the Court may have reduced his freedom by expecting more legitimate commercial information. In Virginia Pharmacy the Court made it clear that protection did not preclude regulation to insure that “the stream of commercial information flow(s) cleanly as well as freely.”     

Advocacy Advertising,the First Amendment,and Competitive Advantage: A Comment on Cutler & Muehling

Abstract

A continuing difficulty in regulating corporate advocacy advertising is distinguishing between political and commercial speech. An article by Cutler and Muehling argues that the competitive impact of an advertisement should be a factor in determining whether a corporate advocacy advertisement is commercial or political speech. If a corporate ad primarily benefits the ad sponsor, the ad is likely to be considered commercial speech, Cutler and Muehling say. If the ad benefits a larger industry or society, Cutler and Muehling would call the ad political speech. This comment argues that the Cutler and Muehling proposal helps little to illuminate or modify controlling Supreme Court criteria for distinguishing political and commercial speech. The comment also argues that the vagueness of the Cutler and Muehling proposal would permit the unconstitutional regulation of corporate political speech by misclassifying it as commercial speech.     

Rethinking the boundaries of social marketing: Activism or advertising?

In some areas of public health concern, corporate marketing activities may negate social marketing messages targeting individuals. Traditional social marketing campaigns may be ineffective when commercial marketing activities create an environment that encourages and maintains unhealthy behaviors. This article explores the role of social marketing in these instances.     

An Analysis of Consumer Complaints about Social Marketing Advertisements in Australia and New Zealand

While social marketers are rarely targeted in discussions of the ethics of advertising, we are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of ensuring that social marketing messages are developed and conveyed in an ethical fashion. The article reviews complaints made by members of the general public in Australia and New Zealand to the advertising regulatory bodies in those two countries for the five years 2000–2004; examining the number, type, and nature of these complaints – including the categories of advertising, and the types of appeals, which generate complaints from the general public in both countries. We find that, as for commercial advertising, there is a need for further research to explore “community standards” in relation to social marketing messages; and that there is a clear need for social marketers to consider consumer attitudes towards advertising when developing communication strategies and messages.     

Taking the right of freedom of commerical communication seriously

Recent Supreme Court decisions have established second tier protection for commercial speech under the First Amendment by according it some, but not all, of the protections accorded ideological speech. The Court's arguments closely parallel John Staurt Mill's utilitarian arguments about liberty, liberty-limiting principles and trade in his classic essay,On Liberty, and hence are subject to the same defects as any utilitarian analysis and justification of a right. Recent philosophical apologies for the Court's bifurcated approach to free speech are unpersuasive. Commercial speech protects fundamental interests. There are important connections between freedom of commercial speech and political and personal autonomy. It is possible to extend full protection to commercial speech, while simultaneously minimizing its potential for abuse. Such considerations provide compelling arguments for taking the right to freedom of commercial communication seriously by according it full First Amendment protection and by restricting it only when competing and over-riding rights claims, or weightier considerations of justice, can be adduced.Vaughana Macy Feary is a former Professor of Philosophy at Southern University in New Orleans and now teaches Business Ethics at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison Campus). She is the author of articles in this field which includeFreedom of Corporation Communication andCorporation Communication and Privacy Rights.     

Critical Theoretical Considerations of Public Relations Messaging Around the Globe: Tools for Creating and Evaluating Campaign Messages

This study employs several critical theories in order to demonstrate their explanatory power in understanding public relations communication, globalization within campaign communication, and, in particular, some sample campaign messages drawn from public relations research and practice. In particular, critical theories of cultural studies, semiotics, and postmodernism inform the design and understanding of public relations messages through the tools of analysis they offer and through the rich vocabulary they provide. This study argues that public relations is the logical business communication discipline to develop theory and research into campaign message design and globalization issues utilizing the critical paradigm.     

Can cigarette advertising be prohibited? Advertising and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Smoking has been considered a health problem virtually since its introduction to Europe in the 1500's. At various times, laws were enacted to attempt to control smoking, while cultivation of tobacco became economically more and more important. The development of widespread recognition of the health consequences of smoking has led to numerous suggestions that cigarette advertising be banned. However, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press. Analysis of the legal issues involved in such a ban requires consideration of the entire trend of Supreme Court decisions in the area of commercial speech. While it is not possible at this time to predict exactly how the Court would rule in this area, a comprehensive regulatory effort to reduce tobacco consumption could probably include a ban on tobacco advertising.     

Beyond the world of packaged goods: assessing the relevance of integrated marketing communications for retail and consumer service marketing

Product and packaged goods marketers have responded to changing consumer and media environments by adopting integrated approaches to marketing communication. The value and utility of such approaches likely extend to a wide range of marketers, but there have been few published attempts to examine the viability of the integrated marketing communication concept in retail and service marketing. This study addresses this void by using a seven-stage model of integrated marketing communications to examine the media and message delivery practices of national and regional retailers and consumer service marketers. The results of a national mail survey found many of these marketers using such key integrated marketing communication elements as multiple media, databases, individual-level consumer information and behavioural response measures in their media and message delivery practices. Few, however, were using these elements in a strategic or coordinated fashion. Integrated approaches thus appear to have much value in retail and service marketing, particularly as a means for coordinating media and message delivery elements in a fashion that provides a way to link behavioural responses to media vehicles and advertising messages.     

Making healthy eating messages more effective: combining integrated marketing communication with the behaviour ecological model

Encouraging healthy living involves a complex set of factors that interact with each other. Effective social communication strategies and conceptual models are needed in order to plan and maintain a desired level of societal change. More understanding is needed as to how different levels of society are affected by social communication messages. This paper examines how a social marketing strategy should be targeted in order to maximize societal change. In this paper the Multi‐levelled/Multimedia Model of Social Change is presented. This amalgamates integrated marketing communication principles and the Behavioural Ecological Model. It provides a basis for understanding how consistent messages and methods of communication affect long‐term behavioural or attitudinal change at the individual and societal levels.     

Avow or Avoid?

Abstract

Sixteen press releases from Enron and 16 releases from WorldCom representing the first three months of each organization's financial crises were gathered from the organization's web sites. The goal of this study was to determine whether the dominant public communication tactic of these companies was to avow or promote frankness, a traditional public relations stance, or to avoid or be evasive, a traditional legal stance. The releases were compared with 47 published accounts of the unfolding financial crises to determine whether the organizational messages remained intact. The findings show no dominant communication strategy in either company. Both professed openness but engaged in blame shifting. The combined message strategy suggests cooperation between legal and public relations counsel. The messages of both organizations were successfully transmitted via the mass media but were tempered by solid reporting. These findings suggest additional evidence that legal and public relations crisis communication strategies are starting to blur.     

A Pilot Study Testing Aspects of the Integrated Marketing Communications Concept

This article describes a pilot study testing some aspects of the integrated marketing communications concept. The study is timely and relevant to the field because it employs an empirical approach to addressing the heated controversy over the validity of the integrated marketing communications concept. This controversy is based upon doubt about the theoretical basis for integrated marketing communications and the lack of empirical research in the field identified in the integrated marketing communications literature. In an effort to address the conceptual validity controversy directly, the study adopted the first use of an experimental approach in the integrated marketing communications field. The results of the experiment suggest that messages employing some of the key aspects of an integrated marketing communications strategy (i.e. messages with a common theme that are executed across multiple media in a visually consistent manner) may prompt a stronger attitude towards the brand level than the same messages employing a more traditional strategy (executions with less visual consistency), although other dependent measures were not similarly impacted upon. The study is limited in its scope, but is intended to stimulate more empirical research in the integrated marketing communications field.     

The Impact of Social Marketing on Social Engineering in Economic Restructuring

SUMMARY

Social Marketing is a rapidly growing marketing sub-discipline based on the premise that bringing successful commercial marketing technologies to bear on problems of individual and social welfare can generate positive outcomes. This paper gives an overview of recent developments in Social Marketing in a global context and discusses the relationship of these developments to those in commercial, not-for-profit or third sector and public sector marketing, and public relations. The paper then relates the global context back to developments in Australasian and Asian nations, with particular reference to social engineering during economic restructuring.     

旅游整合营销内容范畴探讨

整合营销传播理论适应了现代营销环境和市场需求的变化,对指导市场营销实践具有重要意义。旅游业与旅游市场需求有自身的特点与发展规律,旅游整合营销体系不仅包括营销"传播",而应包含更广泛的内容,至少包括旅游目的地公共营销组织整合、旅游行业部门优化整合、旅游产品开发整合、旅游品牌形象整合与旅游营销区域整合等。     

Buffalo Bill' Wild West and John M. Burke

Abstract

Public relations and advertising textbooks either ignore or treat the old fashioned press agent with contempt. Yet the origin of modern day sports and entertainment promotion dates back to a group of press agents who made important contributions to the marketing communication tactics we take for granted. From 1884 to 1917, the promotion of Buffalo Bill' Wild West incorporated advertising, public relations, and integrated marketing communication strategies and tactics. Many of these tactics are still in use today. A case will be made to view Buffalo Bill as a ?brand“ By doing so, the promotion of the Wild West takes on a new meaning. Buffalo Bill' press agent, John M. Burke, for more than 30 years increased the ?brand equity“ of the Buffalo Bill product through effective and strategically sound advertising and public relations campaigns. For example, building upon the long circus tradition in American folk culture, Burke staged parade events headed by Buffalo Bill to generate major press coverage when the Wild West arrived in local communities. Although Burke might not have had the formal education and access to the latest in communication technology to promote the Wild West, he certainly had the brains and skills     

Developing pandemic communication strategies: Preparation without panic

Communication in the media regarding a potential avian influenza epidemic can serve to accurately and effectively inform the public OR misinform and contribute to unnecessary public panic and subsequent undesirable responses. Governments have time to develop communication strategies and specific messages that can effectively convey desired information at different stages of the anticipated pandemic. Effective social marketing incorporates the concepts of formative research, audience segmentation, and consumer focus. Based on the findings from earlier research on public awareness and understanding of bird flu, the collaborators of the project developed evidence-based advertising messages for two primary time-points in pandemic preparation and tested in a series of focus groups; modified them based on the findings; and then re-tested the final campaign. These findings provide important recommendations for the development of future social marketing campaigns in the event of pandemics or other public health crises.     

Marketing and public relations: the relationship revisited

This paper reviews the debate within both the marketing and public relations literatures concerning the relationship between the disciplines of marketing and public relations. The paper considers the arguments advanced in the marketing literature, in particular, for a growing convergence between these two disciplines and examines the recent emergence of the concept of'marketing public relations'. Here the paper takes as one starting point an article which identified a number of possible schematic representations of the relationship between the marketing and public relations functions and argues the case for a model of increasing convergence between them.The paper goes on to consider the more recent development of ‘marketing public relations', examining the arguments advanced. The paper argues that from a public relations perspective, the concept of marketing public relations can be seen as an attempt by marketers to ‘hijack’ public relations, incorporating it as an extra element within the promotional mix in order to inform, persuade or remind existing and prospective customers of product or company benefits. It is argued that what some marketers have termed marketing public relations may be no more than the publicity element of public relations practice under a new guise — one perhaps more acceptable than publicity in the societally orientated firms of today. The paper explores two distinct schools of thought — re-examining the relationship between marketing and public relations from both perspectives. The paper suggests that the uneasy symbiosis between these two functions in practice, reflects to a large degree the ambiguity surrounding the relationship between these concepts within much of the literature.     

Economic Crisis and its Impact on Promotion and Media in Cyprus

ABSTRACT

The economic crisis has redounded sharply upon marketing communications and media vehicles in Cyprus. In recession periods, communication and marketing budgets can contract while companies seek to obtain the best communication outcomes with more limited resources, both the size and the distribution of the communication mix can alter rapidly. This qualitative paper reveals that Cypriot advertising agencies now place greater emphasis upon marketing public relations (MPR) as it is perceived to be cost effective and efficient in achieving campaign objectives. The empirical data also indicates a shift towards the use of internet marketing and social media as more and more businesses are realizing the importance of consumer generated marketing and word-of-mouth/mouse marketing (WOMm).     

Crisis in the College/University Relationship with the Community

Abstract

Crises can arise in relationships between colleges and universities and their surrounding communities especially when campuses need to grow. If these institutions have focused strictly on sending their messages out rather than establishing two-way communication with important publics, they may suddenly find themselves embroiled in conflict and confronted with a crisis. Colleges and universities must rethink and restructure their communication and public relations function to include two-way communication and community engagement as a means of avoiding certain crisis situations.     

A Tax Perspective of Professional Services Marketing: The Acquisition of Customer Based Intangibles

ABSTRACT

The present study attempts to discuss: (1) how the allocation of the purchase price to individual assets affects the after-tax cost of acquiring a professional services marketer; (2) define the “customer based intangibles” affected by the Supreme Court ruling; (3) discuss the tax conflict between goodwill and customer based intangibles; (4) review the recent Supreme Court ruling and set forth the tests and conditions which must be met in order to gain a deduction; and (5) discuss the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 and its impact on acquisition of customer based intangibles after August 10, 1993. In addition, the present study will discuss the environmental implications of the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 will have on the professional services marketing sector.     

Leveraging Associations: The Promotion of Cultural Sponsorships

SUMMARY

Sponsorship of the arts is growing as a marketing communication method, and companies are using this tool to achieve various business objectives. These include branding, corporate hospitality, and building community relations. The activities that the companies engage in to promote the sponsorships are guided by the objectives they wish to achieve. Additional leveraging is supported by advertising and public relations for branding. For corporate hospitality, promotional support is vested in personal selling with public relations initiatives. For community relations, promoting the sponsorship is focused primarily on public relations activities with an emphasis on personal selling.