CPB Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Advertising, Sales Promotion, and Public Relations

Individual Assignments

1. Read the opening vignette to the chapter. Think about the answers to the following questions:
1. How does CPB approach setting advertising objectives? How does this differ from its competitors?
2. How does the firm gain attention for the advertising message? How do their ads break through the clutter?
3. What do you think CPB’s opinion of traditional advertising media would be?
4. Would CPB’s method of marketing communication work in an international environment? Why or why not?

Share your findings with the class.

Think-Pair-Share

1. Consider the following questions, formulate an answer, pair with the student on your right, share your thoughts with one another, and respond to questions from the instructor:
1. What are the key components of the definition of advertising?
2. What is an advertising objective?
3. How can an advertising objective be measured?
4. On what factors does an advertising budget depend? Which of these factors is the most important? How can you tell?
5. What is the first step in developing an effective advertising strategy?
6. What is the “big idea”?
7. What are the characteristics of an advertising appeal?
8. Which of the message execution formats is your favorite?
9. What are the differences between reach, frequency, and impact? Explain each.
10. What are the advantages and disadvantages between the mass media forms as shown in Table 15.2? Which form could be the best for promoting an ocean cruise?
11. What is an alternative media form that would be good for reaching a 14-year-old?
12. Outline the forms of timing for a media schedule. Which seems the most reasonable? Under what circumstances?
13. How is sales promotion different from advertising?
14. What is a good sales promotional objective?
15. List and briefly identify the consumer promotional tools identified in the chapter.
16. List and briefly identify the trade promotional tools identified in the chapter.
17. List and briefly identify the business promotional tools identified in the chapter.
18. How is public relations different from advertising?
19. List and briefly identify the major public relations tools.
20. How can public relations be used on the Internet?

Outside Example

No one had defined stylish living as much as Martha Stewart. Her name has become synonymous with perfect cooking, perfect gardening, perfect decorating, perfect weddings, and on and on. Unfortunately, her name has also recently become synonymous with lying about her personal stock trades, and she began serving jail time for that conviction in late 2004.

Agree with her prosecution or not, it caused quite a problem for her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.  Its stock is fighting its way back from a low of $5 after a pre-crisis high of $35.

Although public relations is not all about crisis management, it certainly plays a huge role in ensuring a company can stay alive when its eponymous founder and leader faces federal prosecution.

1. What publics would you have focused on when news of the federal probe broke? Explain your answer.
2. What PR tools could be useful to contain a crisis such as this?  How would you use them?
3. Is there an effective way for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to utilize the Internet to keep the company on track? Outline what information you would include, and how you would keep it current.