Two disciplines on same road

Debreceny, Peter; Cochrane, Lisa . Advertising Age ; Chicago Vol. 75, Iss. 45, (Nov 8, 2004): 28.

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ABSTRACT
There's a maxim that says it always makes sense to truly integrate public relations and marketing activities in the
drive for the hearts and minds of consumers. Now, with public doubt about corporate America at an all-time high,
public-relations professionals and marketers must collaborate to shape, manage and protect corporate reputation
as well as brand image. We must partner to create and demonstrate a single message - whether through public
relations or marketing communications - or risk confusion and a mistrusting public. To change the working model,
our industry needs to first change the way corporate leadership views public relations and marketing. Traditional
obstacles to partnership include: the view that advertising and PR are two different animals; the debate over who
controls what budget; and too few intersections of marketing and PR.

FULL TEXT
Headnote
PR and marketing must be co-pilots of brand reputation
FORUM
THERE'S A maxim that says it always makes sense to truly integrate public relations and marketing activities in
the drive for the hearts and minds of consumers. Making sense is one thing-making it happen is another. The
maxim has been honored more in the breach than the observance. But now, with public doubt about corporate
America at an all-time high, public-relations professionals and marketers must collaborate to shape, manage and
protect corporate reputation as well as brand image. We must partner to create and demonstrate a single
message-whether through public relations or marketing communications-or risk confusion and a mistrusting
public.
Traditional barriers to working together must be lifted. But to change our working model we need to first change
the way corporate leadership views public relations and marketing-and the best way to do this is by demonstrating
a more effective model. Even without an integrated organizational structure, marketing and public relations
leadership can build a matrix organization that promotes information sharing, true dialogue and collaboration-a
team approach. This attitude is not optional. It is necessary as organizations large and small face up to the
complex brand- and reputation-management challenges they face in today's business environment.
Traditional obstacles to partnership have included a number of factors.
DIFFERENT ANIMALS
There's the view that advertising and PR are two different animals and that an investment in advertising is
somehow radically different from an investment in PR. As a result, many companies have missed opportunities to
magnify their marketing and public relations campaigns by combining the power of the two disciplines.
There's the debate that revolves around who controls what budget. A narrowly focused view can result in less than
optimal incremental spend in one area while the other is starved for funds.
And many management teams have created too few intersections of marketing and PR. Instead, marketing and PR
are often organized into silos-sometimes with different goals within the same company. It's hard enough in the
best of worlds to find compelling and differentiated opportunities to reinforce corporate positioning, create new
and positive customer brand experiences and communicate or reiterate key messages. Separation of the two
makes it even harder.

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Arthur W. Page, a pioneer in corporate public relations, was the first public relations professional to serve on a
corporate board. He preached what we all know in our hearts: "Public perception of an organization is determined
90% by what it does and 10% by what it says." The Page Principle, "Prove it with action," is as meaningful for
marketing and PR people today as it was 30 years ago: Who you are as a company and every aspect of your
success has to be proven to be believed. Consumers and the public at large need reasons to believe.
Demonstrating those reasons requires integrating marketing communications and public relations. Certainly, this
notion is not news to readers of Ad Age. The most effective marketing communications programs usually include
public relations. Experience tells us that the best marketing initiatives integrate all the available tools. But it may
come as a surprise to learn that marketing and PR truly working together remains a novel concept in many
organizations.
At Allstate, our management team recognizes that the integration of marketing communications and public
relations is essential to the effectiveness of our market presence and our reputation-management program. More
important, the people doing the work-the in-house staffs of our two departments and our respective advertising,
marketing communications and public relations agencies-recognize it too. When we create teams that integrate
the collective intellectual capital of all our resources-whether it's to develop annual communication plans, our
brand positioning strategy, an event or even a single announcement-we've delivered a better result.
ONE BRAND, ONE VISION
We recently reviewed positioning for both the Allstate Corporation and the Allstate brand. The corporate
positioning exploration was initiated within Corporate Relations, the brand positioning within Marketing. Though
we started independently, we came to a single communication together-we agreed on a one brand, one vision
approach. Today, in both brand and corporate positioning, we start from the same visionary statement. All our
different audiences receive a consistent message whenever, wherever or however they come in contact with us.
We know who we are and who we want to beand we work to demonstrate this single vision in all that we do.
Our communications response surrounding the recent catastrophic wildfires in California provides a more tactical
example of our approach. We sought to demonstrate both through word and deed our commitment to support our
customers and the Southern California community-our stand to do the right thing.
Pivotal to our success was the deployment of a truly integrated marketing team comprised of government
relations, corporate relations, advertising, customer communications, agents, regional sales and claims center
professionals. The Allstate Catastrophe team, set up mobile claims centers in the devastated areas-right where
help was needed. Agents got personally involved in helping people put their homes and lives back together. We
created The Allstate Foundation California Wildfire Relief Fund to distribute $1,000,000 to help aid recovery and
rebuilding efforts in the impacted areas. This provided media opportunities to further Allstate's consumer
advocacy message. We created advertising to tell people how to protect themselves and prepare for the events
ahead in the post-fire environment, including how to easily register and expedite their claims. While some of the
advertising was paid, much of the advertising was so informational and advocacy-based that California radio
stations ran it as a public service at no charge.
These investments yielded a tremendous amount of goodwill and credibility both in the communities struck by the
fires, as well as with our customers and employees nationwide. Our work in California reflects the effects of our
integrated work in action and the benefits of our company-wide commitment and adherence to a singular
positioning.
In the end, it's not only what we say or how or where we say it. What matters is what we do to back up our words.
Proving that we mean what we say. Communicating this proof to all a company's constituents takes an integrated
effort-starting with the partnership of marketing communications and public relations.
AuthorAffiliation
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Peter Debreceny is VP-corporate relations, and Lisa Cochrane, VP-integrated marketing communications, at
Allstate Insurance Co. Mr. Debreceny is also a VP and member of the board of trustees of the Arthur W. Page

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Society.

DETAILS

Subject: Public relations; Marketing; Integrated approach; Corporate image; Organizational

structure; Corporate culture

Location: United States US

Company / organization: Name: Allstate Insurance Co; NAICS: 524126, 525990; DUNS: 00-693-5886

Classification: 9190: United States; 2420: Image; 7000: Marketing; 2320: Organizati onal structure

Publication title: Advertising Age; Chicago

Volume: 75

Issue: 45

Pages: 28

Number of pages: 1

Publication year: 2004

Publication date: Nov 8, 2004

Section: View point

Publisher: Crain Communications, Incorporated

Place of publication: Chicago

Country of publication: United States, Chicago

Publication subject: Advertising And Public Relations, Business And Economics--Marketing And
Purchasing

ISSN: 00018899

CODEN: ADVAAQ

Source type: Trade Journals

Language of publication: English

Document type: Commentary

ProQuest document ID: 208357019

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Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/208357019?accountid=15859

Copyright: Copyright Crain Communications, Incorporated Nov 8, 2004

Last updated: 2011-07-20

Database: ProQuest Central

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Citation style: APA 6th - American Psychological Association, 6th Edition

Debreceny, P., & Cochrane, L. (2004). Two disciplines on same road. Advertising Age, 75(45), 28. Retrieved from
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