Unit 2: Direct marketing and public relations
Integrated Marketing Communication and Sales Management notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 923-18)
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Unit summary
Beyond mass advertising, firms talk to customers directly, build relationships with publics and measure what works. This unit covers direct marketing features and strategies, push and pull promotion strategies, publicity and public relations tools, corporate advertising, monitoring, evaluation and control of advertising, and international and internet advertising.
After this unit you can
- Explain direct marketing and push–pull strategies
- Explain publicity, public relations and corporate advertising
- Monitor, evaluate and control advertising
- Explain international and internet advertising
PTU syllabus topics
- Direct marketing features and strategies
- push-pull promotion strategies
- publicity and public relations tools
- corporate advertising
- monitoring/evaluation/control of advertising
- international and internet advertising
Aimed at
Channel members
End consumers
Tools
Trade discounts, personal selling
Advertising, consumer promotions
Suits
Low brand loyalty, impulse goods
Strong brands, high involvement
Topic 1
Direct marketing
- Direct marketing: communicating directly with targeted individuals to obtain an immediate, measurable response.
- Features: targeted, personalised, interactive, measurable, uses databases.
Direct mail and catalogues
Telemarketing
Inbound and outbound calls
Email, SMS and WhatsApp
Direct-response TV
Teleshopping, infomercials
Kiosks and online
Websites, apps
Direct selling
Amway, Tupperware
- Strategies: build and segment the customer database, RFM analysis, personalised offers, test and measure response, integrate with CRM; comply with TRAI's DND rules and the DPDP Act.
Topic 2
Push and pull strategies
Direction
Manufacturer pushes product through channel members
Consumers demand the product from retailers
Tools
Trade promotions, dealer margins, personal selling
Advertising, consumer promotions, digital marketing
Suits
Low brand loyalty, impulse goods, new distribution
Strong brands, high involvement
Example
Higher margins to chemists for an OTC product
TV and social campaigns for a smartphone launch
- Most firms combine both.
Topic 3
Publicity and public relations
- Publicity: non-paid communication about a firm or product in the media — news stories, reviews; credible but not controllable.
- Public relations: planned effort to build goodwill with publics — customers, employees, investors, government, community, media.
Press releases and press conferences
Events and sponsorships
Publications
Annual reports, newsletters, case studies
Community relations and CSR
Lobbying and public affairs
Crisis communication
Digital PR
Social media, influencer relations
Example
During the 2015 Maggi noodles ban, Nestlé India's recall, transparent updates and relaunch campaign helped rebuild trust.
Topic 4
Corporate advertising
- Corporate advertising: promotes the company rather than its products — image, values, social causes, financial strength.
- Types: image advertising, advocacy advertising (views on issues), cause-related advertising, financial (investor relations) advertising, recruitment advertising.
- Examples: Tata Group's nation-building themes; ITC's "Let's put India first".
Topic 5
Monitoring, evaluation and control of advertising
When
Before the campaign runs
After the campaign runs
Methods
Consumer juries, portfolio tests, physiological tests, theatre tests
Recall tests, recognition tests, sales tests, inquiry tests
Purpose
Choose and improve the best ad
Judge actual impact
Topic 6
International advertising
- Standardisation vs adaptation: one global campaign for efficiency and consistent image, or local campaigns for cultural fit — often "think global, act local".
- Challenges: language and translation, cultural values and symbols, media availability, legal differences (comparative ads, alcohol, children), agency coordination.
- Global agencies and local partners manage multi-country campaigns.
Topic 7
Internet advertising
- Forms: search ads, display banners, video ads (YouTube), social media ads, native ads, influencer content, email ads, in-app ads.
- Advantages: precise targeting, interactivity, real-time measurement, flexible budgets.
- Metrics: impressions, CTR, CPC, CPM, conversions, ROAS.
- Issues: ad blockers, fraud, privacy, brand safety.
Key terms
- Direct marketing
- Targeted communication seeking a measurable response
- Pull strategy
- Creating consumer demand that pulls products through channels
- Publicity
- Unpaid media coverage
- Advocacy advertising
- Corporate ads expressing views on issues
- Native advertising
- Paid content matching the platform's format
Quick revision
- Direct marketing: features, channels, database, RFM.
- Push vs pull strategies.
- Publicity vs PR; PR tools; crisis communication.
- Corporate advertising types.
- Pre-testing and post-testing; international standardisation vs adaptation; internet ad forms and metrics.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.What is direct marketing?
- Q2.Distinguish push and pull strategies.
- Q3.Distinguish publicity and public relations.
- Q4.What is corporate advertising?
- Q5.Name two methods of pre-testing ads.
- Q6.State two challenges of international advertising.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain direct marketing and its strategies.
- Q2.Compare push and pull promotion strategies.
- Q3.Discuss public relations tools and corporate advertising.
- Q4.Explain how advertising is monitored and evaluated, and discuss international and internet advertising.
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