In the mid-1990s it was estimated that 70% of PR activities were related
to marketing ( Harris, 1993 ). It was at this time that Thomas Harris introduced
the term marketing public relations (MPR) to describe PR activities
in support of marketing objectives. There is every reason to believe
that the proportion of PR activities that could be described as MPR is
even greater today. Harris specifically defined MPR as ‘ the process of
planning, executing, and evaluating programs that encourage purchase
and consumer satisfaction through credible communicators of information
and impressions that identify companies and their products with
the needs, wants, concerns, and interests of consumers ’ . In a sense, MPR
helps define and communicate a brand ’ s positioning, and Harris ’ definition
outlines just this point.