So how can MPR support sales? It can help create awareness of the product – especially
new technological developments, where consumers need to understand what a
gizmo is before they can distinguish between brands of gizmo. Once, campaigns had
to explain what a fridge did, more recently the ‘market’ needed educating about the
virtues of DVD and WAP technology. In competitive fields, such as fast-moving consumer
goods (FMCG), publicity can be crucial to success. Wilcox identifies a number of
public relations activities which support marketing efforts by creating new leads through
gaining editorial coverage in trade and consumer media and producing sales brochures
(Wilcox et al. 2003: 16). While the marketing team may create special offers and sales
promotions, the publicity people will be seeking media coverage and arranging launch
events. Together, they can create worldwide successes, from the latest Star Wars
film to Prozac. Recent developments in marketing, such as relationship marketing and
cause-related marketing, are similar to elements of public relations, and are blurring
the distinctions.