Content
is crucial.
But the medium is part of your message,
too.
Marshall McLuhan
was right, you know. Forty-two years ago, he proclaimed that
the medium is the message — that the channel through which
your message is carried is as much a part of what you have
to say as words themselves.
It’s not just what you say. It’s how
you say it. The public relations channels you choose to
carry your message may be as critical to the success of your marketing
efforts as the content itself.
Here, in descending order of
effectiveness, are building blocks to form the
foundation of your relationship with your clients or
customers.
This hierarchy of channels of communication is based on research by Frederic
Volksmann,
director of public relations for Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. It appeared in the
Aug. 26, 1991, edition of PR Reporter.
Channels are ranked from most effective to least effective.
- One-to-one, face-to-face conversation
- Small group discussion, meetings
- Speaking before a large group
- Telephone conversation
- Handwritten, personal note
- Typewritten personal letter
- Mass-produced nonpersonalized (“dear
friend”) letter
- Brochure or pamphlet sent via direct mail
- Article in an organizational newsletter
- News carried in the popular press
- Advertising in the mass media
- Billboards, skywriting, advertising specialties and the like
Volksmann's research predates the Web, which holds tremendous potential for public
relations. Web sites and Internet communications combine aspects of telephone (live chat),
personal notes (e-mail), brochures (sales-oriented
web sites), newsletters (e-mail narrowcasting) and
web-based news media coverage, as well as the potential for highly targeted advertising
and specialty promotions. The Web doesn't substitute for traditional controlled and
uncontrolled communications ... but it has the potential to add tremendous strength when
integrated into your over-all public relations strategy.
Hanson Photo•Video•Communications
specializes in personalized communications
and public relations strategies ...
turning mass messages into personal
conversations.
We put a face on your
organization.
We help you find your real
voice — and raise it.
We specialize in direct
mail — including newsletters, marketing
packages, interactive new media and personalized
correspondence. Then we help you integrate it with
the Internet to build meaningful conversations with
your high-priority audiences.
Let’s talk about how to
connect with the people who count most to you.
Call Nancy Edmonds Hanson
for a free one-hour consultation: 1.877.290.0967.
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