MARKETING COMMUNICATION DIGEST

​ Throughout my professional career, I've always been working for either a Startup or an incubation business within a public company. When I hire someone, or sometimes when I am being interviewed as a candidate, this is one of most frequently asked questions: "How would you describe yourself in three words?" It sounds like a simple question but it can reveal a lot about who you really are, and whether you would be a good fit for the job. Here are my answers: 1.  Optimistic Startups and new business will inevitably face challenges and should always expect the unexpected.  When I interview someone for a job or mentor someone in my team, I look for the signs to make sure that this person is optimistic about what we are doing in the long run, not just being enthusiastic about the next project or the next salary. Being optimistic is not a nice-to-have, but a must-have: Products could fail, markets could change, customers could come and go, and fundi...

Here is the concluding part of the article "Is PR preferable to Advertising when launching a product?" 4. Product Modification Feedback is an important element in a PR launch. By launching the PR program ahead of the actual product introduction, there is enough time to modify the product or its price before it goes on sale. Supermarkets and other distribution outlets like to participate in the brand-building process. They will often make many good suggestions you can use to modify the product, the packaging, the pricing and even the PR. Advertising is different . Once a big-bang advertising programme is launched, a company is committed. There is little feedback and no time to change the product or service before it's introduced to consumers. 5.  Message Modification Feedback from a PR programme also allows a company to modify the brand's message for greater consumer appeal. The media looks at your PR messages from the consumer's point of vi...

Six steps for launching­ a brand via PR In the past, almost every new brand was launched with a big advertising campaign. In today's media environment, that's not a very good idea. Advertising is expensive and not very credible, especially when used on behalf of a new brand. That's why many of the most successful new brands were launched with PR; brands like Google , Facebook , Snapchat,   Twitter and of course, Mirinda (of the three orange men fame) here in Nigeria . Launching a new brand with PR, however, raises a number of questions. If no advertising is involved, what changes, if any, need to be made in the overall launch? If no advertising agency is involved, who does the positioning strategy? To stimulate your thinking about these and other questions, here is an outline of six steps a PR launch might take: 1     1.  The Leak A PR program usually starts with a leak to key reporters and editors. Internet sites are often favourite targe...