By Leigh Andrews
Added to this, Pick n Pay has launched a ‘grow the tree, grow the future’ initiative for
Arbour Month, which plays on the fact that we now celebrate ‘days’ such as Heritage Day and Women’s Day for an entire week/ month. The initiative allows Pick n Pay consumers to purchase trees online or in store, or
grow trees from seedlings. A print ad by
Y&R adds that
Pick n Pay consumers should “join by investing in the planet’s future, together – act today to change tomorrow.”
In so doing,
MultiChoice and
Pick n Pay are seen as 'doing good' for the community, and this bathes their reputations in a positive light, as they are seen as caring about more than just their bottom line – rather, the
triple bottom line of ‘people; planet; and profit’. While there are PR agencies that exist purely to assist in this regard, running CSR
initiatives for their clients, there's also a growing trend towards running these initiatives in-house, and as a result, many corporates are investing in the services of freelance PR professionals or starting up their own division to do so, sending their own messages to the media - not to be confused with marketing, which is another kettle of fish altogether. However, Newsclip Product Manager:
mypressoffice, Karen van Zyl,
clarifies that: “While traditionally, PR and marketing were seen as two completely different disciplines, both work towards achieving a common goal, just by using different means.”
This links to the now common practice of holding events and press conferences for clients, where members of the public get to meet the faces behind the initiatives they have heard about in the media. This can be seen as another intricate form of 'doing good' for society in that it serves the purpose of sharing information, such as at the quarterly Newsclip networking
seminars.
Big companies also get their names noticed by sponsoring big events, such as Mini Cricket (which changed hands from Baker's to
KFC earlier this year), and practically every big sporting event having
Vodacom as a sponsor (Vodacom Durban July/ Super 14/ Blue Bulls/ Tries for Smiles campaign, anyone?) This may be easier for some companies than others, considering the enormous costs involved in fixing one's name to a high profile event - think of all the team jerseys, on-field sponsorship, and advertising budget involved. The SABC Education
Baba Indaba is an example of one such association, where the Baba Indaba brand is being used to further promote the SABC’s strong drive toward promoting the importance of education across the country.
So, why go the sponsorship route? Firstly, it gives the event some of the prestige/ reputation of the corporate doing the sponsoring. Secondly, it adds to the prospectus of the client doing the event - so Vodacom is no longer merely seen as the country's largest mobile phone operator, but also in terms of its 'personality' as having a sporty, fun-loving side.
Sponsorship has a long history, and when celebrities get involved, it tends to overlap with concepts of brand recognition and association - think Trevor Noah, and instead of his stand-up comedy show on M-Net, you'll likely either link
Cell C or Simba as secondary term (You can read more on this in our
TotallyMAd Editorial Desk article this week).
Celebrity endorsement is a big factor in raising consumers’ awareness of brands. In a recent interview I conducted with Moira Gerszt, COO of The Smile Foundation, for
COUP magazine, she explained that in conjunction with Orlando Pirates’ annual Soweto Cup and Corporate Challenge tournaments, it has made Smile Foundation the beneficiary for this event. Additionally, a team made up of Smile Foundation patients will play as the 'curtain raiser' game, and this will provide the Foundation with lots of exposure in the media. Gerszt adds that if a photographer snaps a picture of one of the children with a local celebrity such as Danny K, this is more likely to secure a spot on a social page in the papers than if it were just a photo of relative unknowns.
Celebrity sponsorship is thus a crucial element of the Foundation’s success, and is one of the most important aspects of securing positive PR, as it’s common knowledge that if you don’t have the budget for advertising (or a willing pro-bono sponsor), you have to make your PR ‘sing’ – and this has definitely been the case with the Smile Foundation.
What are your thoughts on the most effective use of PR? Which method is most guaranteed to get your message across to your intended audience? Please leave your thoughts on our
blog.