NEW JERSEY, June 10, 2002: To hear Al Ries tell it, "advertising is dead, long live PR."

In a soon-to-be available book, legendary ad man and Positioning guru Al Ries contends that the way to support a brand is through advertising, but the way to build a brand is through public relations.

PR, he claims, offers a few advantages. First, instant credibility. Advertising, by its very nature, has a built in "marketing" cache. Publicity however, can reach people with a level of acceptance that advertising simply cannot. Second, publicity can attract customers and build loyalty for a fraction of the cost of broad based ad campaigns. And third, public relations can establish brands without the benefit of traditional advertising, not the other way around.

In a recent press release announcing the book, Ries cites certain brands that were built entirely on public relations. Starbucks, he claims, built its brand without any advertising at all. It was all through public relations efforts that it was able to catch attention and establish a brand experience that was backed up by each Starbuck's location.

Only recenlty, in fact, did Starbucks run any advertising. To be sure, the brand was already established in the minds of its customers, and the ads did remind and support the brand.

So what does this mean for pharmaceutical marketing executives? That the importance of public relations cannot be overlooked in the marketing mix for your brand -- or your company.

The next time you sit down to develop the marketing strategy and tactical plans for your brand, be sure and invite your director of public relations. It can mean the difference between an average performance, and a highly successful one.

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