Public relations is no longer on the backburner

Today, audiences and consumers live in a message-saturated society where they are constantly exposed to messages urging the purchase of a particular product or service. As a result, marketers are finding it increasingly difficult to successfully reach their audiences and consumers. This issue is increasing in significance due to the heavy proliferation of media that are causing audiences and consumers to become fragmented. To combat this, marketers must employ public relations in the vanguard of their marketing plans as it is more effective than advertising, marketingââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s traditional communication tool, in reaching audiences and consumers and persuading them to the purchase path. In an attempt to validate this, a literature review is conducted to present the theoretical rationale for the study, to explore the practical implications for using public relations ahead of advertising in marketing plans, and to compare and contrast the views of the experts in the subject area in an effort to provide a conceptual framework for the study. A set of research questions is developed to address a number of factors that contribute to the effectiveness of public relations in persuading consumers to purchase a particular product or service. In addition to this, two in-depth interviews were conducted to assist in responding to the research questions and providing further insight into the role that public relations currently assumes within organisations who utilise public relations. Essentially, it was found that public relations is more effective than advertising as it possesses several overarching and distinct advantages that belittle the presumed supremacy of the latter profession. Therefore, marketers should review the current position allocated to public relations within marketing plans and shift it towards the vanguard as it is palpable that public relations is effective in combating the current issues faced by marketers.