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Institute for Public Relations

The Institute for Public Relations is an independent nonprofit that bridges the academy and the profession, supporting PR research and mainstreaming this knowledge into practice through PR education.

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Representing PR in the Marketing Mix: A Study on PR Variables in Marketing Mix Modeling

By Brian G. Smith

Winner of the 2007 Ketchum Award

In spite of increasing emphasis on coordinating all communication activities (including advertising, sales, promotion, and public relations), few studies have empirically examined this interplay of communication activities and the investigation of integrated marketing communication has received little attention in public relations scholarship. The purpose of this study is to explore companies' use of integrated marketing communications and the evolving roles of public relations and marketing.

In particular, this study addresses one critical area of this integration, the issue of measurement and evaluation. As public relations and marketing are further coordinated, the question of measurement, especially the issue of public relations' contribution to organizational objectives (i.e. sales, revenue), will become one of prime importance. This study will examine one emerging area of growth- marketing mix modeling- and PR's representation in such measurement and evaluation.