Public Relations Kit For Dummies

by Eric Yaverbaum, Bob Bly

When it comes to marketing, nothing beats good word of mouth. But how do you get your customers talking? This friendly guide shows you step-by-step how to create and implement an effective public relations strategy for pennies on the dollar compared to the cost of advertising. "Public Relations Kit For Dummies" gives you all the tools you need to spread the word about your product or service, without a PR agency. All it takes is effort and the straightforward guidelines you'll find in this helpful guide.

If you're a small business owner or manager or an entrepreneur, good PR will give you an advantage over your competition. If you're a corporate manager or executive, you need an effective public relations program to communicate with your target market without increasing ad spending. In "Public Relations Kit For Dummies, " you'll discover how to: Map a winning PR strategyGrab attention with press releases, interviews, and eventsCultivate good media relationsGet print, TV, radio, and Internet coverageManage crises

This book is packed with successful ideas, techniques, and campaigns that really worked - and you can customize them to fit your clientele, product, or service. This friendly guide shows you how PR works, how to brainstorm for creative ideas, how to deliver your message to the media, and how to create buzz. And there's more: Developing and stick to a budgetBuilding an in-house PR departmentSpecific PR tactics like contests, surveys, and tie-insCompany newslettersWriting query letters and pitch lettersHandling yourself in interviewsTurning bad press into good publicityDeveloping a contact listSpecific strategies for radio, TV, newspapers, and new mediaHandling crisesMeasuring PR results

The book also includes a CD-ROM full of helpful PR forms, checklists, and templates; lists of resources like PR firms and media outlets; and software programs that makes PR simple. If you want people to notice your product or service, "Public Relations Kit For Dummies" is the only resource you need.

Genres: Business, Reference, Self Help, Nonfiction, Management

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2000

About the author

Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, is a communications, media, and public relations expert with over 43 years in the industry, having co-founded Jericho Communications and served as President from 1985 until its successful sale in 2006. Eric has worked with a wide-range of top-of-their-industry clients, including Sony, IKEA, Progressive Insurance, Domino’s, Beachbody, H&M, and fitness guru Jack LaLanne. Eric is a bestselling author who literally wrote and now is rewriting the book on public relations – the third edition of industry-standard bestseller Public Relations for Dummies. He is also the bestselling author of six other titles, including Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs (with over a million copies sold). Eric will be recounting his lifelong ability to look towards the bright side for his upcoming book The Audacity of Silver Linings, set to release in 2025. Additionally, Eric serves on the Board of Directors for the Leigh Steinberg Foundation for Concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Brain Health. He is a regular TV pundit, and his expert commentary has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, The New York Times, HuffPost, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox Business, Inc., and PR Week, among others.

Reviews

[Dmitry · Rating 4 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

Я не могу сказать, что это лучшая книга по PR, которую обязан прочитать каждый будущий маркетолог, но это лучшая книга из того, что я нашёл. Я уверен, что уже написана или будет написана книга по данной теме, которая и станет лучшей или одной из лучшей для понимания PR. Это главное, что нужно знать об этой книге.

Я постараюсь найти лучшую альтернативу этой книге, но пока я не нашёл, эта книга является наилучшим выбором для знакомства с темой PR, ибо авторы очень хорошо объясняют, почему в сегодняшнем мире так важен PR, почему каждая фирма, не зависимо от размера, должна им заниматься и как фирме организовать PR акцию (включая коммуникацию со СМИ, чему авторы посвящают много глав).

Я думаю, нет смысла объяснять, почему PR так важен в сегодняшнем, переполненном рекламой мире. Люди всё меньше и меньше доверяют рекламе, поэтому PR начинает играть всё более важную роль. Умение использовать PR, становится, а точнее уже является, неотъемлемой обязанностью отдела маркетинга абсолютно любой фирмы. И эта книга является своеобразным помощником, которая должна помочь маркетологам организовать и успешно реализовать PR акцию в любой сфере.

Учитывая, что автор или авторы книги занимаются PR профессионально, в книге присутствует огромное количество примеров PR кампаний, в особенности те, что организовывали сами авторы этой книги. Однако большая часть этих кампаний носит скорее локальный характер и знакома только тем, кто непосредственно проживает в США. Что касается глобальных PR акций, т.е. с участием транснациональных корпораций или PR кампаний прошедших за пределами США, то таких в книге или нет совсем или практически нет. Да, это не является критически важным, ибо чтобы понять суть написанного, достаточно и того, что предлагают авторы, т.е. локального примера. Однако это явно указывает на ограниченность книги, её локальность. Однако как я сказал в самом начале, других книг по PR крайне мало и поэтому выбор у нас довольно ограниченный.

Непосредственно с серией «...для чайников» связано и то, что книга предлагает крайне детальный разбор PR. Авторы пытаются в своей книге охватить буквально все темы связанные с PR, затронуть каждую деталь. Доходит до того, что авторы пишут о невербальном общении, которое нужно принять во внимание, участвую в ток-шоу на ТВ. Мне кажется, что такая излишняя любовь к деталям, идёт не на пользу книге. Всё же это демонстрирует её явную локальность. Также как такая увлечённость деталями может способствовать быстрому устареванию книги. Вместо того чтобы задавать направление, книга ведёт себя с читателем, как родитель с грудным ребёнком, объясняя даже самые элементарные вещи. Я думаю, что многие читатели из-за этого, половину советов просто проигнорируют, ибо у каждого человека, свой собственный стиль поведения, в том смысле, что мелкие детали трудно держать в голове, постоянно следить, чтобы они выполнялись строго согласно заветам автора.

А в чём же главный плюс книги? Я считаю, что у авторов великолепно получилось, с помощью примеров, объяснить, как работает PR. Показать, что даже с очень небольшим бюджетом, можно с успехом провести PR кампанию, которая станет не только эффективной, но и малобюджетной. Да, зачастую многое зависит от умения придумать идею, которая станет тем основание, на котором будет построена вся PR акция, т.е. ответить на вопрос «Что делать?».

Не могу не привести цитату из книги, в которой они очень точно и элегантно показывают, как легко и дешево можно организовать PR акцию практически любой фирмы и на любую тему.

«Даже если это не служит основой вашей кампании, посмотрите, существует ли возможность добавить в неё элемент актуальности. Например если вы проводите кампанию, направленную на продвижение пищевой добавки, снижающий влияние стресса на организм, почему бы не раздавать бесплатные пробники перед входом в универмаг сети Macys 23 декабря, в последний полный рабочий день перед Рождеством? Или в университетском общежитии перед сессией?».

Наверно меня так зацепила эта идея из-за того, что я в своё время сам предлагал одному руководителю, чья компания производила леденцы на основе кофе, раздавать их бесплатно на выходе из фитнесс-клубов.

I cannot say that this is the best book on PR that every future marketer must read, but it is the best book I have found. I am sure that a book on this topic has already been written or will be written, which will be the best or one of the best for understanding PR. That's the main thing to know about this book.

I will try to find a better alternative to this book, but until I find one, this book is the best choice to introduce the subject of PR, because the authors explain very well why PR is so important in today's world, why every firm, regardless of size, should do it and how a firm should organize a PR action (including communication with the media, to which the authors devote many chapters).

I don't think there's any need to explain why PR is so important in today's world overflowing with advertising. People trust advertising less and less, so PR is becoming more and more important. The ability to use PR is becoming, or rather already is, an integral part of the marketing department of any firm. And this book is a kind of assistant that should help marketers to organize and successfully implement PR activities in any area.

Given that the author or authors of the book are engaged in PR professionally, the book contains a huge number of examples of PR campaigns, especially those that were organized by the authors of this book themselves. However, most of these campaigns are more of a local nature and are only familiar to those who live directly in the United States. As for global PR campaigns, i.e., those involving multinational corporations or PR campaigns that took place outside of the US, they are either absent in the book or virtually non-existent. Yes, this is not critical because to understand the essence of what has been written, it is enough what the authors offer, i.e., a local example. However, this indicates that the book is limited; that it is local. However, as I said at the beginning, there are very few other books on PR, and therefore the choice we have is quite limited.

Directly related to the series "...for Dummies" is the fact that the book offers an extremely detailed analysis of PR. The authors try to cover all topics related to PR in their book, to touch on every detail. It comes to the fact that the authors write about non-verbal communication, which should be taken into account when participating in talk shows on TV. I don't think this excessive love of detail is good for the book. Still, it demonstrates its apparent localism. Just as such a love of detail can contribute to the book's rapid obsolescence. Instead of giving direction, the book behaves to the reader like a parent to an infant, explaining even the most basic things. I think that many readers, because of this, will simply ignore half of the advice because everyone has their own way of doing things, in the sense that the small details are hard to keep in mind, constantly making sure that they are carried out according to the author's precepts.

What is the main advantage of the book? I think that the authors did a great job, using examples, to explain how PR works. To show that even with a very small budget, you can successfully run a PR campaign that will be not only effective but also low-budget. Yes, often a lot depends on the ability to come up with an idea, which will become the foundation on which the whole PR campaign will be built, i.e. the answer to the question "What is to be done?

I can't help but quote from the book, in which they very accurately and elegantly show how easily and cheaply you can organize a PR campaign for almost any firm and on any topic.

"Even if it doesn't serve as the basis for your campaign, see if there's an opportunity to add an element of relevance to it. For example, if you're running a campaign to promote a dietary supplement that reduces the effects of stress on the body, why not hand out free samples before entering a Macy's department store on December 23, the last full day before Christmas? Or in a university dormitory before a session?"

I guess I liked the idea because I myself once suggested to an executive whose company made coffee-based lollipops to give them away for free at the exits of fitness clubs.

[Danijela Jerković · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thoughts and Notes on Public Relations for Dummies...


“Without publicity, there can be no public support, and without public support, every nation must decay.”
~Benjamin Disraeli


https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danije...


Say what you mean and mean what you say.
~Stephanie Lahart

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read to research this post was Public Relations For Dummies by Eric Yaverbaum which is a very good book which I bought from kindle. Katherine Hepburn once said she doesn't mind what the newspapers say about her as long as it's true. A lot of Public Relations is about being true and sincere. A big corporation might have billions of dollars to spend on Public Relations including tv campaigns and advertising in the tabloid newspapers. A small company can compete with a big company without spending anything like their amount on advertising. They can use social media where a lot of customers can be obtained for little outlay. If you run a small company you might want to handle Public Relations yourself rather than bring in a PR Agency. If you are tempted to bring in a PR Agency consider how important your companies account is to them. If they are a corporate PR Agency and you account for 0.01% of their business they are unlikely to pay much attention to promoting your company. Also ask to see previous work by the agency and compare what they told other companies they could achieve with what was actually achieved. You may find that rather than paying for advertising you can get stories out like a product launch which will still get coverage in media like magazines and newspapers and for free. Whatever you do if their is a crisis, don't bury your head in the sand, answer it and do it politely. Obviously if someone is really irate about your product offer to discuss it away from prying eyes, either by phone or email etc. This book also looks at promoting your product using podcasts and blogging etc. Another thing you ought to look into is social bookmarking with sites Technorati which can send you a lot of traffic. I did really enjoy this book which is also on quite an interesting subject.

[Andrea James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it three stars because it met the requirements of what one would expect from a dummies book published in 2006 on public relations but given the speed of change with technology, some of the information in this book needs to be updated.

Overall it has some nice prompts and checklists to get you started - basic but decent.

[Ryan Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it's fine. It does seem directed way more toward individuals who need to do their own PR out of necessity (or even students looking to diversify their study materials) rather than professionals looking to brush up or add a few new tricks to their bag. Solid but don't expect too much out of it. The information here is pretty basic but definitely important.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gives you all the basics and then some just like all the other "Dummies" books. They are great for building a base of knowledge for something you know nothing about or to expand on the very little knowledge you may know.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seemed to cover pretty much everything, and it was easy to read. I'm sure it will make for a great refernce book, as I attempt to apply what was covered later on.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide, like others in the "Dummies" series is well-written, well-organized and easy to use. It is a great resource.

[Dennis Dason]

Read just five basic chapters out of 27 chapters in this book and I m not that much expert to rate a Reference Book, so this book which satisfied my need at that time goes unrated.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information; however, this book is sorely out of date. Most of the listed resources don't exist anymore. Also, nobody uses faxes anymore either. Please update this for the 21st century.