The first sentence in Henry's book defines his subject: "Marketing public relations is a comprehensive, all-encompassing, public awareness and information program or campaign directed to mass or specialty audiences to influence increased sales or use of an organization's product or service." Put more simply, what he's talking about is public relations efforts designed specifically to sell something rather than merely to create or maintain a favorable image.
Although the intensive use of public relations techniques to sell consumer products is relatively new, the idea that public relations can be an important element of the marketing mix has been around for a long time. The biggest change, according to Harold Burson, Burson-Marsteller agency founder who wrote the foreword to this book, is that marketers today are more willing to commit money to public relations activities.
It follows logically that marketing public relations is gaining in importance as a specialized segment of the broad public relations field. We knew that.
What we may not have known, though, is the extent to which the public relations practices employed to sell products are similar to or different from the "standard" public relations techniques. Marketing Public Relations shows that there is not too much difference.
Because the techniques are similar, this book becomes a valuable reference for anyone who has public relations or public information responsibilities. The "how" theme that carries throughout the book makes it work: how to make use of research, how to target publics, how to use special publications, how to build coalition support, and how to measure results are important examples.
One chapter covers special events. Special events have been part of public relations "since public relations became a profession," the author notes. He offers splendid examples of special events that work, and a few that don't. An appendix provides a sample special event budget form and checklists that in themselves are a complete guide to event planning and organizing. The checklists get down to important (but sometimes overlooked) details such as making sure the lawn sprinklers are turned off.
The next chapter is devoted to sponsorship of existing events. It is most useful, perhaps, for its detailed "Media Host's Outline." For those who work at higher levels, it includes a couple of pages on dealing with the White House.
The book includes 19 chapters, each devoted to a specific "how to" topic. It is well indexed.
There has been a serious lack of good public relations textbooks in recent years. I still use sections from some of the standard works published more than 20 years ago as class references in my courses. Henry's book will not fill that gap. However, as a practical primer better suited to the professional communicator than to the student, it deserves high marks. Henry writes from the perspective of two decades of professional experience in public relations. He was a consultant to the 1984 Olympic Games, and served in the election campaign and subsequent administration of President George Bush. More recently, he has been executive director of university relations at Texas A&M University.
"Computing is not about computers anymore. It is about living." With statements like this, Nicholas Negroponte, head of MIT's media lab, offers up a desirable set of digital visions for the near future.
Negroponte's tomorrow is oriented toward "bits," "the DNA of information," as the basic article of human interchange. Today we are ending the era of thinking in terms of "atoms," large, heavy masses of things which are not generally accessible to all. The "atoms to bits" comparison is Negroponte's way of describing our current age - electronic or information or post-information.
The author of the book argues that information is no longer "pushed" at the consumer. Rather people, or their digital proxies (like Microsoft's Bob), will "pull" and even help formulate the personal information people seek and require. While much of Negroponte's book will sound familiar to conversant communicators, readers should discover a very rich storehouse of distinctive approaches and provocative statements for thought and discussion about our emerging, global digital society. Some examples:
Along with other thoughts, these ideas should place this book on your shelf. For administrators who are still early on the learning curve of the information age, or stuck in it somewhere, and require nurturing to assess the future, Being Digital will provide much stimulation. No computer background is necessary. For individuals leading discussions about the future of communications and technology, there is an abundance of conversational themes.
The author does not go into the counter arguments about the digital revolution - access, affordability, or social isolation. He is an advocate, missionary, and spokesperson for it. This partly explains the entertaining nature of Being Digital. You can sense Negroponte's passion, zest, and enthusiasm.
Being Digital is recommended communication reading through 1995, and maybe 1996, when it will most certainly be dated. It is also available on cassette, read by Penn Jillette; in audio, it becomes warm and compelling. A CD version can be found as well. You can get more information and a sample of the book on the World Wide Web: HTTP://WWW.RANDOMHOUSE.COM/
The information highway. Heard the term before? Why ask?
We have all heard about the information highway. Over and over and over. It's been glorified by some as the ultimate education tool. It's been lauded by others as the ultimate communication device. Still others have extolled its ultimate ability to turn the world into a global village.
It's hogwash, says Clifford Stoll. Nobody can offer utopia-on-a-stick. In Snake Oil, Stoll illuminates a major paradox: the Internet is actually a self-contained anarchistic community with nobody in charge and no easy way in, yet public officials from Vice President Al Gore on down speak of it as a major route to knowledge with all the signposts in place.
Stoll's arguments are cogent and his credibility makes them powerful. He could be considered a networking pioneer, spending 15 years making trails across cyberspace and tracking down network hacks like a modern day Wyatt Earp (Stoll's other book, The Cuckoo's Egg, describes how he caught German spies prowling through computers). Stoll suggests computer networks isolate individuals and cheapen the meaning of experience, work against literacy and creativity, and undercut schools and libraries.
For instance, he breaks down the argument promoting virtual communities and universal online access. The silicon snake oil here, according to Stoll, is the belief that computers and networks will make a better society. He says there are no simple technological solutions to social problems. There is plenty of distrust and animosity among people who already communicate perfectly well. People will always struggle to understand one another.
On the education front, Stoll cites scholars who say an online classroom will rekindle reading and writing skills and turn out smarter students. The problem here, according to Stoll, is the wrong things are being learned. Today's online students are mastering computerese instead of English; they are reading software user guides instead of Shakespeare; and they are talking to their computer screens instead of their neighbors.
He wonders about the value of e-mail. He says the president of a company can send e-mail to all employees but doubts if it has the same effect of a visit to their offices or a heartfelt congratulation. He also decries incorrect grammar, misspelled words and sloppily written prose-passed off as communication-for the sake of immediacy.
As for online databases, Stoll says network resources are chaotically scattered, lack a proven reference system like the Dewey decimal system, and provide little if any actual content. And because of the disorganization, Stoll says one never knows if a cyber search is complete or if it just scratched the surface.
Stoll wrote Snake Oil to wave a caution flag. He says he is interested in seeing networked neighborhoods but is even more interested in making sure the big perspective is not distorted by the silicon snake oil salesmen. When you move down the on-ramp and onto the information highway, he says "You're entering a nonexistent universe. Consider the consequences."
Indeed. As agricultural communicators, we pride ourselves on being innovative leaders in the development and delivery of information. At the same time, we sometimes focus so hard on the possibilities of the technology that we fail to notice the problems. Snake Oil certainly highlights some of those problems and Stoll's wisdom bears reflection as we keystroke our way to the next century.