Marketing communication: principles and practice

I D E N T I T Y
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I M A G E
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A N D R E P U T A T I O N
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trying to convey personal identity or self-concept (Bromley, 1993). The
personal or corporate reputation is a social identity and is clearly a
communication issue that marketing managers cannot ignore.
MARKETING IMAGE
Barich and Kotler (1991) introduced the notion of ‘marketing image’ in 
an attempt to deal with the apparent conflict of interest between marketers
and public relations specialists. This provides the marketer with a role in
managing the corporate identity in order to foster the desired corporate image.
Kotler (1986) argued that public relations should be part of ‘megamarketing’
(social marketing), along with power – the 6Ps! The marketer takes
responsibility for the supply of benefits to parties other than target consumers,
for example, government, unions, or other interested third parties, who may
act as gatekeepers. It is sometimes necessary to arrange additional incentives,
inducements or sanctions to gain desired responses from groups other than
customers. 
This approach is the strategically coordinated application of economic,
psychological, political, and public relations skills to gain the cooperation of
a number of parties in order to enter and/or operate in a given ‘protected’
market. This approach requires cooperation and coordination between
marketers, company officers, public relations and public affairs specialists,
and legal specialists in the corporation. But public relations is seen as primarily
a communication tool for influencing attitudes, whereas marketing aims to
elicit specific behaviours and includes not only communication but needs
assessment, product development, price setting, and the creation of distri-
bution channels (Ehling 
et al
., 1992). Thus, public relations is not seen as
involved in defining the goals of the corporation, but merely in making it
easier to sell products and services.
White (1991) disagrees, arguing that public relations is a central manage-
ment concern which complements marketing communications, and is firmly
strategic, forward-looking, and coordinating in scope and nature.