How does public relations help in creating an integrated marketing communications system?

What will be an ideal response?

An integrated marketing communications system is required to deliver a consistent and positive message of a company's brand to its customers. Public relations is used to promote products, people, places, ideas, activities, organizations, and even nations. Companies use PR to build good relations with consumers, investors, the media, and their communities. Public relations can have a strong impact on public awareness at a much lower cost than advertising can. When using public relations, a company does not pay for the space or time in the media. Rather, it pays for a staff to develop and circulate information and manage events. If the company develops an interesting story or event, it could be picked up by several different media and have the same effect as advertising that would cost millions of dollars. Moreover, public relations has the power to engage customers and make them a part of the brand story. Although public relations still captures only a small portion of the overall marketing budgets of many firms, PR can be a powerful brand-building tool. Especially in this digital age, the lines between advertising, PR, and other content are becoming more and more blurred. For example, are brand Web sites, blogs, brand videos, and social media activities advertising, PR, or something else? All are marketing content. And as the use of earned and shared digital content grows rapidly, PR may play a bigger role in marketing content management. More than any other department, PR has always been responsible for creating relevant marketing content that draws consumers to a brand rather than pushing messages out. Hence, public relations works hand-in-hand with advertising within an integrated marketing communications program to help build brands and customer relationships.