Some companies spend millions of dollars annually on advertisement and publicity without knowing the return on those investments. With limited financial resources, it is important that the company understands whether it is getting maximum mileage out of their advertising dollar.

Companies send out thousands of "no brainers" publicity mailings, not worth their time, energy and money. Some spend thousands of dollars in newspapers and television publicity campaigns, which confuse the consumers. Others launch telemarketing programs but instead irritate the customers with nuisance calls.

Your advertisement needs to stand out and make an impression. Better still, it should be designed such that the reader or viewer can clearly grasp the central theme or idea behind the advertisement, and also take note of the call to action.

An ineffective advertising campaign is like taking Viagra, it gives you short-term thrill and excitement but does not cure your long term impotence. Depending on the nature of the business, companies should consider deploying a mix of public relations, direct marketing and advertising programmes to convey their key messages to their target audience, rather than just depend on the advertising vehicle alone.

For a person, a healthy and balanced diet, regular exercise and a happy family life are vital to staying in the pink of health. Just as a person should adopt a holistic approach to staying healthy, likewise, a company should employ an integrated, multi-pronged communications strategy as part of its marketing approach.

All publicity campaigns should have clearly identified objectives and target market groups. The strategies and tactics used should also incorporate some form of measurement for the results achieved. After all, an increase in awareness of the company or products is surely a good sign, but ultimately, if these do not impact on the top and bottom line, these campaigns would be hard to justify and sustain.

Another way to get maximum punch out of the publicity campaign is to benefit others. For instance, the information should help the viewers in lifestyle, body, mind and spirit. Target the publicity campaigns to educate, fill a need and change the quality of life. They should be selfless rather than selfish, offer benefits rather than features and giving rather than taking.

In a crisis, the communication and public campaigns play a crucial role and can make or break the company's reputation. Both in good and bad times, company needs to effectively communicate to their target audience. A crisis merely increases the intensity of the communication and accentuates the need to communicate the organization's publics about those decisions and any subsequent corrective actions that are taken. The organization also needs to keep all the key business associates and staff apprised of its various publics' reactions. In some instances, such as the well-known Tylenol tampering case, effective public campaigns can actually enhance an organisation's reputation.

Thus you may have a better mousetrap, but if you do not effectively promote your mousetrap, how are your customers going to beat a path to your door?

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