I’m a fan of the simple. The direct. I also like definitions.

American Heritage® Dictionary defines Marketing as:

1. The act or process of buying and selling in a market.
2. The commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer.

The same venerable volume defines Public Relations as:

1. The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public.
2. The methods and activities employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public.
3. The degree of success obtained in achieving a favorable relationship with the public.

So basically, when we strip away all the grandiose jargon, marketing is selling, or facilitating selling. No more and no less. PR is creating a good relationship with the people or entities you want to sell to.

There we have it. Mystery solved.

Tomes have been written about PR’s place in the Marketing Mix—whether it has one and, if so, what it is. Advertising is a given, regardless of your industry (whether this is smart is a subject for another column). Direct mail, infomercials, and lobbying might have a place, too, depending on what precisely you’re selling. Let’s put to bed, once and for all, any question about whether PR is, however, a crucial ingredient in your Marketing program. Because at the end of the day without a good relationship with your audience(s), sales won’t happen (or won’t last until sale two).

So why all the debate about whether PR is worthwhile?

Read the definition above—PR is both an art and a science. For a successful PR program, you must have both. If your PR program is centered on simple media relations—as all good PR programs are—then you must have a story. No story, no tickie…no PR.

Telling the story is not always easy. It requires you to find—or to create—a newsworthy angle. It means establishing relationships with journalists and positioning your company and your spokespeople as experts on emerging trends. Luckily, the world in which we live is not static, so there are always trends popping up around us, whether your business is the most boring B2B or the hottest new consumer gadget.

But what about budget? And using a big PR firm vs. a small one vs. an in-house department? And how, then, to measure ROI?

All good questions, and none with rote answers. Each depends on your specific situation. There are, however, some principles that will help you:

• Branding is indeed important. What your constituents read and see and hear about you in the media influences your brand perception. It’s important to, as a friend once said, “Snoop, dawg, and see what your comps are up to.”

• Your competitors are using PR.
• Large PR firms offer more offices, but not necessarily more expertise.
• In-house PR person is a super nice idea, but one that is difficult to execute because the tools of PR, not to mention the years of experience and expertise, can be pricey (and difficult to find in a single person).
• I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Measuring the return on your PR investment is simple. Tie it to sales. Work with the agency to develop metrics around efforts.

So what, specifically, can you do?

• Take the time to explain PR and its value to the people around you—above, below and across the departments.

• Ask more of your PR agency. Media monitoring, media audits, in-depth editorial calendar research, source filing, all the good stuff that takes time.
• Even if you’re happy with your agency, send out an RFP once a year and see what else—who else—might be out there waiting with fresh ideas and insight.
• Make sure your PR folks (whether you’re a one-person corporate department or managing a large agency relationship) interact with your sales folks regularly.
• Think about stories you should be in that are outside the norm. For example, if your company makes pet products, perhaps you can be a source for reporters covering exercise trends (dog walking!).

Does PR have a place in a Marketing plan of attack? If you are doing marketing then you have an audience. If you have an audience, chances are pretty darn good that a smart PR program will enhance your marketing efforts in some overly noticeable way.

And that gets “raised” by an increase in sales. Not a bad plan, Sam.

Tampa’s own Erin Mitchell is Director of Business Development and, also, things a-fixing at RLM PR.