Chapter 3- Theoretical Perspectives

The chapter explains the importance of interpreting PR through applying various theories and also audiences and the associated media effects upon them. I was particularly drawn to Semiotics and its effects upon audiences. It made me think of a recent advertising campaign for Coke Zero and the consequent PR involvement.

Semiotics in simple terms is the study of signs and their representations. It encompasses the manipulation or shaping of people's thoughts through the use of symbols, whether visual or otherwise, and their associated connotations. For example, the colour red is often a symbol for stop seen at traffic lights and stop signs. This is an automatic human response to a red symbol. The same principle is used for advertising when using symbols to market a product.

"Semiotics demonstrates the way meaning can be manipulated by words, metaphors and images. The role of perception in communication and how perception is culturally determined."

A recent campaign for Coke Zero involved 'underground' methods of advertising where the ambiguous phrase "The Zero Movement" was spray painted on walls, trains and pathways in Sydney's CBD. Internet spam was also used to make the 'movement' appear edgey and aqcuire hype and public interest. Through this symbol, Coke were able to heighten the brand name before even releasing a product. Slogans such as "Why can't nights out come with zero morning afters??" were used to attract men into consuming the product due to the male stigma surrounding 'diet' coke... which is also a feministic symbol we associate with the social pressures for women to stay thin. Coke were trying to capitalise on a target audience (In this case men). The readings heightened my understand of this notion:

"By identifying audiences that share similar patterns of media usage, media and cultural planners can develop behavioural profiles of audiences."

Deceivingly appearing as a grassroots movement, Coke has gone against the theoretical underpinnings of Grunig's "Two-way symmetric" model which is considered the ethical or 'ideal' model of PR application. Ideally, Public's views are respected and given the same importance as the organisation in question. This certainly isn't the case in the Coke example. The "press agentry" model fits perfectly however, due to the extreme lengths Coke went to create hype for a premmature product.

I found this example really interesting- here is a link to find out more if you feel the urge :

http://www.thezeromovement.org/quotes_on_the_coke_zero_movement.html#general

This example also demonstrated to me the fine line between marketing and PR practise and the growing grey areas between the two which was explained in the first reading:

"Some tools and functions of PR can be used to assist the promotion and sales of products and services, and are thus included in the 'marketing mix.'"

I understand that the main difference is that marketing is profit based and PR is not necessarily so, however I found 'the zero movement' particularly interesting as there was no actual product being pitched, just a fabricated movement which is most easily described through the application of semiotics.

See Nathan's blog for critique.