Then or now?

And a last question to conclude the discussion by coming back to our starting point. Can brands achieve more through less advertising and more PR? I think so. There are some products that one uses because one has to. There are some brands one is stuck to because of habit. As for all the rest, it is highly advisable to use PR to create credibility and goodwill and get target audiences to relate to them, and then use creative and not hard-sell advertising to reinforce the PR message, create recall and build brand loyalty.

Zohare Ali Shariff is CEO, Asiatic Public Relations Network and blogs at www.bobbhai.com.pk