J & W Pastry Public Relation

Summary of J&W Pastry

J & W Pastry is owned by Mrs. McDonald who used to work at an insurance company and did baking in her spear time and takes the baked products to work with her to share with her friends. There was a general feeling at work that Mrs. McDonald’s pastries were very healthy, tasty and attractive. Members from other departments were coming to Mrs. McDonald for pastry and this had motivated her to start selling to recover her cost and to supplement her income.

Mrs. McDonald’s striving business at work came to an abrupt end when the insurance company was taken over by investors from Trinidad. Everyone in the company was given severance pay with the option of being re-employed under the new management. However because of the stead fast demand for her products she rejected the re-employment offer and uses her severance pay to start a pastry store.  As it relates to public relation very little promotion was done for the new pastry store. Mr. McDonald created some flyers on his computer and Mrs. McDonald distributed them along the strip to Banks, Insurance Companies and other business places.

Mrs. McDonald was thinking of doing some advertisement on the radio but decided against it when she was told of the cost of doing so. Mrs. McDonald felt that the quality of her product should have a competitive advantage as there was no other store in the area that was offering similar products.

Her pricing strategy was based on her own personal feelings about her products and her perceptions of her customers. She has not done any empirical research to substantiate her feelings.  

The price of products at J&W Pastry was approximate 15% more than the nearest competitor.

Advice Mrs. McDonald how public relations could to be used to enhance the image of her business.  

What is Public Relation?

Public relations describes the various methods a company uses to disseminate messages about its products, services, or overall image to its customers, employees, stockholders, suppliers, or other interested members of the community.

Although advertising is closely related to public relations—as it too is concerned with promoting and gaining public acceptance for the company's products—the goal of advertising is generating sales, while the goal of public relations is generating good will. The effect of good public relations is to lessen the gap between how an organization sees itself and how others outside the organization perceive it. Public Relation is less expensive than advertising.

Why used public Relation?

The point of public relations is to make the public think favorably about the company and its offerings.

How J & W Pastry can use public relations to enhance its image?

J&W Pastry can do public relation in the form of news releases, press conferences, speaking engagements, and community service programs.

1. Media release -Every small business has a story to tell and because of so they are interesting to the media. When a third party such as the media endorses a product or service, the company gains credibility. Consumers are much more likely to make a purchase based on third party endorsement than an advertisement.

1. Posting of article about J & W Pastry at on online news outlet/ broadcast clip posted online. All of these provide valuable inbound links to your website that increase your rank in Google. It also boosts your visibility to the public, makes more person begin to recognize your product or services and will lead to substantial increase in sales and tremendous growth

1. Community services programs. J & W Pastry can donate either time or money to a charitable cause or they could hold a charity event to raise money for a particular cause. Potential customers and shareholders want to know if a company cares, and they want to know what it is that the company cares about and supports. For example in the case of a charitable event is put on.  This event will build product awareness and creates interest at the same time for the business while doing it for a worthy cause.

1. Sample give away. J & W Pastry could also educate certain audiences about many things relevant to the organization—including the business in general and its product.

Benefits gained from Public Relations

• Gain publicity
• To maximize the sales potential of the business
• Gain a competitive edge over business rivals and eventually, improved profitability.
• Attract attention to a company and raise its visibility in a competitive market niche

• Generate interest in and enthusiasm for a company's goods and or services
• Create "buzz" when a company introduces new products or services - when people begin to talk about the business, word of mouth can serve as the ideal form of advertising.
• Enhance the credibility of a company and polish its image.
• Defuse a crisis if and when it occurs, minimizing its potential damage

Read more: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Op-Qu/Public-Relations.html#ixzz3GWytSHKO