Integrating Public Relations and Social Marketing

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between public relations and social marketing in a nonprofit health organization. A case study was conducted, in which internal and external organizational documents, archival records, and artifacts were analyzed and four in-depth interviews were completed. Evidence showed that public relations and social marketing were integrated into the organization’s communication function. Findings provided evidence for a tactical paradigm of public relations, which emphasizes publicity and promotion, as well as a situational approach to messaging and communication functions. The organization engaged the new two-way model of symmetry through cultivating relationships and two-way dialogue. These findings suggest the importance of social marketing approaches to behavior change and relationship cultivation strategies. This case study highlights the success of social marketing initiatives, and the opportunity for social marketing and public relations to evolve together in a new media context.