Marketing and all things related

I read a great post on Guy Kawalski's blog today, which included a list of the top ten reasons public relations doesn't work.  The list was created by Margie Zable Fisher, author of Practical P.R., and it provides an insightful view from the public relations agency's perspective. 

From reading Margie's top ten list, it seems the majority of problems arise from poor communication between the agency and client as well as unrealistic expectations (again, as a result of failed communication).  From the client's perspective, public relations is an expensive endeavor with results that can be fairly subjective in terms of effectiveness.  After reading Margie's list, it would seem the onus lies on the public relations firm to ensure expectations are understood upfront and tangible milestones are defined from day one.  The client will always want more once the process begins, but a clear project plan is clearly essential for success. 

Matthew Stibbe wrote a follow up post at Bad Language that links each item in Marie's list to a real world example, which adds useful perspective.