The Fall and the Rise of PR

Publicity first, advertising second: This is the provocative message that marketing gurus Al and Laura Ries deliver with THE FALL OF ADVERTISING.

The bestselling authors of THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF BRANDING are back, this time revealing a startling and crucial development in marketing, the shift from advertising-oriented marketing to PR-oriented marketing.

Today's brands are born with publicity, not advertising.

A closer look at the history of many major brands shows this to be true.

In fact an astonishing number of brands, including the Body Shop, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Beanie Babies, Oracle and Yahool, have been built with virtually no advertising.

With case histories and a step-by-step plan for creating buzz in the PR era, THE FALL OF ADVERTISING shows readers how to: *Give up the cherished big-bang approach in favour of a slow build-up *Create a category *Use PR to communicate a brand's credentials *Select the perfect spokesperson *Roll out a programme *Develop a healthy relationship with the media Bold and accessible, THE FALL OF ADVERTISING tells how and why publicity will assume the major role in product launches, with advertising solidifying brands rather than creating them. This will be the essential primer on brand-building in the public relations era.