Australia is the sixth largest country in the world in land area, covering 7.6 million sq km, and the sixth oldest continuously functioning democracy. It has a stable, culturally diverse and democratic society of more than 21 million people, and has one of the strongest and most competitive economies in the world, with gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $925 billion. 

Immense downsizing (actually the right term is “right-sizing”), saw corporate companies conserve their resources—except for those huge and wealthy corporations that paid millions for celebrity endorsements, especially for those who could slam dunk—and small businesses began to employ marketing techniques to combat the high cost of advertising. This means an integrated marketing approach where advertising is an important part, but not the only part, of a multiweapon marketing program.

The best publicity is the kind that ties in with advertising and is part of the marketing strategy. When this is the case, the business opens its doors, addresses any unforeseen operational problems and trains its staff thoroughly. “You have to have a mindset that differs from the corporate frame of mind and with the commonsense attitude. Advertising may be used for force and precision, but realize it’s only part of the marketing process and can’t do the whole job by itself. This perception enables your advertising to contribute to the success of your other marketing vehicles,” Europa Public Relations Inc. president Sylvia Europa-Pinca told this columnist in an interview.

Advertising and public relations complement each other. Advertising comes out with all these creative work that catches people’s attention and it builds interest. “PR, on the other hand, completes the picture as it can delve into other information that the consumer would need to know to really push him to buy. Advertising and PR can be likened to a brochure. Advertising is the attractive cover with its title, and artwork and the kickers, PR would be the detailed description of the product,” Pinca added.

Bubuwit squeaks that Facebook is just too powerful a communication tool to ignore. What’s the big deal? Does Facebook really deserve to be hailed as the greatest product of Web 2.0, or is it only a matter of time before all the hoopla becomes a thing of the past? Bubuwit asked.

But then the reality set in. For some, getting in touch with people they hadn’t seen since the good old days of school made them remember why they weren’t that chummy to begin with. “Why was I being hassled by people I either saw in class every day or who weren’t even that fond of me in the first place?” For others, it reached the point where they’re dealing with an addiction; staying up late into the wee hours of the morning, showing up late for work. “Our entire sense of self is based on how many ‘friends’ we have on our profiles. Whether or not we know [or like] these people doesn’t matter. As long as we can claim to be popular, that’s all that counts,” Bubuwit said.