Taking Tips from Zenith’s Legendary Eugene McDonald, Jr.: Getting Public Relations and Advertising to Say “I Do.”

Although integrated marketing communication programs in academia have be around for several decades, it is not certain to what degree educators are integrating advertising with public relations training, and what influence this integration is having on programs of study, especially in the teaching of the public relations campaigns course. The argument of this paper is that public relations instruction is not complete until public relations and advertising fully say “I do.” The author finds support for this marriage of sorts by going back to the days of Commander Eugene F. McDonald, Jr., Zenith radio’s flashy and colorful promotions genius. McDonald’s successful and profitable integration of public relations with advertising, without question, underscores the need for public relations educators to re-examine their approach to teaching public relations.