MKTG90003 Chap.9 MPR Strategy and the Harris Grid
MPR Strategy and the Harris Grid
Marketing public relations builds goodwill and credible attention around brands and customers. The Harris Grid crosses media interest with consumer interest to guide different strategic routes. High interest on both axes supports visibility, uneven interest calls for sponsorship or new reasons to buy, and low-low conditions may require legitimate borrowed interest.
The chapter keeps tactics downstream from publics, messages and media choices.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Marketing PR
- 02
Media interest
- 03
Consumer interest
- 04
High-visibility campaigns
- 05
Sponsorship
- 06
New reasons to buy
- 07
Borrowed interest
- 08
Strategy and tactics
Worked example · free
Place a repairable product on the Harris Grid
- 1Avoid treating interest as universally high and define the priority consumer segment.
- 1Recognise stronger media interest among trade and sustainability outlets than general lifestyle media.
- 1Use the repair service as new news and a credible reason to buy for the selected groups.
- 1Provide proof of repair access and outcomes instead of relying on celebrity attention.
- 1Measure relevant coverage, correct service understanding and trial separately.
Key terms
- Harris Grid
- The Harris Grid selects MPR strategy by comparing media interest with consumer interest.
- High visibility
- High visibility is the route for products with strong media and consumer interest.
- Borrowed interest
- Borrowed interest links a low-interest offer to a relevant event or public-service concern without manufacturing news.
- Third-party credibility
- Third-party credibility comes from attention or judgement independent of the brand's own claims.
MPR Strategy and the Harris Grid FAQ
How does the Harris Grid work?
Assess media interest and consumer interest separately, then choose a route suited to the combination. The grid guides strategy but does not replace situation analysis, public selection, message evidence or evaluation. Justify both axes from the case rather than from internal enthusiasm.
What is the difference between strategy and tactics?
Strategy identifies the publics and target audiences, media and key messages that will achieve the objectives. Tactics are the specific activities used to enact those choices. A named event or partnership needs a strategic reason and an explicit role before it earns budget.
Why can borrowed interest be risky?
An irrelevant celebrity, cause or spectacle can overwhelm the message and damage credibility. Borrowed interest should have a legitimate connection to the public and objective. If the product lacks proof or relevance, attention alone will not solve the underlying problem.
How can I use the Harris Grid without treating its quadrants as fixed product labels?
Define both axes for a particular public, outlet and moment. Media interest depends on the availability of a timely, verifiable angle that fits an outlet's remit; consumer interest depends on the relevance and perceived value of the offer to a selected segment. Neither is a permanent property of the product.
Place the case using explicit evidence for each axis, then identify the strongest fact that could move it into an adjacent quadrant. Independent performance data may increase editorial interest, while complexity or weak differentiation may suppress consumer interest despite novelty. This counterfactual exposes whether the initial placement is based on research or enthusiasm.
Select the MPR route that follows from the quadrant and state why a tempting alternative is less suitable. Then carry the choice through the planning chain: named public, objective, central message, media or intermediary, feasible tactic and outcome measure. Distinguish earned, shared, owned and paid activity honestly.
Purchased creator content or controlled placement should not be described as independent third-party endorsement. Screen execution for timing, access, approvals, budget and operational capacity; a creative launch is not strategic if the organisation cannot handle resulting demand. Evaluate placement quality and audience response separately.
Relevant coverage can create an opportunity for attention but cannot by itself prove understanding, preference or behaviour. In an exam response, three disciplined sentences can establish the quadrant, evidence and route before the answer develops execution and measurement.
Exam move
Draw the Harris Grid from memory and label each strategic route. Create four original products, one for each combination of media and consumer interest. For every placement, write the evidence for both axes, the relevant public, central message and an outcome measure. Then challenge the placement by changing the audience or outlet; interest may shift across segments.
Practise rejecting one tempting but unsuitable tactic with a strategic reason. During exam answers, state the quadrant, route and proof in three sentences before adding execution. Check that third-party attention is not disguised paid promotion and that the proposed media or event remains relevant to the objective.
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