Advertising verses Public Relations
It's easy to become confused about these terms: Advertising, Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations and Publicity, and Sales. The terms have often mistakenly been used interchangeably. However, they are all very different -- but aim to achieve similar goals - or do they? Some basic text book definitions are provided below with a short example to help make the terms more clear.
Advertising
Advertising is bringing a product (or service) to the attention of potential
and current customers. Advertising is typically done with signs, brochures,
commercials, direct mailings or e-mail messages, personal contact, etc.
Promotion
Promotion keeps the product in the minds of the customer and helps stimulate
demand for the product. Promotion involves ongoing advertising and publicity
(mention in the press). The ongoing activities of advertising, sales and public
relations are often considered aspects of promotions.
Marketing
Marketing is the wide range of activities involved in making sure that you're
continuing to meet the needs of your customers and getting value in return.
These activities include market research to find out, for example, what groups
of potential customers exist, what their needs are, which of those needs you
can meet, how you should meet them, etc. Marketing also includes analyzing the
competition, positioning your new product or service (finding your market
niche), pricing your products and services, and promoting them through
continued advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.
Public relations
Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the company has a strong
public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to
understand the company and its products. Often, public relations are conducted
through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. As noted
above, public relations is often considered as one of the primary activities
included in promotions.
Publicity
Publicity is mention in the media. Organizations usually have little
control over the message in the media, at least, not as they do in advertising.
Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.
Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the organization has a strong public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to understand the organization and its products. Similar to effective advertising and promotions, effective public relations often depends on designing and implementing a well-designed public relations plan. The plan often includes description of what you want to convey to whom, how you plan to convey it, who is responsible for various activities and by when, and how much money is budgeted to fund these activities. Similar to advertising and promotions, a media plan and calendar can be very useful, which specifies what media methods that are used and when.
Often, public relations are conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. Publicity is mention in the media. Organizations usually have little control over the message in the media, at least, not as much as they do in advertising. Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.
Regarding public relations, consider: What groups of stakeholders do we want to appeal to and how? What impressions do you want each of your stakeholder to have? What communications media do they see or prefer the most? Consider advertising, collaborations, annual reports, networking, TV, radio, newsletters, classifieds, displays/signs, posters, word of mouth, direct mail, special events, brochures, neighborhood newsletters, etc. What media is most practical for you to use in terms of access and affordability? What messages are most appealing to each stakeholder group?
Paid Space
or Free Coverage
The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.
Public Relations:
Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences
to press
releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the
company and its products/services.
Creative Control Vs. No
Control
Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad.
Public Relations:
You have no control over how the media presents your information, if they
decide to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event
or publish your press release just because you sent something to them.
Shelf Life
Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release.
Public Relations:
You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit
a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive
is only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release
three or four times in their magazine.
Wise Consumers
Advertising:
Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be
sold a product or service.
Public Relations:
When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or
views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't
pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid
advertising.
In-House or Out on
the Town
If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client, then you'll also interact with media sales people.
Public Relations:
You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your
contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant
touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.
Target Audience or
Hooked Editor
You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You would not advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.
Public Relations:
You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an
article, to run a press release or to cover your event. Our team of experienced
editors ( www.PrudentPressAgency.com
and www.SkyNewswire.com ) have
idealized thousands of news angles and do it for a living.
Special
Events
If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in.
Public Relations:
If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the
media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the
event.
Writing Style
Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product.
Public Relations:
You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial
messages in your communications are disregarded by the media. "Journalists are
looking for a fresh story of interest to their audience. You are looking to
promote your product and company. The two are not necessarily incompatible"
stresses Lilian Matana Executive Editor of
SkyNewswire.com
Tune-Up: A PR Agency cannot help resorting to hype or soft-selling - they think it is their responsibility to enhance information to try to "sell" it to the press, without realizing that this alienates them from the journalists and inhibits the development of good, long-lasting, mutually satisfying relationship. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant
This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002 at http://www.Reriani.com. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a Media Consultant and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations- United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at admin @ Reriani.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.