What’s the difference between PR and marketing?
I am asked this question fairly regularly and given contemporary use of the terms marketing and public relations, I can see where the confusion comes from.
Marketing and public relations are both strategic functions that apply to many aspects of business. Just like preparing a budget for your business is not just about setting the price of your product, so marketing is not just about promotion and public relations is not just about publicity. However, that does seem to be how they are perceived. And what’s the difference between promotion and publicity? See the confusion?
I think it is useful to use an example. Let’s say your company is selling the most delicious chocolate bar available.
The marketing department will undertake a brand analysis and determine how the chocolate bar should be presented and packaged to appeal to its target market. They might develop television commercials, point-of-sale advertising, consumer competitions and luxury accessories.
The public relations department will help you develop the key relationships for your business. These include suppliers, staff, the neighbours who live near the production plant and the media, for example.
PR people develop strategies to communicate with these stakeholders in order to build dialogue and trust. They help you demonstrate what your company is doing in the community. This is often done through editorial coverage in the media. A newspaper or television journalist referring to your company has more legitimacy than an ad that has been paid for by your company.
Imagine then, that a crisis hits your company. Your chocolate bars have been contaminated. The public relations team will advise your stakeholders of the problem, how the company is addressing it and when it will be safe to eat the chocolate bars again. The value of editorial coverage here cannot be underestimated and relies on one of your key relationships – with the media, having been sound to start with.
While it’s overly simplified, marketing is about getting products and services to customers and public relations is about relationships. To continue the discussion or explore how we can assist you with the PR function in your organisation, contact us now.