Lucy Archer of RevPR identifies subtle differences between these two closely intertwined members of the same family.
What is the difference between ‘PR’ and ‘Marketing’? It’s a question I get asked approximately a dozen times each month. So I’ll do my best to answer in plain English.
‘Public relations’ (PR) does what it says on the tin! It’s about communicating with your audiences. The word ‘public’ is a little outdated because, nowadays, audiences are both external and internal. It no longer just concerns the public, but also staff members, stakeholders and franchisees. And it’s about communicating with these people in a meaningful way. This means engaging with them on every journey you take and any idea you have. And it covers a whole host of different topics.
PR has changed dramatically over the decades. Some 30 or 40 years ago it was simply a case of writing a press release, that included a photograph of the product which a company had recently unveiled, or the image of a person who had just been promoted to a high-ranking or high-profile role.
This sheet or sheets of paper would then be circulated to relevant people or publishers within the media – and let them do the rest. I don’t remember these days personally, as I’m far too young for that, but I’ve been told about it by many experienced PR gurus or former journalists or editors.
Today life is more urgent with various 24-hour news channels providing up-to-date and on-the-spot reports within seconds of incidents happening. And PR is no different, as organisations seek instant publicity via many different outlets. Originally there was print, but now we go online, create podcasts, produce blogs and try to take advantage of social media.
Despite so many more options, it is definitely more difficult nowadays to target your preferred audience which is likely to consume content in different ways. And it’s also more competitive, with more individuals and companies chasing the world’s attention. We are now in the third decade of the 21st century and PR needs to conjure up great content which resonates across multiple channels.
Yet one thing which hasn’t changed much in the world of PR is the need to build relationships with the right people. Good PR is still about finding the right outlet for the right brand, and then finding the best storyline to unleash at the perfect moment. Timing is everything, and always will be.
Sisters, not twins
PR and marketing are more closely intertwined nowadays, than ever before. I always describe these two disciplines as being ‘sisters, but not twins.’ Neither works as well in isolation as the two do combined.
As for ‘marketing’, this is all about banging your own drum, while in ‘PR’ someone else does it for you. In marketing, you are telling people how great you are and how wonderful your product or service is.
You pay for advertising, or knock on doors, or print and distribute leaflets, or nowadays use the internet. It’s your message coming from your mouth. PR, meanwhile, is third-party validation. Someone else is recommending you to target audiences. It is probably a little exaggerated but that’s par for the course. In many ways marketing comes first – via the company or person seeking exposure – followed by validation and recommendation from someone else.
Trust and credibility
Of the two sisters, PR certainly appears to be more powerful. Research has shown how 78% of people trust peer recommendation, while more than 60% trust editorial content in a newspaper or magazine. The same 60% figure applies to consumer opinions posted online.
However, advertising generates less trust with the general public. This is because we know a particular company is simply banging their own drum to secure attention. When you pay for advertising, you can virtually say what you like – within industry guidelines. Put simply, it’s your space and your sales message.
Therefore, the general public is more likely to trust those who appear to have nothing to gain by recommending a service or by endorsing someone else’s product. We understand that when a journalist writes an article, ‘it’s apparently neutral’. When a radio show broadcasts an interview, it’s not sponsored. We believe we are more likely to be getting the true facts and reliable opinions.
