AS a PR consultant, I have often been
asked what the difference is between
Public Relations and Advertising. These
two areas of marketing are often misunderstood
as being the same thing. Both
of these are used in Integrated Marketing
Communications, yet they are very
different.
Advertising is an attempt to persuade
consumers to buy their products or
services by highlighting the benefits and
showcasing the attributes. Public relations,
on the other hand, use several tools
and methods, such as events or press
releases, to create awareness and build a
positive image of a company.
Advertising is a paid advertisement
space in a media, whether it is a publication
(magazine, newspaper, or journals),
radio, TV or online. Since clients have
paid for this space, they have complete
control over the content, design and timing
of the advertisement in the publication.
They know when the ad will be
published or aired and can repeat the ads
as long as their budget allows.
In Public Relations, you must earn
media attention. PR is focused on getting
free media exposure for the company's
products, services or even executives. PR
encompasses photo releases to press conferences.
While you may have control in
creating the message, there is no control
over how the media views and presents
your message. The media is not obligated
to publish your news. A pressing news story may get priority and
your PR article may be
shelved. The editor will
always have the final say.
However, if your PR
news is newsworthy, it
may appear in different
sections of the same
publications and presented from different
angles. For example, a new story about a
well-known sportsperson opening a restaurant
may appear in the lifestyle, sports
and even the front page section.
However, a key to getting the media
interested lies in how creatively you craft
those messages and their relations to
current affairs or public interest. It is important
to have an interesting hook or an
exciting angle. This is the part where the
PR consultant plays an important role. A
PR consultant must be able to creatively
package the message and maintain good
relationships with the media and community.
In advertising, advertisements may
be repeated, with the intention of increasing
the recall rate of the messages intended
to be delivered to the audience or
target group. With PR, you have just one
chance to submit a press release about
the company and the media will publish
this only once.
Both advertising and public relations
are important elements in creating an
effective and successful marketing communications
campaign. Both reinforce
the message clients want to convey to
consumers. Neither is "better" than the
other. It all depends on what results the
client wants to achieve.
Kittima Sethi is a PR consultant at Brand
Now and she may be reached at kittima@ bnowconsulting.com
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