Many people often wonder what the difference is between marketing and public relations. The two seem so intertwined in people’s minds that very often people consider them to be the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Public relations and marketing while essential to success are totally different.
So how should both be defined?
Marketing is used in promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. It brings in direct revenue for a brand. Traditionally, marketing is associated with developing campaigns and promotions directly tied to driving sales.
For instance, some marketing activities can include:
- Email and direct mail campaigns
- Lead generation tools
- Pay-per-click campaigns
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Advertising
Public relations is about growing the name of the brand and strengthening its perception and relationship with the public. Though public relations is often mentioned within the marketing and advertising world, it is not the same. Public relations if done correctly can reach a large audience without the costs of traditional marketing and advertising. How does it do this?
- PR stimulates awareness of (and hopefully the demand for) your company.
- PR strengthens your company’s image and how it is perceived.
Key components of public relations include:
- Media relations
- Crisis management
- Employee and internal communications
- Branding and messaging
- Investor relations
- Speaking engagements
In many ways, public relations helps boost marketing efforts. While they are different each is crucial to success but even more critical is knowing the difference between the two, so that you may successfully utilize both.
