What’s the difference between PR and Marketing?

Public Relations in marketing – they go hand in hand. Some would say they were almost identical, as both aim to reach target audiences.

However, there are many differences between the two.

Here’s how they differ.

Public Relations vs marketing differences

PR is often confused with marketing, which is why it’s so important to understand how they each work. Some key differences include:

• The target audiences: Though this is often confused, PR and marketing have different audiences. For instance, marketing targets the customer’s needs directly, whereas PR focuses on building and maintaining relationships with customers.
• Goals: PR and marketing have very different goals. PR focuses on maintaining and improving a company’s public image and relationship with its clients and stakeholders. Marketing, on the other hand, aims to research target audiences by creating a plan to attract customers to participate or buy a product.
• Business tactics: Marketing uses promotions and other paid branding to increase their overall ROI (return on investment). However, PR helps a business gain free exposure through the media, which boosts the organisation’s credibility.
• Tasks: A noticeable difference between PR and marketing can be seen in the tasks and activities that are undertaken. Where PR professionals build campaigns to improve an organisation’s branding and reputation through positive, free media coverage, marketing seeks to achieve a return through direct sales by promoting, paid advertising and direct marketing.
• Endurance: Marketing is a short-term task, as it focuses on how to sell a product or service to a target audience right now. Marketing tends to seek tangible success instantly through sales. However, PR is focused on the long-term benefits for a business and takes time to build credibility and establish relationships with the public.

It’s impossible to do PR, however, without also engaging in some form of marketing.

If people aren’t recognising or connecting with your brand, then people won’t invest in your product or service, and if people don’t like your product or service, it could damage your brand’s reputation.

What is Public Relations in marketing?

Any business wanting to improve its reputation and public opinion would benefit from PR.

The PR process in marketing a brand includes building a media campaign that promotes the business’ service or product. This can include creating a product launch event, having a social media strategy, and putting in place a crisis communication plan.

PR can significantly heighten a brand’s credibility within the public and media circles. In the world of fake news, PR plays a vital role in helping businesses deliver accurate and reliable information to the public.

It’s important to pick the right PR professional or firm to represent your brand, as the media won’t always publish a story offered to them. Businesses must choose PR experts who have industry experience and a range of influential contacts within the media landscape for their stories to be shared successfully.

PR is a form of free advertising that’s credible and can boost a business’ public image. So, it’s crucial to use PR as an essential marketing tool for any type of business or organisation.