 PUBLIC
RELATIONS VS. ADVERTISING By
Jenny Fujita and Joy K. Miura, Fujita & Miura Public Relations, LLC.
Public relations and advertising are often used synonymously, but these techniques
are worlds apart. Although both are marketing tools, they have very different
purposes and results, and businesses that know the difference will have a competitive
edge. While
paid advertising may lead one organization to success, relationship-building via
PR may be the answer for another. Or, for some organizations, PR and advertising
may work hand-in-hand to create a winning marketing strategy. Companies who advertise
pay to have their ideas, goods or services promoted, like Budweiser's ever-popular
"Wassuuup?" ads. The sponsor (Budweiser) controls the message as well
as where and when it is communicated. Yet, today's consumers take advertising
with a grain of salt. Is Budweiser as cool as the "Wassup?" ads make
it out to be? Depends on which beer you drink. On
the other hand, PR is non-paid communication between an individual or organization
and their publics. While advertising focuses on creating sales, PR concentrates
on building images and relationships. PR results can take time and may be harder
to control and guarantee, but they can pack more marketing punch than a paid ad.
Why?
PR messages are real and believable because most times, they're communicated through
a third party, like a newspaper article or interview. Also, where advertising
uses mass media, PR is more effective on a small scale. A simple handwritten thank
you note to five target people may build an invaluable, long-term relationship
that a TV commercial that reaches out to thousands never could. The better the
PR professional, the more luck they'll have delivering a genuine, image-friendly
message for your business through that third party. |
