Public Relations and Advertising both belongs to the widely acclaimed tools of the marketing. Many of us might think that Public Relations and Advertising are the same but both the tools are entirely different.
Advertising is a paid way to be promoting a good or service through different types of media. PR, on the other hand, is a strategic communication process that builds relationships between organizations and the public.
PR’s fundamental idea is to gain exposure to their target audiences using topics of public interest. PR is generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for an ad next to it. This positive story enhances reputation as it has more believability coming from a third party.
A look at the differences between both the tools:
- Control on messages- when it comes to advertising you have control over the message. You more control on the content as well as where and when it will be seen in the media.
Whereas when it comes to P.R you have less control over the coverage. Once the story goes to the journalist you don’t have any control on the content. - Duration of coverage- In terms of advertising, the advertisement will be shown on the platforms as many times as your budget allows.
An advantage of PR is that you can send a story idea to a number of journalists they publish the story in their ways. This allows your target audience to see the information differently in many mediums that is more effective. - Target Audience – Companies can pay for an advertisement to be placed directly in the media your target audience is interested in.
PR professionals can communicate your message to a target audience through variety of channels. The key to reaching a target audience is to place your message through such a medium that your target audience is likely to use. - Credibility – Advertisements have less credibility than the coverage gained by PR. While watching advertisement the target audience knows it has been bought by a company who is trying to sell something.
PR provides information and newsworthy stories to a journalist so they can write about your product or business
An article written by a journalist will be presented in an unbiased manner. This means your target audience may view the article with more credibility. Many businesses believe that advertising and public relations play the same role for their business. However, PR and advertising have completely different roles for your business, which are important to understand to help you to achieve your business objectives.