The Difference of Public Relations and Advertising

Co-Authored by: Cid Santillan, Content Director and Althea Kalalo, Editorial Associate

According to Jean-Louis Gassée, “Advertising is saying you’re good. Public Relations is getting someone else to say you’re good.” This is a clear and simple way of drawing the line between Public Relations (PR) and Advertising. 

In truth, the differences between PR and Advertising aren’t always obvious. Sometimes, even professionals use the two interchangeably. Other times, companies believe that they don’t need PR because they have Advertising. 

PR is building relationships between brands and their audiences. Advertising, on the other hand, is influencing consumers to buy a specific product or service. Here are the other notable differences that set them apart:

Paid vs. Earned Media

In Advertising, a brand has complete control on the message it wants to share through paid media. This means that the advertisement, or ad, is guaranteed to come out, and can even be published as frequently as needed. Advertisers can dictate its size, design, placement, and where it will be published.

With PR, people work with third party sources, such as journalists, analysts, bloggers, and influencers in order to secure earned media placements. Unlike Advertising, PR coverage is not guaranteed; rather it is earned by effectively positioning and promoting a brand to the media. 

Controlled Messaging vs. Power of Storytelling 

When advertisers put out an ad, they can say exactly what they want. Their content is also presented exactly how they envisioned it to be. The advertisers also control the language and tone of their message, and are free to use colorful and descriptive language to draw audiences to a product or service.

PR focuses on creative storytelling. It becomes an opportunity for brands to make a statement and connect with their audience through unique, relevant, and newsworthy content. It is also a collaborative process with the media. PR practitioners control how they craft their message, but the media influences the final version of the story.

Building Exposure vs. Building Trust

Advertising and PR both help in creating brand awareness, but if the focus is on building the brand, establishing credibility, and creating a relationship with the audience, then PR can typically do these more effectively than Advertising. This is because PR has the opportunity to provide more information about a product or brand through storytelling. In Advertising, the focus is on generating leads, rapidly increasing sales, increasing exposure, and taking immediate action. This is another reason that PR and Advertising aren’t synonymous – because they yield different results and answer different needs. 

It’s important to know that while PR and Advertising are different, they shouldn’t be seen as opposite ways of communicating to audiences. If properly executed, integrating PR and Advertising can create an effective communications strategy that will benefit both brands and their audiences.

For brands to figure out which form of communication can answer their needs, they have to ask themselves,”What results do I want? What can bring my brand to the next level?”

Keeping an open line of communication with your audience is essential, especially at this time. Need help in sending out the right message? Talk to us at info@teamasia.com