Marketing vs Public Relations: Which do I need?

The short answer is both.

There’s a lot of confusion about the difference between marketing and public relations (PR) and it’s perfectly reasonable because academics are also conflicted on where to draw the line. They often use the same channels and tactics but for different reasons and that’s really where the distinction lies.

PR is defined as a “strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics,” according to the Public Relations Society of America. Conversely, marketing is defined as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large,” according to the American Marketing Association.

That didn’t help much at all, did it?

Let me break it down into laymen’s terms. Marketing is the communication functions that sell products and services while PR is communication for relationship management and branding purposes. Obviously there will be a ton of overlap between these two approaches so how do you decide which is best for you?

All organizations provide something; whether it’s a product, service, event, etc. This means that all organizations must use some type of marketing to provide these to people. This can be traditional marketing (TV, radio, billboards, etc) or it can be digital marketing (Google Ads, social media marketing, display ads). The issue with relying solely on marketing strategies is that they don’t convince people about anything other than what they gain from you.

Depressing, isn’t it?

So to balance this, you have to have good PR efforts; from customer service all the way to fundraisers. PR is what provides an organization with an image, the way people see you. If you offer the same service/product as all the other people, down to the add-ins, at the same price, why would they pick you? Don’t you want people to pick you over the next person even if you cost more?

For example, Toyota owns Lexus. They’re essentially the same cars under the hood and most have the same features, but a Lexus costs twice as much as a Toyota. It doesn’t make sense for people to buy them, especially with the insurance and repair costs, but they do.

Why? Because the image of a Lexus is better than a Toyota even though they’re from the same company.

So what does this have to do with you? Maybe you’re just a small business or nonprofit in an area where there are a dozen just like you, but you know you’re different than all the rest. PR is how you show that difference.

You still need marketing, don’t get me wrong, but you have to always have PR in there. Whether your PR is your social media presence, volunteer work, events, newsletters, or news stories, it’s paramount that you have a strong PR front to humanize your business so people can see you as more than a product or service provider.

This is why PR and marketing go hand-in-hand. Marketing is how you get business coming in, but PR is how you keep it. You can run all the ad campaigns you want, but you won’t get repeat customers if they forget about you so don’t let them. Always be a presence.

Your marketing efforts, whether its digital ads, traditional ads, promotional gear, or sales, should be bolstered by your PR efforts so when people see your ad, they think of who you are and what you stand for.

I hope this clears up any confusion you had about the difference between marketing and public relations and how you can use it. If not, contact me and I’d be glad to help you out.