Public Relations v Advertising

07 Oct Public Relations v Advertising

For those who are delving into the world of marketing and communications for the first time, it can be easy to confuse public relations and advertising. While the two often go hand in hand, differentiating between PR and advertising can be a little tricky. Put simply: “advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for”. And if you’re still unsure as to what that means, keep reading and you’ll find out!

There’s the misconception that if you’re paying for advertising, you don’t need PR, and vice versa. Because one of those should be enough, right? But when used together with a strong strategy in place, it can do wonders for your business. However, advertising comes with a hefty price tag that not all can afford, especially in a time where so many have been affected by Covid-19 and are struggling to recuperate their losses.

All the household names and well-known brands out there still have the budget to carry out their marketing plans and continue paying for both PR and advertising, but what about smaller businesses? Think your fave local businesses, family-owned and operated ones, and emerging startups that were just about to launch before the pandemic took over.

PR can sometimes be overlooked in a marketing strategy, however, it plays a critical role when it comes to building brand awareness, managing reputations and communicating with target audiences. Sounds a little similar to advertising though, right? Yes, advertising achieves vast exposure for brands, and PR can do the same, but when your brand is in the news being validated by a third party, it adds a layer of credibility which consumers are much more receptive to.

So let’s break down the differences even further…

The Cost

The simplest way to differentiate between PR and advertising is that PR is essentially free and advertising is paid for. Purchasing ad space definitely doesn’t come cheap – for example, a full-page ad in one of Australia’s major glossy magazines can cost up to $10,000 depending on the publication, and that’s only to be included in one magazine! Or what about those Facebook ads? Whether you are boosting a post or doing an aggressive campaign, the odd couple of hundred bucks here and there can soon add up.

You may have heard PR be referred to as ‘earned media’, which is why it’s generally considered to be free. Quite simply, you are earning your place in the publication you’re targeting, instead of paying to be featured. Although PR is ‘free’, if you choose to hire an agency or PR specialist to help, that does come at a cost. In comparison to purchasing an ad, the cost of working with an agency can be $10,000 or more per month, but instead of being featured in just one publication, the media coverage achieved could be in multiple top tier publications nationwide that have significant reach with your target audience.

But PR isn’t rocket science, so is that hefty cost really worth it? To save some of your hard-earned dough, think about doing your own PR – all you need is a solid understanding of Australian media, a bit of time and persistence, a good story, all the right contacts, and you are good to go!

Messaging & Control

The amount of control you have over the key brand messages varies between both advertising and PR. Advertising allows you to have complete control over the messaging as you’re the ones putting together what the advertisement looks like and what’s being said. With PR, you’re putting your trust in the media to publish the key messages your brand is trying to convey. Since the editors and journalists are in control of the outcome, it’s important for your press releases to be clear and concise.

The Process

As you’re spending the big bucks for the placement, advertising is 100% guaranteed (subject to what space is available in the publication). But think about how often you skim over and flick through the ads in a magazine to read the editorial? We’ve been bombarded with advertising for so long and so frequently that it’s become embedded in our nature to ignore the ads, especially when in print and on social media.

The process of PR is very different, so media coverage can’t always be guaranteed. Again, since you’re trying to earn the placement by persuading editors and journalists, make sure you’re contacting them about something newsworthy and relevant to the publication. Think outside the box to come up with exciting angles to pitch to the media, have a compelling story to tell and capture their attention.

Credibility & Reputation

Advertising is often less trusted by audiences since brands are generally hammering their products or services down consumers’ throats and just trying to sell, sell, sell. However, with PR, your business and story has much more credibility because it’s validated by a trusted third party (the media), rather than just purchased. For example, an ad saying: “buy this beer, it’s the best”, might not be as credible or effective as a news article saying, “this beer is the best, you should try it”. Not only does PR give your brand credibility, it also really helps boost your reputation and awareness.

To cap it all off, this little quote from Jean-Louis Gassée sums up the difference between advertising and public relations really well:

“Advertising is saying you’re good. PR is getting someone else to say you’re good.”