PR vs. Marketing

For most people, when they think of PR and marketing, it is hard to say what differentiates one from the other. They often can’t decide what they should focus on first when it comes to creating a strong and reputable brand, but I am here to break it down for you. By definition, public relations is “the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company, other organization, or famous person.” Marketing is “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services.” Both have to do with how a brand is presented to consumers, but the end goal is slightly different for each.

At the end of a campaign, a marketer would want to know if the product being marketed met or exceeded the sales goals and if the return on investment (ROI) of the campaign was high. For a publicist, success would look like positive press about the brand in relevant outlets and on prominent platforms. PR can act as an important part of your overall marketing efforts in that securing and maintaining positive press can drive more consumers to your brand and lead to more sales. So when trying to figure out which you should lean into first when building your brand, think of your overall marketing plan as the umbrella that your PR efforts will fall under. Both are extremely important to the success of a business and it is crucial to understand the difference and the benefits of each.

Are you ready to get started on PR and/or marketing initiatives for your business? Send an email to hello@thecoutureagency.com with the subject line, “I’m Ready for PR.”

-Aleisha Baker