PR and Marketing - Twins or Distant Relatives?
Building relationships with others is important in business and everyday life. Behind every campaign are many hours of brainstorming, research, content development and more, involving PR and marketing, to do just that. PR and marketing are two complex disciplines that partly overlap from an organizational and goal point of view. Often the statement comes up, “PR and marketing are the same thing!” Are they? Let’s take a closer look at the differences between PR and marketing... where they work hand in hand, and where they diverge?
The media landscape
The media industry has always been confronted with constant change and transformation. Nowadays, print consumption continues to further decrease. Yet, even though print media is in its death throes and consumption of online media is up, printed, tactile magazines are still very much valued, if only by a smaller group. The Internet and digital communications are rapidly becoming the focus. Communication opportunities are more diverse than ever before. For some companies, blogs, social media and online media are new channels for them, even though these have been around for more than a decade now. In reality, the truly new is more diverse and seemingly unmanageable: livestreaming on Twitch, podcasting, exchanges in video games and virtual reality - new forms of media and entertainment are constantly being developed everywhere. It is a competitive market, and many companies are expanding their communications strategy, leading to market players becoming more and more specialized. In order to stay up-to-date, more and more companies are relying on external communications experts, such as Laika, to leverage the new opportunities out there.
Differences between the two related disciplines
Public relations aims to establish and maintain a positive company, product or brand image. PR also aims to build trust in the company. In short, PR consultants could be seen as reputation managers. Ongoing press work increases the level of awareness and improves or protects reputations. With PR, persuasion is key. Journalists are being convinced of the expertise of companies and their products or services. Basically, one can say that PR is how you are remembered and how people talk about you. While measuring the direct impact of PR on sales is complex, PR definitely affects sales and a company’s brand.
In contrast, marketing focuses on the promotion of products and services and direct sales results. Media campaigns are created to advertise and promote products and services, and they are aimed directly at consumers. If a company was a person, PR would represent their reputation, while marketing would be the ways in which that person is promoting whatever they’re offering.
Together we are stronger!
New media platforms are constantly being developed and companies need to stay current. And in this age of social media, audiences are not passive, but instead, active members of the communication process. Influencers and digital content creators have transformed traditional marketing and public relations. PR and marketing now use the same online channels and identical communications tools, in order to engage with their audience more effectively, as well as increase their visibility and appeal to a wider audience.
PR and marketing, working in tandem, is best for planning and executing projects efficiently and harmoniously. Experts from either discipline can definitely learn and benefit from the other. Changes and challenges offer the opportunity to think outside the box. Honing key skills such as flexibility, adaptability and quick thinking are a must. In practice, there are already degrees of cooperation - from less structured exchanges to fully integrated communications departments handling projects together. It is essential to coordinate communications activities in terms of content and time, through the exchange of ideas, approaches and methods. Journalistic flair and marketing know-how are equally important.
Of course, it's up to each and every company to decide how they work. With PR and marketing, in order to keep up, they need to know exactly how these two things work together within their organization. PR and marketing, on their own, are already very important and necessary. However, the synergy between these two distant relatives working in tandem is invaluable.
While it may be helpful to understand that PR and marketing are not twins, but instead distant relatives, what really matters is to use both to always stay true to the business mission and values, to be consistent in everything done as a brand, and to continue building these important relationships with others.
Talking about PR and marketing working together, our very own Michaela Krause recently appeared on an online panel discussion hosted by PRLab about effective PR strategy, covering topics such as brand message alignment and tips for successful campaigns. Check it out here!”