Communications, PR and Marketing

What is the difference between Communications, PR and Marketing? Communication is defined as the activity of sending and receiving information. However, when referring to the Communications industry, it is used as an umbrella term for industries that are heavily engaged in the production and distribution of content designed to inform. If it still seems extremely broad, that’s because it is – public relations, marketing, advertising, publishing, and digital media such as social networking sites are just a few examples of the many industries that are encompassed within the Communications industry. In this blog, we will focus on uncovering the nuances between two industries within Communications that many mistakenly perceive to be similar: PR and marketing.

PR vs. Marketing: The Fundamental Difference

To better understand the fundamental difference between PR and marketing, let us take a look at the definitions offered by the professional bodies of both industries.

According to The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), PR is “the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”

On the other hand, the Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as “the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”

While both practices similarly utilise various methods of communication to promote aspects of their organisation, based on the definitions offered, we can verify that the core difference between the two practices is that PR is concerned with creating, maintaining and enhancing a favourable public brand image, while marketing focuses on the customers to increase profits.

For example, a marketing professional and a PR practitioner might use the same social listening tool to monitor their social media platforms. However, they might be using the platform for two completely different functions: the PR practitioner wants to identify and respond to social media crises before the issue snowballs into reputational damage, while the marketing professional is looking for access to analytical data that improves their ability to target specific demographics through social media advertising.

Tactical Approach

Due to the difference between the core objectives in PR and marketing, the two practices often take a different tactical approach to meeting objectives. In the media relations aspect of PR, we seek to gain editorial coverage, also known as earned content. When pitching to journalists, we must align our outreach based on our client’s strategic objectives. However, we do not have ultimate control over the final product of the editorial coverage as the journalists, editors, and producers ultimately decide the narratives they want to publish. On the bright side, the journalist’s objective lens means that people are more likely to regard the messages presented in the editorial coverage as authentic and trustworthy.

In contrast, marketing departments have a budget to allocate towards sponsored or paid content, in which the benefit is that an entire or, at the very least, a majority of control over the key messages can be assumed. In addition, sponsored content allows us to target a much more specific demographic, which PRs are only able to do when they successfully secure coverage on specialist and trade publications.

Measurements of Success

There are a few measurements that PR professionals may want to refer to, including:

• Share of Voice: The popularity of a brand compared to its competitors
• Sentiment analysis: Determining whether coverage has positive, neutral or negative sentiment
• Key message inclusion: The inclusion of desired messaging within the coverage secured

Measuring the true value of a PR strategy may be a complex process, as the industry has long rejected the idea of  ‘vanity metrics,’ which solely focuses on the number of clippings and press releases. Instead, the PR professionals measure the effect on outcomes as opposed to outputs, such as shifts in awareness, comprehension, attitudes and behaviour. To learn more in-depth about PR measurements, please read our dedicated PR Insider blog.

On the other hand, marketing teams are output-driven as they highly concern themselves with an organisation’s sales and profits. As a result, there is a much more extensive list of quantifiable metrics used to measure the effectiveness of a marketing strategy. One of the most common measurements are sales and marketing metrics include:

• Revenue growth: How much revenue has as a result of marketing activity
• Customer retention rate: The rate at which an organisation’s existing customers remain loyal within a specific time frame
• Return on ad spend: The amount of revenue that is earned for each dollar spent on a campaign

Ultimately, despite the differences, PR and marketing have a symbiotic relationship that works for the benefit of an organisation. While PR might not necessarily focus on increasing sales, successfully building a strong brand presence and positive perception influences consumer attitudes and behaviours, potentially leading to an increase in sales and profits. Additionally, marketing teams who align their marketing materials with the PR team’s narratives and angles will contribute to the strengthening of a consistent brand identity.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]