PR and marketing: converging – or converged?

PR and marketing: name a more iconic duo? We’ll wait…

These two disciplines, once quite distinct and differentiated, are now virtually synonymous in many contexts. The main catalyst? The growth of digital and social media over the past decade.

But does it really matter? Surely brands don’t care what these tools, techniques and tactics are called – they want results. Increasingly, they also expect public relations to have the same immediate impact as advertising.

But what does that mean? And can (and should) PR be able to do the same job?

Definitions

Let’s begin with definitions. Traditionally, PR is seen as the business of managing reputations, maintaining relationships and engaging stakeholders. It creates, commissions and curates content and ensures clear and consistent communications through various channels to influence or achieve a desired outcome.

Marketing (or more strictly ‘marketing communications’) is similar, although more focused on direct revenue: it relates to sales. Marketing is often perceived as an investment by businesses who like to feel they are receiving something tangible – such as digital assets, collateral and/or advertising.

Advertising is (arguably) the tip of the marketing spear. Big budgets may be required, but immediate responses are also expected. PR, however, is a longer-term brand-building tool to heighten awareness and shape perception.

In the wider commercial arena, PR is thought of as a subset of marketing, in the same way that marketing lays claim to be the umbrella discipline over branding, direct marketing and a host of other services and skills. The counter-argument is simple. Marketing and advertising focus on selling products or services to customers or clients: PR does that, too – but it also engages with every other stakeholder, in the medium and long term.

To converge or not to converge?

Some companies have chosen to prioritise either a PR or a marketing focus. In the past five years, there has been a dramatic shift in the way communications agencies and in-house teams conduct their business. Many successful operations now have a seamless and fully converged proposition.

There is greater interdisciplinary interdependence than ever. Success is often predicated on the efforts of other specialists, working together in concert. For your sales to skyrocket, your PR must be focused, engaging and unique. For your brand to be known you must invest significantly in marcoms. The disciplines are increasingly mutually dependent.

An old advertising model – AIDA – is instructive to try to delineate functions and purposes:

1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Desire
4. Action

PR has often only focused on the top elements of the funnel; awareness and interest. Advertising focuses on the last two: desire and action. To illustrate: some brands say ‘that’s great – everyone knows about us but too few people are buying’ or alternatively ‘okay we’re making sales but no one cares about the brand, we have a terrible reputation.’ The former might indicate a lack of a compelling call to action, the latter might be due to a more fundamental flaw.

To be successful, communications professionals need to integrate these disciplines, not think of them as separate entities. Put simply, we all must help connect brands (products, people and services) with their audiences and stakeholders, through the most effective and cost-effective means possible.

Digital influence: here to stay

Third party endorsement is at the soul of PR. The rise of social media influencers has been exponential, especially over the past three years, with influencer marketing becoming the number one service many consumer brands are looking for.

Engaging with influencers can be a superb way to reach a highly targeted consumer audience on a mass scale, and powerful, relevant, authentic endorsements drive audience interest, leading to brand loyalty and revenue.

Once perceived as a tactical tool to increase brand awareness, social media marketing is now a must-have as part of a wider communications strategy. Employed wisely, it is an efficient way to generate leads, converting visitors to customers – another seamless example of the way in which PR and marketing are converging, or have already converged…

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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 bd@curzonpr.com