Understanding the Difference between Public Relations and Advertising to Determine the Most Cost-Effective Strategy for Your Business

Dave Scelba - 01/31/2014

Nearly 30 years ago I began building an Integrated Marketing Communications firm based on the philosophy thatmarketing goals and objectives dictate the strategy and plan for integrating the proper balance of public relations and advertising.

Our PR and advertising teams worked in unison providing clients with the most effective and cost-efficient campaign strategy. That said, here is my take today on the use of public relations and advertising and determining the best strategy based on a client’s budget. Oftentimes when we sit down with prospective clients for the first time, we learn they are interested in advertising their products/services on major broadcast networks in print outlets and on out-of-home platforms. However, more often than not, the anticipated costs of this paid media plus production does not marry up with their allotted budget. After providing a bit of a reality check on these costs, we discuss how an integrated public relations and social media campaign can help achieve their goals and objectives more cost-efficiently. . My next statement may sound bias itself, but no one can argue the fact that when comparing dollar-for-dollar, a PR campaign will always out-perform advertising. So if you have a limited budget, you’re first consideration should be implementing a comprehensive public relations and social media program.

Similarly to developing an advertising campaign, any strong public relations program begins with a creative strategy. Developing PR creative involves packaging a client’s story into a newsworthy campaign that will help to develop strong editorial relationships resulting in a steady stream of interview opportunities and media coverage. We always remind clients that editorial coverage unlike advertising creative is not completely in your control. Editors and reporters are obligated to the audience, so they are hunting for the most newsworthy angles/sound bites.

Most consumers today can recognize the difference between a paid advertisement and an editorial article. This can present a challenge when it comes to the believability factor and sometimes advertising can invoke a certain sense of skepticism. Stories, articles and blogs resulting from PR outreach that highlight the attributes of a product or service has greater credibility simply because they’re presented as news and being endorsed by a third party. The audience (reader or viewer) isn’t aware that a PR professional was probably hired to secure free media coverage on behalf of their client.

Writing styles for PR and advertising also differ significantly. Advertising copy writers utilize promotional language and immediate CTAs (calls to action) such as “Limited-Time Offer” or “Call Now … Don’t Wait.”. This type of writing would have no credibility in news stories, articles or third party blogs. To maintain authenticity, PR writers must write objectively and in a way that entertains, educates and engages an audience. A lot of advertising is one-directional meaning it’s designed to push products or services with the goal of creating a reaction such as a purchase without developing a conversation. Successful PR is always about establishing a relationship with the stakeholders/audience and creating an environment for a two-way communication. PR’s goal is ongoing education and engagement.

When promoting events, PR and advertising should always support each other. Media outreach should be used to inform the press of the event to secure advance coverage or on site attendance in combination with a targeted ad and direct mail campaign notifying existing customers and the general public alike.

I’m a true believe that when a budget permits, public relations and advertising should be seamlessly integrated to support each other’s efforts Advertise to spike an immediate response and integrate public relations as the continuous water drop treatment. This is a single focus marketing strategy and the perfect formula for achieving successful results.

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Understanding the Difference between Public Relations and Advertising to Determine the Most Cost-Effective Strategy for Your Business

Dave Scelba - 01/31/2014

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