Advertising versus Public Relations

Many folks confuse advertising with public relations and vice-versa. In fact advertising is completely different from public relations and shouldn't be mixed with each other. While Public relations (PR) is a more subtle and disciplined approach with the aim to influence public opinion and behavior, advertising is a paid space designed to lure consumers to buy the products (McLuhan, M.).

Advertising is losing its effectiveness because of its low credibility. And because of this companies are now spending more in public relations than advertising. The public is becoming smart and exactly knows that advertising is over-the-top and simply not true (Ries, A. & Ries, L. 2002).

Al and Laura Ries, in their book The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, says that companies which are launching new brands should focus on its PR strategy. This is because during product launch, the company will want to create a buzz, and the buzz can only be created through PR tools. Over and above PR is cheaper than advertising.

Besides advertising will need organizations to hire designers, content writers and creative directors, while public relations is more affordable. PR requires a smaller staff which focus that revolves around engaging the media. However having said that, PR is not always the best way to market business. There are some products and services that still depend on advertising to be successful (Rick, 2012).

So as it is seen, it is wiser to start with PR if the business is small and is entering the realm of marketing and publicity. PR in this scenario would involve contacting local media and informing them about the existence of the business. Many events can also be planned to showcase the business. These small tactics help to draw media attention to the business. When the company grows and expands, it can move toward advertising spending.

Besides PR can reach out to a larger audience as compared to advertising. For example inserting an ad in a print magazine with 5000 subscribers can find you 5000 viewers, many of who will ignore them. But if you write one press release, you can send the press release to magazines, newspapers, radio, TV stations, networks and shows, online news, sites and blogs, all at one time.

So to put it in a nutshell, PR is certainly a better investment than advertising because it is cheaper, it is credible, it has a bigger reach, it is more personal, and is active (Mudd, J.).