There are a handful of questions that folks in the PR space are asked with great regularity. Perhaps the question we’re asked more than any other is, “What’s the difference between marketing and public relations?”
Sometimes, it’s framed as:
- Where does marketing stop, and PR start?
- Is this a marketing effort, or a PR effort?
And so on.
However it’s posed, though, the question(s) get to the same root matter: What’s the difference?
I wrote about it in my book, and I still believe that if you asked ten PR professionals this question, there’s a strong chance you’d get ten similar, yet varied, answers. And the reason for this is that it’s relative, and the line of distinction between the two practices is most often drawn according to the needs of each individual organization.
But since that’s a fairly unhelpful answer to the larger question, here’s how I encourage the people I work with to consider it.
I strongly believe that marketing efforts are typically focused on your “what,” while public relations efforts are centered on your organization’s “why.”
Your “what” is the product or service you’re selling. Your “why” gets to a deeper story: why your organization exists, what it stands for, and why customers should stick with you beyond a single transaction.
Your Why and the Halo Effect
In public relations, we often talk about the “halo effect” — the idea that when people feel good about one part of your brand, that positive perception carries over to everything else you do. It’s closely tied to your why: When your purpose resonates, it creates a glow that shapes how people see your entire organization.
What it is about your organization that creates the halo effect can encompass a wide range of characteristics, but a few examples include:
- Strong ethical business practices
- Stellar customer service
- Active community members
- Teamwide industry expertise
What PR Looks Like in Action
So if the characteristics above point to an organization’s why, then the efforts to highlight them can usually be categorized as public relations efforts.
When we’re working with clients to showcase their why, these efforts often take the form of:
- Favorable earned media coverage
- Guest articles or thought leadership pieces
- Podcast and radio appearances
- Keynotes and panel discussions
- Appropriate awards
The list, of course, can go further, depending on the specific organization and its overarching business goals.
When you think of PR in this light and compare it with marketing deliverables — for example, digital ads that are sharply focused on generating leads to a sales funnel — the two complementary camps become more distinguishable.
Both halves are working to the same end goal: a healthy organization with a strong bottom line. And as I like to say, if done well, your marketing efforts will help you get customers, while your PR deliverables will better enable you to keep them.
A Note for Entrepreneurs
Lastly, I fully understand that in the early days of a startup’s life, it may seem like PR is something you’ll get to later on. I get that sentiment, but I also challenge it.
Even if you can’t dedicate a mountain of resources to it at the moment, it’s always good practice for an entrepreneur to spend time thinking about their PR presence on day one and how they want to cultivate it. Build it into your overall roadmap and approach it strategically, even if you’re only able to tackle the foundational elements immediately.
Because here’s the thing: Your what will get attention. But your why is what makes people believe, buy in, and stick around.
About the author:
David Martin, partner at Heed Public Relations and author of the book PR for Startups and Growing Businesses, recently launched Feed the Narrative, a weeklong online training program for people who need to Learn PR at Hyperspeed.
