PR 101 - the difference between advertising and public relations in seven aspects.

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​PR agencies and advertising agencies have many similarities and are often confusing to many. In 7 aspects, we guide you through the differences between advertising and public relations.

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Earned Media vs. Paid Media 
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Earned Media often refers specifically to publicity gained through media reporting, may include any mass media outlets, in a variety of formats.

​Paid Media however refers mostly to traditional advertising and media activity.

PR is not "free" advertising.
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​See below the examples of different media activities:

​PR activities:

• Press releases
• Business or community events
• Speaking engagements
• Media relations & Social networks
• Sponsorships and partnerships
• Published editorial
• Word-of-mouth
• Media Pitches & interviews
• Blogger and influencer relations

​Advertising activities:

• Television advertisements
• Radio advertisements
• Print advertisements
• Direct mail campaigns
• Billboards and signs
• Banner & website advertisements
• Pay-per-click advertisements
• Social media advertisements

Two-Way Communication vs. Monologue 

Public relations is a two-way communication process, wherein the company listens and responds to the public. Publics targeted through PR can be internal or external, which means that PR may be more effective than advertising because it can help reach target audience in a variety of mediums.

Advertising is a monologue activity. Companies and organizations are creating advertisements that primarily target potential customers. An advertisement can be placed directly in the media your target audience is interested in, whether this is industrial magazines, TV, or drive-time radio.

Nose for News vs. Creative Ability

​In public relations, it is important to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through various news outlets.
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In advertising, the creative ability is more demanding in terms of creating new ad campaigns, visual designs, display formats, and materials, etc..

Press release vs. Airtime

An advantage of PR is that you can send a story idea to a number of journalists who will then publish the story in different ways. However, a journalist will publish the same information only once. Therefore, the PR exposure you receive is circulated only once in many mediums.
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On the other hand, clients pay for space or airtime to run their ads over and over for as long as the budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than a single press release.

Credibility is the key

When it comes to PR, and specifically working with the media, you have less control. The media decides how your information is presented in the news and if it will even be covered. Credibility is the key difference.

You have control over the content of your advertisement including where and when it will be seen in the media.

Endorsement vs. Selling

​PR provides information and newsworthy stories to journalists, and articles written by journalists will be presented in an unbiased manner. The public views it differently than it would a paid advertisement because your information has third-party endorsement.
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Advertisements have less credibility than the coverage gained by PR. Consumers know when they’re reading or seeing an advertisement that someone is trying to sell them something.

Technically, a traditional advertising agency includes PR, which is a different department within an advertising agency.

Today the two components are gradually becoming more integrated and complementary, and companies can combine PR and advertising to expand their reach. 

If you are just starting out on a small scale, it is recommended that you start with public relations first. This is a long-term strategy, but it can still help you gain popularity rapidly. Once your product has captured people's attention and it is time to start stepping into advertising. Just make sure you're investing in paid channels to get the most out of your investment. Together, advertising and PR can help you achieve your goals faster.