There is some overlap between public relations and marketing. The two fields are related, and companies must use PR and marketing strategies in tandem to attract customers and build relationships. So what’s the real difference between PR and marketing?

Definitions

PR is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics,” the Public Relations Society of America says.

Marketing includes activities and processes “for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large,” according to the American Marketing Association.

 

Differences

The hard distinctions between PR and marketing can be boiled down into five categories. Each field has separate focuses, functions, target audiences and benefits or expected outcomes; the ways that PR and marketing professionals use media also differ.

Public Relations

  • Focus: PR’s focus is on relationships with clients, the public, media, stakeholders, political leaders, etc.
  • Function: PR is a management function of an organization; it’s a staff function that indirectly supports an organization’s goals.
  • Target Audience: PR’s target audience can be a range of different groups that, together, support a company’s objectives — customers, the media, political leaders, investors, etc.
  • Benefits/Outcomes: PR builds and maintains positive social, business and political environments for an organization.
  • Media Relations: Owned and earned media are the domain of PR. Owned media includes a company’s website and social media channels. Earned media includes articles, op-eds and blog posts written and submitted to media outlets by third parties.

 

Marketing

  • Focus: Marketing’s focus is on products and services and how to get them to consumers.
  • Function: Marketing is a line function that directly affects a company’s bottom line.
  • Target Audience: The target here is always the customer. The primary goal is to meet and increase customer demand, moving goods and services to customers.
  • Benefits/Outcomes: Increased sales or increased need for goods and services.
  • Media Relations: Paid media is the name of the game in marketing. Print, radio, TV and online ads are the currency for marketers.

 

Both public relations and marketing serve important roles within a company or organization. Both contribute to the company’s overall goals. Strong leaders know the difference and that integrating the principles of both marketing and PR into an overarching communications plan is a strategy for success. Learn more about CTX’s fully online Bachelor of Arts in Communication program today.