If marketing and public relations (PR) are the same organizational function, then football and basketball are the same sport. I mean, both are games with a ball, four quarters and screaming fans. Same, right? Marketing and PR both have a message, a medium and an audience. Same, right?
Except not.
Hey, it’s OK if you didn’t know! Many people confuse these two distinctly unique, yet related practices. I get it, it’s confusing! Heck, in business school our professors and textbooks taught us that PR is a promotional tactic beneath the umbrella of marketing. In countless articles published by respected media outlets, experts laud the value of adding PR to the marketing mix. These misconceptions are all too common.
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually-beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics.”
Public relations society of america
So, what is PR anyway? At its core, PR is about building relationships and managing reputations. The Public Relations Society of America defines this centuries-old practice as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually-beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics.” Depending on the organization, publics could include customers, employees, managers, shareholders, investors, vendors, sponsors, neighbors, members, media, legislators, parents, students, athletes, coaches, etc. Literally anyone who is invested in the organization.
Marketing, on the other hand, seeks to promote and sell products and services. It focuses on driving revenue, increasing market share and ultimately generating profit for an organization. According to the American Marketing Association, “marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large.”
Think of marketing and PR as cousins – they are from the same family tree, with distinctly unique DNA.
The real magic happens when these two practices come together to collaborate both strategically and tactically. Integration of marketing and PR is key to organizational success!
Kimberly Albert is a passionate and experienced public relations consultant based in Alexandria, Minn. Her work on behalf of clients – ranging from Fortune 500 to small businesses – has won numerous awards, including a PRSA Silver Anvil of Excellence and SABRE Award by Holmes Report. Kimberly earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a bachelor’s degree from the 3M Center for Business Innovation at St. Catherine University and an Accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America.
