What is the difference between advertising and public relation?

Answered by

4 months ago

In the world of communication, advertising and public relations (PR) play distinct but complimentary functions. Advertising is a paid advertising strategy used to promote products, services, or brands. On the other hand, Public relations works in the field of earned media, focusing on the development and maintenance of a positive reputation for a company, individual, or cause.

Points of Difference	Advertising	Public Relations (PR)
Purpose	To promote a product, service, or brand	To build and maintain a positive reputation, manage relationships, and create a favorable image for an organization, individual, or cause.
Control	Advertisers have complete control over the message and its placement.	PR professionals have less control over media coverage and rely on earned media (coverage gained through promotional efforts rather than paid advertising).
Paid/Unpaid	Paid communication	Generally unpaid (focuses on earned media, although there are paid PR services).
Credibility	Often perceived as less credible due to the paid nature of the message.	Typically seen as more credible because it relies on third-party validation, such as media coverage.
Format	Specific formats like print, radio, TV, online ads	Varied formats, including press releases, media events, social media, and community relations.
Audience	Narrowly focused on target consumers or audiences.	Targets a broader audience, including media, employees, investors, and the public.

In the world of communication, advertising and public relations (PR) play distinct but complimentary functions. <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/mass-communication-media/advertising-chp">Advertising</a> is a paid advertising strategy used to promote products, services, or brands. On the other hand, Public relations works in the field of earned media, focusing on the development and maintenance of a positive reputation for a company, individual, or cause. <table border="0" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="0"><thead><tr><th width="283">Points of Difference</th><th width="468">Advertising</th><th width="657">Public Relations (PR)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td width="283">Purpose</td><td width="468">To promote a product, service, or brand</td><td width="657">To build and maintain a positive reputation, manage relationships, and create a favorable image for an organization, individual, or cause.</td></tr><tr><td width="283">Control </td><td width="468">Advertisers have complete control over the message and its placement.</td><td width="657">PR professionals have less control over media coverage and rely on earned media (coverage gained through promotional efforts rather than paid advertising).</td></tr><tr><td width="283">Paid/Unpaid</td><td width="468">Paid communication</td><td width="657">Generally unpaid (focuses on earned media, although there are paid PR services).</td></tr><tr><td width="283">Credibility</td><td width="468">Often perceived as less credible due to the paid nature of the message.</td><td width="657">Typically seen as more credible because it relies on third-party validation, such as media coverage.</td></tr><tr><td width="283">Format</td><td width="468">Specific formats like print, radio, TV, online ads</td><td width="657">Varied formats, including press releases, media events, social media, and community relations.</td></tr><tr><td width="283">Audience</td><td width="468">Narrowly focused on target consumers or audiences.</td><td width="657">Targets a broader audience, including media, employees, investors, and the public.</td></tr></tbody></table>

0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

Answered by

Ritika Pradhan | Contributor-Level 10

7 years ago

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage
Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.
Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services.
2. Creative Control Vs. No Control
Advertising: Since, you're paying for the space, you have creative control over what goes into that ad.
Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents your information if they decide to use your information at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publ

...more

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage
Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.
Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services.
2. Creative Control Vs. No Control
Advertising: Since, you're paying for the space, you have creative control over what goes into that ad.
Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents your information if they decide to use your information at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release just because you sent something to them.
3. Shelf Life
Advertising: Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release.
Public Relations: You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once.
4. Wise Consumers
Advertising: Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold a product or service.
Public Relations:
When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.
5. Creativity or a Nose for News
Advertising: In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials.
Public Relations: In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media.
6. In-House or Out on the Town
Advertising: If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media sales people.
Public Relations:You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.

less

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published. Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services. 2. Creative Control Vs. No Control Advertising: Since, you're paying for the space, you have creative control over what goes into that ad. Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents your information if they decide to use your information at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release just because you sent something to them. 3. Shelf Life Advertising: Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release. Public Relations: You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. 4. Wise Consumers Advertising: Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold a product or service. Public Relations: When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising. 5. Creativity or a Nose for News Advertising: In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials. Public Relations: In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media. 6. In-House or Out on the Town Advertising: If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media sales people. Public Relations:You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.

0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

A

Answered by

anna kapoor | Contributor-Level 9

7 years ago

The difference between advertising and PR is that PR builds awareness of a product or service which is critical for startups and entrepreneurs and advertising supports the brand when it gets known.
With PR you get :
a) Free placement
b) Less, or no control- a journalist can write what they want no matter how you position your story
c) A story that runs only once or twice (exceptions are when a news wire picks up the story)
d) Credibility because it's viewed as a third-party endorsement
e) No guarantees and it can be time-consuming
With advertising, you get :
a) Complete creative control
b) Paid placement
c) Your ads will run as often as you are

...more

0 Upvotes 0 Downvotes

What is the difference between advertising and public relation?

3 Answers

Related Questions

Learn more about...

Mass Communication & Media colleges in

Share Your College Life Experience

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?

Need guidance on career and education? Ask our experts

Your Question