Marketing vs Public Relations

Peter Turkington
www.stratcommsolutions.ca

When I'm meeting people in the community and handing out business cards, the response I get is often, "Oh, PR neat...sounds interesting...that's a type of marketing isn't it?"

The answer is no.

PR is totally different from marketing.

Don't get me wrong -- they complement each other very well and the right mix can be very successful.

The simple way to explain the difference between the two is:

• Marketing screams to potential customers: "HELLO...OVER HERE...LOOK AT ME."
• Public relations creates a dialogue: "Hello, how are you, here's some information to help you with your purchase decision." Public relations allows for interaction with the customer and the opportunity to gather feedback. It's personal, friendly and like a conversation rather than 'in your face.'