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Public relations
“Public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains
mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom
its success or failure depends.
Specific functions relating to PR
Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues which might
impact, for good or ill, on the operations and plans of the organization. 2. Counseling
management at all levels with regard to policy decisions, courses of action and
communication. 3. Researching, conducting and evaluating, on a continuing basis,
programmes of action and communication to achieve informed public understanding
necessary for the success of the organization's aims. 4. Planning and implementing the
organization's efforts to influence or change public policy. 5. Managing the resources needed
to perform the functions of public relations.
QUALITIES OF A GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONER
The qualities are outlined as follows: 1. Be able to express himself very fluently but know
when to listen to another person. 2. Be observant, quick to learn and have vast memory. 3.
Must have alot of human understanding 4. He should have the courage and integrity. He
should be able to speak, think and do things conceptually. 5. He should be sufficiently
disciplined and be able to execute things with minute details. 6. He should have intellectual
maturity, the power of sound judgement and sufficient qualities. 7. He should be a prolific
producer of new ideas as an intellectual leader. 8. He should be able to think and act
effeciently in emergencies. 9. Be able to write rapidly and well. 10. Be able to interprete facts
no matter how jumbled up they are and arrange his thoughts, orderly and know where to look
for facts. 11. He should have a sound knowledge on how business works. He should be
versed in psychology, sociology, economics, politices and current affairs. 13. He should be
able to organise himself and others without panicking. 14. He should not necessarilly and
automatically agree with the authority. He should know how to propose alternative course of
actions for a way forward. 15. He is a teacher always, he is not necessirilly a crusader.
FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS
1. Research and data collection 2. Media relations 3. Keeping abreast of media or
communication technology 4. Employee relations 5. Shareholders relations 6. Customer
relations 7. Community relations 8. Government relations 9. Financial relations 10. Lobbying
11. Parliamentary relations 12. Corporate image advertising 13. Corporate social
responsibility, etc.
Functions Of Public Relations
1. Anticipating, analysing, and interpreting the public opinion and attitudes of the public
towards the brand and drafting strategies which use free or earned media to influence
them.
2. Drafting strategies to support brand’s every campaign and new move through editorial
content.
3. Writing and distributing press releases.
4. Speechwriting.
5. Planning and executing special public outreach and media relations events.
6. Writing content for the web (internal and external websites).
7. Developing a crisis public relations strategy.
8. Handling the social media presence of the brand and responding to public reviews on
social media websites.
9. Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to policies, course of
action, organization’s responsibility and their responsibility.
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10. Dealing with government and legislative agencies on behalf of the

organization.
11. Dealing with public groups and other organizations with regard to social and
other policies of the organization and legislation of the government.
12. Handling investor relations.
Types of public relations
According to the functions of the public relations department/agencies, public relations can
be divided into 7 types. These are:
 Media Relations: Establishing a good relationship with the media organizations and
acting as their content source.
 Investor Relations: Handling investors events, releasing financial reports and
regulatory filings, and handling investors, analysts and media queries and complaints.
 Government Relations: Representing the brand to the government with regard to
fulfilment of policies like corporate social responsibility, fair competition, consumer
protection, employee protection, etc.
 Community Relations: Handling the social aspect of the brand and establishing a
positive reputation in the social niche like environment protection, education, etc.
 Internal Relations: Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to
policies, course of action, organization’s responsibility and their responsibility.
Cooperating with them during special product launches and events.
 Customer Relations: Handling relationships with the target market and lead
consumers. Conducting market research to know more about interests, attitudes, and
priorities of the customers and crafting strategies to influence the same using earned
media.
 Marketing Communications: Supporting marketing efforts relating to product launch,
special campaigns, brand awareness, image, and positioning.
Functions of Public Relations
Public Relations Department supervises and assesses public attitudes, and maintaining mutual
relations and understanding between an organization and its public. It improves channels of
communication and to institute new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information and
understanding.
1. Media Relations
 Preparing position papers on issues of importance to the organization
 Handling publicity
 Issuing news of activities to external audiences
 Establishing and maintaining contacts with the mass media
 Handling responses to inquiries from the mass media
 Coordinating media conferences and tours
 Tracking and evaluating media coverage
2. Guest Relations
 Guest reception activities
 Preparing visit agenda and other visit related matters
 Conducting university tours
 Preparing brochures, tour guides, tapes, videos, maps and other guest-related
communications materials
 Preparing gift items for the visitors
3. Publications
 Preparing and publishing materials for public including dealers, agents, advisory
bodies and employees
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 Helping out other departments to promote and publish event announcements and other
event related advertisement materials
4. Marketing Publicity
 Announcing new products or services and enhancements in products and services,
though editorial channels of mass media
 Developing and executing promotional materials
 Participating in exhibits and marketing events
5. Others
 Developing a good working climate for university
 Providing PR Services to other departments (photographic services, providing gift
items, and etc.)
 Organizing PMU events
 Providing public information
 Managing sponsorship
 Building and managing relationships with other companie
Objectives of Public Relations:
Within the overall objective of understanding the public and making itself favorably
understood, public relations have these objectives:
1. Creating awareness about the company, its goals, products and services where this counts.
2. Sustaining the awareness as an ongoing process, keeping in mind what the competitors are
doing, and knowing that public memory is short.
3. Striving to be accepted by the various publics. Special efforts are required to be accepted
by employees. A foreign company has its own requirements for being accepted on this soil.
4. Creating a bond of trust. In times of rumors, misinformation, etc., a company has to
establish the truth. In normal times, too, a company has to promote its reliability. Just
consider the frequent use of words like believe, trust, reliable, safe, 100%, etc. in building a
company image.
5. Getting cooperation from various quarters. A company has many publics on whom it has to
depend. Government organizations, providers of various services etc. have to be wooed in
such a way that they willingly help the company.
6. Earning recognition. It is not enough to perform feats but it is necessary to get these
noticed and talked about. Through winning awards, certifications etc. and getting these read
and seen, a company gets recognition. Having so-and-so as a client or collaborator may itself
be a recognition. This has to be publicized.
Objectives of Public Relations
Like other aspects of marketing promotion, public relations is used to address several broad
objectives including:
 Building Product Awareness. When introducing a new product or
relaunching an existing product, marketers can use a PR element that generates
consumer attention and awareness through media placements and special events.
 Creating Interest. Whether a PR placement is a short product article or is
included with other products in “round up” article, stories in the media can help entice
a targeted audience to try the product. For example, around the holiday season, a
special holiday food may be promoted with PR through promotional releases sent to
the food media or through special events that sample the product.
 Providing Information. PR can be used to provide customers with more in
depth information about products and services. Through articles, collateral materials,
newsletters and websites, PR delivers information to customers that can help them
gain understanding of the product.
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 Stimulating Demand. A positive article in a newspaper, on a TV news show

or mentioned on the Internet, often results in a discernible increase in product sales.
 Reinforcing the Brand. In many companies the public relations function is
also involved with brand reinforcement by maintaining positive relationships with key
audiences, and thereby aiding in building a strong image. Today it is ever more
important for companies and brands to build a good image. A strong image helps the
company build its business and it can help the company in times of crises as well
Following are the main features of Public Relations:
 (1) Securing Cooperation of Public:
 Public relation is an activity to get support from public. Every organisation
wants to run successfully. For this public (i.e., all related protagonists like consumers,
employees, shareholders and society) support is essential or needed. And the support
of public can be earned through Public Relations.
 (2) Successful relation with Public:
 Sometimes Public develops negative attitude towards any company. This
attitude could be changed by establishing public relations which helps in developing
better relations with public.
 (3) Satisfying different Groups:
 Public relation is an effort to satisfy different groups (like-consumers,
employees, shareholders and society). For example, with the help of Public relation,
the expectation of any particular group is acknowledged. The group is tried to satisfy
by most possibly meeting their expectations.
 (4) Engaging in Dialogue:
 Every organisation wishes to enjoy goodwill among all related protagonists.
For establishing good reputation it is essential to engage in dialogue (i.e., exchange of
ideas). During dialogue organisation provides information and this is possible only
through Public Relations.
 (5) Ongoing Activity:
 This is an effort which has to be repeated again and again. For example, to
keep the employees satisfied, meetings must be arranged with them from time to time.
 (6) Specialized Activity:
 Public Relation is recognised in the form of a specialized activity. For
example, like-the other activities (purchase, production, sale, finance, marketing etc.)
in a business organisation, Public Relation activity is also performed under the same
series of activities. This is the reason why all big organisations establish Public
Relation Department separately.
10 elements to consider before finalizing your PR plan, regardless of your
organization’s size or market:
 1. Objective
 What is the overarching goal of your public relations campaign?
 How can you hit the target if you don’t know what you’re aiming for? Every
campaign should have a tangible, clear objective.
 2. Goals and measurement
 What do you want to achieve, and what will success look like?
 Measurement is typically an afterthought in public relations programs. That’s
a fatal mistake. Measurement should be defined at the outset and tracked throughout a
campaign to gauge performance.
 3. Publics or audience
 What target audience do you want to influence?
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 The key to good PR practice is defining your public, or audience, as robustly

as possible. This may be based on behavior, location or a demographic. Segmenting
your audience allows for more targeted, relevant, effective messaging.
 4. Research
 We have access to troves of data to help understand audiences better than ever
before. Make sure you allot plenty of time to research the people you’re trying to
reach.
 5. Insights
 Your research should reveal insights that drive your strategy. Let the data
shape your content ideas.
 The ability to use data to understand behaviors and motivations is the point
where art and science meet in public relations. Data science is becoming an
increasingly crucial part of PR.
 6. Strategy
 Your strategy statement should concisely, clearly summarize how you plan to
achieve your goals. Measurement aside, this is often the most debated part of the
public relations planning process, so make sure your team is in accord.
 7. Creative
 What content will your audience clamor for? It’s all about what they want.
 8. Channels
 Modern PR campaigns must work across an array of platforms and channels.
Earned or owned media content typically leads the way, with paid distribution and
social media efforts used as a means of amplification and engagement.
 Again, it’s all about the audience. Plan to use channels that appeal most to
your target audience.
 9. Calendar
 Make sure to craft a detailed content calendar that schedules campaigns,
channels and timelines.
 10. Resource
 All this work takes investment, right? Tabulate and confirm the resources
you’ll need for each element of your program.
 You should be able to summarize your plan on a single piece of paper and
explain it in five minutes. This doesn’t mean dumbing down the planning process. As
with all good writing, make it short, punchy and straightforward.
ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Counseling ‐‐ Providing advice to the management of an organization concerning
policies, relationships
and communications; in effect, “what to do.”
Research ‐‐ Determining attitudes and behaviors of publics and their causes in order
to plan, implement
and measure activities to influence or change the attitudes and behavior.
Media Relations ‐‐ Relating with communications media in seeking publicity or
responding to their
interest in an organization.
Publicity ‐‐ Disseminating planned messages through selected media without
payment to further an organization’s interest.
Employee/Member Relations ‐‐ Responding to concerns and informing and
motivating an organization’s employees or members, its retirees and their families.
Community Relations ‐‐ Continuing, planned and active participation with and
within a community to maintain and enhance its environment to the benefit of both an
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organization and the community.

Public Affairs ‐‐ Developing effective involvement in public policy, and helping an
organization adapt to public expectations; also, term used by military services and
some government agencies to describe their public relations activities.
Government Affairs ‐‐ Relating directly with legislatures and regulatory agencies on
behalf of an
organization, usually by military services and some government agencies to describe
their public relations activities.
Issues Management ‐‐ Identifying and addressing issues of public concern in which
an organization is, or should be, concerned.
Financial Relations ‐‐ Creating and maintaining investor confidence and building
positive relationships with the financial community; also, sometimes known as
Investor Relations or Shareholder Relations.
Industry Relations ‐‐ Relating with other firms in the industry of an organization and
with trade associations.
Development/Fund Raising ‐‐ Demonstrating the need for and encouraging an
organization’s members, friends, supporters and others to voluntarily contribute to
support it.
Minority Relations/Multicultural Affairs ‐‐ Relating with individuals and groups in
minorities.
Special Events and Public Participation ‐‐ Stimulating an interest in a person,
product or organization by
means of a focused “happening;” also, activities designed to enable an organization to
listen to and interact with publics.
Marketing Communications ‐‐ Combination of activities designed to sell a product,
service or idea, Public relations isn’t an exact science, but it does require a strategic process.
Below are five key elements that comprise a strategic PR campaign.

ELEMENTS OF A STRATEGIC PR CAMPAIGN

Know your target audience. Understanding the target audience is the most important part
of any successful public relations strategy. Do your research and identify the demographics of
the ideal customer. Then you can tailor the PR elements of your campaign around these
characteristics.
Set realistic goals. Think about what you hope to achieve with your brand, and when. Be
realistic, but also don’t be afraid to be ambitious. You should have a clear vision of what you
want your PR strategy to accomplish, whether it’s increased social media presence,
traditional media exposure, or thought leadership. Include these goals in your PR strategy and
create an action plan with which to achieve them.
Develop a message. Once you know who you’re reaching and what you want to achieve, the
next step is figuring out how to tailor your message to your audience to make your goals a
reality. Because you’ve done your research and know your audience, you should know the
most effective ways to reach them. Maybe you’ve identified a gap in the marketplace that you
can fill with your products or services. Create a message that identifies these pain points and
clearly outlines how your brand can improve their lives. Use language that best speaks to
your audience, and reach them through the media they’re likely to consume.
Know your competition. The only way to stay ahead of the competition is to know
everything about it. Make a list of your biggest threats and then take note of what they’re
doing. Monitor their PR activities and note their successes and missteps. If a strategy seems
to be working for them, see if you can incorporate something similar into your own
campaign. If you see them lacking in a certain area, there’s an opportunity for you to fill the
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gap. Don’t directly replicate your competition’s PR strategies. Rather, learn from them to
improve your own.
Stay relevant. The only way to stay top-of-mind with the public is to remain a relevant force
in the marketplace for as long as possible. Keep up with trends, and go where the people are.
Experiment with different social media platforms as they fall in and out of favor with your
target audience. Following long-term trends is always important, but also stay on top of viral
crazes and current events. People will only talk about your brand if your brand is doing things
worth talking about, so keep your ear to the ground and create buzz as often as possible.

Difference Between Publicity and Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) means professionally handling a positive public image by the
company. It is an important element of promotion mix, that helps in maintaining good
relations with the public.

On the contrary, Publicity is infotainment, i.e. which tends to inform and entertain the general
public at the same time. It provides some interesting, juicy, controversial news to the general
public, that has the capability of changing their opinion or outlook, about the product or
company.

While the main aim of publicity is to gain maximum possible media coverage, public
relations is about getting the attention of the target audience. This article might help you in
understanding the difference between publicity and public relations, in detail

BASIS FOR
PUBLICITY PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMPARISON

Meaning Publicity refers to a public relation Public Relations is a marketing

function, that uses any communication tool, that is used to maintain
channel to convey news or information goodwill and reputation of the
about someone or something, through company and its product among
media. people.

Control It is not under the control of company. It is controlled by the company

Nature Positive or Negative Positive

Form of Non-paid Communication Paid Communication

communication

Intends Public awareness Public attention

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Difference Between Publicity and Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) means professionally handling a positive public image by the
company. It is an important element of promotion mix, that helps in maintaining good
relations with the public.

On the contrary, Publicity is infotainment, i.e. which tends to inform and entertain the general
public at the same time. It provides some interesting, juicy, controversial news to the general
public, that has the capability of changing their opinion or outlook, about the product or
company.

While the main aim of publicity is to gain maximum possible media coverage, public
relations is about getting the attention of the target audience. This article might help you in
understanding the difference between publicity and public relations, in detail.

BASIS FOR
PUBLICITY PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMPARISON

Meaning Publicity refers to a public relation Public Relations is a marketing

function, that uses any communication tool, that is used to maintain
channel to convey news or goodwill and reputation of the
information about someone or company and its product among
something, through media. people.

Control It is not under the control of company. It is controlled by the company

Nature Positive or Negative Positive

Form of Non-paid Communication Paid Communication

communication

Intends Public awareness Public attention

Definition of Publicity

Publicity is defined as the way of disseminating information to the public at large, through
media. It can be in the form of news, stories, event information or write-ups, that creates
awareness and credibility in the people regarding a brand, product or the company offering
them.

Publicity aims at spreading the information or news, to the maximum number of people, in
minimum time. It is a non-paid form of communication, which is not under the control of the
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company. It can be a positive review regarding a product, i.e. mobile, television, refrigerator,
etc. given by a satisfied customer, or information published in the newspaper regarding the
quality-rich services provided by a company, or it can be a simple word of mouth, etc.

In a nutshell, publicity has nothing to do with the company’s sales; it is all about creating
awareness in general public through editorial or unbiased comments concerning a product.

Definition of Public Relations

Public Relations can be understood as the strategic management tool, which helps an
organization to communicate with the public. Here, ‘public’ means the group of people that
have an interest in or impact on a company’s ability to achieve business objectives. It is not
only concerned with getting public attention, but it also aims at reaching the goals of the
organization, by communicating the message to the target audience. It includes press releases,
crisis management, social media engagement, etc.

Public Relations is all about maintaining the positive image of the company in the eyes of the
public and developing strong relationships with them. It encompasses a range of programs
organised by the company to promote its product and services. There are many companies,
which have public relations department, which looks after the attitude of the appropriate
public and also spread information to them, to increase the goodwill

Key Differences Between Publicity and Public Relations

The difference between publicity and public relations can be drawn clearly on the following
grounds:

1. Publicity can be described as public visibility, wherein news or information is

communicated to the general public so as to build credibility or awareness in them,
with the help of a channel, i.e. mass media. On the other extreme, the term public
relations, as the name suggest, is a strategic management tool, that aims to create a
company’s positive image in the eyes of the public.
2. While publicity is not under the control of the company, public relations is fully under
the company’s control.
3. Publicity can be positive or negative, in the sense that it can be positive or negative
feedback regarding the product or service concerning a product given by the customer
or controversial news about the company. Conversely, public relations is always
positive, because it is strategised and managed by the public relations department of
the company.
4. Publicity is free of cost; as it is made by the third party. As against, in case of public
relations, the company incurs money to organize events, sponsor programs, third-
party endorsement, etc.
5. Publicity involves, gaining the attention of the media, that communicates any
information or news, regarding a product, service, person, organization, etc. so as to
create awareness in people. In contrast, public relations seek to attract the target
audience, for the purpose of boosting the company’s sales.

Conclusion
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By and large, publicity and public relations are different from one another, as in publicity is
when someone or something is being noticed by the media, and people are informed about it.
Unlike, public relations, is all about taking such steps, to maintain a good relationship with
the interested public, which includes customers, government, shareholders, creditors,
suppliers, government, etc.

propaganda and public relations

Some people believe propaganda and public relations are the same thing because “they both
lie.”
Sure, both public relations and propaganda seek to shape perceptions and influence public
opinion. Both use mass media. Both are directed at specific audiences. The end result of both
is to get people to take action (though those actions differ immensely).
The main difference?
Truth.
Propaganda uses lies, half-truths, innuendo, smears, misinformation, one-sided arguments
and inflammatory rhetoric to influence the public’s attitude toward a cause, ideal or, usually,
a political agenda.
Public relations uses truth if, for no other reason, their claims can be checked. PR relies on
logic, facts and sometimes emotions to spread information between an organization or
individual and its publics—information to promote products, services and build good will for
the organizations offering them.
Propaganda’s underlying philosophy is us against them. “They” are often denigrated as
undesirables or simply “the enemy.” (We have freedom fighters; they have terrorists.)
Public relations’ underlying philosophy is building trust between an organization and its
products and services with its targeted audiences for mutual benefit.
Propaganda relies on one-way communications. It seeks to eliminate dissent, and those who
disagree may suddenly “disappear.”
Increasingly, public relations relies on two-way communications via social media and
encourages different points of view so organizations can better service their clients and
customers.

Propaganda is usually implemented with malicious intentions and lacks truth. Public
relations involves using truthful information to put a positive spin on an issue, person, or
organization.

Although the dictionary and textbook definitions of propaganda and public relations may be
similar, the difference lies in the intentions and motivation in their usage. Both terms
essentially refer to the spreading of information in order to influence others.

Propaganda, however, is typically used in a negative manner. It is often used with the intent
to damage an opposing cause, organization, or individual. The ideas or information being
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spread for this purpose do not always have a foundation based in truth. Delivering false
information or twisting facts in order to make them seem more sinister than they are would
fall under the umbrella of propaganda. Political campaign ads designed to attack an opponent
is an example of propaganda.

Public relations, on the other hand, is usually used to present truthful information in a
positive light. Commercials and advertising would be considered public relations. When
celebrities give interviews and appear on talk shows to promote a new movie, these activities
would be considered public relations. When an individual or organization is facing a scandal
or controversy, a public relations campaign may be put together in an effort to address the
issue and restore the person's or company's reputation.

Propaganda and PR
Propaganda and PR can be viewed as quite similar in a number of ways: they both aim to
shape perceptions and influence public opinion, both use mass media, and both are directed at
specific audiences. The end result for both is to get people to take some sort of action.
The biggest difference, and most important, is the truth of the messages. Propaganda uses
bias, half-truths, misinformation, and fear to influence the public’s attitude toward an ideal,
cause, or political agenda. Propaganda aims to create a sense of us against them – you vs. the
other.
PR uses facts, which can be checked. PR relies on logic and sometimes emotion to spread
information between an organisation or individual and its public. The use of verifiable facts
are important when pitching to a journalist or sending out a press release, as incorrect
information can impact your credibility with journalists.
The difference between advertising and PR Many businesses believe that advertising and
public relations play the same role for their business and if they do advertising they don’t
need PR, and vice versa. However, PR and advertising have completely different roles for
your business, which are important to understand to help you reach your target market and
achieve your business objectives. Advertising is creating paid announcements to be promoted
through different types of media including online, print, TV, out-of-home and radio. PR, on
the other hand, is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial
relationships between organisations and the public. PR is great for building a connection with
your audience and promoting your key messages, consumers are more likely to believe and
take note of something written in an article, rather than an advertisement that has been paid
for. Here are the top seven differences between advertising and PR. Paid vs. free Advertising:
you pay for an advertisement to be placed in the media. PR: your PR agency develops
strategies for you to gain publicity in the media. PR professionals develop a range of tactics
to gain positive media attention for your brand, which is very effective at increasing your
target audience’s brand awareness. Message control Advertising: you have control over the
content of your advertisement including where and when it will be seen in the media. PR: you
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have less control of your coverage in the media. Once you send a story idea to a journalist
they have control over it. They can choose to change your story idea or not even publish it at
all. However, your PR agency should offer you media training so you know how to control an
interview and make the most of any media opportunities they create for you. Duration of
coverage Advertising: You can pay for an advertisement to be shown in the media as many
times as your budget allows. PR: 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. This allows your
target audience to see the information differently in many mediums, which may be more
effective at reinforcing the message. Credibility/believability Advertising: Advertisements
have less credibility than the coverage gained by PR. When your target audience see’s an
advertisement they know it has been bought by a company trying to sell them something. PR:
PR provides information and newsworthy stories to a journalist so they can write an article
about your product or business, if they chose to. An article written by a journalist will be
presented in an unbiased manner and contains the journalist’s third-party endorsement. This
means your target audience may view the article with more credibility than an advertisement
because it is not blatantly selling them something. PR can be a very powerful tool because it
can help shape public opinion. Target audiences Advertising and PR are similar in that they
both want to convey a message to their client’s target audience. However they convey that
message differently and in different mediums. Advertising: your company can pay for an
advertisement to be placed directly in the media your target audience is interested in, whether
this is women’s magazines, TV or drive-time radio. PR: PR professionals can communicate
your message to a target audience in a variety of channels. The key to reaching a target
audience is to place your message in the channel that your target audience is likely to use. For
example; the channel could be an article in a company newsletter, a letter to local residents,
an email to specific people, a blog post, a tweet, an article by a journalist and much more.
This means that PR may be more effective than advertising because it can help your business
reach their target audience in a variety of mediums. As a business you need to consider the
differences between advertising and PR to determine which approach is the best for your
message. The approach you choose will also depend on the type of message you want to
communicate. The most powerful method of communication is when advertising and PR are
used together as part of a strategic integrated communication campaign
Difference Between Advertising and Public Relations

Advertising and Public Relations are the two important tools for promoting products and
services offered by the company. Advertising alludes to a form of communication, which a
firm uses to instigate prospective customers to choose the product offered by the company,
over other products.

On the other hand, public relations is about building and maintaining good relations, with
company’s stakeholders, by gaining favourable publicity, having a good reputation and so on.

The primary motive of any business is profit maximisation, and it can only be achieved by
increasing sales. The firms apply many strategies, tactics, tools, plans to gain maximum
customer attention and grab a competitive position in the market, that comes under promotion
mix. There are four aspects of promotion, i.e. advertising, direct selling, sales promotion, and
public relations.
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BASIS FOR
ADVERTISING PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMPARISON

Meaning A technique of drawing public Public Relations is a practice of

attention to products or services, strategic communication that aims at
mainly through paid building mutually beneficial
announcements, is called relationship between the company
Advertising. and the public.

Media Purchased Earned

Communication One way Two way

Focuses on Promotion of product or services, Maintaining a positive image of the

with an aim to induce the intended company in the media.
audience to buy.

Control The company has full control over The company can pitch the story, but
the ad. has no control over, how media uses
or does not uses at all.

Placement Guaranteed No guarantee

Published As long as you are willing to pay Only once

for.

Credibility Less High

Difference Between Advertising and Public Relations

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Advertising and Public Relations are the two important tools for promoting products and
services offered by the company. Advertising alludes to a form of communication, which a
firm uses to instigate prospective customers to choose the product offered by the company,
over other products.

On the other hand, public relations is about building and maintaining good relations, with
company’s stakeholders, by gaining favourable publicity, having a good reputation and so on.

The primary motive of any business is profit maximisation, and it can only be achieved by
increasing sales. The firms apply many strategies, tactics, tools, plans to gain maximum
customer attention and grab a competitive position in the market, that comes under promotion
mix. There are four aspects of promotion, i.e. advertising, direct selling, sales promotion, and
public relations.

Due to some similar traits, people have confusion in understanding the difference between
advertising and public relation, but as per an old saying ‘advertising pays, public relation
persuades’.

BASIS FOR
ADVERTISING PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMPARISON

Meaning A technique of drawing public Public Relations is a practice of

attention to products or services, strategic communication that aims at
mainly through paid building mutually beneficial
announcements, is called relationship between the company
Advertising. and the public.

Media Purchased Earned

Communication One way Two way

Focuses on Promotion of product or services, Maintaining a positive image of the

with an aim to induce the intended company in the media.
audience to buy.

Control The company has full control over The company can pitch the story, but
the ad. has no control over, how media uses
or does not uses at all.

Placement Guaranteed No guarantee

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BASIS FOR
ADVERTISING PUBLIC RELATIONS
COMPARISON

Published As long as you are willing to pay Only once

for.

Credibility Less High

Definition of Advertising

Advertising is described as a paid, non-personal, one-way public communication that draws

public communication towards a product, service, company, or any other thing through
various communication channels, to inform, influence and instigates the target audience to
respond in the manner as desired by the advertiser.

Advertising can be done through print ads, radio or television ads, billboards, flyers,
commercials, internet banner ads, direct mails and so on. The advertiser has exclusive control
over what, how and when the ad will be aired or published. Moreover, the ad will run as long
as the advertiser’s budget allows.

As advertising is a prominent marketing tool, it is always present, no matter the people are
aware of it or not. Nowadays, advertising has not left a single medium to spread the message
to the target audience.

Definition of Public Relations

Public Relations is a strategic communication tool that uses different channels, to cultivate
favourable relations for the company. It is a practice of building a positive image or
reputation of the company in the eyes of the public by telling or displaying the company’s
products or services, in the form of featured stories or articles through print or broadcast
media. It aims at building a trust-based relationship between the brand and its customer,
mainly through media exposure and coverage.

Public Relations can be called as non-paid publicity earned by the company through its
goodwill, word of mouth, etc. The tactics used in public relations are publicity, social media,
press releases, press conferences, interviews, crisis management, featured stories, speeches,
news releases.

Key Differences Between Advertising and Public Relations

The difference between advertising and public relations can be drawn clearly on the
following grounds:

Advertising is a technique of drawing public attention to products or services, mainly through

paid announcements. Public Relations is a practice of strategic communication that aims at
building a mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the public.
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Advertising is a purchased or paid media, whereas public relations is an earned media.

Advertising is a monologue activity. Conversely, public relation is a two way communication

process, wherein the company listens and responds to the public.

Advertising is done to promote product or services, with an aim to induce the intended
audience to buy. On the other hand, public relations aims at maintaining a positive image of
the company in the media.

In advertising, the advertiser has full control over the ad, i.e. when, how and what will be
displayed to the people. As opposed to public relation, where the company can pitch the
story, but has no control over, how media uses or does not use at all.

In advertising, the placement of the ad is guaranteed, but there is no such guarantee of

placement in case of public relations.

In advertising, the ad is published or aired as long as you are willing to pay for. On the
contrary, in the case of public relation, the story is published only once.

Credibility is higher in public relations than in advertising because in the case of advertising
savvy consumers, know that it’s just an ad and do not believe easily, and so they remain
sceptical. Unlike Public Relations where third party validation improves the credibility.

Conclusion

Advertising and Public Relations both use communication channels to inform and influence
the general public. While advertising is a highly expensive marketing tool, because it can
reach a large number of people at the same time. Public Relations is free of cost implied
endorsement along with validation of the third party.