(This 
post is going to have too many first-person references for my liking, but it’s a relevant discussion and one I can’t make well in the third person; my apologies in advance!)
When I discuss differences between public relations and marketing, I cause trouble. People have a difficult time understanding what all the fuss is; I’m not here to exacerbate that, I’m trying to clarify. The best way I can do that is via my experience.
I have worked in PR 27 years as an agency brat (18 years spent in Chicago) my entire career. After a stretch, PR began to evolve; practitioners knew that marketing was where the profession was integrating. I made it my goal to become more marketing-esque, and when a recruiter from a large PR firm told me my resume looked more marketing oriented, I was happy (she wasn’t).
In a recent conversation I had with Scott Quillin of New England Multimedia, he made a spot-on statement. I have to share: In order to understand the differences between marketing and PR, you have to have solid experience in both. Indeed.
I work as chief marketing officer for one client and as a brand marketing manager for two others. The core of what I deliver each day, however, is derived from public relations — my profession.
I caused a bit of trouble recently over at Shakirah Dawud’s house in a guest post in which I suggested marketing writers and PR writers offered two different styles of writing. That article was re-posted twice on Ragan.com, and the comments were intense.
A commenter at Shakirah’s said, “Personally, I think we should stop talking about marketing vs. PR in regards to…pretty much anything.”
I respectfully disagree. I do so because my feet are firmly planted in both disciplines working every day in both. And, I asked my new client several days ago, “Which hat do you want me to wear for you, PR or marketing?”
Because the deliverables are different; the thinking is different but the outcome is the same. Regardless of whether you work in PR or work in integrated marketing, the end game is ROI, measurable results, business goals, sales, leads, and more.
My approach to get there is what may be a tad different, depending on which side of the aisle I’m walking (the right, the left, or in the middle). Do these examples below help or hinder an explanation?
A software developer wants to push its software to accounting firms.
As a PR person, I would:
- Hit the product team to find new features about the software that differentiate it from the rest of the industry
- Hit the industry to find data and research to support my new product
- Interview the chief spokesperson for a really good quote
- Draft a news release/story
- Identify some outlets that may cover my story
- Pitch my news with industry trends.
- Distribute an online press release to further news distribution.
As a marketer, I would:
- Invite a client to join a panel on a webinar
- Invite attendees to this free event by an email marketing campaign, newsletter, or a LinkedIn group announcement;
- Interview a consultant or other client to draft a white paper for download and lead gen on a website
- Prepare spokespeople for the upcoming tradeshow event to meet customers during a breakfast.
- Polish the product literature and deliver it in time for booth training at the tradeshow where we will hawk our software to prospects.
While these lists may not sound so terribly different, in the corporate sector, each is the purview of a separate department. I do both and I tip my hat in either direction because my core training drives my deliverables.
Have I caused more confusion or per chance was this helpful?
Wow. Great distinctions (and thank you for the link love). I immediately wondered what your client said when you asked them which hat they prefer you wear. I ask because I would hazard a guess that few know the answer based on the distinctions made here. They just want the desired outcomes and other than corporate execs who fully grasp it, many simply don’t know that answer. I think it’s important to distinguish and educate along the way – as I’m sure you do.
Just to stir the pot further, where does social media fall in the spectrum? I would offer that it bridges the two, fully integrating both PR and Marketing, and that it’s a tool used by both. However, the outcomes for both are different. Social in the PR spectrum can build support, sentiment and enhance media placements to further solidify a brand. Social in the Marketing world can work to drive sales, close deals and generate leads. What do you think?
Think you answered your own question. As a bridge, social sentiment and all can still drive sales, generate leads. Look at blogger outreach programs and influence campaigns; look at strong communities like the Apple fans. Apple doesn’t try to control their messaging and let their ‘fans’ speak for them in many ways (I’ve ‘sold’ many an iProduct to a few switchers.) Social media I think doesn’t so much fall so much on a spectrum as it radiates and permeates an entire brand entity. Some brands may be more connected at more places, but we’re hitting a point now that almost any brand has ‘social’ communications touching on it, at least somewhere. FWIW.
Marketing. I was asked to wear a marketing hat. If a business needs to distinguish between the two, that’s fine; I use both disciplines and training to accomplish the goals. That’s the beauty of what I bring; that solid experience from both camps, if you will. That’s why what Scott said above highly resonated with me — I wonder whether practitioners have had the opportunity to work solidly in both to draw the distinctions I can? I never really thought of it, until recently.
As for social media…great question. Both disciplines want social media to help push their goals. A bloggers’/influencers campaign would be done by PR, however; while LinkedIn and Twitter would be used to promote marketing’s webinars, tradeshow booth presence, and the like. The key factor here is this…when someone is assigning the project to me, they never wonder whether I’m going to use PR or marketing tactics to accomplish it…I deliver whatever I need to to accomplish the task and meet the strategy head on.
I’d love to find out today if others work that way, too…this is a fascinating discussion to me…and, not trying to draw boundaries between the two camps but to educate people there still is a divide that can be bridged by a qualified practitioner.
P.S. You know I always have to link love you when I use “spot on!” No blog name better suited or remembered, as far as I’m concerned! Thanks for coming; I know you’re swamped.
I appreciate how you mentioned that you need to do whatever you need to in order to meet the needs of clients. As a one-person outfit, that’s got to entail a lot of integration, and I’d imagine it’s become natural to you over the years. I agree with Davina that knowing the differences is totally unimportant to most clients, but I agree with Erica that that’s where you knowledge of those differences comes in. Educate so that–in the event they ask you to change directions, or even decide to pull in a team later, they won’t be blind.
You’re right. One word sums it up, Shakirah — EDUCATE.
It helps.. but it’s also one of the ‘age old’ debates that I think is popular mostly in these inner circles. Clients and businesses care about results: sales, productive employees, good stock prices, high valuations from analysts and so on; the rest is window dressing. They don’t care so much what it’s called so long as it gets the job done. My last corporate position was Marketing Communications Manager for a B2B franchise, and I was responsible for the entire PR and media relations efforts; for clients I wear many hats, integrating them b/c frankly many SMBs can’t afford to outsource marketing here, communications and PR there, design here and so on. A favorite quote about the ‘differences’ which I think I may have shared before:
“if the circus is coming to town and you paint [and pay for space] a sign saying ‘Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday’, that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.” If the town’s citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.” And I guess if that video of the elephant goes viral, gets shared by millions, that’s social media? FWIW.
I have always loved that circus/elephant story. (And, the elephant in the room is just a loud mouth, right?)
You and I are of the same — we do what’s required regardless of skill set because we can!
It’s a relatable story, it has context others outside the biz can ‘get’ – think that’s why it works. I do what I can using what strengths and skills I have. That MarComm job, we always joked that no matter the task, if the project required some tangible ‘end result’ then it fell on us to do it b/c we were the dept. that actually got things DONE. 😉
I never heard that analogy before! Love it!
Great post, Jayme.
Yes! Love the elephant analogy, Davina!!
Wanna say it’s from an old Reader’s Digest, it makes the rounds every once in a while. I bookmarked it so I could keep it handy.
Davina,
Well bloody said! You get the Ferrari, the Rolex and….wait for it, the cigar. I have been known to say that PR and HR are only eight letters apart. Sometimes they’re closer: especially when they gaze at their navels and report to colleagues about what they think might be inside.
I think that it was Steve Jobs who said something to the effect that “design is about whether it works.” Dare I suggest that the same applies to both “marketing” and “PR?”
Graham Greene once said that “heresy was just another word for independent thought.”
That’s my excuse anyway
Regards
Leon
Word Leon. So much of this feels like posturing to me, turf wars as puppies fight for masters attention (aka budget from execs). One of the benefits of integration for me has been access to the tools, so we can track and prove how this all works – and works best together. I too think HR is wicked close to PR, which is also 2nd cousin once-removed from Customer Service. If a business is going to achieve anything – effective hires, good WOM, favorable analyst coverage, sales – they need to communicate. Love the GG quote, may have to use that one someday.
You know, ever since I started reading about PR, I’ve been thinking, “There’s something about this…” Although I’m aware that PR pros have much different skill sets than marketers, I realized after a while that yes, the goal is the same as that for marketing: to keep the bottom line rock solid. But you, @davinabrewer:disqus , @47d58be98d1441a276245024c9457dbf:disqus , and Gini Dietrich blogs began to give me the feeling that both skill sets combined in one person are probably a powerful mix–especially for a small or solo practice. But then I started to get a bit concerned/confused, because I had started getting wild thoughts like, “What will happen if we *all* did that? What will happen to the two disciplines? What will we call ourselves? What direction will college courses take? What will I tell my grandchildren?”
I figured the answer to my wild imaginings is “Educate yourself,” so I was delighted by Jayme’s offer to delineate differences (not realizing how many other folks would be interested in what she had to say, probably because they’re in the midst of the same dilemma).
The differences will definitely remain, and I don’t think there’s a way to combine them into one, but they’ll definitely be working much closer together in the coming years. Kudos to you, Erica, Davina, and others who have both kinds of know-how. I honestly wish I did, too.
Very thoughtful and insightful. It all rolls into experience, Shakirah. But, with your amazing abilities in writing, I’m not sure you’ll cross into what’s described above? Do you wish to? I like to think of you as the writer to hire to extend the team’s expertise. There does come a time when the team has to pull in the experts; it’s called bandwidth!
Well, I probably just won’t even have the wherewithal to gain the education and experience necessary to make a new PR skillset saleable for a while yet, but it’s nice when you get those itty-bitty clients (I do, anyway) who need so much more, but couldn’t possibly pay. In that case, creating an integrated strategy would make everyone’s lives easier, I think.
I’m happy to specialize, but the grass is always greener and all that.
I feel like I am wearing too many hats and I mean that sincerely.
This does help clarify things a bit, although honestly some of the differences seem minor to me. I guess in a large company it makes sense to have those distinctions and have separate teams–that work very closely together. However, in a small business or if I was hiring someone to help me, I’d want someone who could do all of those things. And I wouldn’t want to be bothered about the distinction. I just want the end-products and the ROI results, and you can call what you are doing PR or marketing. I don’t really care..
In conclusion…!!! You topped it off swimmingly…you’re so right on, Neicole. Larger organizations make the distinction and smaller organizations don’t. Well said.
Can I tell you the differences in insurance? One size really does not fit all………..really……….
I was a marketing major in addition to risk management & insurance so you would think I would know, huh? However, it’s probably a good thing I chose the insurance route and I will just have to go by your definition.
No definition here…just clarification! Trying to help with the discernment when in the end, it just doesn’t matter.
Great comments on this post, Jayme! Scott will be happy you quoted him!
The list you made comparing PR to Marketing definitely helped me, especially with “What is PR?” Interestingly, I would have come up with a completely different list for Marketing, but yours is excellent, too. (I picture PR vs Marketing as a Venn diagram, with overlap.)
A cool exercise that would work well on your blog and help people see the differences and the overlap between so many of our disciplines: Put forth imaginary Case Studies, inviting people in your blogging community to put their heads together and show their different strengths. For example, remember the big Nestle vs. Greenpeace fiasco way back when? I’d love to see everyone’s ideas on how to handle a PR mess like that. Or how about a giant brainstorming session on your blog for an imaginary company? Maybe have everyone share ideas for an imaginary political campaign or cause, and throw a nice wrench in, like some sort of scandal (I’d love to see Shakirah’s copywriting prowess at work there).
Your blogging community is the best, Jayme! Such diversity here!
Thank you for being part of this community; are you kidding?
Did you know I actually wrote about Nestle and Greenpeace? Then, when I met the Greenpeace volunteers in the Denver airport, I wrote about them again.
You’ve always got some fab ideas, Mrs. Quillin. Appreciate.
It was helpful. I have some experience in both marketing and PR, although I fall more on the marketing side. I think my new job may require some more PR skills. I may be asking you for resource materials at some point. 🙂
Heck, you can also hire me! After you become a big executive, of course! Where are you landing, anyway? Or, is it a secret until you get inside your cube?
Ha! No, it’s not a secret. I’ll be working at TouchSystems, a touch screen technology company. I don’t know if I’ll be in a cube or if I’ll have an office, though…
I like the idea of hiring you – when I’m a big-name executive, of course. 🙂
G’Day Jayme,
I was desperately thinking of something really profound to say that wasn’t too insulting. Then I realized that Davina had already done that.
So I left a comment there.
This is just so much fun. I feel guilty as I relish–what a lovely word–it.
Regards
Leon
I’d like to know you find my blog and its amazing community an outlet for your curmudgeonly snark. I welcome it and expect it. #ThatIsAll Dear Leon.