Public Relations Differs from Advertising

By Tina L. Pugliese, APR, Pugliese Public Relations

The textbook definition of advertising is "a form of persuasion that informs people about the goods and services they can purchase."

Advertising is very different from public relations. One key difference is that you pay for the space and time of an advertisement or commercial, which can appear in print, on the radio, television, or the Internet. By contrast, editorial coverage generated through public relations is not paid for by the organization issuing the news release. The media will pick up and publish the story because they consider it newsworthy, not as a paid advertisement.

Another crucial difference is that, in advertising, you have full control over the message. Because you are paying for advertising, the ad or commercial runs your exact text or copy, provided the copy complies with generally acceptable standards for advertising. In the case of public relations, the media outlet you are targeting is under no obligation to run the story in any form. If a media outlet does decide to run the story, an editor will generally rewrite the news release, or use pertinent information from the news release to create the news. For instance, your news release might be used as part of a larger story on players in your industry or profession.  In addition, you have no control over when the release or news will run. All decisions are made by the editor.

With public relations a reporter or editor is being sold a story. Even if the reporter buys the story, there is no guarantee of how or when she will use the story. However, PR has the advantage of third-party credibility. People tend to believe what they read much more than the ads they see. In fact, studies show that a reader is seven times more likely to respond to PR than to advertising and that articles written by reporters are four times more believable than advertisements.

As you can see, public relations is a cost-effective way of getting your story out. Taking the trouble to write effective news releases and to build a relationship with the relevant media will, in time, pay dividends in the form of exposure and prestige. Best of all, public relations probably costs less than a single advertisement.

Tina L. Pugliese, APR is an executive coach and counselor for Pugliese Public Relations, a communications firm in Boynton Beach, Florida. Pugliese is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and is the author of the book, Public Relations for Pharmacists, and e-books, Marketing Your Business for Success, How To Work With The Media, and Public Relations Manual—A Guide for Entrepreneurs.  She can be reached at (561) 889-3575 and by email at Tina@PugliesePR.com.  Her web site is www.PugliesePR.com. 

Article excerpted from e-book, Public Relations Manual—A Guide for Entrepreneurs, by Tina L. Pugliese, APR.