Jan
PR IS NOT ADVERTISING!
So what’s the difference?
Here are 3 easy ways to differentiate between public relations and advertising:
1. Paid Space vs. “Free” Coverage – If you run an advertisement in your local newspaper, they charge you for the space you use (full page, 1/4 page tc.), whether the ad is color or black & white, as well as for the number of times the ad is run. But if that same newspaper decides to write a story that includes your product, company or service has just received publicity for free!
ADS: Everyone knows that ad cost money…a lot of money! Advertising focuses on selling directly to the consumer and for a premium price, you get exactly what you want.
EDITORIAL: Editorial media coverage, which is often the result of a Public Relations campaign, can be absolutely FREE except for your time. No money is exchanged between your company and the media outlet. You may pay a PR Firm to get you coverage, but what you’re paying for is their TIME and EXPERTISE - not for media coverage. A PR pro is an expert at “selling” your story to the media.
2. Total Control vs. No Flexibility
ADS: Because you pay a premium price for it, advertising gives you 100% control over what your ads looks like, what they say, where, when and how long they runs. YTou are guaranteed to get exactly what you want.
EDITORIAL: The media is in control. They have full decision making power over everything about the coverage they provide – including whether or not to run it. The bottom line is that the press is is doing you a favor by giving you time or space! They determine whether or not they include photographs, your website, phone number or both, whether they say or write something favorable, neutral or not so nice. The media also has full control of whether you end up on the front page or buried in the middle, and if you are showcased in a feature story or included in a tiny write-up.
3. Direct Sales vs. Indirect Sales – The sole purpose of advertising is to directly drive sales. Editorial media coverage is designed to build brand awareness and name recognition, critical building blocks for for small business.
ADS: The point of an ad is to call someone to action and get them to do what your advertising asks them to do. Although the primary point of ads is to drive immediate action, studies are very clear that most consumers need to see or hear about something 5-7 times before they are urged into action and the company’s message resonates The moral of the story: Ads are most effective if they run consistently for a long period of time (12-18 months).
EDITORIAL: Building brand awareness and name recognition is critically important, especially for small and new businesses. Consumers, vendors and partners must begin to remember your company or product name and have an idea of what your brand is. When you hear the words Round Table (the name recognition) you likely think of pizza (the brand awareness). Just like advertising, consumers are rarely driven to immediate action through editorial coverage. It still takes multiple impressions for them to react.
Which Should You Choose?
Both advertising and PR can be effective and get great results. The best of all worlds is to use both at the same time, but most small businesses companies don’t have the budget to support PR and ad campaigns at the same time.
One factor to weigh in your decision is the credibility factor. When most consumers look at ads, they are skeptical. Americans are bombarded by over 600 ads a day between the newspaper, magazines, billboards, the Internet, signs on cars, TV and radio commercials and more. We’ve trained ourselves to tune them out, and when we do pay attention, we’re often wary of an ads claims.
Editorial coverage on the other hand is a direct endorsement from the media outlet. The press (if the coverage was positive) essentially said they recommend you! Consumers buy magazines and newspapers for the articles - not for the ads - so we pay more attention to the stories, and tend to believe what we read!
If budget is a factor, I usually recommend building credibility and public awareness first with a strategic media campaign, which will help ensure the success of your future advertising. If consumers learn to trust you through editorial endorsements, ads later on will not not be met with skepticism. PR offers flexibility, credibility and cost effectiveness that’s tough to get from an ad campaign alone.
A properly executed PR campaign not only brings short-term results, but long-term relationships which yield benefits over time. By comparison, the life cycle of advertising diminishes in the long run.
Turn me on…Wednesdays 12-1pm PST on wsRadio.com
- Erika
