There’s a popular saying which goes, “advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.” To put it simply, it means that while advertising is paid media, public relations (PR) is earned media.
Paid vs. Earned
In advertising, by paying a specified amount of money, you get complete control of the creative and the messaging. You can also choose where and when your advertisement will be showing. However, with PR, while you may be at the mercy of the journalist and have no guarantees, the rewards can be even higher than paid content.
For a business to earn its media, it must provide the PR firm with as much information and vision as possible. The PR firm will develop the creative to communicate the company's key message and reach out to the relevant media. This is where effective communication comes in.
PR is a strategic and effective communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their audience. It’s a form of storytelling that shapes the image of a business brand. Unlike advertising where you pay for an announcement in the media, PR develops the strategies you need to gain publicity in the media and build the trust of the public.
The creative director at MediaCast, Fran Chalmers, says PR professionals develop a range of tactics to gain positive media attention for your brand which is effective at increasing your audience’s brand awareness.
“PR is all about convincing reporters and editors that your story is worth telling and that it will be of benefit to the general public,” she says.
The above image shows the different formats of media.
Credibility
When it comes to credibility, it’s important to consider that consumers lack prior knowledge about the product or service, making them uncertain and doubtful. PR provides the publicity needed for consumers to learn and understand a business brand. Developing core content such as authentic views, opinions, knowledge, consumer research and/ or relevant personal stories will achieve the credibility needed to build the trust of the public.
Fran says, that “developing the core content creates a level of transparency for brands, addressing client and customer demand for more openness, accessibility, flexibility and customised service.”
Content that is developed through consumer research with successful personal stories allow the audience to relate to an issue in their own life. By highlighting a resolvable problem, your brand becomes more newsworthy and appealing to the media. This often results in securing earned editorial space.
The consumer perceives a third-party news story about your brand, generated through effective PR communication, as non-biased. Consumers subconsciously regard brand messaging as more legitimate when presented in news articles or news programs. However, with advertising, the consumer knows that you are providing the message intending to sell them something. It is important to remember that no one buys a newspaper or watches television for the ads.
Coverage
Advertising is able to reach as many people as the business pays for. On the other hand, PR can reach the same, or more people at a lower cost with content that is more trusted. With one story, you can approach print, digital and broadcast outlets, while also being able to leverage new media such as social influencers. Local media outlets and social media channels may also pick up the story which increases how much it’s read or heard.
“Generally speaking, if your story gains T.V. news/ editorial coverage on a certain show, it will reach a higher number of people while paid advertorial content on the same show will reach fewer people,” Fran says. However, it serves as a reminder that PR has no guarantees like advertising.
“Although PR has no guarantees, at MediaCast, we work hard to communicate brand messages through engaging stories that will appeal to our client's target audience. PR is one of the most credible forms of promotion, with audiences much more likely to trust messages coming from their favourite hosts, journalists and radio presenters.” Fran says.
Here is a simple breakdown to better understand the difference between PR and Advertising:
To understand more about the benefits of PR and how it could help bring your brand and your key messaging to Australian audiences, drop us a line at: [email protected] or call us on (07) 3160 3370.