Seriously, What is the Difference Between Advertising and PR?

Paid vs. Earned

Perhaps the biggest and most noticeable difference for a business is that advertising is paid coverage whereas public relations is earned or free coverage. Depending on the size of your advertising budget, you can pay to be in virtually any publication (with very few limitations). Placements through public relations, on the other hand, are earned through finding a mutually beneficial fit between a brand or product and an editorial piece.

Authenticity

The biggest and most noticeable difference for a consumer is that advertising is positioned strategically to sell something. Public relations efforts, on the other hand, do not result in forced messaging, but rather, an endorsement by a journalist through a mention or a dedicated article about a product or brand that they believe in.

Building Credibility

While advertising and public relations both earn visibility for your brand, the primary purpose of PR is to build trust, not just exposure. It’s evident that the source behind an ad is a paid advocate of the brand, and while everything the ad says may be true, it’s perceived as biased. In public relations, the source is a third-party unassociated with the business, giving credibility to the information readers receive.

Bigger is not necessarily better in public relations

The key rationale behind advertising is more eyes translates to more business. Advertising execs purchase space in publications with the largest audience buying the maximum ad space their budget will allow. While the number of impressions does come into play in public relations, a quality impression is more important than the amount of space earned. Think about this, what resonates more, a full-page ad in a small publication or a one-liner from the Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine about your apple pie being the best they’ve ever eaten.