MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
If you are asked to distinguish between Marketing and Public Relations, you all think you know the difference between marketing and public relations. But if you are asked the precise difference, you will be speechless or you would have very few things to say and make the distinction clearer. This is because these two terms have been used too often synonymously. And its not really baseless for the reason that in most of the organizations these two departments are clubbed together, or you can say they work alike. But no one can deny the fact that these two activities are interconnected. Maintaining good relations with the public is a very crucial part of marketing.
The American Marketing Association defines marketing as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large". Thus, it can be said that marketing is a mixture of all the activities that help to enhance the sale of products, that comprises a combination of one or more things among direct marketing, advertising, branding, public relations and other promotional activities which ultimately increases the sale and demand of the product or service.
On contrary, Public relations (PR), is managing the flow of information between the company and the people, thus, maintaining favorable relations between the two. Through public relations (preferably direct), the company can keep a tab on the pulse of the market or you can say trend of the market and know the public opinion of its products or the response of people about the consumption of the product. If seen in the perspective of long term growth of the organization Public relations is also considered as an investment for the future; as a good PR campaign remains strongly embedded in the minds of the people for a longer time. For example, if you have brought a Handy Cam from SONY, the executive comes at your place next day to give you demo of the product, and keeps following up if you have any problem in using the product.
Marketing vs Public Relations
1. Advertising and Awareness: The main function of marketing is making people aware about the product and promoting it, while the primary function of public relations is public perception of the company and brand. This is the basic difference between marketing and public relations. One can say that, at times, the inference gained from a Public Relations campaign establishes the foundation for the marketing strategies.
2. Promotion: Products are promoted in marketing. In public relations, the company is promoted. A Public Relations executive promotes the name and image of the whole company while a marketing executive or marketing manager generally looks at how to promote one product or a product line.
3. Selling: Marketing involves selling the goods, whereas, Public relations involves selling the brand. A marketing activity is directed at making the products/services seem more appealing to people. Public Relations activities involve making the company more appealing to people.
4. Market trend: Marketers try to see how and at what price goods/services can be sold, whereas, a Public Relation officer try to see public perception and reactions to the product and its marketing strategies. A Public Relations officer/executive senses the market for public reaction of previous marketing attempts and impact of the strategies on the public. A marketer can use this important information to reposition the product, or stick to the current plan, as seems beneficial for the organizational health.
5. Profit and Goodwill: Marketing is trying to make profits by selling the larger amount of products and services, whereas, Public Relations try to achieve positive reputation. Public Relations is like an investment that a company makes for maintaining a positive image in the market, which the company will be able to cash in on in the future as well.
6. Wider and much wider arena: Marketing is a wider term which comprises all the promotional activities that help boost sales, including public relations, whereas, Public Relations activity is considered to be a part of the whole marketing strategy of a company.
7. Newer Concept of Selling: Marketing is an older, more traditional concept of selling, whereas, Public Relations is a relatively new concept which sells goods by making a positive impression of the product and the company among the people. The public relations concept is a new way to look at positive product positioning.
8. Long-term Activity: Marketing is relatively quite a short-term activity, because when the products are sold marketing is over with the deal, whereas Public Relation is a long-term activity that bears fruit over a longer period of time. The benefits of a Public Relations program increase and can be used over a long period of time.
Thus, we can see that there are many differences between marketing and public relations. But we can say that Public Relations is a subset of marketing as it helps the marketing department of the company to decide its strategies and future plans.
