Marketing Verses Public Relations

A public relations counselor and publicist Edward L. Bernays clarifies in his book “Edward L. Barnys Public Relations” that public relations is not publicity, press agentry, promotion, advertising, or a bag of tricks, but a continuing process of social integration. It is the field of adjusting private and public interest.

According to the global marketing description of marketing “Planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives”

Difference of Marketing and Public Relations

Michael Turney in his article “Public relations and marketing were initially distinct” states that "Marketing and public relations ... both are major external functions of the firm and both share a common ground in regard to product publicity and consumer relations. At the same time, however, they operate on different levels and from different perspectives and perceptions.” The following is a general overview of the differences between Marketing and Public Relations he has put together to better clarify the purposes of both these fields.

Let's make it simpler...

Marketing

:> Marketing promotes the transfer of goods and services from the producer and provider to the consumer.
:> Marketing's immediate goal is sales.
:> Marketing's implicit goal is profit.
:> Marketing's measure of success is the number of sales and/or the revenue it generates.

Public Relations

:> Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.
:> Public relations' immediate goal is mutual understanding or positioning of the organization with its publics.
:> Public relations' implicit goal is positive perceptions and predispositions.
:> Public relations' measure of success is expressed public opinion or other evidence of public support.

Also, the part of marking strategy, the promotional mix includes five main aspects such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, Public Relations and sponsorship.

The book called Global Marketing Management by Masaki Kotabe and Kristiaan Helsen the Global Marketing Promotional Mix definitions include that Public Relations is Non-paid non-personal stimulation of demand for a product, service, or business unit by planting significant news about it or a favorable presentation of it in the media. Newspapers, TV, magazines and annual reports are some of the examples of the advertizing media considered the Communication devices for carrying a seller’s message to potential customers.

This picture shows the difference between marketing, public relations, advertizing, and branding.

References:

http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/pr_names.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotional_mix