The words public relations (PR), advertising and marketing are often grouped together—used synonymously by individuals both inside and outside of the broader communications industry. However, PR, marketing and advertising refer to vastly different practices, each of which provide their own specific and vital contributions to a company’s success. Rather than being three in the same, public relations, marketing and advertising are three separate entities that work together, much like how puzzle pieces fit together.
Below, we will go into a detailed breakdown of what makes PR, marketing and advertising distinct from one another.
Public Relations (PR)
The purpose of public relations is to create and maintain a positive image for an individual, business or organization. Public relations strategists focus on managing communication between the public and an organization, focusing mainly on reputation and credibility. These interactions are planned and purposeful with the goal of influencing public perceptions.
Public relations uses earned media, which is when a brand receives unpaid publicity from a third-party source. This publicity relies solely on relationships, such as media relations and influencer relations, where sending press releases and products to contacts is crucial for outreach. Some examples of earned media include:
New Coverage
Social Media Mentions
Reviews and Testimonials
User-Generated Content
Influencer Endorsements
Word-of-mouth
Advertising
The goal of advertising is to persuade an audience to take a specific action—aiming for direct sales and brand awareness. Advertisers work to create short-term visibility and conversation around a specific product or service.
Advertising uses paid media, where a company pays to have its message delivered to a specific target audience through various channels. Channels such as social media platforms, search engines, display networks and traditional print, television and radio allow for the following paid media:
Pay-per-click Advertising (PPC)
Influencer Marketing
Video Advertising
Print Advertisements in Magazines
Television Commercials
Social Media Advertising
Marketing
The purpose of marketing is to promote a product or service with a specific focus on connecting with a company’s target audience and making sure their needs are met. Marketing encompasses a large variety of responsibilities that marketers must complete to effectively promote products and retain customers. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to market research, campaign planning, brand management, content creation and sales generation.
Marketers use paid, earned and owned media in their marketing strategies. In terms of paid media, marketing intertwines with advertising through paying for advertisements on social media, search engine marketing (SEM) and traditional television ads. Owned media refers to brands directly controlling channels and content such as blogs, social media profiles, websites and email newsletters. Lastly, the earned media that is also used by public relations refers to exposure received from third-party sources, social media interactions, reviews and word-of-mouth are all examples of this.
Public relations, marketing and advertising are important assets for businesses in the trades industry because they help build trust, credibility and brand awareness. Organizations and brands within the trades often rely heavily on customer loyalty and referrals, both of which are born from the trust of their audience. The utilization of all three communication approaches allows for a brand to create an all-encompassing and well-rounded strategy that maximizes reach and impact.
It’s easy to see why social media feels like a go-to marketing move. It’s quick, it’s visual and it’s where everyone seems to be. But using social media alone without a bigger plan isn’t a marketing strategy. It’s just a tactic.
A post here, a reel there, a few likes and comments, that might feel productive in the moment. But without a clear purpose behind it, those posts often disappear as quickly as they land in someone’s feed. If your entire marketing approach revolves around “just post on social,” you’re reacting instead of leading. There’s no path, no progression and no long-term return.
Social media should be part of something larger. It should support a clear brand message, lead audiences toward meaningful action, and connect with other channels like your website, video content or events. Without those connections, your audience might see you, but they won’t truly engage, convert or remember.
A strong marketing strategy starts with knowing who you’re trying to reach, what you want them to understand or do, and how each piece of content plays a role in getting them there. Social media helps deliver that message, it doesn’t define it.
When used well, social media amplifies. It pushes the conversation forward. But if it’s the only thing you’re doing, you’re not building awareness, you’re just filling a feed.
So next time you’re tempted to “just post something,” stop and ask: What’s the bigger picture here? Where are we trying to take our audience, and does this post help get them there?
Because real marketing isn’t just about being seen. It’s about being remembered and that takes more than a post.
Following is a guest post from our friends over at Long & Short of It, masters of ideation, customer insights and market research. They like to say they “dig and find lots of data and then turn it into actionable insights.” Following is their guest post.
While customer feedback is valuable and should be considered, you can’t solely rely on customer input to guide your marketing, process, or development. Best captured by the quote from Steve Jobs, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them.” Who knew we needed or wanted an iPhone until we saw it?
Customers may not always have a clear vision of what they want or need until they are presented with it. Their understanding or ability to articulate what they want is limited by their existing experiences and familiarity with available solutions. Therefore, solely relying on customer feedback may result in incremental improvements or iterations of existing products, rather than breakthrough innovations.
To create products or solutions that truly meet customers’ needs, it’s important to balance customer input with innovative thinking and a deep understanding of your target market. This requires going beyond surface-level feedback and uncovering the underlying pain points, desires, and unmet needs of customers. By understanding their motivations, challenges, and aspirations, you can identify opportunities for disruptive innovation and develop solutions that surpass customers’ expectations
One way of doing this is by using a variety of research methods. For example, a survey can help you understand what they want when given a choice. And, by adding in-depth qualitative interviews, it can provide you with the why or the reasoning behind what they want. Another example is when a typical brainstorming session is held. The same people get in the same room in front of the same whiteboard and are expected to come up with new ideas – which is not likely to happen. Bring in new people who think differently or know little about the problem you are solving for. Hold the session in a different environment and introduce a variety of different visual or data inputs to help spark new thinking.
Go beyond relying solely on customer feedback, using the same research methods, or generating ideas in the same way. Take a balanced and multi-disciplinary approach by combining customer input with innovative thinking and a deep understanding of your target market. This approach can empower you to drive innovation, anticipate future requirements, and find solutions you may have never thought of – and possibly create something that your customers love and never knew they needed.
This summer I had the opportunity to intern with Sonnhalter as their public relations intern. To say the knowledge and experience I have gained over the course of this internship is invaluable would be an understatement. As a communications and professional writing double major at Miami University, I have spent countless hours studying the craft of writing, public relations and marketing, but being able to apply these skills in the real-world has taken my abilities to a new level.
My first assignment as the PR intern was to write a blog about myself, this I would come to find out was the first of many, many different writing pieces I would be assigned. Whether it be narrative pieces such as covering social media marketing trends for Sonnhalter or the manufacturing process of bronze for NIBCO, I learned how to focus on a brands narrative and voice when writing. Alongside blogs, I also gained experience in writing press releases, news releases, feature pieces, personnel releases and more. Being able to hone my professional writing skills along with my knowledge of AP style will without-a-doubt benefit me as I make my way into the communications industry.
An aspect of this internship that I had not had much experience with prior to this summer was the use of media lists in public relations. Using programs such as Muck Rack, I truly learned the importance of creating and maintaining relationships with media professionals and media outlets. I also gained insight into the depth of research that public relations, marketing and advertising professionals need to do in order to most effectively represent their client.
Aside from the public relations skills I have gained from this internship, I also gained valuable experience from working remotely. Since 2020, the workforce has seen a significant increase in hybrid and remote work environments which require self-discipline, adaptability and comfort with technology, all of which I have been able to exercise over the length of this internship.
To wrap up, the skills and experiences I have gained from this internship will be beneficial both inside and outside of the workforce. While working with an amazing team at Sonnhalter, I have been given an inside look at the public relations, marketing and communications world, specifically that of the trades industry. This is an experience I will truly be forever grateful for.
Following is a guest post from our friends over at Long & Short of It, masters of ideation, customer insights and market research. They like to say they “dig and find lots of data and then turn it into actionable insights.” Following is their guest post.
Why we embrace the unknown in marketing
Every new marketing project begins as an exploration into the unknown. We start with a process, a plan, and a clear objective, but here’s the catch: We don’t know where it will lead. That’s the thrill! The magic lies in the journey, not just the destination.
It’s the Process
The process we’ve developed is like a compass—guiding us even when the destination isn’t completely visible. By following this path, we ensure that even the unknown leads to valuable insights and actionable strategies.
Objectives Always First
It all starts with defining an objective. No matter the task, before we set sail on the journey, we must all agree on what the destination is. What is it we are trying to achieve? Without that North Star objective, it’s easy to get sidetracked down unproductive rabbit holes with no clear measure of whether we’re even getting closer to the target.
Insights Are the Fuel
Next, we get as smart as possible about what we need to study and explore through research. Insights are the foundation and fuel for charting the path forward. Often there will be quite a bit of existing knowledge to begin with from your internal experts and resources. Once we know precisely what information gaps we need to fill, only then can we prescribe the right type of marketing research to conduct.
Think & Create
Armed with insights, the real magic happens when we pull all the pieces together, see the full picture and develop the plan or strategies. That is essentially why, until we immerse ourselves in this process, we really won’t know with certainty what the outcome will be at the end. It’s a journey of curiosity, learning, and analysis from different perspectives, often challenging preconceived notions. That’s what allows us to create solutions that aren’t just effective, but uniquely suited to your needs.
Trust the Process & Enjoy the Journey
While we may start in the fog of the unknown, trust in our process as your guide. It is a voyage of discovery, but one undertaken with a defined destination, careful preparation, and the analytics and strategic skills to chart the best possible course to get you there. The thrill and real magic is in the journey itself and where it takes us together.
