Although I never ever assume to know everything, one drawback of being so involved in your chosen profession is that you start to automatically assume that everyone else around you also knows what PR is and isn't.
I was rudely shaken from my PR bubble during a recent conversation with someone about PR, publicity, sales and marketing, and realized that many people still confuse these roles. I'm sure other PR professionals will agree that there's nothing more frustrating than being asked to account for sales results, or lack thereof, based solely on the outcomes of a PR or publicity campaign that is not linked to a specific sales or marketing strategy, because it is assumed that the PR or publicity activity will do the marketing.
Not so - it's all about integration. PR and publicity is meant to complement the marketing function, and it's importance and context is determined by the overall strategy. Even the great social media channels like Twitter and Facebook are not replacement marketing activities, but rather additional ways of communicating your message as part of an integrated whole.
I came across this simple yet effective analogy a while ago whilst preparing a talk on PR for a networking event:
- If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying 'Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday', that's advertising.
- If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion.
- If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity.
- And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations.
- If the town's citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that's sales.
A more detailed overview of the marketing mix, including inbound and outbound marketing, is available on Managementhelp.org.
