According to PRSA.org, “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Formal definition not quite doing it for ya’? Basically, public relations (usually just called PR) is the way brands attempt to control promotion and public image through “free” or “earned” media space. It’s everything involved in maintaining a positive reputation among both media sources and consumers.
Public relations firms and advertising agencies generally have the same goal– gain client exposure, promote them, and make them appear to be more exciting, relevant, and important to the public. The difference is in the execution of these efforts. Advertising firms work primarily in the paid media space– they create and place tv commercials, billboards, radio advertisements, so on and so forth. Public Relations agencies work to promote brands in ways that have no external media costs, like gaining the attention of journalists and appearing in stories on websites, newspapers, tv shows, etc. PR is important because it incorporates brand validation and reinforcement from a third-party, making consumers more trusting and likely to view that brand in a favorable way.
Ok, so PR professionals work to protect client images and grab the attention of journalists and media sources. But how exactly do they do that? Like advertising, there are several departments within a Public Relations firm. Each department specializes in a specific area and performs tasks that may include some or all of the following:
- Write and distribute press releases
- Write pitches about a client and send them directly to journalists
- Design and execute special promotional events intended for public outreach
- Conduct market research on client messaging strategy
- Expansion of business relationships through networking
- Copywriting and blogging for owned media channels (websites, social media, etc.)
- Responding to negative comments on social media
- Crisis control
It’s important to mention that a huge part of PR is what is essentially damage control. It’s inevitable that eventually, a company will do or say something controversial or somehow upset the public. Remember when Taco Bell was accused of not using real meat in their food? Or when Chick-fil-A made statements about same-sex marriage? Or how about more recently, Target’s transgender bathrooms policy? Controversies spark due to information leaks, political views, or sometimes just careless business practices. PR agencies have crisis teams that are specially trained to deal with these situations and save client reputations. These teams make formal statements to the media, rethink strategy, and sometimes issue apologies in order to counter negative press.
Advertising and public relations have similarities, but remember that they’re more like sisters rather than twins. It’s imperative, especially for well-known brands, to have a team of people who focus solely on earning attention rather than just paying for it. As an agency who works primarily with small businesses, Transformation Marketing operates as an advertising firm that can simultaneously handle all your public relations needs!