How PR is important to marketing

Contrary to what many people may believe, public relations and marketing are two very different things. However, both contribute to the success of a company.

How are PR and marketing different?
Marketing deals primarily with product awareness and promotion. Those involved with marketing work to promote a specific product or service a company or organization offers. Marketing professionals will concern themselves with the products the company provides, the customers and their needs, and then work to anticipate what the next product will be or how to promote it.

PR, or public relations, handles the image of the company itself, whereas marketing is concerned primarily with products. A public relations professional is more concerned with the public's view of the company and the company's reputation rather than trying to get the public to purchase the products.

A successful public relations campaign and department will work to do the following:

- Increase and maintain visibility and public awareness of an organization, company, or event
- Help the public to see the organization as an industry leader
- Increase awareness of the organization's programs, products, and services throughout the community, state, country, or world
- Help enhance and maintain the organization's image
- Support and organize efforts with regards to fundraising
- Act as a spokesperson and mediator in case the organization or its officials receive any negative publicity
- Boost employee morale and help to recruit and retain employees

How is PR important to marketing?
Public relations and marketing often go hand-in-hand. People who trust a company or organization and are familiar with its name are more likely to purchase its products or utilize its services. It is the job of the public relations team to instill that trust in the company while getting the name out to the public.

Consider the following example: Let's say a company has recently experienced some bad press due to a scandal with the executives. Their sales are down and the public's opinion of them is decreasing as well. A marketing department's main focus would be increasing sales, while the public relations department would be more concerned with restoring the reputation of the company.

In this case, the marketing department and the public relations department would work together to try and bolster sales and help restore the public's confidence in the company. Together, the two departments may come up with a plan to do both at the same time; for example, the public relations department could plan a fundraiser to donate money to a local women's shelter. The company promises that for every product sold, they will donate a percentage to the shelter. The public may be more apt to purchase products from this company rather than competitors because a portion of the profit is going towards a good cause. A campaign such as this works not only to increase sales, but to put the company back in good standing with the public.

Marketing professionals and departments who work closely with public relations will most likely experience an increase in sales as a result of the public's favorable perception of the company. Good communication between the two departments is essential, as those in public relations can help marketing professionals determine the best ways to market products and services based on the way the public views the company.