Hughes blog post: PR and Marketing – it’s the framework that matters

At a recent networking event that Hughes PR held for Communications students from UniSA, I was questioned a number of times about the differences between public relations and marketing. This started me thinking, how can we minimise these perceived differences, and how can we ensure that PR and marketing tactics are strategically bound?

There are dozens of definitions of and opinions on the differences between PR and marketing.

Burson-Marsteller co-founder Harold Burson – who was once described by PRWeek as “the century’s most influential PR figure” – says “public relations is an applied social science that influences behaviour and policy.  When communicated effectively, it motivates an individual or group to a specific course of action by creating, changing or reinforcing opinions and attitudes”.

In contrast, US marketing guru Dr Philip Kotler says “marketing is the science and art of exploring, creating and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit”.

With the growth of corporate digital and social media communications, coupled with more commercially astute advertising agencies and PR consultancies, the line between PR and marketing has never been more blurred. Both are now jostling to provide clients with such activities as stakeholder analysis, social media management, video production, event management and e-newsletter and brochure content.

However, the truth is it doesn’t matter how you classify these and many other tactics. What is required is an over-arching framework to manage all forms of communication in an integrated manner – whether it is an earned media article, a post on Facebook, a paid broadcast message or a reply to an email.

Each communication activity should be driven by correlated principles and applied in subtly different ways in order to assist the client reach its goals – be it financial, technological or reputational.

Here at Hughes PR, we use a ‘Communications Calendar’ for each of our clients to ensure that each proposed client activity meets their communications objectives and utilises key messages to effectively and appropriately communicate with their target audience over an ongoing period.

- Jamie Hershman