In the constantly evolving landscape of business communication, two ideas often get mistaken for one another: public relations (PR) and marketing.  

Public relations is a strategic communication process that focuses on managing an organization’s reputation and growing its awareness with the public through earned media. In other words, driving positive coverage in the news media that is not paid for.

Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on promoting products, brands, or services to drive sales through paid channels, such as digital advertising, paid search, and sponsored content, as well as owned channels like email, a brand’s website, and social media profiles.

What are the Objectives of PR vs. Marketing?

Public relations focuses on managing relationships between an organization and its external audiences, including the public, media, and investors. The goal is to build credibility, maintain a positive image, and foster trust.

PR professionals do this through:

  • Writing and distributing press releases
  • Building relationships with journalists
  • Pitching story ideas to reporters and editors
  • Securing earned media coverage
  • Protecting an organization’s reputation in the case of a crisis
  • Communicating with investors or other outside stakeholders
  • Supporting community engagement

Marketing focuses on promoting products or services to increase sales and meet revenue goals. It relies on paid and owned channels such as advertising, email campaigns, and digital marketing.

Marketing professionals use data and research to understand customer needs and create campaigns that drive engagement and conversions.

Marketers do this though:

  • Growing awareness of a brand, produce or services
  • Creating and distributing targeted content to key audiences or prospective customers
  • Building and managing relationships with influencers
  • Driving online traffic, engagement, and customer acquisition through paid and organic channels
  • Managing product perception
  • Nurturing leads for the sales team
  • Fostering customer loyalty and community

One of the most important distinctions is this: PR earns attention without paying for it, while marketing generally pays for it.

Who Do PR and Marketing Target? 

PR and marketing differ in their target audiences.

PR professionals primarily target journalists, editors, podcasters, and valuable media outlets. Their secondary audience includes the broader public who consume that media, such as:

  • News viewers, listeners, and readers
  • Online audiences
  • Podcast listeners

These media consumers can include customers, investors, policymakers, and community members.

Marketing focuses more directly on current and potential customers. Campaigns are designed to drive awareness, interest, engagement, loyalty, and sales among specific audience segments based on behavior, interests, and demographics.

How Does PR Messaging Differ from Marketing Messaging? 

PR messaging is designed to shape perception. It focuses on building awareness, credibility, trust, and a positive public image through media coverage. In some cases, this includes crisis communication, where the goal is to protect or restore a company’s reputation.

Marketing messaging is usually more direct and action oriented. It highlights the benefits of a product or service and encourages customers to act, whether making a purchase, signing up, or engaging with a brand.

PR builds credibility and reputation over time, while marketing is designed to drive measurable growth objectives, awareness, leads, and sales, through defined campaign cycles.

How Do You Measure PR vs. Marketing Success?

PR and marketing use different metrics to evaluate success.

PR metrics include:

  • Media coverage volume and quality
  • Impressions and reach
  • Sentiment and tone
  • Brand reputation
  • Share of voice
  • Increases in search activity or website traffic driven by earned media

Marketing metrics include:

  • Customer acquisition cost  
  • Branded search volume
  • Sales and revenue
  • Lead generation
  • Conversion rates
  • Click-through rates
  • Social media followers and engagement
  • Website traffic
  • Customer aquisition cost

Examples of PR vs. Marketing in Action

When a company launches a new product, marketing may run paid ads, email campaigns, and social media promotions to drive awareness and sales.

At the same time, PR may secure media coverage, product reviews, and interviews to build credibility and awareness.

Together, these efforts combine to create awareness, trust and demand.

How PR and Marketing Work Together 

PR and marketing are most effective when they work together.

Earned media from PR can be shared across marketing channels to extend its reach. Marketing campaigns can amplify PR coverage and increase visibility.

PR can also drive online search volume for a brand, its products, or its subject matter experts, supporting organic traffic. Earned media coverage can also fortify a brand’s visibility in AI models (also known as GEO/generative engine optimization).

At the same time, marketing channels like social media can help identify potential reputation risks early before they grow into a full-blown media crisis.

Both functions play a role in managing brand perception and proactively responding to reputational challenges.

Key Takeaways 

  • PR builds credibility through earned media and relationships
  • Marketing drives awareness and conversions through targeted campaigns
  • PR targets media and stakeholders, while marketing targets customers
  • PR focuses on long-term reputation, while marketing focuses on measurable growth over time
  • The strongest strategies integrate both PR and marketing

Conclusion 

Public relations and marketing serve different but complementary roles in a company’s communication strategy. PR is built around driving earned media attention, while marketing leverages mostly paid or owned channels to grow key business objectives.

By understanding their goals, audiences, messaging, and metrics, organizations can use both disciplines effectively to build trust, grow their brand, and drive business results.

This is an updated version of a blog post originally published in October 2024. Thanks to Pierpont intern Micah Talley for helping update this blog post.