Marketing vs. PR

At HeartFire Media, we hear the terms Marketing and Public Relations thrown around interchangeably. Many people believe these two achieve the same goal. Although partially true — PR can be an integral component of a marketing strategy, it is not always synonymous with marketing.

Marketing creates a call to action, which leads to a purchase or “buying into” of a particular product or service. Public Relations is a little different.

Our Marketing Coordinator, Blanca Morales, who has five years of experience in media sales and marketing, says the big difference between Marketing and PR depends on your end goal. “PR is great for telling a story or shaping a brand’s reputation, but marketing is about appealing to a consumer by creating an incentive to act.” She expounds upon this by saying, “Marketing adds value to your product or your services. This lets consumers know your product is an option in an increasingly saturated marketplace.”

PR spins the public’s perception of your services or goods, versus explicitly encouraging a purchase. She said, “It is less about telling people to go buy your product, than about giving them a positive perception of your product you can control.”

Her advice for anyone seeking Marketing and Public Relations is:

1. Look at your numbers and determine your goals. If your goal is to increase sales by x amount in a certain amount of time, start with a marketing strategy to ensure you meet your quota.
2. From there determine what your marketing strategy is going to be (we recommend finding an expert in the field to help you) – whether that strategy will be an increased social media presence, purchasing advertising or fixing up your website.
3. Once your marketing strategy is on track, consider adding a public relations strategy to increase your brand’s recognition in the market and control the public’s perception of your brand in a way that aligns with your goals.

Remember, HeartFire Media is a leading creative agency that can help you with both your Marketing and PR needs. Schedule a meeting with us and let us help you reach your greatest potential! Contact Sam Najera or Blanca Morales at contact@heartfiremedia.net.