What is Public relation?
Public Relations can be understood as a strategic management tool which helps an organization communicate with the public. Here, 'public' means the group of people interested in any organization's ability to acquire prospected targets. It not only restricts the boundaries of attracting public attention but also aims to reach the organization's goals by engaging with the targeted audience through various modes of communications like press releases, social media engagement, crisis management, etc through public marketing.
Public Relations is all about maintaining the company's positive image in the eyes of the public and developing solid relationships with them. It encompasses a range of programs organized by the company to promote its product and services. Many companies have a public relations department that looks after the appropriate public's attitude and spreads information to improve their professional reputation.
The public relations department works in the domains of press relations, corporate communications, counselling, product publicity, etc.
What is Publicity?
Publicity is defined as distributing information to the general public that is easily approachable through media. This mode of interaction can be in news, stories, event information, or write-ups that create awareness and credibility concerning the product, brand, or the organization providing it.
The primary task of Publicity is to spread the information or news, to the maximum number of people, in a minimum time. Now the data can be a positive review regarding a product given by a pleased customer or information published through the newspapers concerning the high-quality services provided by any company, or it can be a general word of mouth, etc. It is a non-paid form of communication that is not under its control. In a nutshell, Publicity is not associated with its sales; it is all about creating awareness in the general public through editorial or unbiased comments concerning a product.
What is the difference between Publicity and Public Relations:
| Basis For Comparison | Publicity | Public Relations |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Publicity refers to public relation functions that use any communication channel to convey news or information about someone or something, through the media. | Public Relations is a public marketing tool, that is used to maintain goodwill and reputation of the company and its product among people. |
| Control | It is not under the control of the company. | It is controlled by the company |
| Nature | Positive or Negative | Positive |
| Form of communication | Non-paid Communication | Paid Communication |
| Intends | Public awareness | Public attention |
Importance of an Effective Public Relation Strategy:
There are no set parameters as to when one can start looking at their business and realize that it is the right time to develop effective Public marketing and Public Relation strategy. Every brand requires a set public and media relations approach; the sooner, the better. Without any promotion mode, one can not expect consumers to start talking about their brand. One might have the best quality product in the marketplace and still have no presence to the public.
It is non-viable to ignore the importance of a Public Relations strategy. But the argument that you will fail to gain any attention without public relations is vague. So, let's dissect some concrete goals that a Public marketing and Public Relations strategy will help you achieve. Starting with the most obvious one:
Conclusion:
The conclusion is that PR is a strategy that will assure a higher return on investment through the indirect reach that media outlets have. It should be used to help all the businesses build their brand and improve visibility in masses and authority. It is a cost-effective strategy that helps place any brand on top of the minds of the clients and customers through public marketing.
With an effective strategy and a commitment to spreading awareness about any company, one can soon receive more mentions, backlinks, and general buzz. Then one can be ready for the next step to grow their business better.
