Resumo de Pr And Advertising

PR & Advertising

?The definition of advertising is the use of paid-for media space to inform and persuade. The definition of public relations is the use of third party endorsement to inform and persuade. Clearly the use of paid for space means you have control over content, tone of voice, timing and so on. With third party endorsement, you don?t. The net result is that advertising thinks public relations is an inferior skill because it is so risky. And public relations thinks advertising is grossly inferior because it is so absolutely easy.? This statement by Sir Tim Bell, renowned Communications Consultant, succinctly brings out the love-hate relationship between the two, viz. Advertising and PR. However times are changing fast and with ?Integrated Communication Strategy? becoming the Biz-mantra, the two are embracing each other after realizing their complementary strengths. This article aims at having a look at the distinctive features of each, which differentiate them, as observed by experts in the field, and then to see how in this ?Age of Communication? the two can, and are supplementing each other?s efforts.
We know that Advertising has been and shall remain the Big Brother as far as comparison to PR is concerned, and it seems improbable that in near future PR would outgrow Advertising in absolute numbers. The size of the PR industry in terms of earnings, is merely around 10 per cent of the Advertising Industry. Having said that, it also needs to be mentioned that PR is growing at a faster rate than Advertising, and the net margins in PR Services are also better than those in case of Advertising. In an article in a recent issue (Jan. 26, 2006) of ?The Economist?, it is stated that ? Spending on PR in America has been growing strongly and reached some $ 3.7 billion last year?.PR spending ( in America ) will grow by almost 9 % a year. This is faster than the overall market for advertising and marketing, now worth a colossal $ 475 billion and growing at 6.7 % a year.? In India, growth rate of PR is estimated to be around 30 % as the PR setups till very recently were in nascent stage, and the growth scenario in other parts of the world is not very different.
The same article in ?The Economist? points out how PR communication is getting an edge over Advertising, it goes ? The fragmentation of media has seen an explosion in the number of ways people seek news and entertainment, with many turning to websites, cable TV, satellite radio and podcasts. Yet a consequence of the proliferation of media is that original content becomes even more sought after. Hence crisply written or well-produced PR material can more easily get an airing. Media commentators have noted how PR material is now being published by some local newspapers virtually unedited and unchecked. Some branches of journalism have come to depend on a drip feed of information and products from the PR industry. Journalists focussing on electronics, fashion, travel, beauty and food have a huge appetite for free samples. Gossip about celebrities is also largely mediated by the PR industry.?

So the distinction that is most obvious is Veracity or Credibility. People are more likely to believe what they read in an editorial or newspaper story, or see or hear in a regular audio-visual programme, than what they get to know through paid-for advertising messages. This being so, equal expenditure incurred on Advertising and PR shall in all probability, result in more value-for-money in case of PR communication, in the long run. Advertising, on the other hand can offer immense reach and repetition of message, which is not possible through PR.
PR is also distinct from Advertising in that while most of the latter aims for an immediate sale of a product, service or idea, PR adopts a more subtle approach with a view to the long-term gains accruing from the generation of public goodwill.
As mentioned earlier, Advertising is a controlled communication , therefore what remains to be measured is the response of the target audience, and the fulfillment of the objective for which the advertising was meant. However in case of Public Relations, once the message has been communicated to the medium, the sender has no control over when, how and in which form the message will be released.
Till a couple of years ago, the area where PR was clearly lagging behind Advertising was the impact assessment or Research & Evaluation of PR processes. However progressive PR professionals seem to have realised this shortcoming, as the outcome of their activities or the effectiveness of communication tools used by them has become all the more important for the purpose of justifying the costs incurred on these processes. At a time when businesses are cutting corners on all activities, showing measurable results, in spite of practical difficulties and genuine constraints, has become sine qua non for rapid growth of the profession. This explains the coming into existence of several Media Research Outfits dedicated to scientific analysis of PR tools and processes.

Resumos Relacionados