Some people interchange public relations and advertising so often that they appear to be synonymous at times.  It should be noted that there are considerable differences between PR and advertising though they may have the same goals.  This article aims to distinguish public relations from advertising through the four C’s.

Cost

The media allot a paid for and non-paid for space.  The paid for space is the advertising space and non-paid for space is the editorial or coverage.  The paid for space is where the companies’ ads are placed; while the non-paid for space is the target area for PR.  Basically, cost is involved and these two areas are run by separate departments, advertising department for the paid for space and the editorial department for the non-paid for space.

Control

Advertisers are paying for publication so they have control over how the message would appear and when it will be published.  They can make it appear how they want it to be.  Whereas in PR, since you are not paying for it, coverage is at the good judgment of the journalist or reporter and you cannot control what will be said about your product or services.  Thus if you are aiming to have a good PR, you have to get noticed.  This can be taken care of by a good high tech public relations or a reputable telecom PR firm.

Competition

Advertising is the bread and butter of the media industry and it is a rare case that they will refuse an advertiser.  When the advertising demands increase, ad people increase their space in order to accommodate all advertisers.  PR on the other hand is dictated by the features that the journalist has planned.  Thus it is highly competitive and only the best gets noticed.  PR is dependent on good publicity and good publicity depends on a good high tech public relations firm.

Credibility

Advertisement always promotes the product or services as exceptional, top of the class, the best quality and the smartest choice to the target audience.  However, nowadays consumers are not gullible and they know that too well.  Thus, they will never easily believe the claims made by the ads.  PR is hard-earned and reliable.  Endorsement from a third person or testimony is what the audience appreciate nowadays.  As the maxim goes, “word of mouth is always the best tool to promote a product or service”.  And the best way to get it is from a reputable journalist.

These four C’s provide the key differences between public relations and advertising.  They are distinct from each other and should not be confused with or interchanged.  Earn the PR through a good telecom PR company and reap the benefits of good publicity.