So what are the core differences between PR and traditional marketing, and how do the two compare?

1. PR leverages the media to build brand awareness; marketing incorporates a number of targeted messages and calls to action to drive sales.
2. PR coverage is earned through hard work and sometimes blood, sweat and tears; marketing is paid for.
3. PR is a two-way engagement with your consumers in which a brand’s story is told and a conversation is started; ‪marketing is a content-oriented message that attempts to sway ‪consumers.
4. PR is all about the relationships; marketing is all about the product.
5. PR focuses on getting someone to open his heart and mind; marketing focuses on getting him to open his wallet.
6. PR is focused on building trust; marketing is focused on building exposure.
7. With PR, the media gives a third-party validation and, as such, coverage carries a lot more favour; with marketing, a brand’s audience is often sceptical due to the fact that they know they’re being sold to.
8. In PR, the media has the final say; in marketing, a company has complete creative control. The message in PR is “this is important”; the message in marketing is “buy this product”.
9. Marketing is generally more expensive than PR.
10. The message in PR is “this is important”; the message in marketing is “buy this product”.

Differences aside, marketing and PR can be considered two sides of the same coin, serving much the same goal in attempting to increase the brand awareness and bottom line of a company. As with anything in life, there’s a time and a place for each of them. You may find at different times in the life of your business, that one will be better suited to your needs than the other and on other occasions that marketing and PR campaigns run concurrently reap better rewards for both.