You can't just make a difference. If you want to make a positive impact as an organization, it is important to profile yourself positively. We live in a time where information and news moves at lightning speed and is actually impossible to control. The importance of a good relationship between you and your target group is therefore even greater. A relationship based on trust, in which it is clear what you stand for and what you have to offer. This lays the foundation for success and allows you to make the impact you strive for.
To build and strengthen this relationship, organizations and companies use marketing, communication and PR. You can almost see them as a trinity that together are the driving force behind a company's visibility, reputation and of course sales figures.
It is therefore not surprising that these fields are often confused with each other. There is also a degree of overlap, and sometimes it is difficult to define where one ends and the other begins. Yet there is a distinction. What is the difference between marketing, PR and communication?
1. Marketing
Marketing is about making more people aware of your organization and its products or services. This fame should ultimately lead to you getting more customers. The approach is therefore commercial, you want to sell your service or product.
Marketing starts from the company itself and traditionally focuses on existing or potential customers. You can of course think of an advertisement on social media. But in principle everything that an organization puts out with the aim of attracting customers falls under the heading of marketing. Such as a mailing with a promotion for your regular customers, or an article on your own website.
Marketing has a commercial approach
Because marketing, as mentioned, comes from the company itself, through its own channels, it is easier to take a targeted approach. It is important that you know your target group well, so that you can strongly profile your company and your service or product.
Suppose you have a company that produces ethical corporate clothing. You want to increase the brand awareness of your company in order to achieve a good market position and increased sales. To achieve this, you use marketing. For example, you create a video in which you explain what your products are and what service you can offer and you link this to a nice discount promotion. You place this video on the company's website or in its own social media channels. The immediate goal of this video is to get more customers for your business.
2. Public Relations
Just like with marketing, it's about it public relations to increase awareness of your organization, services and products. You want to ensure that more people become familiar with your company in a positive way. The difference here is that PR is broader than marketing. It is more about spreading your story and thereby strengthening your reputation. Sometimes this has a positive effect on sales, but not always.
PR is an example of this earned media
PR is about making it clear what you stand for? What expertise does your organization have to offer to the broader public? How is your contribution relevant in the social debate? These types of questions form the basis of an organization's PR. PR mainly uses external channels. In the PESO model falls under PR earned media.
One of the most effective forms of PR is when you appear in the media in a positive way PR campaign. This is something that many organizations strive for, because free external media attention really puts your company on the map. For example, an interview in a magazine or trade journal, or a good review on an independent website. Of course, you can also gain media attention on your own initiative, such as by writing a guest blog or a press release.
PR also contributes to turnover
All this does not mean that PR is not ultimately there to increase sales. If a company's PR is strong, this will ultimately translate into higher sales figures. You could say that PR has a more indirect relationship with sales compared to marketing.
To use the same example of the ethical corporate clothing company, what could the PR of this company look like? This example concerns a company with a clear social vision. By making this company's story more widely known, it can profile itself positively and thus achieve more impact.
For example, an effective form of PR for this company is an interview for a podcast about the detrimental impact of the conventional clothing industry. This may not immediately lead to higher sales figures, but in the long run more people will know your company and trust will increase, which will give you more customers.
3. Communication
Everything that has to do with the exchange of information between the organization and all its target groups and stakeholders falls under the heading of communication. This sounds very broad, and it is. What message does your organization send? That is the question that communication is all about. Broadcasting this message does not have to be specifically verbal. Non-verbal communication also conveys a message loud and clear.
Through communication, verbal or non-verbal, you as an organization convey who you are and what you stand for. For example, consider the location and layout of your office, or the tone you use in emails and letters to your customers. Unlike marketing, communication is not just limited to consumers, but includes all stakeholders of your company, both internal and external.
Communication must be consistent
The main goal of communication is to build and maintain the best possible relationship with your target groups and stakeholders. For this it is important to ensure that your communication is consistent in all areas with what you want to convey. This way you create trust and a good reputation.
If, as an organization, you are concerned with socially relevant issues or corporate social responsibility, this must be reflected in all communication and channels that you use. This results in a strong identity that is so essential for companies today. You convey the right message through the interplay of elements of behavior, style, tone and content.
Would you like to know more about how to use marketing, PR and communication for your organization? Take contact us for more information and advice!
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