Public Relations vs. Advertising: No Contest
Warning: Long self-indulgent intro ahead…
Mmm, tasty...
So I’ve got this serious weakness for ice cream. I mean, GOOD ice cream. As in 200% butter-fat-full-sugar-with-no-artificial-ingredients ice cream that makes me break into R-rated facial expressions and one-man gospel choruses. (Yeah, you don’t want to witness that.)
In college, I’d seek study relief at the late great Steve’s in Harvard Square. During my year as a Texan, I indulged in the Dulce De Leche from H-E-B — a store brand that delivers the best bang for the buck ever. Now I’m addicted to Trader Joe’s premium ice creams: the Coffee Bean Blast is sinful on multiple levels, and the Mint Chip is as refreshing as a skinny dip in the pre-global-warming Arctic… or so I’m guessing. But what I really bow down to is Trader Joe’s Super Premium French Vanilla. While most vanillas are simply topping-delivery devices (mmm, fudge), this can be eaten straight out of the carton (when my wife isn’t looking) and still provide the ol’ palate with a thoroughly satisfying sensory experience.
And yet…
Throw on a few chocolate chips or some fresh blueberries, and that scoop of vanilla — scrumptious as it is — becomes such a sensuous sensation that the Religious Right preaches “abstinence! abstinence!” at the sight of it (then sneaks off to the nearest closet to enjoy it themselves). The ice cream serves as the oh-so-pleasing base; the toppings deliver the dazzle.
And that, comrades, is how I feel about public relations and advertising.
(And here you thought I put the wrong headline on this article.)
PR provides the rock solid base while the ads offer the sizzle. They go together like… well, to quote a profound late 20th century ode to togetherness…
like rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong
remembered forever like
shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom
chang chang chang-it-ty chang
shoo-bop
that’s the way it should be
wha oooh yeah!
Oh, I love being silly.
Unfortunately, in all seriousness, not everyone sees it that way. Some business folk think advertising and PR are mutually exclusive or even contradictory. I recently read The Authentic Brand by Christopher Rosica, and while the book definitely has merits (I’ll fully review it in a future post), I don’t buy Rosica’s assertion that authentic brands can only be created with public relations, and that advertising is a waste of money. Granted, Rosica runs a PR agency, and his book is heavily self-promotional, but to tout a strict PR-only diet neglects the value of good advertising and the potential hazards of public relations. Consider this: Rosica’s people asked me to review this book — soliciting reviews is a basic PR practice — yet look at what I’m saying about it. PR means not having control over the message or the messenger.
Now, I like to tease my publicist friends, but I also include public relations in every marketing plan I write. I come from a family of publicists: my uncle taught PR at Cal-State Fullerton, and my father practiced it at the government level. I currently work closely with an award-winning PR agency in L.A. So I agree with Rosica: PR is a powerful weapon, but it shouldn’t be pitted against advertising in some contest. That’s like debating what’s more important in football, offense or defense? (Or, to continue my egregiously contrived metaphor, ice cream or toppings?) A smart marketer combines both parts strategically.
So as yet another Cool Rules Pronto public service, here’s a guide to the pros and cons of public relations and advertising, and how best to use them… Read more »
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Mmm, head cheese.
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Dig it? Then please Digg it!
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