Consider how much writing it takes to support your company or organization’s advertising materials – brochures, direct mail pieces, newsletters, sales letters. Now consider the importance of regular, ongoing public relations activities – press releases, publicity, promotions. Wouldn’t it be nice if all that advertising copy could also be used for public relations support? In this issue of Printips, we’ll discuss advertising and public relations, and how you can write effective copy for both.
To fully understand the similarities and differences between advertising and public relations, it is useful to have a working definition of each:
Advertising: activities that bring a product, service, business, or organization to the attention of current and potential customers.
Public relations: activities that promote public understanding of a company or organization and its products or services.
Note that while advertising is focused on selling something to current and potential customers, public relations is about promoting and protecting the company or organization’s image.