Knowing the difference between publicity and public relations can help you in your career. By understanding what each of these terms mean, you’ll be able to better understand how they’re used in various industries and fields. You may even find yourself more interested in one over the other and choose a major or career that aligns with those goals.
Knowing the difference between publicity and PR will help when choosing a major or job because it allows you to narrow down which field is right for you—and whether or not it’s even worth pursuing if it doesn’t meet your goals.
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Publicity is a subpart of PR, so all PR includes publicity.
A common misconception is that PR and publicity are the same thing. In fact, all PR includes publicity, but not all publicity comes from a PR agency.
Publicity is the process of gaining media attention for an organization or person. It can be achieved through targeted marketing strategies like press releases, newsworthy events and pitches to journalists who cover certain topics.
The difference between public relations and advertising:
Public relations (PR) is communication with stakeholders such as employees, investors and the media to build positive awareness of your brand or company’s image in order to improve its reputation or sales numbers (for example). Publicity refers specifically to coverage by mainstream media sources like newspapers/magazines/TV shows/radio stations—it’s gaining attention from the public at large via these outlets.*
Publicity includes getting media coverage for an organization, company or individual.
Publicity is all about getting the media coverage you want, whether it’s for your organization, company or yourself. It’s earned as opposed to paid for, which makes it a great option for those who don’t have a large budget.
Publicity is part of public relations (PR) and can be thought of as a subset of PR. The difference between publicity and PR comes down to how each method is used: while public relations helps get your message out there and promote what you do, publicity is the process by which media outlets learn about you so they can write articles or air segments about your organization or product.
PR does not have to include publicity; it can also be internal communications with staff, marketing and advertising efforts and more.
PR does not have to include publicity; it can also be internal communications with staff, marketing and advertising efforts, one-on-one communications with individuals in the media or social media. PR is also any time a press release is sent out to the media.
Publicity often refers to media coverage on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines.
Publicity is media coverage that you have earned, whereas PR is the activity that helps you earn it. Publicity is a form of earned media which means that you can give publicity to your business by getting interviewed on a talk show and then having your interview aired.
Public relations professionals use PR and publicity tactics to get their client’s message into the hands of as many people as possible. They’re both important parts of marketing communications because they help companies get noticed by their target audience and make an impact on consumers’ buying decisions.
PR is a broader concept that encompasses all the ways an organization communicates with its audiences and public.
PR is a broader concept that encompasses all the ways an organization communicates with its audiences and public. It includes publicity campaigns, but also internal communication, marketing and advertising, customer service, crisis communication and more.
PR is all about building relationships between organizations and their key audiences. For example:
- PR often involves working with journalists to get favorable coverage for you or your client in print, on television or online. A good relationship with the media can mean better coverage for your client than if you were to work with them directly—and it can save money too!
- Many companies use social media sites like Facebook as part of their PR strategy because they’re great places to reach customers directly with news about new products or services—and even create viral sensations when things go well (or go wrong).
Bottom Line
Though the terms are often used interchangeably, publicity and PR are two sides of the same coin. Both of these career fields revolve around the use of news media to spread information to a larger audience. PR professionals interact with journalists and editors, while publicists foster relationships with various media outlets. Obviously, both of these fields rely on good communication skills due to their direct involvement in news publications—and because they require you to publicize information, they’re actually very similar!
