How do you combine Public Relations and marketing? (2024)

In my experience, the way to integrate marketing and PR is to include both functions at the early conceptual stage, so their specific objectives, measurables and processes are understood by the combined team. Nothing should be taken for granted, for instance when marketing says "big idea" or when PR talks "newsworthiness", those should be opportunities to educate each "side". Ultimately, what matters most is the business objective and the audience, which all can hone in on effectively to develop a seamlessly integrated campaign. Strategy is key.

When this topic comes up, the first thing I ask is- what are the goals and objectives? Does combining marketing and PR help you achieve the objective? In my experience, most of the time the answer is no, but not always. I have sat in marketing working on product PR and in corporate comms focusing on a broader corporate message, enhancing and protecting reputation. My philosophy is do what is right to achieve the company goals, build strong business relationships with marketing and comms colleagues, influence, collaborate and have an understanding of each departments role in achieving goals. Remember, regardless of where we sit, we are all on the same team.

From GHM's vantage, blending PR and marketing amplifies our brand's impact. Our recent fam trip showcased more than just suites; it presented an elite experience for the media. Hosting them in our lavish suites provided firsthand insights into The Chedi's luxury. Their ensuing coverage, spanning articles to social media, bolstered our image and acted as organic promotion. Parallelly, our marketing harnessed this buzz, spotlighting the suite experiences with paid campaigns. This strategy means while media vividly depicts The Chedi experience, our marketing propels bookings, urging guests to delve into these celebrated experiences. The blend of PR and marketing, thus, becomes an art of storytelling and a business of experience delivery.

Aligning goals and messages between PR and marketing is the foundation of a robust communications strategy. PR focuses on building a positive brand image and reputation, while marketing aims to drive sales/subscriptions and customer engagement. Ensure that both functions operate in sync to present a unified brand voice. For example, if your goal is market expansion, your PR could focus on thought leadership to build credibility, while marketing could highlight your unique value propositions. A unified approach to public relations and marketing amplifies reach and strengthens brand identity.

PR is just one element of marketing. If your role has a PR-focus, make sure you are working with leaders in marketing (and sales!) to understand the issues the company is facing and who they are trying to reach. When your PR outreach and content is aligned with overall marketing goals, you'll gain synergies and be more effective overall.

Marketing mostly oversees strategy while PR focuses on tactical implementation. However, during crises, these roles switch. PR professionals can effectively augment their media efforts by embracing marketing tools to directly reach critical audiences like customers, partners, and prospects. For instance, pay-per-click ads might not seem like a PR tool, but a well-timed campaign can shape what concerned individuals encounter first when seeking crisis-related news.

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Highlighting your most engaged community members or partners with user-generated content across your social platforms has several benefits:1. people-first brand positioning2. evergreen content marketing material3. "content-based networking" opportunities

Consider using some of the following software suggestions for:1. social listening (to help understand your community)2. automation (for maximum efficiency)3. analytics (using data to compare and optimize your marketing strategies)Software for social listening, automation, and analytics include:1. Zapier 2. Buffer 3. Iconosquare 4. Later 5. Mention 6. Sprout7. Hootsuite8. Sprinklr9. Brand2410. BuzzSumo

At many organizations, collaboration between the teams needs to appear seamless to clients. While the tactics used are different, both teams play a critical role in achieving goals. It's important to set the groundwork and clear expectations that distinguish and define the two functions and teams. Marketing supports sales and increasing revenue - it's very transactional - and Public Relations supports organizational positioning, culture, and influence - it's work toward a long-term investment in credibility and adds depth to the services and products your organization offers.

Integrating PR and marketing is vital for a unified brand strategy. Ensure consistent messaging, with PR generating newsworthy content and marketing amplifying it across channels. Collaborate on influencer partnerships and leverage data analytics to measure impact. For instance, an apparel brand combined both by promoting sustainability through PR's media coverage and marketing's digital ads, boosting sales and loyalty. In tech, PR generated buzz for a new product, complemented by marketing's social media and email efforts, driving pre-orders. This synergy enhances brand visibility, credibility, and business growth.

PR is not marketing and marketing is not PR. These two functions though complimentary, bring different values to organizations. Marketing wants to make the sales. PR wants to ensure the very product being sold does not jeopardize reputation and engender loyalty post purchase. Both deserve a seat at the product development stage, a seat at management etc. If one is consumed by the other, the organization loses out on the full benefit it could have derived. Honestly, one is not more important than the other. Organizations that benefit from both are the ones that places equal value on these roles and allow them to function like they should.

Don't do it! Marketing and Public Relations (and internal communications) are cousins, not clones. It can work to integrate the two at a smaller organization when the two have different people leading different aspects of the work. When the company gets larger, it's important to create a corporate communications function and make PR part of that function.

Marketing works best when it doesn't sound like marketing, and the same is true of PR. If your customers look at your media work and think "that's PR", then you've already defeated the purpose. Some ways to counteract this:- Leverage customers for PR activities. Have them interview with a reporter on a specific problem they faced, how they solved it, and (maybe) how your product fit in.- Create content with a definite point of view. Even if it implicitly leans towards your product, the content should focus on what has changed in the world to warrant a change in customer behavior.- Create content to spark discussion. Not "hot takey" for the sake of it, but content that genuinely makes two people think in two different ways.