What is the difference between marketing and publicity? How are they different from other forms of promotion? Many business owners and marketers don’t really know the difference between the two, some even use the terms interchangeably. While they are very much related to each other, there are quite a few differences between them.
Since marketing and publicity are two of the most important aspects of any business, it is important to know how they work. We’ll start by defining each term and then look at its differences and similarities.
What Does Marketing Mean?
Marketing is a strategic process used for a product or service. It involves the development, pricing, promotion, and distribution of a product that creates value for the buyer or customer. It’s a broad term that can be applied in many different situations.
Marketing is not just a set of tools but a long-term process that involves identifying customer needs, determining what the customer values, and developing a product or service to meet those needs.
Examples of Marketing Activities
Marketing is what most small businesses do to get started. It’s a low-cost venture that can be used to get your name out there and generate interest in what you’re doing. There are several examples of marketing activities, such as:
- Creating marketing materials like brochures, flyers, and newsletters.
- Creating ads that are placed on television, radio, in print, on billboards, and online.
- Buying search engine listings and advertising on search engines like Google and Yahoo.
- Sending direct mailings to your targeted clients.
- Reaching out to people via social networks such as Facebook.
What Does Publicity Mean?
Publicity occurs when a media source writes or broadcasts a story about you and your business. Unlike marketing, publicity is not really a process. It’s more of a result of a situation that someone has created.
Publicity is not always planned and can occur in many different ways. It can happen when a celebrity is seen in your products, when you win an award, or when you produce a high-profile campaign that needs attention.
Receiving publicity is not an accident, but it’s not the result of an ad, either. It’s usually the result of the media source’s coverage of the event or happening. It’s a by-product of what you do, so it has nothing to do with trying to create an ad or sell a product.
Examples of Publicity
Publicity is one of the fastest ways to gain recognition for your company or product. Most people think of publicity in terms of the news media because that is where most publicity occurs, but it also includes being featured in magazines, blogs, business journals, television, and radio. It’s a great way to get your product or service out there with very little expense.
Publicity could include:
- Being interviewed on television or radio.
- Appearing in a print article in a newspaper or magazine.
- Being mentioned on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.
- Being mentioned in a blog or other web-based publication.
What’s the Difference Between Marketing and Publicity?
Marketing and publicity are related because they are both used to promote your business. They’re basically two sides of the same coin. They have some similarities, but in many ways, they are also very different. Publicity is not a process but a result of one, and it’s usually not controlled. Ultimately, it’s the result of a chance or unexpected event.
Marketing, on the other hand, is a long-term process that is planned. It involves understanding the needs and desires of your current and potential customers and developing a product or service that will ultimately meet those needs. The result is a process that usually involves many different aspects, such as the creation of an ad, search engine listing, direct mail campaigns, and social media.
Conclusion
Marketing and publicity are both important aspects of running a successful business. You must not ignore marketing because it’s what you do to generate interest in your product. At the same time, you can’t ignore publicity because it’s how you get your name out there.
If you want to learn more about marketing and publicity, then working with an agency you can rely on is important. Elly and Nora Creative is a boutique creative agency that focuses on telling great stories of its clients through publicity, digital content, and branding. As one of today’s leading brand designers for small businesses, we leverage the power of strategy to help you build a better brand for your business. Partner with us today!
