What is the difference between Public Relations and Marketing?
Marketing is investing in paid advertisements such as press, radio, out of home, or any of the pillars of local area marketing to promote and sell products or services to a specific audience.
Public relations (PR) activities engage a third party to drive positive reputation management, typically through unpaid media opportunities, and target a wider range of people as opposed to a specific target audience. Different media opportunities include:
– Earned media – coverage in local publications, radio, TV etc.
– Shared media – collaborate with influential stakeholders to generate positive word of mouth
– Owned media – unpaid media such as social media/website on your own channels
However, marketing and PR complement each other extremely well – after all, any marketing campaign could benefit from a little PR, and any PR campaign would thrive backed by a solid marketing strategy.
How can PR compliment my marketing?
Public relations can be a great way to build your credibility through trusted sources and to further compliment your local area marketing activities. Community engagement activities such as sponsoring a local football club, and hosting local activations, such as coffee giveaways or free events, provide a great opportunity to utilise PR. You could invite local influencers, notify journalists and encourage them to share information about your brand and actions to the wider public, and you could also live stream, share photos and videos on your own social media channels.
How does PR work for a franchise?
Managing public relations for franchises can be complex. One of the big advantages of owning a franchise is having a recognisable brand name behind you, so as with any marketing activity, it is important to balance helping franchisees achieve their goals whilst still aligning with the values of head office and remaining brand compliant.
Generating publicity for individual franchisees and their stores at a local level helps differentiate your store from not only from your local competitors, but also from stores from the same franchise brand in your area. A key way to do this through telling your unique brand story.
How can The Marketing Lab help?
At The Marketing Lab, we recognise there is a story to tell about your franchise, underpinned by the messages and collateral from head office. We also understand that franchisees want efficient and effective campaigns that showcase their business, not just the parent brand. We take the time to understand you and your business, so we can help share your story and help build a positive reputation within your local community. Highlighting your involvement, presence and support of your local area is key in helping you differentiate from competitors.
