PR vs. Advertising

In recent years, the number of advertisements that the public views each day has increased dramatically. While companies have spent more and more money on advertising campaigns, people becoming less affected by each individual message. This phenomenon is known as the “wallpaper affect.” Although, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we are surrounded by thousands of advertisements, most of us cannot recall the majority of these messages. Luckily, there is an easy solution to the problem, Public Relations. PR offers a cheaper and more affective way for a company to promote its product or service. PR works differently than advertising in that it is disseminated through a third party rather than being a one-sided message. Advertising doesn’t tell the whole story, it does not present alternatives, and is often misleading. While publics cannot believe what they see in advertisements, they do believe what they hear on the news and read in newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Today, advertising is more creative than in the past and has become less productive and more of an art form. While creativity allows for an entertaining advertisement, it does not generate interest or change people’s attitudes towards a product. While many companies such as Energizer, Isuzu, General Motors, and Kmart have spent more money on advertising than any other company in their industry, they still are well behind their competitors in sales. Is this because their products are inferior? No, in fact most people do not see much or any difference between the products. However, these companies have not been able to distinguish their selves from their competitors. While these businesses have jumped around from one advertising agency to another, the solution to their problems has been right in front of them the whole time. The answer is Public Relations.