PR & Marketing: The Dynamic Duo
/Jordyn Amazeen
At Walt & Company, we have found it’s quite common for businesses – especially startups, small businesses or those without in-house comms teams – to have questions about the distinction between PR and Marketing.
Without a strong PR foundation, Marketing efforts may lack trust, authenticity, and third-party validation, while PR without marketing can struggle to convert awareness into tangible business results. The most successful brands employ PR and Marketing, not as separate silos but complementary forces that amplify each other to build a cohesive brand narrative.
PR and Marketing oftentimes share common goals, but they differ in their methods and focus. Collaboration between PR and Marketing is more than just beneficial - it's a strategic advantage - and leads to more coherent messaging, wider audience reach and stronger customer trust, ultimately driving growth.
Public Relations
PR is centered around managing a brand’s reputation and building strong relationships with various stakeholders, including media, influencers, customers, or employees, depending on the goal of the program or campaign. Successful PR programs help to shape public perception through storytelling, media coverage, accolades, events, and social initiatives, among other strategies. While Marketing is often focused on driving sales, the goal of PR is to create and maintain a positive image for the brand over the long term, helping to contribute to sales.
PR builds the trust and third-party credibility needed to make marketing more effective. Earned media through PR is often shared through social media, word-of-mouth and other platforms, increasing the impact and audience reach of other paid marketing strategies. Also, PR ensures communications channels are reinforcing consistent messaging and a narrative that sets the brand apart from competitors.
Marketing
Marketing, on the other hand, focuses mainly on promoting products and services to generate leads and sales. Marketing tools, such as digital ads and content marketing, traditionally have costs associated and are used to attract potential customers.
Public Relations + Marketing
PR and marketing are most effective when they work together as part of an integrated strategy. Pairing the two creates a more comprehensive and cohesive brand strategy. Marketing efforts that aren’t supported by PR can lack the cohesion needed to be truly effective across audiences.
While Marketing works to generate leads, PR ensures those leads trust and believe in the brand’s story. Similarly, while PR secures media coverage or builds brand credibility, Marketing capitalizes on this momentum to convert the audience into loyal customers
By pairing PR and Marketing, brands:
Reach a Larger Audience – PR can amplify marketing efforts by earning media coverage, which exposes the brand to a wider, more engaged audience
Build Trust – While Marketing promotes product, PR works on building the brand's credibility and trustworthiness, which adds value and reinforces customer loyalty
Craft Consistent Messaging and Narratives – When both PR and Marketing are aligned, the brand's message remains consistent across all channels, ensuring clarity and coherence for audiences
Drive Long-Term Success – While Marketing may drive short-term conversions, PR fosters long-term reputation-building, ensuring sustained growth for the brand
