Is PR still the red-headed stepchild of marketing?

The truth is, public relations is still seen as the red-headed stepchild of marketing.

For every great PR campaign, you have a marketing campaign that everyone’s talking about. You can work 1,000 hours on a social media campaign, gain a zillion followers and then see your work overlooked because a commercial did well.

Why does this happen?

Visibility

People talk about what’s right in front of their faces. If they see a commercial that blows their mind, they’ll tweet about it, email their friends, post it on Facebook and discuss it around the water cooler.

On the other hand, public relations is a slow build up. A press release generally never becomes the talk of the town. A well orchestrated Facebook campaign doesn’t inspire anyone to post or talk about it on the morning commute. PR campaigns usually work over time and build up communities rather than buzz.

Fast vs. slow

Let’s face it: People want fast results. If something is going to generate sales like crazy, they’re going to sing its praises. Marketing, not public relations, accomplishes this.