PR Vs Marketing: Powerful Differences That Will Shape Your Success

A lot of people confuse PR vs. marketing; their purposes can often seem interchangeable. Yet, while they work hand in hand and their own success relies on the other, their goals, audiences, and strategies are completely different. 

Same Team, Different Goals: Understanding PR vs Marketing

Public relations and marketing function just like skin care and makeup. That instant glow-up that makeup provides that will make heads turn is marketing. The quiet, consistent rituals of skincare that create long-term, effortless radiance are PR.

Although makeup and skin care have similar purposes, their strategies and goals are entirely different. Makeup will make people look; skincare will make people remember. 

PR shapes how the media, public, and stakeholders see your brand. It builds credibility, trust, and reputation. Meanwhile, marketing will center on product awareness, engagement, sales, and revenue. 

PR vs Marketing are often seen as rivals, with two departments taking credit when things go right. But the truth is, they are two sides of the same coin. 

This difference can be seen clearly in Glossier’s evolution as a brand. Early on, the brand relied on brand activation, community-driven experiences, and user-generated content, creating meaningful and authentic experiences (PR). Through this, the brand established a strong and loyal online community where audiences and customers felt seen and heard.

As the brand grew, its strategy changed. Now, Glossier uses more traditional advertising methods. These bold billboard campaigns have expanded Glossier’s audience. They’ve also helped establish the brand’s identity, driving visibility and sales. 

While PR focuses on emotional connection, marketing drives the results. Together, they are able to develop awareness that transforms into loyalty and stories that transform into sales. It’s not about knowing the differences between PR and marketing. It's about recognizing how those differences will work together to build a brand people remember.  

The Art of Influence vs The Science of Sales

PR is the strategy that manages how the public, media, and main stakeholders will recognize a brand. The purpose is to tell a true story. This will create a strong reputation.

A good reputation brings trust, credibility, and, most importantly, loyalty. PR will focus on shaping an opinion and narrative that will influence and shape how people feel about the brand. Unlike marketing, PR aims for long-term goals. It focuses on building lasting relationships that will boost brand recognition. 

How PR does it:

• Craft a story that reflects the values and mission of the brand. 
• Manage reputation crises with empathy and full transparency.
• Reinforce brand identity through events and partnerships. 

Marketing is the strategy behind the promotion and sales of a product or service. Its main focus is to understand the consumers' needs and create a campaign that shows how the product fulfills those needs. Its goal is to drive awareness and engagement that will lead to sales.

Where PR builds a relationship, marketing drives the action and measures the results. 

How marketing does it:

• Conduct market research to understand their customers' behavior.
• The audience's response builds the adaptation strategy. 
• Create visual campaigns that will highlight the product. 

A strong example of how both marketing vs PR do their work is Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign. Their PR team focused on reshaping the conversation the public and customers have around what is thought of as “the beauty standard.” They changed the conversation, and they were able to build trust and emotional resonance with their customers.

On the other hand, the marketing team focused on amplifying this message and mission through ads and visual campaigns. These were designed not only to drive product sales but also to drive awareness.

By accepting and addressing a real problem, —unrealistic beauty standards— Dove was able to build an emotional and authentic connection with their customers that helped their sales surge from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion. 

Who’s Listening? Understanding Their Audiences

In PR vs marketing, brands must clearly define their target audience. They should know exactly who they want to reach and how to communicate with them effectively. Each department has to focus on a different audience to achieve their goals. 

PR target audience is media outlets, journalists, investors, employees, and the general public. The tone is relationship-driven; it needs to be truthful and genuine. The message is going to focus on sharing the brand's story and values to create a narrative that people can trust and support. 

Marketing audiences, on the other hand, are potential or existing customers, people who will actually buy the product. The tone should be engaging, persuasive, and deeply resonant. This message has to focus on the benefits and conveniences, turning interest into sales.

However, brands should be aware that their campaigns are not for everyone and not everyone is  going to be pleased, and that is okay. 

A brand that has been extremely successful at this has been Nike.  Nick faces backlash for supporting Colin Kaepernick. The company responded through press interviews and media statements. They made it clear they support athletes fighting for social change. This position strengthened their marketing strategy, making the “Dream Crazy” campaign the campaign that risked everything… and won.

And while the PR choices sparked a lot of debate, their marketing campaign resonated with their young and diverse consumers, strengthening loyalty and boosting sales. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Nike didn’t try to win over everyone. Instead, their PR and marketing spoke to those who value bold, purpose-driven brands. 

In PR, communication will happen through press releases, interviews, events, or partnerships. Places where the reputation, values, and story of the company will be genuine. In marketing, communication is visual. It uses ads, social media posts, and influencer partnerships.

These tools help products connect with their target audience and create an emotional bond.

Building Trust vs Driving Action: How Each Fuels Success

PR ensures brand success through lasting relationships, reputation, and resonance.  When the media or public trust and feel connected to a brand, that bond lasts long, even after a campaign ends. But, unlike marketing, PR does not measure sales.

So, how does PR measure its success? The success of a PR campaign is measured by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as audience reach, brand mentions, and how people talk and feel about the brand online. These KPIs will show how the brand grows over time.

PR takes patience, and the stronger the story, the stronger the relationships, and the longer the brand will stay relevant.

Marketing drives success. It boosts brand awareness, increases sales, and builds a strong brand position. Marketing focuses on strategy, data, and conversion. Every campaign focuses on understanding consumer behavior. Creative visuals and ads grab attention, leading to engagement and sales.

Their key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure success will be sales revenue, click-through rates, website traffic, return on investment (ROI), etc. In marketing, numbers tell the story; if the data shows growth and retention, the strategy has been successful. Marketing is about short-term growth; it’s fast, data-driven, and always changing to fulfill customers’ needs. 

In the entertainment industry, the difference in how they each fuel and measure their success is really clear. The PR team will track media coverage, interviews, and social buzz during the film release.

This helps them measure their reach and gauge public sentiment. The marketing team will track ticket pre-sales, general ticket sales, and return on investment. This data will show if the audience is buying. 

When Stories and Sales Collide: Why the Best Brands Use Both

The question should never be about choosing one or the other. When it comes to PR vs marketing, to succeed, both will be needed. Marketing will grab attention and will be what draws people in. PR keeps that attention and relevancy alive, building trust, reputation, and loyalty in the long run.

The success of one will pivot the success of the other. It’s not PR vs marketing—it's PR AND marketing. And brands that understand that PR and marketing are on the same team get it right! 

Coca-Cola: Their PR highlights brand goodwill. They focus on community programs and messages of global unity. While their marketing will create emotional ads that will resonate with people (“Share a Coke” campaign). 

Fenty Beauty: Their PR focuses on building trust and loyalty through inclusivity and accessibility, while their marketing helps amplify that message through their campaigns. 

Rare Beauty: Their PR leverages Selena Gomez’s authenticity and mental health mission. Marketing turns that emotional connection into conversation through clean and clear campaigns and partnerships.  

In the end, PR vs marketing is a relationship, and the best brands know it. PR builds loyalty, while marketing builds excitement. And when those two forces work together, a brand’s voice becomes impossible to ignore.

✍️ Written by Maria Uribe Duarte