A public relations agency used to predominately use newspapers, magazines, television and radio to do their PR. As the internet has grown over the last two decades, digital marketing and digital PR have become huge. A PR agency has therefore had to learn to straddle both worlds, the virtual or the digital world, and the real world, that of newspapers and magazines and TV. And PR agencies have to be smart. They have to know where potential markets are looking. If they are doing PR for let’s say beach umbrellas and chairs, where are people looking to buy beach umbrellas and chairs? They are more than likely looking online and they are looking for good online prices as well as delivery. A PR agency would therefore do the PR online, targeting the right market. But they might also suggest an ad in a newspaper if there is a feature on beach holidays or so. It depends on the client, it depends on the client’s target market and it depends on the client’s budget.
Is PR advertising?
The example we gave you above is pretty much a public relations agency that is doing advertising for a client. But PR does not have to be advertising, though this can be where the lines are blurred somewhat. PR is about bringing attention to a service or a supply or a product. PR could be bringing attention to a big musical concert taking place in a few months. PR would probably be on the radio and online. PR could be about communications, a company getting out information, say on the vaccine for Covid. This would be radio, digital, TV, newspapers, everything. The client would be big. A public relations agency needs to straddle many platforms of PR.
