PR vs Marketing vs Advertising: It’s not all just ‘comms’.

PR, marketing and advertising often get grouped together - understandable, given they all deal with messaging and how a business is perceived. But in reality, they do very different jobs.

If you’re clear on the differences, you’re far better placed to make them work properly.

PR is about trust

PR is about shaping how others see you - and, crucially, building trust over time. You can’t just buy it. You earn it through being credible, visible for the right reasons, and showing good judgement.

It’s earned through media coverage, strong relationships, thoughtful comms, and the reputation you build when nobody’s looking. Most of it happens behind the scenes - but when it’s done well, it quietly strengthens everything else.

Marketing is about prompting action

Marketing is more immediate. You’ve got a product, a service, or an idea - and you want people to respond to it. Marketing gets that message in front of the right people at the right time.

It’s usually campaign-led and focused on short or medium-term goals. When it’s clear and well timed, it works. But it still needs something solid underneath – a reputation people already recognise and trust.

Advertising is about visibility

Advertising is the most direct route. You pay for space and decide what goes in it. That could be digital, print, broadcast, social - whatever you need at the time.

It’s clear and direct, which can be useful for visibility and brand recall. But because everyone knows it’s paid-for, it rarely builds trust on its own.

So what comes first?

Each has its place, but PR does the long-term work. You can run all the campaigns and ads you like – but without a reputation people trust, it doesn’t last.

That’s why PR usually goes first. It builds the kind of long-term credibility the rest depends on. Get that right, and everything else stands a better chance of working.

In short:

• PR is your reputation.

• Marketing starts the conversation.

• Advertising puts it in the window.

You need all three - but it’s the reputation bit that tends to outlast the rest.