The Concepts of Advertising and Public Relations - Essay Example

CONCEPTS OF ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Advertising and public relations are two critical concepts in today’s world. Contemporary organizational practices strive to ensure that each of the two concepts is accounted for at all times. The idea is to realize that marketing mix and/or public relations strategy that works for an organization. In practice, advertising encompasses an act of encouragement, persuasion, or influence directed towards a targeted consumer base by any given organization (Chia & Synnott, 2012).

Such an organization could either be for profit or non-profit.On the other hand, public relations entail strategic communication between an organization and the public (Chia & Synnott, 2012). In this case, the targeted public is not necessarily part of any given consumer base. However, the practice of influence, encouragement, or influence still plays a fundamental role as far as public relations are concerned. In essence, public relations work towards effective and efficient management of the underlying communication between an organization and its targeted publics (Wilcox, Glen, Philip, & Warren, 2003).

In light of the above definitions, advertising and public relations are essentially intertwined, but they still have their operational differences in actual practice. Advertising, which makes use of marketing communication, strives to influence consumer behaviour and perceptions towards given products and/or services (Chia & Synnott, 2012). In so doing, the result is to sell and at the same time convince the consumer to buy. While modes of advertising vary from one consumer target to another, the common denominator is that advertising is designed to influence consumer attitude.

According to Chia and Synnott (2012), Clow and Baack, Means-End theory, and Leverage Points are critical models upon which advertising is practiced. Before buying, consumers move through progressive steps of decision making before choosing a product or service. The process of decision making, however, is not complete without a desirable end-state. In order to achieve an end-state, consumers have to establish a link between the benefits realized from a given purchase to their own individual values (Doksoz, 2004).

These aspects draw the critical line of difference between advertising and public relations. However, the relationship between advertising and public relations is that they both target people’s attitudes and perceptions, and subsequently try to influence these people in one way or another.Just like advertising, communication is critical to the success of public relations. Public relations are founded on the principle of information flow, where an organization maintains functional communication strategies with its publics.

The model of public relations is not only to establish public exposure, but also to maintain specific points of view between the public and the organization involved (Heath, 2001).Finally, advertising primarily targets a given consumer base, while public relations goes a step further to account for employees, partners, and investors among other stakeholders (Siddiqui & Alam, 2010). Amid this differentiating factor, there are notable points of relationship between advertising and public relations.

Both advertising and public relations make use of online platforms, media, and technology to drive marketing communication and information flow management respectively.ReferencesChia, J. & Synnott, G. (2012). An Introduction to Public Relations and Communication Management. Sydney: Oxford University Press.Doksoz, R. E. (2004). ‘Public Relations and Romania: Tourism and Dracula’s Homeland’, In: Tilson, Donn James and Emmanuel C. Alozie, Toward the Common Good. Perspectives in International Public Relations.

Boston: Pearson.Heath, R. L. (2001). ‘Defining the Discipline’, In: Heath, Robert L. (ed) Handbook of Public Relations. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Siddiqui, K. & Alam, Q. (2010). Diplomacy and Statecraft. Prahran: Tilde University Press.Wilcox, D. L., Glen, T. C., Philip, H. A., & Warren, K. A. (2003). Public Relations. Strategies and Tactics. Boston: Pearson.