There is PR, there is advertising, there is marketing … these do complement each other and prey on each others’ territory. 

Ideally all 3 disciplines should work as musicians in an orchestra. For best results. And to leverage each others’ strengths.

But what happens when they don’t?

Today I will touch upon advertising and PR and advertising vs PR.

Ad guys, however good they are at their work, don’t understand PR and -treat it with disdain. The feeling is mutual. Some 25 years ago, working in Trikaya Advertising, but in their Profile (PR wing), I had the good fortune to be briefed by an ad executive from their mother ad service on the launch of a very highly priced international perfume crossing into the Indian borders for the first time ever. I drafted a press release, based on the information he provided, which tickled him no end. However, he had a serious doubt. “Your press release says this is a perfume, I would rather you creatively rework the release to indicate it is perfume without actually mentioning it in so many words.” No doubt it would require superior sleight of hand to pull off such a gimmick, which only bad buys … sorry ad guys can do, but I asked him the reason for his concern. “Silly that you ask”, he retorted, “perfumes attract a very high duty in ALL communications and this will mean that my client will be slapped with a huge penalty. If he goes broke, you won’t get your bread and butter, leave alone jam, what with the measly amount that Profile PR brings into Trikaya’s overall kitty.”

Verily, he was the silly billy, as an advertising message is a different entity altogether in legal and taxation terms compared to a PR message.

More in my next.