Both Marketing and PR are management functions. But in many organizations, PR and marketing have become intertwined and it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The difference lies in the final goal:
The purpose of marketing is to create and bring to market a product or service that people will buy. It works to sell the company’s products and services. It focuses on customers, both existing and potential, by meeting customer demand and moving goods from producers to distributors and consumers.
The purpose of PR, however, is to build relationships with all stakeholders – not just current and potential customers. It is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics. PR strives to develop and maintain relationships and reputation. It focuses on the image of the company.
Marketing directly contributes to the organization’s bottom line, PR indirectly supports its goals and objectives.
