You Don’t Know Jack About Integrated Marketing

 
by Diana Lewis, Account Coordinator
 

Advertising and PR, two completely separate entities? Here at RBOA, we don’t think so, but the co-founder of Peppercom Strategic Communications Firm divided the two as if they were oil and vinegar in a recent blog post called “You Don’t Know Jack About PR.”

The blog focused on the traditional roles of advertising and PR, and why PR is more important, but we believe an integrated approach is the best strategy for delivering results. Advertising and PR both have unique qualities that establish their place in the communications world, and one is not better or more valuable than the other. In fact, they can – and should – complement one another and work together toward common goals if you want to maximize your investment.

Our Response

While we agree that there are fundamental differences between Advertising and PR, these differences are what provide the opportunity and the necessity to blend the two together to reach modern audiences.  At RBOA, we believe that all of your communications efforts should be integrated to work together as one. The same key messages that you talk about in your press releases should be featured in your advertising, extending the overall reach of your messages and increasing the likelihood that your audiences will be able to recall the information. For this reason, our account managers are involved in every step of the way – from posting social media and writing press releases to creating advertising campaigns and purchasing media – to ensure that we are communicating the same messages in every medium.

We craft an integrated and complementary mix of public relations, marketing, digital, advertising and design strategies to reach our audiences and achieve objectives. PR, paid advertising and digital marketing are all pieces of a much larger picture – our comprehensive marketing plan. Every client needs a unique balance of the three, but we believe it is the balance that makes them so powerful as a whole.

Both advertising and PR are rapidly changing with the increase in digital marketing and, in many ways, meeting in the middle ground somewhere between Twitter and and your television.

Traditionally, advertising involves paid placement of a company or brand’s messaging using mediums such as web banners, commercials and print ads; while PR is all about earned exposure for a company using tactics such as media releases, special events, social media and press conferences.  But as the digital spectrum absorbs much of our attention and our media, our philosophies and definitions must adapt.

This shift from traditional advertising and PR is in large part to the rise in digital marketing. In an increasingly connected world, digital marketing (i.e., social media, web development, SEO, mobile and reputation management) is an essential component of any business plan, and often the first impression of your brand customer’s receive is digital. So why not blend all three together in an integrated approach?

The Bottom Line

While Steve Cody made some good points, we believe PR and Advertising have evolved and can no longer be considered separate industries. Advertising and PR should work together to tell the same story. This level of cohesion keeps your message clear and your audience happy.

While digital marketing is a rapidly growing and evolving specialty, we believe the most effective approach to marketing continues to integrate both PR and advertising into these new mediums. Public relations and advertising should never exist alone. Research says it takes 4 to 5 times for a message to make an impact on someone, which is why it’s so important for your message to be consistent. A comprehensive approach using integrated marketing puts the goal in focus and allows us to target our audience through digital marketing, PR and advertising.

With integrated marketing communications, we can increase brand awareness, drive revenue and engage our audience across multiple platforms.  Integrated marketing is a holistic approach to communication that combines new and traditional forms of communication to connect across multiple platforms, and that’s what we practice every day at RBOA.