Marketing vs. PR: Five Rules for Effective Interaction in Business

In business, the idea that marketing and PR perform the same functions is still widespread. At first glance, this may seem to be the case, because ultimately the task of all business units is to develop it by increasing profits. However, this approach is flawed and risky. After all, the task of marketing is to deliver quick and visible business results "here and now", while communications play the "long game", building trust and brand reputation in the long term.

It is these intangible assets that become crucial in crisis situations, and ignoring them comes at a high cost to businesses. Those owners who understand the difference between these two business functions will always come out ahead, forming a strong foundation for growth.

What exactly threatens a business when it confuses PR and marketing?

Personnel confusion

People with a "marketing mindset" who don't understand the specifics of working with trust, contexts, and values end up in PR.

A telling example was Pepsi's 2017 campaign with Kendall Jenner: the company tried to use social protest as a marketing tool, but without a deep understanding of the context, this led to a scandal. The advertisement was perceived as devaluing the Black Lives Matter movement, and within a day, Pepsi was forced to pull the ad and apologize, suffering serious reputational damage.

Toxic Marketing

Without a PR strategy, marketing starts to "drive" the customer into sales: more and more promotions, more promises, more pressure. This is how consumer fatigue is formed.