PR: How to Promote Your Brand and How PR Differs from Marketing
What is PR and why does your business need it?
PR is not just about communicating with customers but also about building relationships with other key stakeholders: partners, contractors, government agencies, investors, and internal teams. Its goal is to establish and strengthen trust in the company and its values over the long term.
Unlike marketing, which mainly focuses on working with buyers, PR covers a broader audience. For example, PR activities may include meetings with students, who are seen as potential employees, as well as events for journalists and investors.
The target audience of PR is determined by business objectives—it may involve increasing brand awareness, attracting investments, or strengthening the company's reputation within a professional community.
PR serves multiple functions that help a company not only gain recognition but also build long-term relationships with its audience. Here are the key tasks:
- Increasing awareness. PR delivers information about a company, product, or individual to a broad audience through media, social networks, and events.
- Building a reputation. A positive brand perception is created through honest communication.
- Promoting values. PR effectively conveys a company’s mission and key ideas. This helps brands attract like-minded individuals and build a unique identity.
- Crisis management. When problems arise, PR helps minimize damage, restore trust, and reestablish communication with affected parties.
- Strengthening industry position. Through professional publications, participation in conferences, and coverage of achievements, companies establish themselves as leaders in their field.
- Maintaining loyalty. PR engages not only customers but also employees, partners, and investors, strengthening trust and support at all levels.
A key feature of PR is its long-term focus. It is not a one-time campaign but continuous work on enhancing the company’s image, fostering loyalty, and solidifying its position in society.
What are the PR functions?
- Analysis and planning — studying audience needs and developing a promotion strategy.
- Monitoring and response — assessing public sentiment and preventing potential conflicts.
- Building relationships — establishing beneficial connections with key groups, including customers, investors, media, and partners.
- Maintaining the brand image — continuously managing brand perception to keep it relevant and valuable.
PR helps a company not only be heard but also build trusted relationships with society, which is a crucial factor in its sustainable growth.
PR technologies: what types exist
PR technologies can be classified in different ways. For example, there are areas related to interaction with the media, work with target audiences, professional communities, or internal corporate communication.
Each of these approaches divides PR into several categories, designated by colors. These categories reflect the specifics of work in a particular field and involve the use of various methods and tools.
Below, we will look at the different types of PR.
What is white PR and how does it work?
White PR is the foundation of communications, aimed at creating a positive image of a company or individual through truthful and useful information. This approach is universal, as it suits any industry and helps build trust.
For example, if a company sells sports equipment, it can prepare an article on how to choose the right accessories for home workouts. The article may include information on which exercises are effective for different muscle groups, and in the process of explaining, suitable products of the brand are mentioned. Such an article appears as useful content rather than a direct advertising campaign, which increases trust in the brand.
White PR is not just about creating a positive image but also about the ability to timely and effectively communicate information about oneself, emphasizing value for the audience.
What is black PR
Negative materials are often published in various media, forums, and social networks. This is the main form of black PR, but there are also methods to protect against such attacks:
What is gray PR
What is green PR
What is yellow PR
What is pink PR
Marketing or PR?
What tools are used in PR?
To successfully engage with the public, PR specialists use various approaches. Here are some key ones:
- Press releases – distributing information about new products, company changes, or significant events through the media.
- Events – participating in conferences and exhibitions helps attract the attention of potential customers and journalists. Some brands also organize their own events.
- Expert articles – creating articles or providing commentary for the media to showcase the company’s expertise.
- Social media – managing accounts on social media and blogging platforms helps effectively communicate information and increase brand visibility.
- Influencer marketing – some brands send their products to bloggers for review.
Conclusion
PR is a way to build and maintain relationships with the audience.
By using various tools such as media engagement, social media, and collaboration with opinion leaders, a brand can not only increase its recognition but also establish trust.