PR: How to Promote Your Brand and How PR Differs from Marketing

PR is about managing a company's reputation, aimed at establishing and maintaining good relationships with the public. The goal of this approach is to create an attractive image that engages the audience and helps achieve business objectives. The abbreviation stands for "public relations."

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.

How to work correctly with the target audience? And how to segment it? Read the article: Target Audience: Why to Define It, How to Classify and Segment It.

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.

Key tools of white PR:

Native PR. This approach involves a company creating materials that are useful or interesting for its target audience while naturally integrating mentions of its products, services, or brand. Such publications are perceived more positively than traditional advertising because they focus on solving specific needs or questions that the audience may have.

For more details on native advertising and how to use it, read the article: Native Advertising: Its Pros and Cons, Its Types and Benefits.

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.

An article from a sports equipment store

Working with newsworthy events. Using current events to attract attention to a brand. Such materials generate interest and are often shared in the media or on social networks.

How to use newsworthy events in marketing? Read the article: A Newsbreak, Its Types and How to Create It.

Collaboration with influencers. Opinion leaders, such as bloggers and celebrities, have the ability to influence their followers and shape their preferences. Many companies invite them to become brand ambassadors or participate in joint projects. For example, a popular blogger might create a post where they casually mention a company's product, sparking interest among their audience and driving demand.

A marketing post from a blogger

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

Black PR is a technique in which false or distorted information is spread to damage a competitor's reputation. It is commonly used in political battles or highly competitive industries.

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:

Inoculation is a strategy where a person or company deliberately shares unpleasant facts about themselves so that opponents cannot use them. This helps prevent exaggeration by competitors and keeps the situation under control.

Hyperbolization is a method where unpleasant information is exaggerated to absurdity. For example, if someone criticizes a new product, claiming it doesn’t work, a response could state that the product is "so harmful it might destroy humanity." This kind of absurd exaggeration reduces the seriousness of the original criticism and makes it seem ridiculous to the audience.

What is gray PR

Gray PR is also used to damage competitors' reputations, but it does not rely on false data. Instead, it is based on the truth. Unlike black PR, gray PR does not distort information but presents it in a way that benefits those using it. This is common in politics and brand promotion, where negative materials are published under the guise of "independent sources."

What is green PR

Green PR is used by companies and professionals who promote environmental initiatives. This type of PR focuses on sustainability and nature conservation. However, for it to be effective, a brand must be genuine in its intentions. If an environmental campaign appears to be just a way to improve a company’s image, the audience may perceive it as insincere and turn away from the brand.

What is yellow PR

Yellow PR involves using scandals and sensationalism to attract attention. This can include information about personal conflicts or high-profile events involving public figures, which is widely spread in the media. Celebrities often use this type of PR to maintain public interest in their persona.

What is pink PR

Pink PR is aimed at those who are inclined to believe in idealized images. This approach is lighthearted and dreamy, creating an atmosphere of warmth and magic. Its goal is to evoke emotions and inspire sympathy. Bloggers often use this type of PR, especially for promoting digital products, as it helps create a cozy and inviting atmosphere for their audience.

Marketing or PR?

Marketing is everything that prepares a customer for a purchase, including the product, price, place, and promotion. It helps create the foundation for making a purchase.

PR works with the media to attract attention to a product or brand. A PR specialist looks for media outlets that can cover the product and "promotes" it through news and articles. This builds trust and interest among the audience.

Integrated marketing is when marketing and PR work together. For example, if the PR department places an article in a well-known publication, the marketing team can use this coverage for promotion on social media and other platforms. This amplifies the effect and increases trust.

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.