The following is an excerpt from “DON’T: The Essential Guide to Publicity in New York City (and any other city that matters).”
Good news! Your client comes referred by an ad agency with a complete marketing plan that comprises a slick press kit, a series of broadcast spots in the can and a sweeping print strategy. All you have to do is start calling newspapers, get a few TV interviews and maybe whip up a couple of cool events. Your job couldn’t get any easier, right?
Not necessarily.
People who think they understand the value of publicity may treat it as merely another appendage of advertising or marketing. In fact, the two are completely distinct; even with an already-existing marketing or advertising strategy, publicity requires a separate, yet parallel, strategy altogether.
So your client has a renowned agency with a brilliant campaign already in place. So their sales have jumped X-percent since their series of media spots started running in target markets. How does this help you? Well, maybe it gives you a bubblier client to work with, but beyond that, not much. Appearing in an ad means simply that you have enough money to gain access to a certain club (Vogue, Forbes, etc.) to court customers.
Successful publicity, by contrast, means that the club has chosen you. This perceived third-party endorsement makes all the difference. It’s earned media. It’s nine out of ten “dentists” recommending your client’s product in an ad versus one beloved national TV host hanging on your client’s every word between the ads.
As different as the effects of these two approaches are, so too are the strategies that make each successful. To be eye-catching, even outrageous, to convey an emotion or capture a mood is often all an ad needs to succeed in energizing the consumer to rise, go forth and buy stuff. A media placement, on the other hand, must provide information of such intrinsic value that the consumer not only a) becomes aware of the brand but b) personally identifies with it and c) accepts it as quintessential.
It is media based on educated persuasion, not dollars.
For more information or to purchase “DON’T” visit dontnewyorkcity.com.
This is an excellent explanation of the distinct role publicity and marketing play. Advertisements can be effective in grabbing the public’s attention about a product or service, but successful publicity convinces the public the product or service is beneficial. Ads can be bought, but publicity seeks to acquire the advocacy of esteemed individuals and corporations to garner the public’s support.
Good points, Amelia (and Marco). I would also argue that a lot of viewers of television (especially with TiVo and DVR) and readers of magazines/newspapers simply tune the ads out, therefore exemplifying the importance of actual editorial content. Of course, that also means that the info and pitches PR pros provide must be substantial and effective, and without fluff.