No, Ad is not PR

As an intern in an Ad agency with a degree in PR, I've been in a good place to live from the inside the differences between these two disciplines. Here are some of those I've noticed.

• We don't pitch the same people

This is the first thing that makes a big difference between Ad and PR.  The only people Ad pros have to convince are the clients.

• There's not the same amount of writings

Sure, as a copywriter, I still have to write slogans and texts but compared to what I've done during my PR's internships, this is a breeze.

• No Social Media

My work is not related at all to Social medias. I don't know if it's just in our agency or if Ad doesn't care about Social Media. May be this has to do with the seal of secrecy that marks each Ad campaign or the fact that they (may be) have nothing to tell the public.

• Ad is "Look at me now" 

Ad is about showcasing the brand under its best profile. Even if this means exagerate a little bit. Ad is very narcissic. 

• Journos who?

I don't think I've talk to a journalist since I work here; Actually, I'm sure I haven't  said a word to a journalist on a professional purpose since I'm here. I think since Ad is paid publicity, there is no need to build lasting relationship with journos. You paid, they publish. That's it.

• No media monitoring 

Don't get me wrong. When I said, no media monitoring, it's except of checking the newpapers, magazines, watching TV and listening to radio in order to make sure the message that was transmitted is published.

• Message control

Ad is a control freak about message. I don't think PR could ever control its messages the way Ad does. In the agency, they know exactly what each billboard, each TV, each radio, each website is going to be showing/telling, at what time and for how long. 

This is definitely not a complete list and as I read on many websites and blogs, there's a lot more to say on what makes PR different from Ad. Going through one of these blogs, Spinsucks, I found a good article with excellent comments on the subject. This one that totally hits the point according to me:

I agree with most everything you say, Gini, but I also come at the question from another perspective.

I think we all agree that advertising is paid publicity while public relations is free (or “earned” if you like that feel-good euphemism) publicity and a whole lot more, as you note.

Beyond that, I think the core difference has more to do with purpose than price. Advertising is, for the most part, a marketing tool designed to generate sales or other desired transactions and in some cases to build brand awareness. Public relations seeks to create lasting relationships, increase visibility and build reputations. It does not generally seek to generate immediate transactions. It is not marketing, although it has increasingly (and unfortunately in my view) been subsumed under a marketing umbrella in most organizations.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between a “brand” and a “reputation” it’s this: a brand is how an organization sees itself; a reputation is how people actually see an organization and they think of it.