When it comes to effectively marketing your business, branding and public relations are two of the most important considerations, with both playing a key role in enhancing your public image, and ultimately, driving sales.
Whilst branding relates to the image of your business in terms of it being recognisable and memorable amongst target audiences, public relations is all about adding to the conversation and amplifying the reputation of your business through a carefully crafted communications strategy.
The most successful businesses understand the importance of having strong strategies in place for both – neither one should be seen a bigger priority than the other, and instead, they must work together to deliver noticeable short and long-term value.
Although it may seem straightforward, we often hear from business owners that are confused on how best to approach the situation, as they look to ensure both elements receive the necessary care and attention. In this blog, we will discuss the key differences between branding and public relations, exploring the benefits that can be experienced if both are managed appropriately.
What is PR?
Formally known as public relations, PR refers to the strategic communication from an organisation to the public that has been designed to maintain or cultivate public image and/or respond to public discourse. When practiced successfully, this communication will help build mutually beneficial relationships with members of your audience, boosting the reputation and image of your business.
There are a number of ways to achieve this outcome, from the creation of impactful media campaigns to the consistent delivery of insightful thought leadership articles, either on your company’s website or via popular social media channels.
Traditionally, PR would involve writing press releases and articles that clearly outline the key messages or perspectives of a business, before sharing these with media outlets in the hope of securing coverage that helps it reach a much wider audience. In doing this, businesses can establish credibility and authority – both of which are extremely valuable when looking to grow and build on an already strong reputation.
In more recent times, digital PR has become increasingly popular amongst businesses, which focuses solely on the role of PR in the online world. Like traditional PR, it too involves the creation of articles but with the aim of securing coverage in online news publications with the bonus of improving a business’ SEO performance through the inclusion of backlinks.
Simply put, PR is an effective way of shaping the public’s perception of your business, giving you the opportunity to speak to a much larger audience whilst enhancing its credibility as an industry leader.
What is branding?
Unlike PR, effective brand management does not involve direct communication with your target audience, but it does allow you to establish a memorable image amongst those you are targeting. More than just a logo or slogan, your brand represents the foundation of your company and is what makes it unique, setting it apart from the competition.
Those who practice brand management effectively will use it to create a clear identity, capturing what the business stands for, its mission and core values. Over time, the strength of your brand will be crucial when it comes to instilling trust in your customers, especially if they have become used to seeing it regularly.
The key to successful branding is consistency. Your brand must communicate a unified message across all mediums, with print collateral utilising a familiar font, colour palette and artwork that is also used in your online advertising. It is this consistency that will make you identifiable – a key ingredient when looking to build trust and reliability.
From an employee perspective, branding also helps build a strong sense of community and a team ethic that encourages internal collaboration, as people take pride in representing a company that is both trusted and thriving.
Essentially, the brand management process will allow you to build a powerful shop window for your business, giving potential customers an opportunity to look behind the curtains and decide if they value what your business stands for and if it can deliver on its promises.
Take your business to the next level…
It’s important to remember that both elements are crucial to the future growth of your business – the most successful organisations practice both seamlessly and do not place all their eggs in one basket in the hope of seeing immediate payoff.
Make sure your business is memorable and recognisable with effective brand management, then promote your services and generate public interest by utilising public relations. By following this two-pronged approach, you will reap a wide variety of benefits that help take your business to the next level.
Of course, there’s a lot to consider when attempting to implement successful strategies for both, and naturally, this can stretch resources if a business is already operating at maximum capacity. In cases like these, it is always best to outsource the workload to a team of specialists that will ensure the process runs smoothly.
If you require support devising a branding or public relations strategy, then contact our in-house team to arrange a free consultation.
