There is a difference between public relations, known today as earned media, and advertising, also known as paid media. Both disciplines are important in the overall marketing campaign of a brand, whether it is a product, business, company, service, person, idea, or place. Social media has also become an important way to advertise and publicize anything. Key Concept Snapshot: Advertising is paid media, meaning the marketer crafts and pays for the message that they want to present to the audience. The marketer controls the published or presented message. Key Concept Snapshot: Public relations is earned media, meaning the information being marketed through persuasive messaging is earned and the public develops its own opinions about the product, service, idea, and business and beyond. The marketer does not control the published or presented message. There are several advantages to using both disciplines in crafting and marketing a message to sell products and services. To prepare for this assignment, do the following: To help you understand the difference between advertising and public relations, watch the following videos: What is Public Relations Earned and Paid Media How to Start Social Media Marketing Reflect on these differences in your assignment. Create your assignment. Scenario Suppose you want to start an online business part-time. Include the following 3 main ideas in your 3–5-page assignment: What’s the difference between public relations and advertising? First, write about the differences between advertising (paid media) and public relations (earned media). Provide examples. How would you advertise and publicize the business? Write about how you might approach advertising and public relations for a product of your choice. Explain your interpretation of the differences. Market, message, and media: Now that you have considered, reviewed, and analyzed public relations and advertising, think about your market, message and media. Explain your different ideas about messages to advertise and publicize a product or business. References Media Maven. (2019, May 23). What is public relations (and why is it important) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNUyZAKtnFs Meylan, C. [Chris Meylan]. (2018, January 24). Owned – Paid – Earned (OPE) media [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RiPrhAbPDc Platten, J. [Jordan Platten]. (2020, January 5). How to start a social media marketing agency (SMMA 2022) – Digital marketing tutorial for beginners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=754pSl_wm1E
