What Do We Do Again?

At a recent networking event, one of the guys in attendance asked what I did. So, of course I shared my “elevator pitch” on what Jupiter Promotions did and could do for his company, which just happened to be in construction. His eyes lit up and with a growing smile, he informed me that the company he worked for was actually interested in talking to someone about helping with promotions. It was what he said following up that opened the door for a more detailed explanation from me.

“So tell me more about what you do with advertising,” he inquired with a look of pure wonderment.

My immediate thought was that me might be in need of something our company didn’t perform as a primary function – advertising. Although we have a partner company that we are happy to pass along businesses that are looking for assistance with television and radio advertising, Jupiter Promotions typically only handles media buys or newspaper advertising.

Fortunately for us, this particular guy wasn’t aware of the differences between advertising, marketing and public relations. He wasn’t actually looking for advertising – he was actually wanting to know more about the marketing and public relations work that we do perform.

This is one of the most common misconceptions about our industry from people outside of our little circle. People assume advertising, marketing and public relations are all interchangeable and that they all involve the same work. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While each of these may share some common goals, the work being performed behind each is very much different. At some smaller companies, the departments performing each of these tasks may actually be the same person. At bigger companies, they might be completely independent of each other and may rarely communicate.

Advertising in its simplest form may be those commercials we see on television or hear on the radio or the pop-ups we find online. Marketing is a more expansive way of reaching out that may include advertising and promotions but the methods vary by business and by industry. Public relations may include advertising and marketing. The focus of public relations is built around image, so the general work being done in the name of PR can encompass pretty much anything that can affect a company’s image.

Jupiter Promotions is mostly a public relations agency with the ability to assist with marketing and advertising. Regardless, we are focused on doing what is best for our clients and we will use whatever tools are necessary (legally, of course) to build the image of our clients. And that’s a win for everyone, no matter what you call it.