PR vs. Advertising

Al Ries and Laura Ries’ analysis of what advertising can do in the 2000’s, and what it can’t. Here’s a taster:

“The purpose of advertising is not to build a brand, but to defend a brand once the brand has been built by other means, primarily public relations or third-party endorsements”…..

“To defend a brand you need to “reaffirm” the brand’s core values. You need to run advertising that “resonates”” with consumers. You need consumers to think:”Yes, that’s what the brand stands for”….

“It’s PR that needs to be creative. It’s PR that needs to be new and different. It’s PR that needs to be original. The best way to establish a brand is to create a new category, and creating a new category requires creative thinking of the highest order. This is a revolutionary concept in the sense that it goes against conventional thinking”.

As with all their work, this is as applicable to a small or medium sized business as it is to a multi-national. Very thought-provoking reading. (pub: HarperBusiness)