Dr. Faisal A. Al-Serhan – Local Dean of Journalism & Media Programme - Jordan
The relationship between public relations and marketing is inherently interconnected, especially in the activities they engage in. Hence, there must be integration between them, as everything produced by advertising and promotion companies or institutions requires a consultative and executive opinion often provided by public relations. On the other hand, marketing provides its services mainly in the executive realm. To achieve the objectives of any organization, I believe it is essential to rely on both these important aspects, working together through a structured approach. This approach includes reviewing and analyzing the current situation in terms of strategic and sub-strategic objectives, products or services offered, analyzing consumer behavior, studying the market, and eventually developing a joint executive plan that is expected to achieve the specified goals.
Marketing cannot be completed without the involvement of public relations because marketing objectives require leverage to highlight them, shed light on them, and drive towards their achievement. This is at the core of the contributions of public relations departments, which utilize various tools to promote the brand of the product or service (achieving fame), conduct research, and build relationships with internal and external audiences, among others.
Conversely, marketing cannot succeed on its own. For instance, it cannot effectively address campaigns and harmful attacks that tarnish the institution's reputation and image in a scientific and media-oriented manner, relying on the skillful use of appeals (logical, emotional, fear-based, and rational), crafting content, and accurately selecting appropriate communication channels for target audiences. Collaboration is possible using advertising and media campaigns, which involve precise wording and sentence construction to create the desired impact and change.
Today, visual, auditory, and printed media present the greatest challenge to institutions and businesses in terms of criticism and intervention in their affairs. Marketing alone cannot confront this significant challenge, and public relations steps in to communicate with these media outlets and their operators, as they are better equipped to clarify the image and provide convincing explanations based on facts to ensure the continuity of these institutions' operations and the achievement of their objectives without hindrance.
Public relations and marketing complement each other and work together to achieve common objectives. However, some researchers argue otherwise and claim that public relations can take a more significant role in marketing and promotion of products or services in the future. This is due to the decreasing ability of some institutions and companies to master and provide methods and tools for both functions. Additionally, the costs of advertising and sales promotion are relatively high, leading companies to be compelled to resort to public relations to compensate for these expenses.
