Although often used interchangeably, marketing and publicity are different beasts and each needs a different strategy to be at their most effective. Put simply: marketing is coverage that you pay for, publicity is that which you get free of charge.
For example:
A paid series of instagram ads targeted at your client demographic = marketing.
A sharply written, smartly tagged insta post with an irresistible image and a clear call to action = publicity.
A full-page ad in the Style magazine promoting your exhibition = marketing.
An in-depth interview with your most exciting designer = publicity.
That’s not to say there is no overlap (an advert placed in exchange for the magazine also interviewing your designer could be regarded as both) but generally a business needs to treat these as complimentary but separate activities, designed to support each other.
Although marketing can be more straightforward and offers guaranteed coverage (although not guaranteed outcomes) the advantages of publicity are clear: no money changes hands and, if done correctly, everyone can wind up happy. Your event, product or creative receives some excellent coverage, the publication gains some high-quality content, and their viewership enjoys an interesting news piece which sparks their interest and maybe even improves their life.
Coverage that has been paid for must be declared somewhere in the piece, and as such is immediately less trustworthy in the minds of the reader. Reviewers require their integrity to have their opinions be worth anything, so attempting to buy good reviews is rightly frowned on. Publicity, freely given, has integrity that an advert can only aspire to.
Publicity also tends to have a far longer shelf life. A paid-for ad will appear for the length of time you’ve funded, no longer. Whereas an engaging online review can live for years, promoting your business, increasing your search engine rankings, enriching your reputation and attracting your audience.
The secret to good publicity is finding the right outlet that will put your product in front of an audience who will fall in love with it, as well as championing your values and harmonising with your brand voice. If you really wanted to, you could place an ad for your contemporary art exhibition in Angling Times and no one will stop you, but you won’t get them to interview your lead creative no matter how good your pitch is. Effective publicity requires excellent, up-to-date media lists, good relationships with journalists, a wide knowledge of media outlets, and the ability to persuasively answer the question that all journalists ask , which is: “why should I care about this right now?”
At Attractive Nuisance, we offer exactly this, with a focus on publicity over marketing. This allows you to decide the upfront costs with no additional surprises, as well as meaning that the coverage you receive is respected and trustworthy. In addition, we can also discuss with you the possibility of a supporting marketing campaign, if you decide it’s right for your business.
