Advertising and Public Relations

Michał Gajlewicz

There are similarities as well as differences between advertising and public relations. Similarities are due to the following facts: Firstly, both spheres have persuaive character: Their aim is to convince people to specified matters, Secondly, both spheres are parts of promotion, therefore they fullfil superior promotional tasks, though differently. And differences lie in the following facts: Aim of the advertising is to convince people to buy products, to use services (as a rule paid for) or in noncommercial sphere to induce people to support propagated ideas of political, health, eeological or other character. Aim of the public relations instead is to bring into harmony human relations, to facilitate contacts and to broaden mutual understanding between a firm, an institution, an organisation or another corporate body and their publics both internal and external for the sake of those corporate bodies. Public relations make use of their own tools but may also use practically whole scope of the tools of advertising, though for other puuposes. This fact may cause many misunderstandings.

KEYWORDS

Advertising, public relations, definitions, similarities, differcnces