Difference between Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communication

Differences Human Behaviour Sales & Marketing

We are currently living in the digital age, which has brought about significant shifts in the
way marketing and communication are played. Because it is a crucial component of
successful marketing, nearly every company in operation today uses marketing
communications in some shape or another.

The manner in which brand campaigns are run has been significantly altered as a result of the rise of interactive and digital marketing communications. However, these are not the only methods available to communicate with audiences. The emergence of integrated marketing communications may be traced back to the foundation that was laid by digital marketing.

What is Public Relations?

Because there are so many different ways to define public relations, it is difficult to determine which of these ways is more applicable than the others. Individuals, businesses, and organizations all use public relations (PR), which is an abbreviation for the strategic communication process, to cultivate connections with the general public that are mutually beneficial.

By facilitating two-way contact between an organization and its constituents, public relations (PR) makes it easier for management to remain aware of and respond to changes in public opinion. It is the practice of putting into action pre-planned courses of action in a way that benefits both the organization and the general public.

A significant portion of public relations work takes place behind the scenes and includes activities such as consulting, investigating, coaching, strategizing and planning. Public relations is a profession that places a strong emphasis on ethics, strategic planning, and assessment.

What is Integrated Marketing Communication?

The term "Integrated Marketing Communication" (IMC) refers to an organizational strategy that aims to unite the many aspects of marketing communication in order to provide a frictionless environment in which customers may engage with a company. IMC is a strategic development that looks at how businesses might use communication technologies to synchronize their marketing efforts throughout numerous communication channels. This breakthrough was made possible as a result of IMC.

IMC, or integrated marketing communications, is a results-driven technique that coordinates many communication disciplines to create maximum communication effect. These communication disciplines include public relations, advertising, audience analytics, media relations, and social media. Planning is essential because it helps you to present a message that is coherent and successful across all different types of media. This guarantees that the appropriate message is communicated to the appropriate audience at the appropriate time.

Difference between Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communication

The following table highlights the major differences between Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communication −

Characteristics	Public Relations	Integrated Marketing Communication
Definition	Analyzing society and human behavior is the foundation of both the art and the social science of public relations (PR). Public Relations refers to a method of strategic communication that helps to develop two-way communication connections between a business and its target audience.	The term "integrated marketing communication" (IMC) refers to the combination of several distinct communication practices, including but not limited to public relations, advertising, audience analytics, media relations, and social media.
Role	When it comes to public relations (PR), one must assume the responsibilities of numerous positions in order to establish, manage, and preserve the reputation of their clients. It is the responsibility of public relations to mold the public's perception of an organization. A significant portion of public relations work takes place behind the scenes and includes activities such as consulting, investigating, coaching, strategizing and planning.	IMC investigates the many ways in which businesses may make use of various communication tools in order to coordinate their marketing activities across a variety of communication channels.
Objective	A company's public relations department serves as its face, with the goal of fostering trust while upholding its integrity. It is a purposeful attempt to build mutual understanding and goodwill between an organization and its target audience.	IMC ensures that the appropriate message is delivered to the appropriate audience at the appropriate moment. The creation of brand awareness, the identification of a target market, the definition of marketing campaign objectives, the selection of marketing communication methods, and the generation of sales are the major goals of integrated marketing communications (IMC).
Tools	A significant portion of public relations efforts takes place behind the scenes. Public relations tools like newsletters, advertorials, press releases, brochures and catalogs, business events, social media, publicity media, and so on are common examples of PR tools that may be utilized to boost brand performance.	Integrating numerous marketing and communication methods is what is meant by the term "IMC tools." Examples of IMC tools include advertising, web marketing, public relations, direct marketing, sales promotion, mobile promotions, sponsorships, and so on.

Conclusion

Public Relations is an organization's public face, and it helps that company interact with its audience and build goodwill. Thinking creatively is essential in public relations because the ideas that PR professionals want to convey the need to influence the beliefs and values of the audience they are trying to reach.

PR professionals are supposed to handle communication issues, but the solutions must be strategic rather than merely a collection of random ideas and methods. IMC, or integrated marketing communications, is a strategic organizational strategy that coordinates many communication disciplines across various media in order to achieve the desired action from the target audience.