What is the difference between PR and communications?

Published 02 / 24 / 2023

Introduction

An excellent question! Is there a difference between PR and communications? The answer may be more complex than you think.

In today’s marketing world, definitions and brand-building hierarchies are evolving fast. As change takes hold, even the practitioners themselves don’t necessarily agree.

So let’s unpack the variables and commonalities between communications and public relations, and see how they relate when making a brand or business shine.

What is communications and what is public relations?

Public relations is a strategic approach to creating and building positive reputation management and brand communications for clients. It involves developing relationships with the public, stakeholders, and other key audiences.

Work with clients might begin by developing a brand strategy with core objectives for brand communication, and the strategic identification of a distinct and differentiated brand identity.

PR is rooted in growing an image through earned awareness raising. This is most commonly done through editorial media relations, but also through events, direct consumer engagement, via social media channels and other online platforms.

Public relations also creates campaigns that may leverage brand ambassadors including everyone from online nano-influencers to high-end celebrities.

Skilful PR agencies will create and leverage content that is strategic and creative; building credible earned brand loyalty that goes far beyond simple fondness for a product.

Through third-party advocacy, PR will earn trust, endorsement and a positive image with its target audience.

What is the difference between communications and PR?

There are many ways to look at the difference. Here are three perspectives:

1. Language is fluid.

If language didn’t evolve, the device ringing in your pocket would be called a telephone, not a mobile. A newer term may more relevant or popular, or used because an older word carries undesirable connotations.

The term PR may occasionally convey a hint of negativity. For example, around the idea of PR as ‘spin’ – especially in government or public affairs. Or from the champagne ‘luvvie’ types depicted in the brilliantly comedic Absolutely Fabulous TV show.

While public relations is still a stalwart, respectable term, it is notable that some esteemed organisations have refreshed it to incorporate the word ‘communications’. For example, in 2016 the PRCA or Public Relations Consultants Association became the Public Relations and Communications Association.

Likewise, many a large agency in London has shuffled its name in recent years. For example, Ketchum uses PR & Marketing Communications. Weber Shandwick is ‘The In-Culture Communications Agency. Fleishman Hillard calls itself ‘The World’s Largest Communications Agency’.

So yes, language is fluid. Additionally, the quest for covering SEO possibilities might influence descriptions used online. People still understand the meaning of public relations over communications so the term gets worked into the copy.

2. The PR discipline is evolving.

Public relations is described as the art of creating and managing a positive image of a company, brand, or individual and its target audience. Great media relationships are critical.

However, in this modern age of communication, achieving the above is virtually impossible without being adept at developing an organisation’s brand identity, messaging, content strategy, and the use of various channels to reach target audiences.

Likewise, it is the ability to move seamlessly off and online, as there is no longer any real difference between the two when it comes to communication.

For these reasons, shifting to the term communications may reflect the more complex skill set now needed to achieve successful PR.

3. Communications can umbrella over PR.

Although communications and PR are sometimes used interchangeably, the word communications can also sit on atop PR.

Communications is a broad, flexible term that encompasses many different activities as described in aspects of PR, advertising, influencer and creator relations, and other aspects of the marketing funnel that drive reputation in order to move from awareness through to interest, consideration, intent, evaluation, and ultimately the holy grail of marketing – purchase and loyalty.

Communication is a convenient term that can incorporate many different practices. Public relations can be placed as a subset of communications to represent one of the various forms of brand building.

What can communications agencies do for you?

Large agency or small, communications and PR firms specialise in helping organizations, brands, and individuals to create and manage their brand-building strategies. They provide a range of services, such as content marketing, media relations, public relations, social media management, and much more.

Along with traditional services such as writing and distributing press releases, presentations, speeches and copywriting, they may also offer research and strategic development, social media promotion, crisis communication and image building through a variety of media outreach approaches.

Communications agencies can do a deep dive into an organisation to cultivate positive positioning and messages, and make them relevant to the media. Likewise, they can do damage limitation in response to bad news.

What benefits are offered by smaller a communications agency London?

London boasts offices of some of the world’s widest-reaching agencies. But a large agency often comes with a large price tag and an infrastructure that keeps smaller clients from accessing the most senior brainpower and counsel.

The scale of a large agency machine has its own set of pros and cons. While there certainly are many pros, going with a huge global agency is not the only path.

An interesting alternative comes in the form of top smaller London communications agencies. Often sector specialists, these companies are sometimes started by founders who once worked for a big agency, so they bring the skill set of the major players with them to an intimate scale.

Smaller consultative agencies can often provide a personalized approach for clients, providing highly tailored services to help them create and maintain positive brand identity and reputation.

They can be brilliant with entrepreneurs and start-ups, as well as big multinational companies. These agencies have worked with some of the world’s most exciting brands and have extensive experience in helping clients achieve their core objectives.

Small agency clients have excellent direct access to senior consultants. Consultants can serve as advisors in a way that goes beyond reputation building to include a wide berth of C-Suite support. Additionally, smaller agencies can help grow the careers of clients as well as their brands.

A small but mighty communications agency taster. (Source: Gabrielle Shaw Communications)

“Gabrielle Shaw Communications is a global creative communications agency that partners with brands and entrepreneurs to unlock their purpose, shape perceptions, cultivate brand desire and drive commercial success.

In particular, GSC design insightful creative communication strategies across luxury, lifestyle, retail, travel, beauty & wellness, food & drinks and arts & culture

The agency has its own bespoke network of top-tier strategic planners, creatives, writers and producers who regularly work under its umbrella.

This allows GSC to bring exactly the right people in for the right projects and to cost-effectively offer clients access to diverse and experienced teams when it is needed.

GSC is also a proud member of TAAN, one of the world’s most established and innovative global networks of carefully selected strategic communications and marketing agencies.”

Check out our blog on hiring a PR agency in London here.

Interested in learning how GSC can help build your brand? We’d love to chat. Get in touch.

Discover GSC

blue instagram logo blue LinkedIn logoScreen Shot 2022 08 02 At 11.54.34 AM Copy 300x300

+44 020 7731 8811

Further Reading

Lidl 191x300  Selfridges Project 194x300  Plar Swim 191x300

Latest News

Welojets

GSC managed strategic media relations around UK expansion of Welojets

Jewel Kariba 3

Gabrielle Shaw Communications launches Ajmal’s UK Social Media

Double Dutch HR-21

Five with the Founder: Double Dutch’s Raissa & Joyce de Haas

Picture1

The Zeitgeist and Why it Matters for Brands

3-Mission-Fig- group lifestyle 2

Gabrielle Shaw Communications announces La Bougie as a new client

image

Gabrielle Shaw Communications announces Double Dutch as a new client

LAPADA, antiques

GSC announces LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair as New Client

IWD

IWD 2024: GSC’s Brand Accelerator Programme

Luxury Hats, V V Rouleaux

GSC announces V V Rouleaux as New Client

Renais, Luxury Drinks, Emma Watson

GSC announces Renais as New Client

3

WE ARE HIRING – EXPERIENCED 360 COMMUNICATIONS ACCOUNT MANAGER

Luxury Fashion, Modist, Bicester Village

Luxury Brand Insights 2024 – Winning with Middle East Consumers in the UK

Ajmal, Luxury Perfuem

GSC announces Ajmal Perfumes as New Client

books

GSC Christmas Reading List

Luxury PR, Fashion PR, Female Founder, British Fashion

Five with the Founder: Stoned & Waisted’s Rachel Allpress

Luxury PR, Fashion PR, Female Founder, British Fashion

GSC announces Stoned & Waisted as new client

luxury terrace flower wall london pr

GSC launches second season of the limited edition Ladurée x Château d’Estoublon ‘Roseblood’ Collection

woman with gift boxes on a wooden table

Ladurée Support Serpentine and Lina Ghotmeh

silver octopus on blue marble block

GSC announces Objet Luxe as new client

image of girl standing next to a macaron cart

Ladurée Collaborate with Floral Design Poppy Sturley at the Chelsea Flower Show 2023

Thumbs up hand painted with union jack, representing how public relations can help UK brands enter new markets

How 360 Coms & PR Can Help UK Brands Enter the US & Other New Markets

women behind text

GSC Contribute to Pimento’s Latest Thought Paper – Influencer Marketing

Project Ocean sign

Selfridge’s X GSC Project Ocean: UN Member States Agree on Treaty

Close up of news camera used by communications agencies for mock interviews in media training

Media Training In PR: 10 tips on how to prepare for interviews

people in an office and pr agencies london

GSC host the University of North Carolina class ‘London Loves’ class

blue sofa with cushions at Gabrielle Shaw Communications london pr agency

GSC announces a new creative hub co-working space

Woman gazing at large building pillars for article on brand architecture marketing strategies and pr agencies london

The architecture of building a brand for PR

Luxury home staircase, foyer, PR influencer program and influencer marketing

Luxury influencer marketing for PR: how luxury brands can work with influencers for a positive PR strategy

woman with a handbag

Who Stands By Your Brand?  

Gabrielle Shaw Communications Blog, PR Crisis Management and Do You Need It? photo of lit match

What is PR crisis management and do you need it?

blue sofa with artwork behind it

12 Reasons Why PR is Important for All Businesses

building at night

What is the difference between PR and communications?

view of an office with desks

What is a PR agency and what does it do?

two men with some beer

Gabrielle Shaw Communications Welcomes Prime Time Lager

two women at a radio interview at a london pr agency

Want to take your marketing strategy up a notch in 2023?

two women at a radio interview at a london pr agency

Tips for PR and Marketing Brands in a Recession

Fashion United

GSC launches Marine Serre x Skinvaders collaboration

Gabrielle Shaw, Gabrielle Shaw Communications

7 Strategies for Female Business Founders Building their Personal Brand

Tiktok

GSC has launched a new TikTok Channel

image of laptop

Gabrielle Shaw, GSC Founder, To Publish Regular Column in Stellar Magazine

Four ladies wearing hat

GSC launches the new Ladurée X Château D’Estoublon Collaboration

two girls sitting on a sofa with a laptop

Tips For Hiring a UK Brand Communications or PR agency

Copy of Black White New Skincare Product Promotion

GSC awarded Hermes Creative Platinum Award for COCOON strategic campaign

Kate Bray sits on blue sofa in the GSC office

GSC Welcomes 360 Content Partnerships Manager Kate Bray to Expand Influencer Practice

Twig logo

Twig announce funding – a strategic partnership with Global Blue

Charlotte Morley The Little Loop Gabrielle Shaw Communications

Five with the Founder: The Little Loop’s Charlotte Morley

thelittleloop clothing

Gabrielle Shaw Communications Announces Account Win: thelittleloop is the First Shared Children’s Wardrobe

Twig-Series-A-Funding

Twig raises $35M Series A round to fuel Web 3.0 green payment infrastructure

Spear's 500 2022 Edition Gabrielle Shaw Communications

Spears 500 2022 Edition: Gabrielle Shaw

Drinks

Introducing our latest client win, Ron Abuelo

Lady in a saree

Five with the Founder: Mira Kulkarni

Gifts on table and chair

Gabrielle Shaw announces new client Forest Essentials

Bemi Idowu Talking Heads Communications Gabrielle Shaw Communications

Meet GSC Alumni Bemi Idowu

Amex September Merchant Forum Invite 2021

Amex Insights Network Event September 2021

COCOON launches pop up at Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge - Photography by Ming Tang Evans

Gabrielle Shaw Communications announces Cocoon as a new client

Addison_Ross_Chloe_Winstanley_Square

Introducing our Latest Client Win, Addison Ross

Lady with a smile

Introducing our Latest Client Win, Dr Vicky Dondos and The Firm

Ruuby

Welcoming Ruuby app to our Beauty and Tech Practice

pimento sq image

We Have Joined Pimento Agency as Part of our Expansion

E-commerce

PlatformE Appoints us to Execute Their Communications and Thought Leadership Programme

Binary Coding

Diem chooses us to provide their PR and Thought Leadership Programme

Lady promoting yang sheng

Welcoming Katie Brindle and her Hayo’u brands to the GSC family

Lady promoting yang sheng

Gabrielle Shaw joins SheEO as an Activator

Drawing

Helping Pollen Collective Harnesss The Art of Digital Storytelling

IWD for website

International Women’s Day 2021

Curtains

The Selfridges Film Project – International Women’s Day 2021

PRweek powerbook

Gabrielle Shaw included in PR Week’s 2021 Powerbook

laughing lady

GSC Alumni Emily O’Donoghue

Sam Newall banner image

Welcoming Sam Newall, Creative Planning Director

Sam N banner

GSC and Partners: Geordie Leyland

billboard marketing

Save 2021 Sale

Hattie tenant

GSC Alumni: Hattie Tennant

Shika website

Woman Of The Month: Shika Bodani

Sam Brown PR Mastercoach

GSC Alumni: Sam Brown

SC+Sons

Five with the Founder: Stephanie Capuano

dana

On the Sofa with…our newest team member Dana

Rented dresses

PRovoke & SABRE EMEA Awards Finalist

Claudia_original

Second hand September

whitedesert

Five with the Founder: Robyn Woodhead

dresses

Hermes Creative Platinum Award

bedroom

SOHO Home at Bicester Village

Jamie HR

Five with the Founder: Jamie Sherrill

1a3c862a0dafb0e569b4ec1cf18d28f7

Good Cotton

amex-banner

AMEX Insights Network Podcast

welcome

Letter From Our Founder