Advertising vs. Publicity

By George McKenzie
Former TV News Anchor and Radio Talk Show Host

Advertising or publicity?

Most people use these words interchangeably. But they really do have different meanings, and understanding that difference can save you thousands or even millions of dollars.

Here’s an example:

I've been a TV sportscaster and news anchor for most of my working career. But my wife and I also owned and operated a small chain of Subway restaurants for nearly a decade. We were the among the first operators to open a shop inside a convenience store.    

Now, any "first" worthy of media attention.  So I approached a reporter at the San Antonio Business Journal to try to get him interested in doing a story about it. I explained that these "strategic alliances" between fast food chains and oil companies were a growing trend, and that the Business Journal could could be the first to do a story about it.

A few weeks later, The Business Journal put us on the front page, including a picture of my wife and me with footlong sandwiches in our hands.

It didn't cost us a dime to get a huge publicity windfall.`A similar amount of advertising space would have cost more than eight thousand dollars

That's why publicity and advertising are different. Anyone in the media will sell you advertising.

Publicity, however, is free.

In other words, remember what publicity expert Raleigh Pinskey once said:

"Advertising is what you pay for.  Publicity is what you pray for."

Best of all, publicity is also more believable than advertising.  Readers, viewers, and listeners often tune out commercials. 

There's no doubt, advertising is a is an important component of any business marketing plan. But learning the tips and tools for getting free publicity can save a business owner thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars while getting their message across with added credibility.