Advertising is one of the aspects of Mass Communication. An advertisement is paid for by an identified sponsor and is expected to appear at a particular time exactly as presented to the media house. The advertiser has greater and total control on the contents of the message for use in the media.
Over the years, there is the misconception that advertising is the same as public relations practice. This is far from the truth. While public relations employs all rightful channels to keep the public adequately and truthfully informed, so as to maintain goodwill and beneficial relationship between the organisation and its publics, advertising is a process of buying media space and time to persuade the public to accept its products and services’ view points. Advertising is direct and involves identified praise-singer who always blows his trumpet and credits himself as the best. How the public perceives it may not be necessary as it tries to assert its relevance among the gullible public. Take the examples of all those adverts on cigarette smoking, alcoholic drinks and nude fashion, which are not only immoral, but dangerous to health, as well as a naked abuse of morality and righteousness.
Advertising is primarily concerned with creating awareness for products and services, while public relations attends to behavioural changes, societal attitudes towards such products and services, building prolonged and honest relationship between the organisations and their target audience.
It is widely known, especially in Nigeria, that most organisations prefer to have a special section for public relations to that of advertising. In fact, it is sometimes argued that advertising is a part of public relations functions and never the reverse.
In view of the sophistication of the mass media with their occasional biased editorial judgments in treating press releases and coverage of activities, PR activities may some times pay for the timely publication of unbiased reports by employing advertising techniques. Some unethical advertising messages are exaggerated, while some are hardly believable. But public relations is truthful and non-deceptive.
Advertising public relations, which is the combination of the two at achieving the desired goal of the organisation, is useful in publishing institutional announcements, supplements, rebuttal/rejoinder, corporate profile, financial statements, goodwill and seasonal messages. The message to be passed across is processed from the public relations perspective, while the method of delivery takes the form of advertising for the costing and timing. Public relations has a continuous responsibility in an organisation in advisorial roles and at monitoring trends, events and react to them. Advertising is costly and only applicable occasionally. All said, in recent times, a new concept is introduced in the communication process known as integrated marketing communication, which, like a tripod, encompasses the three professions of public relations, marketing and advertising.