Marketing vs. Public Relations: Understanding the Difference

It's one of the most common questions we hear at Story and Strategy: What's the difference between marketing and public relations?

Both disciplines are critical to business growth, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. Understanding that distinction can transform how you approach building your brand.

Marketing: Driving the Transaction

Marketing is about driving sales. It's transactional, focused on promoting products or services, generating leads, and converting customers. Think ads, email funnels, websites, and landing pages all designed to influence purchase decisions and move people through the buyer's journey.

Marketing asks: How do we get customers to buy?

Public Relations: Building the Reputation

Public relations, on the other hand, is about reputation. It's relational, not transactional. PR builds trust, credibility, and influence. This kind of equity that can't be bought with ad spend. It's what helps audiences believe in your why, not just your what.

Through strategic storytelling, media relations, thought leadership and authentic communication, PR shapes how the world perceives your brand. It creates the foundation that makes all your other efforts more effective.

PR asks: Why should people believe in us?

Here's the simplest way to think about it:

Marketing helps people buy from you. Public relations helps people believe in you.

At Story and Strategy, we help leaders and brands tell the stories that earn trust, shape perception and drive long-term value. We understand that sustainable growth isn't just about being seen, it's about being believed.

So the next time you think about marketing and PR, remember: one sells, the other sustains. And both, when done right, build powerful momentum for your brand.