Understanding PR & Advertising

If you're new to the world of PR and advertising, understanding the two and getting to grips with the lingo can seem like a bit of a minefield. So in this handy fact sheet, Salon Smart PR and marketing expert Sharleen Hunter outlines the advantages and disadvantages of both, and turns the jargon into plain English!
 

ADVERTISING

What is it?

When you pay the media to be featured: With advertising you pay for space in a publication or airtime on radio/TV. Adverts come in different sizes (e.g. full page, quarter page etc) and durations (e.g. 30-second radio ad), which are determined by your budget. Advertorials or paid for editorials (see Lingo Low-down for a full definition) are also a form of advertising.

Good Points

Guaranteed space: as you've paid for the space/airtime, you'll know exactly when your salon advert will feature and how big or long the piece will be.
Control: you can create the advert and decide exactly what, when and how it appears. Plus you can run it as many times as your budget allows.

Bad Points

Costly: Advertising can be quite costly, especially to small salons.
Less persuasive: As potential clients will know that you've paid for your advert, they may be more cynical about your sales statements and see them as biased.
Exposure restricted by budget: The number of times your advert is seen and the publications it is seen in is determined by your budget. If you only have the funds for one advert, then it will only be seen in that one magazine in just one issue.