Both PR and advertising help build brand perceptions. They complement each other. However, the approaches are different. Advertising message propagated through media develop consumer awareness and persuade them to buy the brand. PR addresses the stakeholders and builds corporate image and reputation . This creates favourable public attitudes. PR establishes a relationship between the organisation and the public it deals with. PR is thus broader in its outlook. PR and advertising use media differently.

Advertising buys media time and space. PR uses media gatekeepers. These are anchors, writers, news broadcasters, talk show comperes, editors, producers. PR uses media and it is labelled as publicity. Publicity means favourable media coverage without paying for it. Even when PR uses paid media, its focus is not on the sale of individual brands but on the whole organisation.

PR thus depends on gatekeepers. The story the PR produces may be edited by the media. In contrast, advertising runs as the client wants it to run. Thus PR and advertising differ in control aspects of media.

Besides, media coverage by PR is trusted more than advertising. PR is considered as transmission of information, rather than an attempt at salesmanship. Thus PR has greater credibility.