PR vs. Influencer Marketing: Guide to Making The Right Choice for Your DTC Brand

When you think of PR, maybe you're picturing press releases, big publications, and newsrooms.

On the other hand, influencer marketing might bring to mind curated Instagram posts, trending TikTok videos, and YouTube shoutouts.

It's easy to box them into these categories, but there's so much more behind the curtain.

Understanding the key differences and the kind of output you can expect from these strategies is crucial to make the most out of your marketing efforts.

In this blog, we'll uncover the strategic details, real-world implications, and which approach might be fit for your DTC brand.

🎤 What is PR?

PR (Public Relations)

PR is about crafting a narrative around your brand and getting it featured in trusted media outlets. It can be online publications, magazines, newspapers, or TV segments. The aim is to convince the public of your brand message and values.

For example, Olipop was spotlighted in "REC ROOM" with the title "I Tried the Minion Olipop Soda and Can Confirm It Slaps"...

…or when it was highlighted in "PureWow'' as the healthy alternative to soda.

Olipop has always aimed to position itself as a healthier soda option, and such media mentions reinforce and validate that very story, helping them communicate their unique selling point to the general public.

This approach offers credibility because it's not a direct ad. It's a story by a third party about your brand.

🤳 What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing revolves around partnering with individuals who have a significant following on social platforms (especially Instagram, TikTok or YouTube). These people share authentic experiences and recommendations about your product, giving it a more personal touch compared to a PR piece.

The hashtag "#olipoppartner '' on TikTok shows various influencers integrating Olipop products into their content. They might be seen enjoying the drink during a meal, using it in a recipe, or just sharing their genuine feedback.

This is influencer marketing. A direct endorsement from influencers resonates with their audience, bringing in not just brand awareness but also direct sales.

🤔 Difference between PR and influencer marketing

Control over messaging

While brands can craft detailed press releases or stories to pitch, once it's in the hands of a journalist or an editor, they have the discretion to choose the storyline's direction. Their primary responsibility is towards their readers, ensuring the content is newsworthy and engaging.

A journalist's objective approach might bring out both positives and potential criticisms of a brand or product. This could be beneficial, providing an unbiased view, but can also highlight areas the brand might not be prepared to address publicly.

I fished out of my inbox from the DTC expert, Nik Sharma (The DTC Guy) talking about PR and here's what he had to share about control (or lack of it) over any narrative or headline in a PR piece—

“I remember paying $50k for an article on a Tier 1 publisher, only to get 6 sales as a result. When I asked them to alter the headline or the article's hook, the response was, "Sorry that doesn't align with our journalistic integrity." Bro... you're writing about fruit-scented sunscreen, give me a break!”

While some publications offer 'advertorials,' where brands pay for a feature that looks like an editorial piece, discerning readers often trust these less than genuine editorial content.

In case of influencer marketing, the relationship between a brand and an influencer is more collaborative. There's often a mutual understanding that the influencer will present the brand in a positive light. While they'll add their authentic touch, the core message is usually agreed upon in advance. The brand can also set certain content guidelines to align with its image.

Expenses

Costs can vary, but securing high-profile media placements, especially in top-tier publications, can be expensive running into a couple of thousands of dollars. If you see the email screenshot above, you'll notice that Nik paid $50K for one single article in a reputed publication!

gulp

In influencer marketing, expenses can range from product gifting to a few hundreds of dollars for a post, depending on the influencer's reach. But the advantage is that brands often have clearer insights into expected ROI, as they can choose influencers based on their audience demographics and engagement rates.

There are literally thousands of idea influencers for your brand if you know the right ways to find them. You can do hashtag research. Or to fasten the process you can use tools like SARAL.

Longevity

A feature or news story, while impactful, might be short-lived in the audience's memory. The news cycle moves fast, and today's headline can be forgotten tomorrow. They come up only when someone is searching for these stories. They are mostly done to make it feel like you're a credible brand, have a real presence and not a scam.

Content created by influencers, especially videos or blog posts, can have a longer shelf life. They remain on the influencer's profile, people often visit a few recent posts when checking out an influencer's feed.

You can maximize the ROI from influencer marketing by using the content they created for your brand in whitelisting ads, in emails, for your own social media feed, etc.

👌 Why is influencer marketing better than PR?

😬 PR does a poor job of promoting

In today’s world, scrolling is the new flipping-magazine-page.

Most of us aren't waking up and diving into magazines or reading hand picked articles.

We're opening apps and letting algorithms serve us the content. Whether it's TikTok's 'For You' page, Instagram's 'Explore' tab, or even Netflix's 'Recommended' list, it's less based on whom we follow and more on our choices, past behavior.

What this means for PR is quite significant.

Even if your brand lands a stellar piece in a reputable magazine or website, the chances of it being seen by a vast audience organically are slim. Unless every individual is a dedicated reader and specifically visits that publication to catch up on the day's articles, your brand's feature might be seen only by a few thousands of people. That's not economically sound considering the hefty price tag of a PR piece.

PR does a poor job of distributing and promoting your content.

Contrast this with the reach of a viral influencer post that the platform algorithm pushes onto thousands of 'For You' or 'Explore' pages because it feels the content is engaging.

Despite these, if ever you find yourself enticed by PR agencies flaunting 'unique visitors per month' metrics in their media kits, remember this —  High monthly visitors don't necessarily translate to high visibility for every article.

👋 Influencer is less distant & more personal compared to a journalist

PR articles are usually crafted by professionals trained in journalism or communications. Their primary goal is often to convey information in a structured, factual manner. The tone is objective and may lack the personal touch.

Influencers on the other hand create relatable content. They offer their firsthand experiences, and when coupled with the personal connection they share with their followers, it makes their endorsements feel genuine and trusted.

This translates to organic brand awareness and even sales.

💰 Direct impact on revenue

Unlike PR pieces that have a short-lived presence — they're published, circulated for a brief period, and then archived — influencers have the motivation to keep a brand or product in the limelight. Especially those working on a commission basis.

They have a direct stake in the brand's success. This means continuous posts about your brand. This kind of promotion helps in brand recall and reminds your target audience to make a purchase.

👉 Wrapping Up

By now, you're likely leaning towards influencer marketing, especially if you run a DTC brand.

And if you're contemplating your next move, note that it doesn't require you to hire any kind of — PR or influencer marketing agency (as might have been the case if you were to choose PR).

Your first job is to make a list of 10-20 influencers who fit your ideal creator profile. They'll have the same target audience, align with your values and create content you envision to associate with.

This should take you less than a week. And if you use tools like SARAL the time shortens and effort reduces even more. SARAL helps you find the right influencers faster and gets your brand in front of the right audience quicker.

Here's what Ibrahim, CMO at Peelaway Labs, a bedsheets brand, had to say about SARAL.

The best part is, unlike most influencer marketing tools, you don't have to sign annual contracts to see how it fits your brand and your workflow. You can just start your free 7-day trial of SARAL & test it out for yourself!

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