The short answer
Strategic communication, public relations, and marketing all use communication to achieve goals—but they aren't trying to accomplish the same thing.
Public relations focuses on fostering relationships and building trust.
Marketing focuses on encouraging people to take action, whether that's purchasing a product, attending an event, or choosing a service.
Strategic communication prepares professionals to align communication with organizational goals. Instead of specializing in a single communication function, it emphasizes choosing the right audience, message, channel, and communication approach for each situation.
Strategic communication: Aligning communication with organizational goals
Strategic communication is the intentional planning and use of communication to help an organization achieve its goals. These three questions offer a helpful starting point:
Who are we trying to reach?
What are we trying to accomplish?
What message and communication approach will get us there?
Strategic communication can be internal, external, or as it often is, both. It draws from multiple communication disciplines, adapting the approach based on an organization's goals, audiences, and circumstances.
Example: A company is preparing to launch a new product. A strategic communicator develops the overall communication plan, identifies key audiences, determines the messaging, and decides which communication channels will best support the launch.
Public relations: Building mutually beneficial relationships
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as: "a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics." The definition illustrates how closely public relations and strategic communication are connected. Both emphasize thoughtful, intentional communication, but public relations focuses specifically on building trust and maintaining relationships with key publics.
PR professionals often work with the media, community partners, government leaders, donors, and other stakeholders to build trust and protect an organization's reputation.
Example: Before the product launch, a public relations professional pitches the story to reporters, coordinates media interviews, and works with influencers or community partners to generate credible, earned attention.
Marketing: Encouraging action
Within the broader field of marketing, marketing communication focuses on promoting products, services, programs, or events with the goal of encouraging a specific action.
That action might be making a purchase, registering for an event, requesting more information, or applying to a graduate program.
Successful marketing communication goes beyond getting people to buy a product. Professionals research audiences, analyze customer behavior, develop messaging, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and measure campaign performance to understand what's working and continuously improve results.
Example: Once the product launches, a marketing professional analyzes campaign performance, evaluates customer engagement, and adjusts messaging to improve results and encourage purchases.
Field | Primary focus | Example of a key question |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic communication | Aligning communication with organizational goals | What communication approach will best help us achieve our goals? |
| Public relations | Building trust and mutually beneficial relationships | How do we strengthen relationships and build credibility? |
| Marketing | Encouraging audience action | How do we motivate people to take action? |
Slightly different perspectives. Shared skills.
Although these disciplines have different perspectives, they rarely operate in isolation.
Imagine a university launching a new graduate program.
Marketing promotes the program and encourages prospective students to apply.
Public relations helps generate media coverage and builds credibility with external audiences.
Strategic communication ensures that every message supports the university's broader enrollment and reputation goals.
The strongest communication professionals understand how these disciplines work together and know when each approach is most effective.
Strategic communications is knowing when to use a specific communications vehicle — whether that's advertising, social media, or PR — to accomplish an organization's goals.
Why does the Iowa Master of Strategic Communication teach all three?
Professionals who understand all three disciplines are better equipped to choose the right communication approach for each situation. That's why the University of Iowa's MASC curriculum doesn't just teach communication tactics; it teaches students how to think strategically about communication. Whether you're developing a marketing campaign, responding to a crisis, or leading organizational change, you'll learn how to choose the right communication approach for the right audience, at the right time.