Those of us who work in public relations claim that publicity, or earned media, has greater credibility than paid media, i.e. advertising. Does that still hold true in today’s complex media landscape?
The answer is yes! The Journal of Promotion Management published an article in June 2019, titled A Mixed Methods Examination of How People Assess the Credibility of Sources Used by Public Relations Practitioners.
Here is the abstract of this article: “This study examined how people assess the credibility of sources—earned news stories, traditional advertisements, native advertisements, independent blogs, and corporate blogs—used commonly by public relations practitioners. Researchers conducted five focus groups with 46 participants and implemented a survey with 1,500 participants recruited from a consumer panel. Participants viewed earned media stories as the most credible. Regardless of the source utilized, people value strong writing, copious facts, and balanced perspectives when processing public relations messaging.”
My take? This is actionable research. Earned media refers to the unpaid coverage/mention of a business or organization by third-party entities such as media publications, customers, or influencers. Earned media has a lot of value. It is perceived as credible, cost effective, and can be easily integrated with other channels in the promotional mix. So remember to include traditional media (earned media) as a crucial component of the media mix for promoting your brand, product, and service.
