Why PR Still Matters (And How We Use It to Drive Impact)

Let’s talk about PR.

It’s one of those buzzwords that gets tossed around a lot, but many people don’t fully understand what it is, how it works, or why it matters. More importantly, it often gets confused with marketing.

Yes, marketing and public relations work hand-in-hand, but they’re not the same thing. If you're a nonprofit or mission-driven organization, knowing the difference is key to making the right investment in your communication strategy.

What’s the Difference?

Marketing is all about promotion. Its job is to drive sales, enrollments, sign-ups, or donations. It uses paid tactics like digital ads, email campaigns, and social media content to move people toward a specific action.

Public Relations, on the other hand, is about reputation. PR helps shape how people perceive your brand or mission. It uses strategic communication, storytelling, and media outreach to build public trust and credibility. It’s not about selling, it’s about being seen, heard, and believed.

If you're not selling a product but asking the public to believe in your cause or invest in your work, PR might be exactly what you need.

How We Use PR

When a local charter school advocacy group came to us asking for a solution to shift public opinion of charter schools, we knew it was time to exercise our PR muscle. 

The Take Note BR campaign was built by using strategic media relationships with influential local outlets to drive earned media and good news!

Our goal was to find and amplify the everyday stories of success, resilience, and innovation happening in Baton Rouge charter schools.

We didn’t just pitch one story and hope for the best. We built relationships with local media outlets, crafted press releases, and stayed consistent with timely, people-centered storytelling.

Watch it Work

Recently, a band teacher at GEO Prep Next Generation High School was doing incredible work with her students, which led to a Grammy nomination for the Music Educator Award. After a series of paid placements, we developed and shared a press release with our  media network. Within days, two earned media stories ran in national outlets (Yahoo and MSN)! 

What could have been just another overlooked success in a busy school year became a headline that sparked positive dialogue about charter education in Baton Rouge and beyond.

Now it’s Your Turn 

Good PR isn't about getting attention for the sake of it. It’s about using visibility to build trust, influence perception, and open doors.

At NURA, we do PR with purpose. So if you’ve got a story to tell, don’t keep it to yourself. Let us help you share it with the people who need to hear it most.

‍