“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying ‘Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday,’ that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.”
I can’t remember where that quote originated. But I used it once in my newsletter and receive requests every now and then from readers who remember the quote, but need the exact wording.
If you work in any of these industries, tuck away this saying in a safe place and use it the next time you need something fun for a speech, White Paper, or just to make a client smile.
Does anybody know who first said this? Was it P.T. Barnum?
Joan How true this is great post keep up the good work
[…] Some topics aren’t worth more than a few paragraphs. Trying to stretch a topic to fill three screens of type can kill your blog and your schedule. I’ve written these quickies when alerting my audience to sources needed by a journalist, and when I come across fun things I find online like how the story of a circus elephant helps explain the definitions of advertising, promotion, publicity and PR. […]