Ries Says, "PR First, then Advertising"

In The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, Al Ries and Laura Ries drill into our heads the notion that advertising is not a credible way to build a brand. They suggest:

1. Make your product remarkable in some way.
2. Build the brand with PR, leveraging the product's remarkability.
3. If your budget allows, follow up the PR with advertising.

The idea is to establish credibility before you advertise so that the advertising doesn't fall on deaf or skeptical ears.