“Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what you pray for”

“Advertising is what you pay for; publicity (or public relations) is what you pray for” is a popular business saying. “Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what your public relations man gets out in newspapers, magazines, and radio for nothing” was cited in 1938.
 
“Advertising you pay for; publicity you pray for” was cited in print in 1986. It’s not known who first originated the saying.
   
 
Google Books
It’s an Art
By Helen Woodward
New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and Co.
1938
Pg. 27:
Advertising is what you pay for; publicity is what your public relations man gets out in newspapers, magazines, and radio for nothing.
     
Google Books
Proceedings [of The] Annual Convention
Association of State Planning and Development Agencies (U.S.)
Volumes 7-11
1952 (Google Books date may be incorrect. - ed.)
Pg. 133:
I learned a long time ago that advertising is something we pay for and publicity is something we pray for.
   
Google Books
Book Publishing as a Career
By Phillip Unwin
London: H. Hamilton
1965
Pg .129:
Strictly defined, advertising is what you pay for directly (spaces in newspapers and magazines, posters, show cards, prospectuses) and publicity is what (sometimes after much indirect expenditure) you get ‘free’  ...
 
Google Books
Handbook of Management for the Growing Business
By Carl Heyel and Belden Menkus
New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold
1986
Pg. 101:
As one wise man said, “Advertising you pay for; publicity you pray for.”
 
Google Books
Pritikin’s Testament:
Miracle Ads for Big & Small Advertisers, Retailers, and Entrepreneurs
By Robert Pritikin
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
1991
Pg. 97:
As the PR flacks often say: “Advertising you pay for; PR you pray for.”
   
28 June 1992, The Times (Trenton, NJ), “The troops of the Salvation Army—they’re more than bell ringers” by Arnold Ropeik, pg. D2, col. 2:
Good public relations is a must for the army, as it is for many sectors of business. Advertising iswhat you pay for. Publicity is what you pray for.
 
Google Groups: rec.music.country.western
Suzy Bogguss www pages
Joe Chew
5/11/95
I understand the concerns about copyright, but somebody seems to have forgotten the maxim that “advertising is something you pay for, publicity is something you pray for.”
—Joe
 
Google Books
Sales and Marketing
By Affinity Communications, Generation X
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
1996
Pg. ?:
Some experts suggest that “advertising is what you pay for, public relations is what you pray for.”
 
Forbes.com
7/08/2014 @ 4:28PM
The Real Difference Between PR And Advertising
By Robert Wynne
There’s an old saying:  ”Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.”