Advertising v. Marketing v. Propaganda

I've heard and often hear all three of these terms in conversations, on the radio and in my news feed. Recently I finished reading the book "Zag" by Marty Neumeier and he talks about advertising and marketing almost as if they were the same thing and, frankly, not until very recently did I really think about these two words and what their different meanings were.

I am tempted to search online for definitions that will help me understand and write this blog post. Instead I will resist this urge and try to make an educated guess as to what each of these words are; how they are similar and different.

To me, the words "advertising" and "marketing" are almost synonymous. They both relate to the promotion of a product, service, organization, etc... If they do not mean the same thing, they, at the very least are complementary. I rarely hear one without the other following.

If I had to differentiate between advertising and marketing, I'd say that advertising relates more to the visual side of promotion. When I think of advertising, I see magazine, newspaper, television ads and billboards. Marketing is more about researching customers' wants and developing a plan that will help promote a product, service or organization. This plan may or may not include advertisements.

I've left propaganda to be discussed last because I don't feel it is related to advertising or marketing. While its purpose is to promote, I believe the word "propaganda" has a political, perhaps even negative connotation attached to it. One of the first things that comes to mind upon hearing the word "propaganda" is Hitler's Germany before World War II. In my high school European History class we spent some time studying Nazi propaganda. I've heard of climate change being referred to as liberal propaganda. While I, myself, do not believe it is, this helps me understand that propaganda refers to promoting a belief or ideology that relates to a given side of the political spectrum.

In today's hyperpartisan society, how can politicians and their parties manage the fine line between advertising and propaganda?