Unfortunately, confusion with the “campaign” and the “company” is not uncommon. Even news headlines on the Internet contain such typos. Do not give examples of them - so as not to fall into memory.
An unfortunate oversight does not lie in wait for someone who knows exactly the meaning of the word that he will use. The words "campaign" and "company" are part of the daily vocabulary.
What is the difference?
The distinction between the campaign and the company only at first glance seems blurry, because when using both words we are talking about people.
The secret of difference in these concepts is simple. A company is always a community of people. A campaign is an action, military or peaceful, but it is an activity for a specific purpose. The difference between the company and the campaign is very large.
In Russian, these concepts differ, as in all other languages. But by ear they coincide in spoken language, since no one pronounces “O” as [o], but only as [a]. The words turned out to be the same in sound - homophones.
In English, the situation is much simpler. A company is a company. Campaign - campaign. They are also pronounced in different ways.
The origin of these words in Latin differs fundamentally. "Campaign" has its origins in the word campus (field). "Company" - in the word panis (bread), to which the prefix com. In the first case, battlefields or agricultural work. In the second - a group of people who eat together.
People Companies
At present, a company of people gathered together can eat their bread, pizza, drink tea or have dinner together. The company can simply walk in the park or gather around a fire in the forest, can play music and sing. The main thing is that the company be suitable. As O'Henry said:
A person can fall into a bad company in two cases of life - when he is penniless and when he is rich.
At the bonfire, at the festive table, a good company will surely gather - friends, pals, acquaintances. It has long been known that a good feast is not just delicious food, but interesting interlocutors. For the company, the most important goal is to have a good time together.
Companies producing goods and services
But what about industrial companies? Trading, manufacturing? They are also "companies." In essence, these are large groups of people working together, and sometimes relaxing, eating, celebrating important events.
Nevertheless, the word "company" takes on yet another meaning, indicating a company, business, enterprise, business, organization.
These companies want to be in demand, exceptional, successful. Lawrence "Larry" Page, Google’s search engine developer, is credited with the following words:
If we did everything for money, we would have sold the company a long time ago and had a rest on the beach.
And further:
Google is not an ordinary company and does not intend to become one.
It is easy to remember that in a large and small manufacturing company, only companies of like-minded people manage to work well together.
Campaigns - Political, Electoral, Military
A campaign is always an activity, an action, some kind of action. For example, in the computer games "Napoleonic Wars" various campaigns take place - in Italy, in the Middle East, the European campaign.
By the way, the great commander Napoleon Bonaparte himself stated:
You can win the battle, but lose the battle.
You can win the battle, but lose the campaign.
You can win the campaign, but lose the war.
There are other campaign outcomes. Admiral Nelson won both the battle and the entire naval campaign, Britain became the mistress of the sea. Not losing a single ship in the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson died himself.
Campaigning, speeches, shows, nomination activities are also a campaign. Three years ago, in June 2015, newspapers wrote that the slogan of his campaign, Donald Trump, had chosen the slogan "Let's restore America to its former greatness!"
Any active and purposeful political activity is also a campaign. The struggle for peace, for women's rights, for environmental security are socio-political campaigns that meet with great support in society. Everyone is hearing advertising campaigns for the introduction of goods and services.
In general, there were no campaigns in the history of mankind: against sparrows in China, against cosmopolitans in the USSR, against family violence in Europe. The US campaign against the Vietnam War was called the Pentagon Campaign.
Of course, people can come together in companies and groups to participate in public and political campaigns. But what exactly is the difference between a company and a campaign - everyone needs to know.