The 7 Biggest PR Myths – BUSTED!
The 7 Biggest PR Myths - Busted!
There are very few things that I can hear in this world that make me cringe. I think this is partly because I keep an open mind and partly because I always try and see two sides to every story. But throughout my PR journey, I have heard the same myths over and over and they never cease to stop me in my tracks. And I must admit, I have a terrible poker face, so anyone can tell right away exactly what is on my mind.
But I really don’t blame the client. Most are just repeating what they have heard or making assumptions based on what they have seen. Recently, I was a participant in a webinar when the host called me out personally since she was aware I did PR. She mentioned that her PR mentor recently told her that “Having a bad reputation is better than no reputation at all because at least you have something…” I couldn’t control myself. I went off mute and said, “A professional told you that?” I felt this a great opportunity to clear the air, in case anyone else on the call was looking to take that advice to heart. So, my response was “Bad reputations kill companies. No reputations stop companies from scaling. In only one of those two scenarios is a brand desperate enough to throw tens of thousands of dollars at the issue.” I by no means meant to embarrass her, but she definitely didn’t call on me again to answer any questions.
The point is, there is a lot of misinformation rolling around. And don’t just take my word for it, but use this as a basis to conduct your own assessment and research which can lead you to conclusions based in fact, not hearsay.
So here is my list of the top 7 PR myths that need busting NOW:
Any publicity is good publicity – This is an age-old adage and was probably true 50 years ago when consumer choices were not based on how they FELT about a company. They simply needed to know that you existed and that you had a product that they wanted. Less competition also meant they didn’t have the choices they have today and would buy no matter how they felt about your business practices. In modern society, that is simply not the case anymore. People do not do business with businesses they don’t know, like, or trust. If your values don’t align with theirs, they likely won’t choose you… but this isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it makes targeting your true audience easier and opens the door to finding those who can be translated into loyal brand evangelists. But then on the flip side, we have seen many who followed a brand faithfully decide to part ways when bad publicity revealed a dark side to the company they could no longer get behind.
Guaranteed placements are a PR standard – There is perhaps nothing that irks me more than the paid placement debate. There are many PR firms that make their living getting you in the exact publication you want – for a price! But the fact is, paid placements ARE NOT PR. They are advertisements wrapped up to look like earned media coverage, and most readers can tell the difference. Most painfully, there is little to no benefit in the paid placement route, though some companies will bank on your desperation or immediate need to push this alternative. Readership is low, placements can be expensive, and the only true upside is the vanity aspect. But if bragging to your followers about your Forbes placement isn’t pushing the needle, then what was the point of the whole thing anyway?
The more you pay the better the results – Some of the higher-tier, well connected firms will argue that their relationships with high-profile journalists and producers will help move your campaign along faster – and their price points will reflect that. But some of the most successful PR practitioners didn’t have pre-existing relationships when they landed big coverage, they just knew how to implement the proper PR fundamentals. Obviously, having relationships can be helpful, but it does not guarantee coverage. Reporters can be uninterested, too busy, no longer employed, or unavailable to cover your story, which leads these big firms back to the same starting point as the rest of us – cold email outreach. There is never a time when a firm has so many good relationships that they aren’t reaching out to new contacts with new storylines. Cold email is a constant, never-ending battle, no matter how connected someone is in an industry. So never feel like you have to pay more for better results, you just have to hire right (See my blog on PR Pricing for New Buyers)
The less you pay the better for your bottom line – In the absolute antithesis of the above, many clients come to me to see what bargain prices they can get. And when I was first starting out, they were in fact bare-bottom prices. So, I know firsthand how discount PR can be detrimental to a company. Not because I was employing these tactics (I was actually doing much more than I was paid to do – which ended up costing me money), but because in order to remain profitable, those getting paid next to nothing to do a technical, time-consuming job are going to have to cut corners somewhere. And that means your campaign will be miniscule. Strategy gets cut. Pitching and targeting gets cut. Mass distribution becomes a go-to. And few real, tangible results occur. I shared a lot more insight on why discount PR may not be the best route in this Linkedin Post
ChatGPT can do all the writing for me – I do so love when people assume that AI is going to take over the job of a PR professional. To be honest, this is the least of my concern… in fact, according to a recent article by INC magazine, PR budgets are expected to double by the year 2027 because of AI searches. While the way people are finding recommendations, data, and information is changing, the media landscape is not budging. They still require stories with substance, from real humans, with real impacts, in areas they cover, that would be of interest to their audience. The way things are written, framed, presented, and pitched still require human interactions. Though some more lazy professionals (And DIY PR practitioners with no fundamental knowhow) look to AI to craft their material, the skillful architect understands that media is utilizing AI to determine if a story, quote, pitch, press release, or email has been written using AI so they can dismiss it entirely. This not only does not support your cause, but it gets you blocked.
I should be able to see positive results in the first few months – If you are looking for immediate results, then PR is not for you. I had a client recently tell me “It’s been a month and a half and we haven’t seen anything yet” despite the fact that we had already arranged nearly 6 media spots for him. I could tell this would be an uphill battle. He felt that if it wasn’t top tier and didn’t get people to immediately jump on his platform to do business, that it was wasting money. I encouraged him to discontinue all PR, and focus on marketing, which seemed to be what he was really looking for. Truth: even if we got you 12 media interviews per month, and they roll out haphazardly over the next 6 months, it would still take considerable time for consumers to take notice, take interest, and take action. They need to grow to understand you, like you, and want to do business with you instead of your competitors. That kind of trust just isn’t built in a month and a half.
One top-tier publication is all I need – One placement, no matter how high-profile, does not a company make! Often, starting at the top indicates that you paid for the placement, and on top of that, it does not maintain long-term interest or (on its own) drive consumer action. Consistency is key and those looking for real value will find it when they stick with a traditional PR campaign for long enough. Especially when considering HOW individuals make decisions on what company to do business with, and that comes down to consistent, long-term, meaningful earned media coverage over a specific amount of time – which also contributes to your ability to show up as a “Recommended option” on AI platforms.
Do any of these sound like something you have heard before? I imagine a likely “Yes” to at least several of them. As un-certified myth busters, we are here to help you navigate what PR should and could look like for you, but it will never contain any of the above. We believe in the power and impact that a real PR campaign can bring to your company, because we have seen it happen time and again. But if you rely on false beliefs, or outdated models to help you get to your goals, all your achievements will be moot.
Don’t fall victim to grandiose promises or lackluster knowhow. If you have questions, or need to know how to navigate a certain situation, we are here to help
