Top Five PR Myths Explained

#TeamZen are - understandably - passionate about language and communications. So it comes as no surprise that we love shouting about what’s happening in the world of PR, and what our industry can achieve for businesses, individuals and organisations.

But, PR as a discipline does have a reputation (especially PR as in the traditional sense). So it’s about time that we laid down the facts, and debunked five of the biggest PR myths, misconceptions, and misunderstandings that we come across time and again:

1. Any Publicity Is Good Publicity
There’s always going to be some form of negative news in the media, but why is the term ‘Any publicity is good publicity’ not always true? Well, let’s take the likes of Katie Price, who has appeared in the press more times than we can realistically count over the years and still does today, mostly for her breast enlargements and facelifts. The controversial mum of five and former glamour model known as Jordan has received a huge amount of backlash on social media sites, been questioned and quizzed during televised interviews, and has had her name mentioned - negatively - in most national titles.

So, why has she continued to seek publicity when it wasn't all positive? Well, it seems staying in the public eye and remaining a ‘hot topic’ within the news agenda is more important than what that topic might be, and so she sells ever more outrageous stories. But what has she actually achieved, and what message has she delivered? The question that we often ask clients is why it’s important for them to appear in the media, and what is it that they want to achieve.

2. PR Is All About Press Releases And Press Conferences
There’s a wide range of options when it comes to PR, and you’ll often hear us talk about our ‘Five Pillars of PR’ - a strategy designed by Fliss over a decade ago to support clients seeking a holistic and all-encompassing structure to their communications campaign. The more pillars, the stronger and more balanced a campaign will be. But, much like a stool, as long as you have covered off at least three you should have a sturdy foundation, sufficient stability, and be able to absorb any unexpected shock.

The five pillars consist of traditional media, digital and social media, direct PR, advocate and affiliate PR, and experiential PR. And depending on your objectives, good PR Pros know which mix to use - whether that’s writing press releases to promote your product or service, a by-lined article to establish you as a thought leader in your industry, winning credible awards which mean something to your customers, or having professionally-written, SEO-friendly web copy. PR has evolved to focus on a business’s reputation and bottom-line objectives, rather than simply getting the name in the media.

3. DIY PR is Easy And Effective
Just because we *can* cut our own hair, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we should. And it’s the same for PR. When your competitors are using technically-trained writers and strategically-focused public relations officers, taking on your own PR and standing out from the crowd might not be as easy as you think. Just as you’ll absolutely be an expert in your field - whatever that may be - so too will PR and communication experts be after spending years immersing themselves in the world of language and communications, and PR strategy. And they’ll know exactly which tactics to use, as well as when, why and how to use them.

4. The Success Of A PR Campaign Can’t Be Measured
People want to see return on investments, and many other services such as advertising and marketing can produce clear results. But as PR is about reputation, how do we measure it? Well, there are ways and means of measuring its results, including perception surveys, key performance indicators, and advertising value equivalents. In fact, that’s a whole other blog topic we’ll be sure to cover soon!

5. One Hit Does the Job
Building your profile in the press takes time. Can you remember who sang the song Mambo No 5? Not off the top of your head? OK, so what about Wonderwall? The latter, Oasis, was one of the longest-running, successful bands of all time (in our humble opinion, anyway!) whereas the name Lou Bega probably wouldn’t mean anything to a lot of people. One hit wonders are very common. They skyrocket to the top, and just as quickly, they fall back down again.

An effective PR campaign will build your brand steadily and effectively, and ensure your clients, potential clients, and the wider industry, remember your name long after the dancefloor has cleared.

So there you have it, five of the top PR myths debunked. There are, of course, plenty more misconceptions about PR that we could talk about, but if you have a burning question that you’d like to ask a member of the team, do get in touch and it would be a pleasure to assist - you never know, it might make a great follow-up blog post :)