20 Common Misconceptions About PR

Working for award winning PR agencies most of my life has made me understand that not many people understand public relations. I always remember trying to explain what I did for a living to my mum and dad.  I failed each time.

This lack of understanding didn’t stop with my parents.  Here are a few common misconceptions about public relations that I have encountered over the last 13 years while working in the industry.

• PR is not just media relations, it is a communication discipline to help people and organisations communicate with their stakeholders.  Tactically this might include a lot of media relations but it also includes, CSR, social media, technical SEO knowhow, analytics and measurement.
• PR is not advertising. Among other things, PR offers third party endorsement, which advertising doesn’t.
  PR is full of beautiful women, fast cars and long lunches
• PR is a soft career option. Far from it. It is very competitive and difficult to enter as a graduate.
• PRs work short hours are drink champagne all day
• PR is absolutely fabulous darling
• A PR degree is a prerequisite (I’d argue the opposite can be the case)
• PR is full of buzzwords and jargon
• PR = press releases
• Cuttings are king (what about inbound links and a million and one other metrics?)
• Bullshitters make good PRs (wrong, it’s a consultancy led business)
• Most PRs get digital (most don’t I’m afraid)
• Advertising Equivalent Value (AVE) is a good KPI (so, wrong)
• You can’t be direct, upfront and honest with clients or journalists
• Journalists make good PR (only a few can do make the jump.  You know who you are)
• Working in house in PR is more boring than agency side
• Good copywriters are good PRs
• Creativity is more important that strategy
• You need to be in London to forge a career in PR. So wrong. Read our blog post on northshoring.
• Big agencies are better than independents
• PR sits in isolation from marketing
• PR is not relevant for the c-suite