Myths Associated with Public Relations

As a Chicago franchise public relations firm, we hear all sorts of things about the public relations industry everyday. Because we are a member of the public relations industry, we felt it was fitting that we dedicated a blog to the myths associated with public relations and provide a bit of clearing up on things we have been hearing for years.  Here are a some of the most common myths about public relations:

Myth: Publicity is free and pretty easy to obtain.

Let's face it, there are a ton of public relations agencies out there looking to obtain solid publicity for clients, so competition for publicity is pretty high.  That being said, with competition being high, publicity is not always free and easy.  There are many companies out there who are looking to get some press coverage, so if it was easy to get then everyone would have it.  Besides, if getting publicity was free and easy, most organizations would elect to do public relations for themselves and wouldn't call in the PR experts or public relations firms to help get the coverage. We're calling this one a myth.

Myth: Public relations is just about throwing press conferences and writing PR releases.

Lots of people have the notion that the biggest part of public relations is writing and distributing press releases and throwing press conferences, but there is so much more to PR.  Releases and conferences are the two most common tactics used by PR professionals, which is why most people commonly associate public relations with those two tactics.  While PR used to rely quite heavily on the use of releases and conferences, today's PR is evolved and ever-changing.  PR today deals with event planning, all forms of communicating, social media, blogging, viral videos, and tactics most people couldn't believe are all public relations-based.  Franchise public relations, and really public relations in general, is so much more than meets the eye.

Myth: Any and all press is good press.

This has been a very, very popular myth for as long as public relations has been around.  We've all heard this one, probably a million times over and we are calling this one a myth.  No, not all press is necessarily good press.  While getting press is often times the goal for any and all companies, bad press surrounding a company can be quite detrimental to the longevity of a company. The mentality should never really be "any press is good press."  The mentality of a company or public relations firm should always be to present the company or client in the best light.

Myth: Public relations is all about spin.

This is another popular public relations myth that has been around for years and years and is simply not true.  Lumping public relations in with spin or propaganda used to happen frequently, but these days public relations is viewed in a very different light.  Public relations firms and PR pros avoid spin techniques, providing solid, hard-hitting information.  Public relations experts provide a wonderful alternative source for information and really, a lot of public relations experts make life easier for business journalists and clients.

Myth: Public relations cannot be measured.

We've talked about it before, perhaps not in the quantifying manner some people are looking for, but public relations can be measured in a different way.  Earned media time can be the equivalent to paid advertising and can even be more effective.  While that's not completely measurable, the success a business gains from that media time is priceless.

What myths have you encountered in regard to public relations?  Feel free to leave us a comment below or contact us.