6 Public Relations Myths

Just like many things in this world, franchise public relations is subject to many myths. There are lots of myths about public relations but we have chosen six to discuss.

1. Any publicity is good publicity. You have likely heard this one before. This is one of the oldest myths about public relations there is and it is very wrong. Just because your name is out there in the world for people to see does not mean it is a good thing. If your name is out there and it's because you're involved in some scandal, then your reputation will not improve; you will have a negative connotation to your name. Some celebrities believe in this and is why they do crazy publicity stunts like sham marriages or go on binges.
2. PR is only about press releases and press conferences. While these two facets of public relations are big and powerful, they are not all that a franchise PR agency will do. They are not even the right tool for the job sometimes. A press conference is a tool that should be held off for the big jobs and press releases should not be pushed out every single time there's a hint of news. Be creative and use other tools, social media is a good one. 
3. Publicity is easy to get and doesn't cost a thing. Public relations has a lot of competition involved in it; just about every company out there is trying to get noticed by the media in some way. Now, PR is cheaper than advertising because PR is earned and not bought, however, it still costs a company money to hire a franchise PR firm and it is hard work for the firm to get the company noticed. 
4. Only the bad need publicity. Good companies get it naturally. While yes, it does occasionally happen naturally for a company that has a great product or service, every company can benefit from having PR in their efforts. A bad company uses PR to catch up, a good company uses PR to get ahead. 
5. PR is only full of ex-reporters. While many people in PR are indeed former reporters, there are other people in it too. Many PR professionals have only worked in PR; yes, many did get degrees in journalism. There are also people with marketing experience in PR too. 
6. Public relations is full of people who spin words, create slogans, and force propaganda. The world of PR is supposed to be full of ethics; certain franchise PR agencies indeed hold to the ethical codes of PRSA and know where to draw the line. A company that uses sleazy tactics to get publicity is not an agency you want to deal with. 

Have any more myths to add in? Submit them in the comments! We can help you sort those out too.