misconceptions about pr

I’ve noticed that PR can be a difficult thing for people to understand. People see the finished product or event and think it all comes together effortlessly. After all, that’s the illusion; that’s the magic trick we’re paid to perform. However, behind the smoke and mirrors there’s so much more nuance to what we do, and a lot happens behind the scenes.

 

#1: THE LONG GAME

 

Almost every new client has one thing in common, they’re expecting results — and fast. People tend to see PR as rapid-fire message distribution.

 

This perception is simply not rooted in reality. In many respects, PR is about the long game. It’s about long-form strategy and tactical amplification. It takes serious time to onboard correctly, to fully understand a company, build credibility, and ensure alignment both externally and internally.

 

This is a really challenging concept to communicate to clients.

 

I often work with clients who come to me after they’ve already built up their  brand and refined their concept. They reach out two weeks before showtime and say, “It’s go time! We need PR!” But there are so many important opportunities that can be leveraged before your doors open. You need to inspire your crowd ahead of your buildout – and people love to see progress. When things get rolling further in advance, you can plant seeds and cultivate a message more thoroughly.

 

#2: THINK BIG PICTURE

 

This is a big one. People think that publicity is all about copy, and that the words we produce, on their own, are somehow going to work magic. Let’s unpack that.

 

Copy is important, of course, but it’s not everything. Not everything exists inside of a press release. A good press release is the one the client approves, and arguably more important than the words themselves is the timing. If you spend a month crafting and retooling a press release, it could be the most beautiful piece of writing and no one will care because now the story is dead. My advice, just get the thing done. There are many other communication methodologies and tactics that can be used to create a connection between your client and the public.

 

As publicists, we are operators of the verbal, and we are also operators of the visual – it’s just a different layer. Copy is one piece of the puzzle, however we are also always looking at the visual and experiential elements that people are going to be interacting with. Going back to the magic trick metaphor, every act is as much about the show around the illusion than it is the trick itself.

 

#3: PR IS A TRADE

 

We’ve all seen characters in movies and TV that make PR look super glamorous – a fancy, clean, white-collar gig full of posh dinners and country club golf outings.

 

But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: PR is a trade. A big part of what we do is back-and-forth efforts to get things out the door. It’s laborious work, and there’s a lot of strategy in the tactics. Doing PR work is truly like laying the foundation of a house.

 

It just depends on what your house is going to look like. Is it going to be a cookie-cutter special out in the suburbs? Or is it going to be something magnificent, on the top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean? What kind of house do you want to build?

 

 

#MakePBJ

 

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