Public relations is a very specific industry. Some people see it as magic, while others get confused because of numerous misconceptions. PR experts have a specific reputation that they live a chic life, while the truth is boring. If you want to understand the public relations world better, you need to read the following PR myths. We are going to bust them together.
- Public Relations Stunts Are Perfect
It is wrong to think that a single PR is going to take care of all your brand’s needs. Many people think that bad PR does not exist. Even if you try to do many things to make your brand popular, the outcome can be horrific, despite the time and effort. - Can Ex-Journalists Can Become PR Pros
We all know that public relations is all about communication, writing, and performing in-depth research. These are the main components of the journalism field. In reality, journalism and public relations are not equal. So, why an experienced journalist can’t become a PR pro? A journalist has well-trained communication skills because they are essential for this position. However, public relations requires much more skills and knowledge, which you can’t find in the journalism world.
If you have done a journalist study, it does not mean you can become a PR pro automatically. You will need to undergo additional training to succeed in the PR world.
- Any Ad Agency Is Able To Handle PR Campaigns
To be a PR expert, you need to handle creative tasks on a permanent basis. Your social media campaign asks for a lot of creative energy and profound skills, when it comes to handling backlash from the online public. If you see that your campaign does not give the needed results, you need to test new methods. PR is all about flexibility and ability to adjust to a highly competitive business world. Ad agencies focus on different types of communication only. Your company will benefit only if you use services of Ad and PR agencies separately.
What People Think…
Average people think that bad publicity does not exist. There is a theory that claims that when people speak about the company, it can’t be bad. Even when comments are highly negative, the impact is still positive. In a way it is true, as long as your brand is on people’s minds, your brand will stay relevant. Bad publicity is very common and successfully used among celebrities. It helps to shake the public opinion and make people speak about you. So, bad publicity can bring positive results. The effect of bad publicity on companies is not the same. If you deal with negative comments, you have to be ready to invest a lot of time and funds into rebuilding your popularity and trust.
To give you an example, we need to refer to Toyota. Once, the company produced dangerous vehicles. How did it affect the brand? Their sales decreased to 10%. The competitors used this situation and made enormous gains.
Do you remember the scandal about Tiger Woods? The public changed its opinion about one of the most popular athletes and stopped following him as before. Due to bad publicity, Tiger Woods has lost the best sponsors. If you still want to believe that bad publicity does not exist, ask Tiger’s opinion… Let’s admit that bad publicity is responsible for destroying brands. You should avoid it in all possible ways, if you do not want to damage your reputation for a long term.
