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 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

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