5 Businesses that should NOT use PR

Public Relations is a powerful tool, but it requires a skilled craftsman with the right knowledge to utilize it correctly. Over the 13 years I have run my PR consulting business, I have seen Public Relations produce incredible results with efficiency and effectiveness that are uniquely different from marketing and advertising. I’ve also seen the best-laid Public Relations strategies fall short due to misaligned expectations, incorrect application, and a lack of support.

What I know to be true is that not every business will benefit from Public Relations. Most often this is due to a few common scenarios where goals, staff mindset, and budget don’t align. Back in my early years, when I was eager for any work, even if it was laced with red flags, I would jump in these toxic scenarios hoping I could move mountains on my own and still deliver successful outcomes. Rarely did this work out as a “win” for all parties involved. I now know how to quickly identify businesses that are not yet in a position to benefit from PR, and to kindly guide them toward what they will benefit from given their current state of affairs.

This is why my initial consultation with any prospective client is always free. We need to learn more about one another and to determine it’s the right fit. And if it’s not, it’s so much better to offer that advice upfront. It doesn’t have to mean a no forever, just a no right now isn’t the right timing. Keep growing, evolving, and reach back out when certain conditions have changed. I’m passionate about giving authentic advice, even if it means turning away a client. While it may sound counterintuitive to business growth, it’s quite the opposite. This approach has been the single best source of good business growth that has led me to my most fulfilling work, and has helped to weed out the rest.

Now let’s get to what you really came here to learn. What businesses are NOT in the right position to benefit from PR? Here are the common scenarios I’ve found to be true time and time again. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it should help you understand which roadblocks are nonstarters.

Businesses without the buy-in from senior leadership

The real kiss of death to any PR strategy is when your point of contact within a business tells you that the CEO or CMO hasn’t really “bought into PR” just yet. This means that the key decision-makers don’t understand its role or value. It’s viewed as an experiment, at best. And they’re not likely invested in its success. Without the support of senior leadership, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. Even if you deliver successful PR outcomes, you will then need to further explain the value of those outcomes. No, thank you! I want to work with businesses who understand how the basics of how PR works, the value it provides, and why this is something the business needs.

Businesses that want PR to do marketing’s work

I have a big heart for small businesses. Much of my current client roster is made up of small businesses and nonprofits. They often have the best stories to tell, by the way! But with smaller enterprises comes the need for budgets and responsibilities to be stretched across many different areas. Staff need to wear multiple hats, and there is usually just one budget to cover marketing, advertising, and public relations altogether. This is not a deal breaker, but where it gets hairy is when PR gets confused for marketing. The conversation might start with, “Yes, we need help with our PR!” Great! But once I dig deeper into what specific tasks, I've come to learn it’s primarily digital marketing, social media management, and even some paid media. I fully support any business pursuing these strategies, but let’s be clear, this is not true Public Relations.

When my time gets stretched into writing email marketing content or creating social media graphics, I’m not doing what I do best. Think of it like owning a Ferrari but only driving it 35MPH. I want to work with businesses that understand the unique role of PR and allow me to garner earned media value and grassroots exposure to elevate its brand and mission. Marketing can’t and won’t do that! While I understand the confusion and the desire to hire a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to content creation, PR is really special. And it deserves to able to do what it does best, while marketing and advertising is handled separately.

Businesses without a strong mission or message to share

If you don’t have a compelling story angle, Public Relations will feel strenuous and lackluster. As a PR professional, it’s my job to seek and create a great story for my clients’ work. But I can’t completely manufacture something from nothing. There needs to be at least a kernel of something unique, interesting, or impactful that’s worthy of being told to a broad audience. And quite frankly, some industries just aren’t a great fit for PR. I struggle to think of any specific examples off the top of my head, because 99% of the time, I can find a newsworthy angle. But I know the 1% exists. If you mission or message is common, self-serving, and business-as-usual, it’s not the right time to invest in PR. Once you have that “kernel” that’s ready to develop into a larger story, then its time to unleash the power of PR!

Businesses that only care about vanity metrics

PR is a long game. A story idea can take months to develop into a media hit. But with the right outreach and follow-through, that single hit can start a ripple effect that will benefit you in ways far greater than what you can imagine. PR takes patience. Businesses that want immediate results from PR are likely to fall into the trap of “vanity metrics.” This looks like issuing a press release about self-serving news, like revamping your website, changing your brand colors, or hitting an internal milestone. The general public really doesn’t care about this, but you want to see your name in a headline regardless. There are plenty of pay-for-play websites and platforms out there that will take your money to publish a junk press release, but real news media outlets will tell you to take a hike. Businesses who think ripping off press releases for even the smallest announcement is a PR strategy will only be disappointed once the smoke and mirrors of these vanity metrics fall short of producing any tangible results.

Businesses that don’t value what PR provides

Finally, I only want to work with businesses that value the unique outcomes that Public Relations provides. If you think pitching news stories is a waste of time and would rather pay for traditional advertising, by all means, pursue that option. I won’t claim that PR is advertising, or vice versa. They’re two different animals, and unless you value having both animals in your “zoo” I won’t be the one to try to convince you otherwise. I want to align with businesses that understand that PR is the best complement to marketing and advertising. They are nested under the broad umbrella of communications, and when working in unison they deliver immensely powerful results that no one sector can deliver on its own.

The simple truth is PR won’t benefit every business. I believe Public Relations can be highly effective when applied correctly, but there are also toxic scenarios that will set it up for failure and disappointment. And no one wants that.

What’s most important is to understand that PR is both an art and a science, and there are instances where it just might not be the right solution to the problem. Discerning the difference is where true professionals show their worth. Not every business will benefit from PR…at least until they clear out the obstacles mentioned above. Just as businesses evolve, so does the need for PR. It’s smart to evaluate and revisit PR strategies often. There just might come a season when it’s the most powerful tool in your toolbox!

Is there another scenario you might add to this list? Let’s strike up a conversation in the comments!

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