Old school public relations is the opposite of an abundant mindset

I love PR. Today I want to share how 'old school PR' practices employed today often lead to unmet expectations, straining relationships and mental wellbeing. ?And, how embracing a more modern PR approach can not only bring fulfillment but also can be remarkably effective.

That shiny old-school PR life.?

For many years, effective PR practitioners stood out. These pros had great reporter relationships, knew the craft, precisely when and how to call a newsroom, and the art of positioning a story and supporting the reporter's process to bring it to fruition. There was a great and predictable chance of securing media coverage. The media industry was thriving, with reporters for nearly every beat, and I think fondly of so many “we crushed that” moments during this time. ?

I also remember very little focus on business goals or personal goals for the company leaders. But it didn’t matter. Most of us were worried about vanity press. I was okay with living that sharing-my-cover-story-on-LinkedIn life.

Reporters, where art thou? ??

Then, the media landscape began to shift (for many reasons, some of which I write about here). And many of us worked for years selling prospective clients on getting in the news, then burning ourselves out to make it happen (or not) by any means necessary.

As a result, client and reporter relationships were at an all-time low, as was trust in PR firms' effectiveness. It all felt inauthentic and chaotic. Securing a contract became less of a “yeah!” and more of an, “oh boy, here we go…”

My sense is that a majority of independent PR firms remain stuck here.

I have compassion for this interim state. The shift happened fast, and what formerly was a traditional and uncreative field, was forced to learn the art of social media, influencer relations, and blogging. It was flashy and new but unknown and messy. It took time away from media relations, but would garner results, so it was a must-have. I feel for interns during this time. Meanwhile, the news industry fearfully watched social media beasts taking their ad dollars.

What modern public relations looks like today.

Today, modern marketing teams know that earned media is premium media. The gold-standard third-party endorsement. PR teams are at the table from day 1 of strategic planning. Campaigns are creatively crafted to be so good you can’t ignore it, an approach that benefits the brand marketing holistically. Paid and earned co-mingle in new ways. You might garner an earned story and put dollars behind it to extend its reach. Your ad may be so creative it demands earned media coverage. It’s not the chicken or the egg, it’s the whole breakfast. ??

Modern PR looks at the business goals, and which earned tactics can – and will – move them forward. It is a sure thing because we evaluate things like your digital footprint and how you can build credibility from it, build a plan to get there and make it happen. We focus on relationships and amplification of messages across channels – with strategic partners, advocates, team members and reporters. Not just reporters. Because media relations is a tactic of public relations.

The shift from “need” to “want.” ??

I want to share one more concept with you that I absorbed recently. The ceilings of success with operating in “want” vs. “need” are unmatched. When you need something, you won’t stop until you get it. And that’s it. You’ll get the thing you need, and you don't need to try anymore. You’re exhausted from that chase.

Whereas when you want something, you go after it because you want it. And get it because you want it. And then you want more and go get more because you want it, you don't need it. It’s not exhausting, it’s energizing and exhilarating and creates an endless ceiling for your work and life. ??

I'd want the people working for me to be driven by a genuine desire to add value, and allow them to get creative to meet business goals (strategic); rather than feel pressured to secure a specific media coverage (tactical) that may not guarantee success. (Listen to 6 min. on our “media as the cherry on top” approach to PR here:)

It has to be relationships + results. ??

Many of us have the experience of working with friends we hold on a pedestal, and being disappointed at the results. relationship > results.

Some also know what it’s like to hire the gold-standard fancy agency or vendor partner because you really want results, and then getting frustrated along the way because they just don’t “know” us. results > relationship.

The reality is that you need both.

I wrote about my wakeup call about this a few years back, when we had secured interviews with Bloomberg, Forbes and Wall Street Journal for a promising startup all in the same week, and the CEO moved every single interview. I have never been more incredulous. I thought to myself, "This was gold standard PR. Why were they paying us so much if they didn’t want it?!" Years later, I realized I had no idea what kept the CEO up at night. Because I had no real relationship with him.

I now know that relationships can support not only fulfillment in work and life, but also the greatest of business outcomes.

Is the "thing" reallllly the end goal? ??

As practitioners, we must always have the end goal in mind, and build our plan to meet that. Not, "I need a press release"; but rather, "How might we effectively communicate to our audience?"

(Recently, I wrote about how everything we do is for a feeling, and the value of consistently considering if the THING in question is really the solution, or if we're just trying to feel okay.)

When you put in the work to connect on a human level and ask the hard questions to get to what your client or colleague actually wants or needs, then you can craft the best way to get there, not what they think they wanted.

The true measure of success in PR isn’t making headlines in Forbes or landing a spot on the TODAY show. It’s about achieving your tangible business goal, whether it's sales, brand awareness, leads, etc. There are countless paths to get there, with or without a blockbuster media hit.

(And the good ones will pursue media placements anyways because they want to do it for you – not because the contract or business needs it.)

Lastly, control what you can control. And get comfortable with the unknown!

Look at success as the impact you've made on the clients and their businesses, and you'll open up a whole new world of potential avenues for it.

It’s about crafting a narrative that resonates, building genuine relationships, and caring enough to do great work, whatever that looks like. This is your sign to release the pressure-cooker of media relations, and focus on the end goal.

All of this will contribute positively to your mental health, allow you to make emotional space for your clients, and better support their business.

It’s about creating a legacy, not a headline. We'll all be healthier for it!