Are you a PR stereotype?
Do you find when people discover that you’re in public relations, they make automatic, stereotypical assumptions about you? Here are some of the comments and questions I’ve heard:
- Oh, you must love to plan parties!
- Can you help me promote my restaurant/hair salon/husband’s business?
- You remember me, don’t you? We met 6 months ago.
- You’re in PR, so you’d be great to play Mrs. Claus at our kids’ holiday party.
Let me state for the record – I HATE to plan events and parties. I’d rather drive a stake into my heart. I don’t know the first thing about promoting retail/hospitality venues, because I’ve focused on a technology niche my whole life. Just because I’m in PR, doesn’t mean I’m always the greatest at remembering faces, no matter how how truly and sincerely interested in you I was when I met you. And, I don’t jive well with kids at all (like dogs, they sense fear), nor am I good at playing a jolly Mrs. Claus. I’m like Homey the Clown on the In Living Color shows. Homey don’t play dat.
Curmudgeony? No. I love meeting people. I love bloggers, media, analysts, citizen journalists. I love strategizing for technology products. I just don’t like stereotypes.
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Comments
August 28th, 2009 at 9:15 am
This is one of my biggest frustrations as well. When I used to work for a commercial real estate company in PR/Marketing, all of the agents (sorry to generalize, but it was usually men), would assume that “public relations” meant handing out fliers and planning grand opening events.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I hate it when people assume I know celebs because I am in PR. I hate planning events, too. I personally LOVE pitching retail/consumer, so that fits for me. But what really gets me is people who have no clue what PR is and assume I can just “get them press” because I will find a way to “spin them” to the media. Uh. No. I need to see something of interest and unique in who you are and your organization and how it might be of benefit to the media and public. I don’t just take a client to have a client.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:38 am
The most common assumption I run across is that I love to talk on the phone and chat over coffee for hours. I actually very much enjoy being alone and it surprises people. I think it’s because my JOB is to be social, so when I’m “off the clock” I like being alone and doing quiet activities with my kids and fiance. I always hear, “Aren’t you a BIG ‘people’ person since you’re in PR?” And actually, I’m not really. Only at work.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Any post that borrows the line, “Homie don’t play dat!” is aces in my book!
It’s true that there’s a perception of what a PR person is. Dare I say, some don’t take us seriously and believe what we do is “fluff.”
Strategy is at the heart of what we do, not throw parties, catalog the name and face of every person we meet or translate our skills to every area…just like doctors, we specialize!
August 28th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Great points. I’ve also found it irritating at times to join an organization outside of my work life to provide more life balance, only to have the leaders assume that if you’re in PR and you *love people* and love to *plan events* or hand out fliers or whatever else their view of PR is, that they can automatically push you into that type of support.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:25 am
I think making assumptions, in general, is just a bad idea. Stereotypes can often times be the worst and most inaccurate of assumptions. (Never assume anything. -Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements)
August 28th, 2009 at 11:18 am
That’s why I became a Marketing Sociologist. “What do you mean we need a YouTube and MySpace presence? Why aren’t you sending out press releases like every other PR person I’ve talked to? Could you leave now? The door is over there.” Six months later that company is in serious economic trouble and wondering why.
As Charlotte Shaff said, “…assume I can just ‘get them press’ because I will find a way to ‘spin them’ to the media.” Homie don’t play dat, unless it works for the organization.
Yes, Ms. Shaff, I do know many celebrities since I used to write for Billboard. Whom do you want to meet?
I can help Ms. Daly, too. I do “love to talk on the phone and chat over coffee for hours.”
The one I love is, “What do you mean I need to pay for your services. Can’t you just give me some advice? Show me how to do it? I can write a press release myself.” Then the call comes. “Where do I send it?” Ah, that’s why you need ME!
“I can’t imagine holding on to the negative when there is so much that is great in my life.” – Miley Cyrus
Richard Kelleher, M.B.A.
Marketing Sociologist
http://mediarelationsexpert.com/Marketing_Sociologist.html
August 28th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
And I can only imagine what the new Kardashian reality show about public relations will do to enhance these crazy stereotypes.
August 28th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I’m always amazed at how many people don’t have ANY idea of what PR is. They don’t even know the above mentioned misconceptions! I don’t happen to mind planing events and LOVE marketing them, and I do a lot of retail and restaurants but it is truly amazing that people have no idea what PR means. If you do come across people that want their restaurant, hair salon or product promoted certainly send them my way, I’d be happy to help
August 28th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
@abbief Probably about the same effect that Dr. 90210 has for plastic surgeons. We’re doomed to reputations of oil grease personalities and yellow fake tans while catering to the obsessively self-obsessed.
August 30th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
You obviously struck a chord Linda here given ALL the comments here. I am just like you–can’t stand to plan events. i am also not the right person to do consumery type of PR. I am a B2B’er as well.
Little Pink Book PR » Blog Archive » {Rules of PR no. 21} When PR offends PR: Porn, Cocaine & Celebrity Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:01 am
[...] have a hard of enough time trying to explain to people that I’m not Samantha from Sex & the City, I don’t smoke like a chimney or drink like a [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 9:23 am
My favorite is, “can you help me grow my business and then I can afford to pay you.” Telling great stories is what we do, not promote businesses. That’s advertising and sales. Events are fine, so long as they support an overall strategy.
That being said, it’s always fun to be wanted and recognized!
August 31st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Even the idea that “party planning” and event planning are the same (or fun and easy) is a big misconception. As someone who does both PR and meetings and events, I assure you that planning an event is work.
I’ve done conventions, and yes even some fun parties, for groups of 50 and 500. As Tony suggested, there was an overall strategy: effective communication of company’s business goals. FWIW.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:14 am
I found this article and most of the comments a bit unsettling.
First, when someone “stereotypes” you, why not use that as a teachable moment for the profession instead of a bitchable moment? Part of our job is to educate the markets about our clients, after all. Why not educate the market about ourselves?
Second, why do you look down on consumer businesses? Our job is to help organizations achieve their business goals – whatever their business or size.
Third, why do you look down on parties and events? Events are a tactic, and they have their place in both B2C and B2B businesses (based on my experience) in helping find prospects, build relationships and bring in revenue, among other business goals.
Fourth, seems like a professional response to the “why can’t you teach me to do this myself” question is another teachable moment.
How about some serious advice on how to overcome the “stereotypes?”
Finally, if you think that PR has an image problem, how about CEOs? TV and films have demonized them for the last two decades.
September 1st, 2009 at 10:26 am
If we as Public Relations practitioners could agree and define what PR actually is, that would be a start.
For example, I learned (from a textbook) that Public Relations (I’m paraphrasing) is how you reach and influence your desired publics.
If you can accept that definition, we might be able to agree that Public Relations comprises many things: Media Relations, Event Planning, Promotions, Publicity, Social Media, etc.
To me, all of these parts or tactics make the whole and when you are a strategic Public Relations practitioner, you consider employing one, some or all of these tactics at a time that makes the most sense for the business.
That’s how I see it anyway. Anyone with me?
What is the “reality” of PR? « Cut Me Some Flack Says:
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
[...] We’ve got a stereotype to fight, as addressed earlier this week by @lindavandeverde on Valley PR Blog. And I can only imagine that this show will make that stereotype that much [...]