Some industries have job titles that sound glamorous and get misunderstood in roughly equal measure. For public relations, that’s a tough combination because people will picture spin doctors smoothing over scandals, publicists working the room at a launch party, or have some vague sense that the job is making bad news disappear. But none of that is quite right.
Public relations isn’t about spin, or parties, or performance. It’s a strategic discipline that shapes how a business earns trust. The story a journalist chooses to tell about your business is worth more than any story you could pay to tell yourself. That’s the whole game, and it’s a lot more useful than the stereotype suggests.
So what is PR, and why does it matter? Let’s break it down.
What is PR?
Public relations sits under the umbrella of communications and marketing. It is considered earned media in the world of traditional marketing. Unlike advertising, which is paid, public relations relies on a good story and the genuine interest of journalists.
PR is the strategic process of managing the spread of information between an organization and its public. A successful public relations strategy builds mutually beneficial relationships between the two.
PR professionals are sometimes mischaracterized as “spin doctors,” but that isn’t the role — persuasion through deception runs against the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Code of Ethics. PR professionals are committed to truthfully promoting their clients through third-party endorsement, namely journalists and media professionals.
PRSA defines PR as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
What Does a Publicist Do?
Publicists are the go-between connecting a client to the public. They strategically identify media opportunities and pitch outlets to get their clients coverage Day to day, that can mean event planning, pitching producers and journalists, building relationships with media contacts, and running social media campaigns in an ever-evolving digital world.
For founders and executives, a publicist’s real value is building and protecting relationships with the people who shape how your business is perceived — reporters, producers, and editors at the outlets your audience already trusts.
Why is Public Relations Important?
Businesses want to see ROI, and channels like advertising are much easier to measure than PR is. If a company runs a TV ad, a rating service can tell you exactly how many people saw it and when.
But public relations serves a different, and arguably more valuable, purpose: earning genuine coverage and exposure rather than buying it.
When someone sees an ad, they know a company paid for it. When a journalist writes about a company, that’s a third-party endorsement — the journalist chose to cover that business because there was a story worth telling, not because they were paid to. That’s what makes PR difficult to replicate with a media budget alone, and it’s why it belongs at the center of a founder’s communications strategy, rather than the sidelines of it.
Especially for CEOs and founders, PR does more than build awareness:
- It shapes how stakeholders — investors, partners, customers — understand your business, before you’re ever in the room to explain it yourself.
- It builds resilience during a crisis, since trust built over time gives you room to respond credibly when something goes wrong.
- It gives your business context beyond a single transaction, positioning you as a source worth returning to, not just a company with something to sell.
What is a Press Release?
A press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media, announcing something with genuine news value.
Press releases are typically issued by government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations and are intended to capture the attention of reporters, editors, and producers. A PR firm will often prepare and distribute press releases on behalf of their clients.
What is Publicity?
While public relations is the strategic process of managing the spread of information between an organization and its publics, publicity is the unplanned or unmanaged result of that process.
Publicity can be good or bad, but it’s always newsworthy.
For example, a company that’s been in business for years can receive sudden and unexpected publicity when it becomes the victim of a data breach. In this case, the publicity is negative and not something the company would have wanted.
On the other hand, a small business that’s getting ready to launch its first product can go viral on social media, receiving positive attention and an influx of customers it may not have otherwise had.
What is Lifestyle PR?
Lifestyle PR is a type of public relations that focuses on promoting a brand or product by associating it with a particular lifestyle.
It’s commonly used in the fashion, beauty, and luxury industries. For example, a clothing company might partner with an up-and-coming designer to promote its new line.
In this case, the company is using the designer’s name and reputation to generate interest in its own products. Lifestyle PR is one of several distinct disciplines within public relations, alongside things like thought leadership and business-focused media relations, each suited to a different kind of goal.
What Are the Different Types of PR?
There are many different types of public relations, but most fall into a few broad categories:
- Media relations: Building relationships with journalists and pitching story ideas.Crisis management: Planning and executing a strategy to minimize the impact of a crisisEvent planning: Organizing press conferences, product launches, and trade shows.
- Investor relations: Managing the relationship between a company and its investors.
- Public affairs: Defining and promoting the interests of an organization to the public.
- Branding: Creating and managing an organization’s brand identity.
Why PR Belongs at the Center of Your Communications Strategy
Whether you’re a founder building a company, an executive managing a reputation, or a business figuring out how to earn attention instead of buying it, understanding the difference between paid and earned media is one of the most valuable distinctions you can make.
PR isn’t about spin, and it isn’t about performance. It’s about earning the kind of trust that advertising can’t buy.
If you’re building a company and want a communications strategy that earns you influence instead of just impressions, Pace PR’s team of publicists can help you build genuine relationships with the people covering your industry. Contact us today to learn more.