Advantages and Disadvantages of Public Relations

People trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.

That's the whole game.

While advertising lets you control every word, PR earns credibility through news outlets, journalists, and industry experts. But that credibility comes with a catch — you hand over control of your story to someone else.

That trade-off defines PR — and understanding both sides helps you decide whether it’ll build your business or drain your budget.

Key Advantages of Public Relations

The benefits of public relations go far beyond media mentions. Done right, PR shapes how your market perceives your brand and builds trust in ways advertising simply can’t.

#1 Higher Credibility and Trust

People see through ads. They know you paid for that billboard or Facebook campaign.

But when Forbes covers your company? That lands differently.

That’s one of PR’s biggest advantages — messages delivered through credible media carry far more weight than anything you say about yourself. Readers see it as objective journalism, not marketing spin.

Smart companies build what crisis managers call a “trust reservoir” in calm times. They maintain consistent, honest messaging. Then, when trouble hits, they’ve already earned the benefit of the doubt.

That trust buffer can save your company.

Here’s a simple example of how credibility looks in action.

Even a single earned media mention or influencer post can instantly change how people perceive your brand.

#2 Lower Cost Than Advertising

One well-written press release can get picked up by multiple news outlets, with no added cost beyond writing it.

Compare that to advertising where every single placement drains your budget.

In late 2023, Stanley Cup turned a viral moment into $750 million in sales. A TikTok user shared a video showing her Stanley tumbler that survived a car fire with the ice still intact. The video reached 84 million views.

Stanley's president responded two days later by offering her a new tumbler and a new car. That follow-up got 32 million views.

The company’s sales jumped from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023 — all from earned media sparked by authenticity and quick, human response.

#3 Improved Visibility in AI Search Results

ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools don’t pull random information. They pull from trusted news sources.

That changes everything for PR.

Traditional SEO was about backlinks. AI search is about entity authority, meaning how often your brand appears in credible, independent sources discussing your expertise.

PR builds that authority. Advertising doesn't.

#4 Better Quality Leads

Of all PR’s benefits, lead quality stands out.

PR-driven leads are already warmed up. They’ve discovered you through credible stories or podcasts, which means they start with trust, not skepticism.

Those customers won’t just buy from you once — they stay loyal.

Want to see how PR builds authority in professional industries?

Read our complete guide to B2B PR and learn how business-to-business brands earn credibility through thought leadership and media trust.

#5 Protection During Crises

The best time to manage your reputation is before the crisis hits.

Companies that invest in PR long before trouble hits already have a cushion of trust. When something goes wrong, their audience gives them room to make things right.

PR professionals manage crises by:

• Monitoring media for emerging issues
• Responding quickly to negative coverage
• Crafting transparent, human-centered messages

Handled well, crises can even strengthen reputation. In today’s world, PR also guards against deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation — a strong public record helps people spot what’s real and what’s not.

#6 Additional Strategic Benefits

PR does more than just get you media mentions:

• Thought leadership: You’re seen as an industry voice worth listening to, not just another company running ads
• Strong media relationships: You become the go-to source for industry insights, earning consistent, favorable coverage over time
• Emotional connections: Customers don’t just buy; they advocate for your brand
• Talent attraction: Top talent gravitates toward companies with strong public reputations and meaningful values

Main Disadvantages of Public Relations

For all its advantages, PR isn’t perfect. Knowing its downsides helps you avoid common pitfalls and build a strategy that actually works for you.

#1 Limited Control Over Messages

With PR, your version of the story competes with how others interpret it.

Journalists decide how to frame your story. They might take your positive announcement and focus on a negative angle you never intended.

You also don’t control timing. Your story could appear late, land on page 47, or get bumped for breaking news. A political event or major incident can push your announcement to next week — or never.

Unlike advertising, where you decide what runs and when, PR means trusting others to tell your story accurately. Most of the time they do, but not always.

#2 Difficult to Measure ROI

Try explaining PR’s value to a CFO focused on quarterly numbers. It’s not easy.

PR improves brand awareness, public perception, and credibility. Those don't show up cleanly in a spreadsheet.

You can track media mentions, social engagement, and website traffic. But linking those directly to revenue? That's the challenge.

The sales cycle influenced by PR involves multiple touchpoints. Someone reads about you in TechCrunch, follows you on LinkedIn, watches your YouTube video, then buys three months later. How do you attribute that sale?

Digital marketing has clean attribution. PR doesn't. That makes justifying the budget harder.

#3 Results Vary Based on Newsworthiness

Press releases work. They get your story in front of journalists and media outlets.

But journalists decide what gets published. Not you.

Coverage depends on factors you can't control:

• How newsworthy your story is that day
• What else is competing for attention
• Whether it fits the outlet's current editorial focus

Even with perfect distribution and strong journalist relationships, some stories get picked up while others don't. That's normal. The variability doesn't mean press releases are ineffective — it means you're dealing with editorial independence.

And that independence is exactly what makes the coverage valuable when you get it.

#4 Requires Significant Time

PR is a marathon, not a sprint.

You're not going to land a feature in The Wall Street Journal next Tuesday. Building media relationships takes months. Securing major coverage takes even longer.

It’s ongoing work: outreach, follow-ups, new pitches. You test, refine, and try again.

If you’re chasing quick wins or instant leads, advertising’s the faster route.

#5 Potential for Negative Publicity

PR can turn on you fast.

One careless quote, one bad tweet, one controversial move — and suddenly you’re trending for all the wrong reasons.

In the digital age, bad news spreads faster than ever. A local story can go global in hours. Once it’s out, it’s almost impossible to control.

That’s the risk side of visibility.

#6 Requires Specialized Skills and Relationships

PR runs on expertise and connections.

You need strong relationships with journalists, bloggers, and influencers. Those relationships require constant maintenance in a fast-moving industry where reporters change jobs frequently.

Most businesses lack these skills in-house. You either hire expensive PR agencies or invest in building internal expertise — and neither comes cheap.

Which Businesses Benefit Most from PR

Not every business needs PR right away. Knowing who benefits most helps you invest wisely.

Startups and Small Businesses

Startups can’t outspend big players on ads, but they can out-story them.

PR lets you build credibility fast. Investors and early customers need to trust you, and earned media does that better than any ad campaign.

Just make sure any PR partner you hire knows how to work with emerging brands. Many agencies only understand established names.

B2B Companies

In B2B, buying decisions are slower, riskier, and involve more stakeholders.

That’s why PR’s biggest value here is thought leadership. You’re not selling to everyone, you’re influencing a select group of decision-makers.

Appearing in respected trade publications or industry media signals expertise and trustworthiness — far more than a banner ad ever could.

Want to see how PR builds authority in professional industries?

Read our complete guide to B2B PR and learn how business-to-business brands earn credibility through thought leadership and media trust.

Companies Building Long-Term Brands

Brands that communicate with authenticity, consistency, and transparency earn long-term trust.

PR helps make that happen by turning your brand values into stories people believe. It also gives your sales team credibility ammo — third-party features they can use during calls or presentations.

You're not just making promotional claims. You're showing proof that others validate what you're saying.

Wrapping It Up

PR’s real power lies in one word: credibility.

Nothing builds trust faster than third-party validation from respected media. But that credibility has a cost. You trade message control, speed, and predictability.

PR takes patience. You won’t always measure its value in clicks or conversions. But the brands that play the long game, using PR for authority and advertising for control, build something lasting.

If you only care about immediate conversions, stick with ads.
If you want long-term visibility, thought leadership, and brand resilience, PR is essential.

The question isn’t whether PR has disadvantages.

It’s whether the credibility advantage outweighs the control you give up, and for most growing brands, it does.

And I suppose you’re ready to build credibility and reach audiences through trusted media. In that case, MarketersMEDIA Newswire helps you do it with global distribution to over 570 outlets including Yahoo News, Business Insider, AP News, and MarketWatch.

Start turning your story into news that earns attention, not ads that fade away. Reach out to us to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How is PR different from marketing and advertising?

A: Advertising is paid media where you control the message, timing, and placement, focusing on short-term sales. PR is earned media—coverage from objective sources—that surrenders control in exchange for higher third-party credibility, focusing on long-term reputation and trust. Marketing is the broader function focused on commercial outcomes like increasing sales, while PR focuses on building a positive corporate image and relationships with stakeholders.

Q: Should we hire an in-house PR team or use an external agency?

A: This depends on your needs. In-house PR offers deep brand knowledge and maximum control, ideal for constant, subtle internal communications. An external agency provides wider media network access, diverse specialized expertise, and immediate scalability for big campaigns or crisis management.

Q: How do you measure the success or ROI of a PR campaign?

A: Success is measured by connecting PR efforts to concrete business outcomes, not just the number of mentions. Key metrics include tracking website traffic and conversions from earned media stories (often using UTM links), measuring brand sentiment (positive, neutral, negative), and monitoring SEO uplift (increase in direct brand search volume).

Q: How does PR protect a company during a crisis?

A: PR protects a company by establishing a "trust buffer" of public goodwill before a crisis hits, making the brand more resilient during negative events. Crisis communication involves proactive planning, real-time monitoring, and a rapid, transparent, and human-centered response to mitigate financial and reputational damage.

Q: What role does PR play in the age of deepfakes and AI misinformation?

A: PR is critical for reputation security against deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation. This requires a "Human-in-the-Loop" strategy, leveraging AI for speed (real-time social listening and data analysis) while ensuring human experts provide the empathy, ethical judgment, and emotional intelligence needed for sensitive crisis responses.