There is No PR Silver Bullet

by Frank L. Williams

We live in a society that demands instant gratification, often seeking it where it simply does not exist.

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey tells the story of a farmer whose goose laid a golden egg each day. The farmer got impatient and decided to speed up the process by killing the goose to get all of the golden eggs at once. Much to his chagrin, the farmer didn’t get a windfall of golden eggs; all he got was a dead goose.

In the world of PR and marketing, many business owners and organizational leaders are looking for a silver bullet. They dive into a new public relations or marketing program, grow impatient when it doesn’t miraculously yield instant results, and then pull the plug before the program has time to do its job.

This makes about as much sense as a farmer planting his field, then plowing it again and starting over a week later because he doesn’t have a full-grown crop. A wise farmer prepares the field, plows the ground, plants the seed, tends the crop as it grows, keeps the weeds out, and only seeks to harvest the crop when it is ready.

You cannot grow a crop overnight, and you cannot build a brand reputation overnight. Both processes take time and require hard work, perseverance and patience.

If you’re expecting a magic pill or silver bullet from your PR campaign, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Just like it takes time to foster trust and build a strong friendship, it takes time to establish credibility and build a strong brand reputation. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by pulling the plug before your communication program takes root; give it time to work.

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