Why does PR still have a bad reputation, when reputation is what we do?

It’s the great irony of our industry: PR is the business of building reputations, yet it still suffers from having a pretty shaky one of its own. I’ve been really surprised in the past few weeks to hear the same story at least a handful of times: “I’ve worked with a few agencies but they haven’t really delivered.” 

I wasn’t surprised to hear this twenty years ago, in fact it was easy to be better then, but to hear it now with all of the competition, advancements, and tools at our disposal?

In the past week alone, we’ve seen PR stories deliver three standout inbound leads, clients win national awards, and real momentum for emerging brands and their founders. Makes you feel good to work in the industry. 

But I’ve also spoken to many CEOs, investors and heads of marketing and heard repeated stories of frustration: random media links, poor strategy, no creativity, and no clear link to business outcomes. And high fees to boot. So, now, when it can be more measurable and there are more market pressures, why isn’t it?

The truth? Too many agencies are focused on outputs, not outcomes. It’s not about chasing coverage – it’s about making it count. When done right, PR doesn’t just build visibility, it builds value. It opens doors, creates conversations, and gives brands the credibility they need to grow.

So if you’re feeling this way about your agency, it’s time to audit what they are doing. It’s not an industry standard that is acceptable. When done right it should give you a buzz and their team should be part of yours – as well as deliver business impacts, probably at a lower cost too.

It’s time PR started fixing its own reputation – by proving its worth, one impact at a time.