The field of public relations is subject to trends just like fashion or technology. While some innovations become a firm part of the industry, others quickly fade. Nearly a hundred communication experts shared their opinions on LinkedIn about which current strategies they believe are most overrated and often fail in practice.
The dominant theme of criticism was artificial intelligence and optimization for generative search engines (GEO). Experts warn that companies are too focused on being cited by tools like ChatGPT without having a clear understanding of what they actually want to communicate. “If your messaging isn't clear and strategic, it will quickly be forgotten,” says Janice Mandel, a PR strategist. According to Anna Rice from PR & Communications Consultant, brands historically get burned when they put all their eggs in one basket. Truly long-term brands, she says, foster human conversation and emotion, which doesn't happen with AI chatbots.
Another target of criticism is content overproduction and turning executives into “content factories”. According to Colleen Herndon Penhall, building thought leadership only works if it's original.
“Thought leadership fails when it's just AI-assisted posts that only pretend to be authoritative,”
she explains. Added to this is the criticism of brands' forced humor on social media, where companies try to “parasite” on viral posts or celebrities, which often comes across as just unnecessary noise.
Experts also point out myths in media relations. A common misconception is the idea that good relationships with journalists automatically guarantee media coverage, or the pursuit of massive media campaigns that lack a broader brand context. Nikki Festa O’Brien, CEO of Greenough Communications, emphasizes that coverage alone ensures visibility, but only a comprehensive, cross-channel campaign ensures that someone remembers the brand.
Even previously popular tools, such as industry reports and surveys, are reported to be losing effectiveness. Anya Nelson of Scratch Marketing + Media notes that the market is oversaturated with these reports.
“Today, there's a survey for everything. Journalists are much more skeptical, and this strategy only works if the data tells a truly unique story,”
she concludes. Other overrated trends, according to experts, include the effort to dominate Reddit at all costs without a deeper strategy, or blind faith that influencers can fully replace traditional PR.