The In-House PR Myth: Why 'Doing It Yourself' Is the Most Expensive Mistake

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You’ve seen the excuses. You’ve heard the myths. “PR is fluffy.” “We’ll just wing it when we need to.” Now comes the deadliest delusion of them all: “We can just do PR ourselves.”

On paper, it looks like a money-saver. In practice, it’s a brand grenade with the pin pulled. This is the in-house PR myth -- and here’s why it costs more than any agency retainer ever will.

The Squeeze: Where PR Projects Go to Die

Your internal team already runs on fumes. PR gets shoved to the side; somewhere between inbox zero and that budget report that was due last week. That press release you swore you’d send? Still sitting in Drafts, growing cobwebs.

An agency lives and breathes this stuff. For us, PR isn’t a side hustle; it’s the main act. That’s why opportunities don’t slip through our fingers, because catching them is the job.

The Relationship Deficit: Why Media Trust Isn’t Instant

Let’s get one thing straight: journalists don’t owe you airtime. They’re drowning in hundreds of copy-paste press releases daily, and yours (no matter how “urgent”) is just more noise.

What they do respond to? Relationships. Years of trust. Knowing that when we call, we’re not wasting their time. That’s currency money can’t buy overnight. Go it alone, and you’re just another cold caller. Work with us, and you’re an introduction worth taking.

The Perspective Trap: Too Close to the Trees

Yes, your team knows your brand inside out. That’s the problem. You’re too close. What feels groundbreaking internally often reads like jargon to the outside world.

An external PR partner doesn’t have that tunnel vision. We spot the story you’ve buried under acronyms and PowerPoints. We translate “internal excitement” into “public relevance.” That perspective isn’t nice-to-have -- it’s the difference between headlines and eye-rolls.

The Cost of a Crisis: Amateurs Need Not Apply

When a crisis hits - and trust us, it will - you don’t get a do-over. One tone-deaf post. One panicked silence. One half-baked apology. Suddenly, you’re not just in hot water; you’re boiling in it.

Agencies don’t improvise. We prepare. We’ve seen it, managed it, and walked brands back from the edge. While DIY teams are Googling “what to do in a PR crisis,” we’re already executing the plan that saves reputations.

The Bottom Line: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

The invoice you fear from an agency? It’s pocket change compared to the bill you’ll pay fixing bad PR, or worse, the opportunities you never knew you lost.

PR isn’t something you squeeze into your Tuesday afternoon. It’s a force multiplier. An investment in reputation, reach, and resilience. And done right, it pays back tenfold.

Ready to Break the Cycle?

The real risk isn’t starting PR too early. It’s letting your competitors own the conversation while you hesitate.

Ready to build a brand that can’t be ignored? Let’s talk.
📩 changenow@orchan.asia | ☎️ +603-7972 6377

Missed the first two myths? Catch up on [5 Myths That Keep Brands Stuck] and [3 Biggest Excuses Brands Use to Avoid PR].

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