Sorry, no… your company can’t just buy a positive reputation.

Sorry to burst your PR bubble – but, contrary to what’s become popular opinion – you can’t just buy your way to a positive reputation for your company. You have to build a solid reputation – and yes, it has to be built over time.

One of the biggest misconceptions about public relations in our fast-paced, globalised world is that a great reputation for a company can be created overnight. But perhaps now, more than ever, that has never been further from the truth.

Public relations – the art of building and maintaining a favourable public image of a company – can’t happen in an instant, or even in a few weeks. The reputation and public perception about your business must be strategically developed over months and years for the greatest impact and return on investment.

It sounds old-school, but the real value of PR lies in the long-term. It takes a decent amount of time to build a solid, trustworthy relationship with people in business – as in our personal lives. It can take an even greater investment of time and resources if you’re building a company reputation internationally – across multiple markets – too.

Sure, we may be able to buy our way to great reach, impressions, clicks and views through digital advertising – but it’s not the case in public relations. We have to learn to be patient and understand that the best pay-off from PR will occur over a longer period of time than what a quick-click campaign can deliver.

All categories of business in Israel – startups, small to mid-sized business, big business – need to understand the true value of a strategy that focuses on traditional, organic and earned media. It’s impossible locally and globally to simply invest money in one or two ad campaigns and expect immediate loyalty, trust, buy-in and engagement from the public.

Whether you’re at the helm and leading your company, working within an executive team or in a public relations, marketing or digital role – be encouraged to have a view and vision for the long game.

The investments we make today – every media release, social media post and interview – add up over time to create an unshakeable company reputation that can serve as a foundation for industry, community and cultural change.

Don’t be tempted to buy your way to great PR – especially internationally. Be patient as you execute your campaigns strategically, and watch for the return on investment over time. You’ll thank me for it!