10 ways you might be hurting the PR industry

Ever heard those “you might be a redneck” jokes? You know, the Jeff Foxworthy ones? If you cut your grass and find a car, you might be a redneck. If you own a homemade fur coat, you might be a redneck. Yep, I laughed at that one too.

Though most of these jokes are hyperbolic, a few of them might hit close to home. Sort of an, “I’ll laugh at that when I’m out in public, but if one of my friends heard that line they might say it’s about me,” situation.

You know, funny—but also a wake-up call of sorts.

Why am I talking so much about Jeff Foxworthy and redneck jokes on a post about the PR industry?

PR has a perception problem. A big one. We’re seen as spin doctors. People think that all we do is publicity and try to get people to buy things they don’t need. But as Danny Brown says, it isn’t the industry with the problem at all—it’s some of the people in it.