FOCUS: BRAND STRATEGY MISFIRES | AUDIENCE: STEWARDS OF PLATEAUED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I answer 6 tough questions about why brands celebrate big PR headlines but fail to convert them into lasting perception shifts.
I often see brands celebrating media visibility without market movement. Headlines provide instant gratification, awards feel validating, and press clippings look good in investor decks. Yet, customers remain unconvinced, sales pipelines stay cold, and perception remains unchanged. The gap between exposure and conviction widens until growth stalls.
Brands often assume that visibility automatically equals credibility. The logic feels sound … if the press is writing about us, customers must believe in us. But exposure is not the same as trust. Headlines can create awareness without building the confidence needed for adoption.
Early PR success also creates false momentum. Teams bask in the glow of coverage and mistake it for traction. But unless PR is anchored in customer relevance, the impact fades quickly. The result is a cycle of chasing headlines instead of shifting minds.
One red flag is when coverage spikes but conversions don’t budge. Media impressions rise, but customer pipelines remain stagnant. Another signal is when coverage focuses on the novelty of the product rather than its real-world value. This imbalance shows that press visibility is not translating into persuasive proof.
Another warning sign is internal. Teams quote headlines more than customer testimonials. Marketing dashboards highlight impressions instead of retention. When PR dominates discussions but customers remain indifferent, perception hasn’t shifted. The headlines are noise without impact.
Brands that rely too heavily on PR often find themselves in a credibility deficit. Customers see coverage but don’t experience the promised value. Investors grow sceptical of the gap between hype and numbers. Employees lose morale when acclaim does not translate into growth.
Over time, markets punish brands that cannot deliver on their publicity. Competitors with quieter but stronger propositions win mindshare. PR without perception creates fragility. Instead of becoming resilient, the brand becomes dependent on the next article to stay visible.
The answer is to connect PR with proof points that matter to customers. Instead of chasing vanity coverage, brands must pitch stories that show impact … client outcomes, product adoption, and tangible results. This shifts PR from noise to narrative. It aligns media visibility with buyer trust.
Tactically, this means using case studies, customer interviews, and data-driven success stories as the backbone of PR. When stories reflect actual value delivered, they create conviction. Perception shifts when coverage validates what customers already feel. That is the kind of PR that moves markets.
Leaders must resist the temptation of headline vanity. Instead, they need to measure PR success by depth, not breadth. Did the story change how the market thinks? Did it influence buying criteria? These are harder metrics, but they are the right ones.
Leadership can also amplify stories of customer proof over self-congratulation. By doing so, they model the discipline of relevance. When leaders insist that PR campaigns connect to real adoption, teams stop chasing coverage and start shaping perception. This culture shift begins at the top.
Brands that fail to bridge this gap become addicted to publicity but starved of progress. Headlines continue, but loyalty does not. Over time, the disconnect creates cynicism among investors, employees, and even the press itself. Once the hype cycle breaks, the brand is left exposed.
The market rarely forgives brands that confuse visibility with value. Competitors eventually claim both the perception and the customers. This misfire, if left unchecked, erodes credibility beyond repair. PR becomes a memory, not a multiplier.
If these questions sound familiar, your PR may be loud … but not lasting. The good news is that one strategic reset to perception-led storytelling can change the outcome. By anchoring PR in proof and customer resonance, visibility becomes conviction. That is how brands convert coverage into growth.
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this FAQ Insight Post I wrote could interest you: “FAQs: When Founders Build for Peers Instead of Paying Customers.“
And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this FAQ Insight Post I worked on may resonate: “FAQs: When the Brand’s Language Isn’t Clear to the Market.“
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