According to a 2024 PwC study, 73% of executives mistakenly use public relations (PR) and reputation management interchangeably. A confusion that costs companies an average of $2.4m per crisis in lost revenue and recovery.
The difference? Hard data tells the story.
- PR succeeds when visibility climbs(e.g. media mentions rise by 40%).
- Reputation management succeeds when risk drops(e.g. negative search results fall by 65%).
PR vs. reputation management: The circus example
In 2017, Ringling Bros. shut down after 146 years, citing “shifting public sentiment’” as a key factor. The message was clear: The circus, as we knew it, was dead.
But the art of awe-inspiring performance? The circus minus the controversial use of animals is being reborn as the “Olympics of storytelling” with storytelling being such an important part of communications. It is also now being referred to as “the new circus” or “Cirque-style entertainment”. (Refer to Cirque du Soleil’s animal-free model, The Luxurious Marble Circus and Le Petit Chef).
See, here I already applied reputation management in my article by staying 100% animal-free, but still celebrating the circus’s human magic.
Imagine a circus coming to town:
- Public relations is like the flashy posters and exciting announcements. It’s all about getting people excited, shaping a positive image, and controlling the narrative (“Come see the world’s greatest acrobats and fire-breathing unicorns!”).
- Reputation management is when the human cannonball overshoots, so you quickly rebrand the act as ‘World’s First Flying Ticket Taker!’ and sell front-row ponchos as souvenirs. Ponchos? Although water isn’t traditional in cannonball acts, in reputation management, it’s all about prepping for those metaphorical “splashy moments”.
PR = Building the hype.
Reputation management = Saving the show when things go wrong.
The best circuses (and brands!) do both. Wow the crowd and handle the surprises with grace. I like to lean into a “PR therapist” or “reputation mechanic” angle. It’s fresh, relatable and positions as the fixer, not just a cheerleader.
1. Diagnose the REAL pain points
Most PR agencies just shout “Look at my client! Aren’t they great?”
Dig deeper – like a circus ringmaster who also fixes the wobbly tightrope before the show. You spot what’s actually hurting a business’s reputation (weak messaging, shaky trust, missed opportunities) and fix it first.
2. Build trust like a tightrope walker’s safety net
Most brands just chase headlines and clients. By combining reputation management and PR, brands become credible before making them famous – like a trapeze artist who earns the crowd’s gasps by proving they’re rock-solid reliability. This same tactic is used with winning trust with clients ensuring a long term relationship.
3. You turn experience into a competitive weapon
Many agencies recycle the same old playbook or let AI take over.
However, custom strategies needs to be crafted. Like a circus that doesn’t just do “another show,” but tailors each act to the crowd (B2B? Crisis PR? Start-up hype? You get the nuances).
The bottom line?
Don’t just sell PR. Solve problems first, then amplify the wins. Clients don’t just get buzz; they get a reputation that’s unshakable – like a circus tent anchored in concrete… but with way more confetti.
Starting a business is like launching your own circus. You’re the ringmaster, the acrobat, and the clown sweeping up after the elephant.
Here’s how to PR your way to success as a start-up without crashing the tent with TWO pieces of advice:
1. Find your ‘star act’, your unique selling point (USP)
A circus isn’t just clowns – it’s the world’s only fire-juggling unicycle act.
Your start-up? Ask: “Why should anyone care?”. Then shout it in five words or less.
2. The crowd is your megaphone as no man is an island – especially in the early days of a start-up as a solopreneur
→ No one believes the ringmaster, but they trust the kid who met the trapeze artists.
→ Partner with other ‘circuses’ (complementary brands) to cross-promote.
→ Get three testimonials (friends count!) – Google Reviews are your best friend.
Remember: Even Barnum & Bailey or simply Ringling, an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Earth in the 1800s, started with one trapeze and a dream. Now go fill your tent!
Marilize Jacobs is a reputation strategist and founder of Vocal Cord Reputation Management. She has a BCom Marketing Management (UP) and a career spanning interior design, marketing and PR. Clients, especially in the Financial Services, Legal, Pharmaceutical, Hospitality and Retail industries revere my strategic skills, thoroughness and tenacity when it comes to building and maintaining reputations. She has a pro bono involvement with The Star Academy, an international institution for children with autism.
