The 4 PR archetypes I’m seeing

Ever watch a kid’s soccer game when half the players stare at their shoelaces instead of the ball?

I’m seeing some of that in PR right now.

It’s not news that legacy media gatekeepers are overwhelmed, AI is rewriting search, and everyone’s discovered Nontraditional Media.

Yet I’m watching four distinct types of PR pros emerge, and only one of them is actually playing to win. The other three are, you guessed it, staring at their shoes.

First, there are the Sleepers.

Still pitching like it’s 2019.

Same media lists, same templates, same “pray and spray” approach that stopped working years ago.

They’re convinced AI is a fad, and if they just keep grinding, things will eventually go “back to normal.”

If you’ve ever told yourself you don’t need to look into Substack because real PR is about your regional paper or local TV affiliates, this might be you.

(Hope not.)

Then you’ve got the Spinners.

These pros make you dizzy just watching them. One day, they’re all-in on TikTok. Next, they’re convinced they have to master AI prompt engineering. Then it’s LinkedIn automation software, and then something else entirely.

They chase so many shiny tactics they never stick with anything long enough to see impact. Their strategies are a mess of half-learned techniques and conflicting goals.

One Spinner told me she’d tried “everything” to land coverage. When I asked her to show me her last five pitches, she couldn’t find them.

Too many different systems, too many abandoned approaches.

Finally, there are the Strugglers.

These are the people who really break my heart. They KNOW things have changed. They WANT to adapt. But they’re so overwhelmed putting out fires that they won’t find the time to learn what actually works now.

They’re drowning in emails. Buried under somebody’s unrealistic expectations. All the while, they’re not doing the things they need to be doing to grow as a professional.

A Struggler recently told me: “I don’t have time for any of this, I’m in meetings all day.” And that was in response to a training I put together about . . . prioritization.

Sad but true.

None of these three paths is sustainable.

Sleepers have already become irrelevant.

Spinners are burning out.

Strugglers are barely surviving.

However, there’s a fourth type.

These are the PR pros who are actually thriving in the new world of PR. Still landing traditional hits that matter. Making waves in Nontraditional Media. Embracing judicious AI automation and next-gen shifts like AI search visibility/GEO.

I call them “Seekers,” and my next post will show you why bosses and clients guard them like gold.

For now, be honest with yourself: Are you a Sleeper, a Struggler, or a Spinner? (No judgment, I’ve been each of those at different points in my career.)

And if so…

What are you going to do?