Perhaps you've heard the radio commercial.

A particular Web site promises that for as little as $300 you can pull up a press release template, fill in the blanks, select a media list, and instantly distribute your release to hundreds of journalists. They even claim your release will be read by "almost every editor/journalist who receives it."

Or perhaps you saw the blog posting on nytimes.com from a small-business CEO who used personal networking, free media resources and awards self-nominations to garner national coverage for her company.

If seemingly anyone can do PR, do PR firms still matter?

Public relations is defined as managing communications between an organization and its publics. While often mistakenly reduced to just media relations, public relations employs a variety of strategic tools, with press releases being the most common example.

"Journalists at major media operations simply don't have time to read all the unsolicited press releases they receive," said Mike Trainor, S&A Cherokee's vice president of national accounts. "Just last week, a New York Times reporter told us she sees little, if any, value in press releases full of corporate-speak. Rather, she prefers less formal communications with PR professionals who truly understand her beat."

A quick look at the Bad Pitch Blog will reveal the media's general disdain for press releases produced for the masses. Simply distributing a press release to a cookie-cutter media list will rarely succeed.

Now back to the CEO blogger. She should be proud of her accomplishments, as she certainly seems to be doing things the right way. However, as one commenter wrote, "...many people in leadership positions at small companies need to focus on running their business and don't have the time or bandwidth to add PR to their day-to-day responsibilities."

What PR firms offer is experience and skills to handle an organization's various communications challenges in both good and bad times. Professional communicators keep abreast of trends and technologies, develop relationships with journalists, provide counsel, and optimize positive exposure. If those capabilities are not available in-house, PR firms can provide those services on an hourly or retainer basis.

Are PR firms still relevant? Utilized correctly, the answer is a resounding "yes."

S&A Cherokee uses a wide variety of communications specialties to ensure our clients are fully prepared to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. Communications needs differ from one organization to another. S&A Cherokee assists with taking control of the communications process and develops strategies that are uniquely customized for each client.

To discover how S&A Cherokee can help you with your public relations needs, contact us for a free consultation.