Common Mistakes in PR & Press Work – and How Artists & Cultural Institutions Can Avoid Them

It’s rarely the art that fails, but clarity, materials, and structure

When we talk with artists, ensembles, schools, or cultural institutions about their public relations, we often hear statements like:

“We do so much – but somehow it doesn’t really reach the outside world.”
“Media outlets say we should send materials, but I never really know what they need.”
“We’ve already tried reaching out to the press, but hardly anything happened.”

In most cases, it’s not due to the quality of the work. The reasons usually lie in recurring PR patterns and mistakes that are understandable, simply because no one ever explained them during training.

This page is not meant as a reproach.

It is a guide:
We look at common stumbling blocks in the press work of artists and cultural institutions, and at how you can transform them step by step into sustainable structures.

Mistake 1: PR Without a Foundation – No Clear Profile, No EPK

Many start with PR before the foundation is in place. Texts, images, links – everything exists in some form, but not in a way that the media can quickly understand.

This becomes apparent, for example, when:

• Biographies are outdated, contradictory, or too vague
• There is no consistent artist or institution profile
• There is no up-to-date EPK (Electronic Press Kit)
• Information about projects is scattered across multiple PDFs, links, and emails

For editorial teams, this means:
They have to painstakingly gather the relevant information—or they give up.

What helps:
Before you actively engage in press work, it’s worth taking a step back:

• A clear profile (individual or institution)
• An EPK that consolidates your most important information
• Well-crafted texts in various lengths (short profile, biography, project description)
• A website that reflects this structure

With this foundation, every email to the media becomes easier, because you’re not starting from scratch each time.

Mistake 2: “We should quickly send something to the press”

One of the most common PR mistakes is timing.

Press work often starts only after everything else is finished:

• The premiere is just around the corner
• The exhibition opens next week
• The project is already underway, but “something urgently needs to be done now”

Press and media work, however, requires lead time:

• Editorial teams plan their topics
• Pages, broadcast slots, or sections are booked well in advance
• Freelance journalists work on several stories in parallel

Those who only communicate shortly before the premiere limit their own opportunities.

What helps:
Consider PR from the very beginning:

• Consider early on: Is this project suitable for the press?
• Develop materials in parallel with the content work
• Plan realistic lead times (local, national, and trade media have different requirements)
• Inform the media early – not just at the last moment

This way, PR becomes a natural accompaniment to your project rather than an emergency.

Mistake 3: One Email to Everyone – No Differentiation of Target Groups

Ein häufiger Reflex:
Ein Pressetext wird geschrieben und dann „an alle verschickt“, die irgendwie in einem Verteiler stehen.

The problem:
Media outlets and contacts are very different:

• Local editorial teams vs. trade magazines
• Cultural sections vs. arts & culture pages vs. city pages
• Radio, TV, print, online, podcasts
• General culture sections vs. specialized sections (visual arts, theater, music, dance, literature)

What is relevant for one outlet may only be of peripheral interest to another.

What helps:

• Clearly define target groups: Who do you want to reach with this project?
• Organize media and contacts into meaningful groups
• Tailor subject lines and introductions
• Don’t send “everything to everyone”; instead, send selected, targeted, and transparent communications

Media outlets notice whether they’re just “cc’d” or genuinely addressed.

Mistake 4: Texts Written for Internal Use – Not for Outsiders

Many texts in the cultural sector were originally created for internal contexts:

• Project proposals
• Concept papers
• Internal decision-making documents
• Artistic notes

If these texts are used word-for-word in press releases, a disconnect quickly arises:

• Sentences that are too complex
• Technical jargon that is difficult to grasp outside the scene
• No clear focus on what it’s actually about
• Too many details, too little guidance

The media don’t need completeness. They need a clear hook and a structure that even readers without prior knowledge can understand.

What helps:

• Write press texts deliberately for outsiders
• Use internal documents as a basis, not as the final version
• Place the most important information at the very beginning
• Preserve artistic depth – but express it clearly

Good press texts are not a compromise, but an art form in their own right.

Mistake 5: Visual Material That Isn’t Press-Ready

Even strong projects remain invisible if there are no usable images, or only low-quality ones.

Typical problems:

• Images only in portrait format, with no landscape versions for print & websites
• Blurry rehearsal photos, subjects barely recognizable
• Images that are too dark, heavily filtered, or overly staged
• Unclear image rights, missing credits
• No selection – just one image that’s supposed to “cover everything”

Media often decide within seconds whether an image can be used or not.

What helps:

• Deliberately plan time and budget for press photos
• Think of portraits, scene shots, and spatial images as a cohesive set
• Pay attention to neutral, easily usable image design
• Provide formats and resolutions for both web and print
• Clearly define image rights and credits

Good images are not a luxury; they are a key to visibility.

Mistake 6: PR Without a System – Information Gets Lost

Another common stumbling block:
PR is reorganized from project to project without a central structure.

This leads to:

• Contacts remain “hidden” in emails
• Mailing lists exist only in Excel files that no one maintains
• No one knows exactly who was informed about what and when
• Press clippings and mentions are not collected
• Valuable contacts are lost

PR cannot grow this way; every new phase feels like starting from scratch.

What helps:

• Manage media contacts and partners in a structured way using a CRM or system like Favori Flow
• Clearly define who is responsible for PR inquiries
• Collect press clippings and quotes and make them accessible
• Document PR processes (What worked well? What didn’t?)

Over time, this creates a growing communication landscape instead of scattered reactions.

Mistake 7: Trying to Carry Everything Alone

Perhaps the most human mistake:
Artists, ensembles, project managers, or cultural institutions try to handle
PR “somehow” on top of everything else.

Daily life then looks like this:

• Artistic work
• Organizational tasks
• Team management or teaching
• Budget, funding procedures, administration
• And “on the side”: press work, social media, newsletters, website

In the long run, this is hardly sustainable. PR is a distinct area of work.

What helps:

• Take a realistic look: What can I handle myself – and what can’t I?
• Decide which areas should be outsourced or supported
• Define clear roles within the team
• Involve external partners like Favori Media if needed; for structure,
  texts, PR support, media materials, and systems

Professional PR doesn’t mean handing everything over; it means sharing responsibility:
You focus on your artistic work; we handle structure, communication, and support.

How Favori Media Supports You

In our work with artists, ensembles, schools, and cultural institutions,
we see these mistakes repeatedly; understandable, human, and solvable.

Within our PR and management services, as well as the
FAVORI Visibility & Flow Program, we help you:

• Build a clear communication foundation (profile, artist text, institution profile)
• Develop a professional EPK and coherent press texts
• Structure visual language and press photography
• Make PR processes manageable – with systems that fit your daily workflow
• Organize and strategically build media contacts
• Communicate your artistic or institutional work in a way that is understood beyond your own circle

Next Step: Turning Mistakes into Building Blocks

If you recognize yourself in one or more of the points described,
it’s no reason for self-criticism—it’s a good starting point.

You can decide that PR and press work will no longer “just happen,”
but will be built on a reliable foundation.

👉 Learn More About PR & Artist Management with Favori Media

We help you turn typical PR mistakes into a clear, sustainable communication structure.

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