The press release may be the most antiquated, overused and least understood tool in public relations. While it is a necessity for public companies to disclose information, far too many executives and even PR professionals incorrectly believe the press release is the primary vehicle for garnering media coverage.

The truth is many journalists view the hundreds of releases they receive each day as “historical record.” I was recently discussing this topic over lunch with a prominent broadcast journalist who confirmed this theory when he said “Don’t PR people understand when we receive a press release, even a meaty release, our first thought is all of our competition has the same information. If I am looking to do a feature, I like to have a scoop. It typically has to be really big news for us to do a significant story as a result of a press release.”

Several months ago we were given a lead on a new business opportunity with a financial institution which was looking for a new marketing partner. When we discussed public relations, the vice president of marketing informed us “we already have someone who writes press releases.”

If a company’s goals are simply disclosure and/or SEO, someone who simply writes press releases will suffice. Effective public relations that gets results requires a seasoned team or professional who understand and can position news, have strong media contacts, and know how to individually tailor pitches through the right channels.

When we took on a national fashion company, their previous public relations company had done little more than send out monthly press releases. While these press releases did get decent pick up on news Web sites, this blanket approach at PR was missing key messages and failed to reach the target audience. In working with this apparel company, we have implemented community relations campaigns, arranged for fashion shows on popular morning talk shows in several markets, and developed strategic relationships with both fashion editors and fashion influencers at local, regional and national publications. While press releases remain a part of the overall public relations plan, it is a minimal tactic that simply adds to our overall strategy.

The one constant in the media and public relations industries is that practices are constantly changing requiring organizations and communications professionals to adapt in order to harness the powerful influence of the media. If your approach to public relations is a press release program, it may be time to rethink your approach.