What is PR?

Public relations is the driving force behind your brand exposure. It allows you to create meaningful results that build upon your brand reputation and help you to outpace your competitors in the public eye. Think of it as the part of your marketing mix that puts your company in the news headlines. Do you have a company milestone on the horizon? An acquisition to share next quarter? A press release to put out or a competitor to out-do in the press? These are some areas of your business where PR is critical to success. 

‍What is Public Relations?

PR builds third-party credibility and trust by generating media coverage for your brand, its mission and its accomplishments. That’s where media relations comes in. When you hire a PR agency, their primary function is to connect you with the press to reach the broader public. A reputable PR agency team will immerse itself in your brand story and draw out the interesting narratives, commentary and company milestones that can generate media attention for your business.

PR consists of the media relations, reputation management and crisis communications strategies that support product launches, build out your thought leadership profile and publicize your company announcements. It’s how we secure media coverage on your behalf, to get you in front of your key customers and stakeholders. 

Do You Really Need PR?

PR and media relations services can generate feature stories about your brand, secure CEO profiles and place bylined articles in your name. If you’ve ever wondered how industry-leading executives end up on prime time interviews, the answer is PR. Over time, a media relations campaign can position you as an expert commentator in the news channels your customers follow. 

The third-party authority of the press brings credibility to the table for your brand. Over time, it also expands your brand awareness and positions your company as the leader in your space.

In short: If you want your brand to make headlines, you need PR.

How Does PR Happen?

A common question PR agencies get from their potential clients is this: What do you actually do? If you’re considering contracting PR services for your brand, you’re likely asking the same. We won’t give away all of our secrets, but here’s a look into the types of tactics we might develop for a brand looking to make a splash in the press.

1. A brand analysis: While not every agency takes this approach right from the start, it’s a critical step in the life of your brand. A thorough analysis helps to solidify your brand identity and how you want to be represented in the media. (If you want to learn how we do this, specifically, you can read about it on our PR services page.)

2. Strategic messaging: What are your value propositions to your industry? How can we communicate them to the press? To your customers? This framework answers those questions, and informs other assets like official public statements, website copy and marketing materials.

3. Spokesperson training: Before you take the stage on prime time or at a press conference, a skilled PR team will provide you with thorough media training, so you can put your best foot forward in interviews.

4. Media relations: This is the actual process of proactively pitching your brand story to the media. Your agency will design a campaign to land feature stories and business profiles, arrange interviews and plan regional media tours. If you’re a consumer brand, this is also where product reviews come into play and likely require you to share samples with the press.

5. Analyst relations: A comprehensive PR campaign might also connect you with influential analysts. This creates an opportunity for you to share key trends and data relevant to your industry for their research. It’s another way to elevate your brand’s credibility and thought leadership positioning.

6. Crisis communications: No brand wants to encounter a crisis. But every brand should prepare for one. Crisis communications is a sub-category of PR that provides strategic support and guidance to help you prepare for and navigate public-facing brand challenges. It’s the toolkit to help react fast when a public image crisis occurs, allowing you to quickly rebuild your reputation and protect your credibility.

How Does Trust Play into PR?

Brand credibility comes down to one thing: trust. If your customers don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. If your clients don’t trust you, they won’t hire you. If reporters don’t trust you, they won’t ask for your expert commentary. If your investors don’t trust you, your funding days are over.

If you want to earn credibility as a brand, you must do what you say before you can say what you do. This “trust relations” approach is about earning the confidence of your audience and stakeholders, based on who you are—not who you pretend to be. 

And if “trust relations” sounds a lot like the name of our agency, you’re right! It’s a term coined by our founder, April White to describe a new approach to strategic communications. We believe that when your storytelling and storydoing are one and the same, your brand can stand up to public scrutiny, answer tough questions from the media and make a genuine difference in your industry. And that is the crux of good PR.

If you’re ready to start making headlines of your own, you can work with us here.