A prospective client approaches our firm just a month, or even less, before their big announcement. They have big news and are excited to leverage our relationships to achieve big results. Our first job is explaining that in media relations, generally, you get back what you put in. This is a story that happens on repeat.
We understand why PR is often neglected within the marketing mix. While many marketing efforts and campaigns can now be budgeted and quantified, with a clear ROI, this quest still remains a challenge when it comes to public relations and earned media coverage. Because it is tightly connected to newscycles, PR results are often unpredictable and more difficult to connect directly to narrowly-defined KPIs. This can make companies and organizations hesitant to invest in ongoing PR.
This pattern often leads to clients reaching out to us for urgent and immediate support close to a funding announcement or other major development. This is actually a nearsighted approach to PR that can be much less effective.
To gain the best results, companies need to embrace the perceived ups and downs that come with ongoing investment in PR. This past year, in particular, we’ve seen how consistent and well-planned outreach has brought in steady coverage for clients during their regularly scheduled program, and how much it really pays off when it’s money time.
This has been especially true for clients working in some of the fastest-moving fields, from Middle Eastern geopolitics to AI. Global developments and events in the past few years have been especially relevant for these types of clients, with peak times of exceptionally high demand for their voices.
However, even more significantly, the so-called valleys or “quiet” periods have proved especially strategic for clients. For example, a client in the area of research focused on the Middle East, had potential for significant contributions at multiple touchpoints this past year, as wars and other conflicts intensified and made headlines. But many of the biggest opportunities during these times came from journalists we had pitched and developed relationships with during more quiet times. By focusing on consistent and valuable input between peaks, our team —and our client—was exceptionally well-positioned when the Middle East was making global headlines. Journalists who had gotten to know the client through this continuous outreach then reached out when news broke. These reporters and editors had developed into proven partners, and these relationships then became connections to easily return to when the next newsjacking opportunity arrived. The client continues to benefit from diverse opportunities for expert commentary.
In contrast, other clients that came to us only when they had big company news to announce often ended up missing out on potential opportunities, actually getting less coverage than their story merited. The clients still received ample coverage, but they likely could have made a bigger splash and garnered more interest from top-tier outlets if a more consistent approach had been applied. Sometimes, news or a story alone can drive coverage. But in super-hot industries and a fast-changing geopolitical context, previous interactions and relationships with journalists matter. This is what turns journalist interest into journalist action and coverage.
In a world that feels like it runs on fast forward, quick turnarounds and reliability have also been paramount to making our clients solid sources that journalists and editors can return to again and again. We’ve helped position them as insightful and valuable contributors who in addition to finding a way to subtly insert their own interests, have also been able to provide insight for journalists on larger stories, issues, or trends, regardless of whether it’s directly in line with their marketing messaging. This reminds us as well as our clients that while PR isn’t an exact science, the long game and relationships that are developed are what can really make it worth it in the end.
