One day, you’re grasping a new requirement and exhaling in relief; the next you find out that trend is already on its way out. What worked yesterday might be obsolete tomorrow and keeping up with everything is now just a part of the job.

That’s why we’ve broken down the five biggest PR trends shaping 2025. Curious? Let's dive in!

Top 5 PR Trends for 2025

1. Trend: AI-powered PR
2. Trend: Data-driven strategies
3. Trend: Hyper-personalization
4. Trend: Focusing on the niche
5. Trend: Strategic partnerships

Trend #1: AI-powered PR

In 2025, AI will no longer be excluded from anyone’s workflows.

It has already reshaped the industry and altered how professionals conduct research, analyze data, write press releases, and create content. While initially met with hesitation, AI has become a valuable partner, assisting in day-to-day tasks and providing insights that once required significant time and effort. 

This comes as no surprise, given that 74% of the PR professionals we surveyed said incorporating AI into their everyday PR work is the leading trend this year. Looking back on statistics we’ve gathered over the last two years, it’s safe to say that most of the industry has adjusted to this trend. With the numbers jumping from 19% in 2022 to 36% in 2023, and now skyrocketing to 74%.

The key benefit?

AI’s capacity to process large volumes of data. This can help you examine media coverage, social media patterns, and audience sentiment in real time.

💡 For example, Prowly has incorporated AI features that help draft press releases by having you answer custom questions based on what journalists would ask, ensuring all information is included and nothing is overlooked. Email pitches? Attention-worthy subject lines? You can now brainstorm it all with the help of AI.

While AI is powerful, it still requires human oversight.

Sure, it can assist with analyzing data and even in writing content for you, but it often lacks context, understanding, and emotional intelligence—things only a PR professional can provide. A lot of bad things can happen if, for example, you summarize data using AI and it disseminates inaccurate information, such as false reports about public figures. When that happens, trust is quickly broken, and your brand, company, and even you risk serious reputational damage.

That said, you can’t deny how much AI has increased efficiency and improved the ability to analyze large amounts of information quickly. Tasks that once required extensive manual effort, such as checking a press release multiple times for typos, grammar, and resonance, can now be completed in a fraction of the time. This automation allows you to focus on strategic initiatives and informed decision-making instead.

Practical applications

1️⃣ Research your audience

No, you won’t be able to just ask a question and get a credible answer. However, you can gather massive amounts of data and let AI process it for you. Additionally, you can ask it to analyze your data and make recommendations. Who knows—maybe you’ll come up with an idea you hadn’t thought of before?

2️⃣ Personalize your pitches

You can input all the recent work your target journalist has done and find a way to capture the recipient’s attention. You can also use tools like Prowly to ensure the email aligns with your press release, along with tailor-made subject lines designed to increase open rates.

3️⃣ Automate repetitive tasks

Creative work is your oyster, but do you dread checking grammar and punctuation? You’re not alone—but thankfully, AI can help. You don’t even need to train it to do the work for you. This, along with many other Sisyphean tasks, can be handled using AI.

"With the growing presence of AI tools in our industry, it's essential to adopt an AI Code of Conduct policy to set the standards and expectations for PR pros and clients alike. We have created an AI Policy discussing how we have adopted AI in our business, how we ethically use it, and where we would never use it. We also provide clients with this code of conduct so they know our policy, and what is expected of them, as well. We want to ensure that no answers to interview questions or pitches generated by AI will ever be sent to an editor... EVER!"

Jen Berson; Jeneration PR & Jeneration Academy

Trend #2: Data-driven strategies

Did you know that 37% of the people we surveyed said they will be basing their strategy on concrete data? While intuition—especially in our field—rarely fails, working in line with hard numbers is more than just a competitive advantage. Managers want to see it and clients are interested as well. With an oversaturated market and the current economic climate, no one wants to invest in predictions based purely on gut feelings.

Data-driven PR is the practice of using analytics, audience insights, previous campaign statistics, and other performance metrics to inform decisions that impact messaging, branding, and story angles. However, it goes well beyond that. Rather than relying on vanity metrics like impressions and reach, savvy PR professionals are taking a more strategic approach—evaluating their outcomes against revenue, lead generation, and customer retention.

Not showing tangible business impact? It’s hard to stay ahead if that’s the case. Don’t worry, though—you don’t need to completely forgo creative storytelling in favor of strategies that drive direct revenue, but it’s important to align your efforts with larger company objectives.

Practical applications

1️⃣ Integrate PR with a CRM

Use tools like HubSpot or Salesforce to analyze customer journeys and sales. While setting them up may require some assistance, the insights you can gain are invaluable. For example, imagine most customers from Instagram click the link but abandon their purchase in the cart, whereas TikTok users complete their transactions. Without a specialized tool, you wouldn’t be able to see that.

2️⃣ Analyze your audience’s behavior

Whether your brand is stronger on social media or entirely web-based, you can use tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar to analyze user behavior. Depending on your findings, you may be able to make concrete decisions about your strategy moving forward.

3️⃣ All metrics are not “your” metrics

Just because something is a PR metric doesn’t mean you should be using it. You should do your research and focus on KPIs that are actually applicable to what you’re doing and that align with your unique business goals and priorities.

"Analytics are becoming even more important. But your role shouldn’t focus on collecting the data, AI will do that, but how to correctly interpret and share it with your senior leadership to influence business decisions. It will be our job to understand the emotions behind the numbers."

Doug Downs; President of Stories and Strategies 

Trend #3: Hyper-Personalization

Once a novelty, now a necessity. Being precise in all communications is what drives results and 1 in 3 of our respondents agree. Consumers now have higher expectations, making generic campaigns simply ineffective. Yes, hyper-personalization takes more time, but it also translates to success.

However, keep in mind that hyper-personalization in PR is not just about segmenting audiences by demographics. It involves much more than that. Real-time data, behavioral insights, and predictive analytics can help you craft emails, pitches, and messages tailored to individual interests, beat preferences, and engagement patterns.

Unlike traditional personalization, where you simply insert a token for their name or the outlet they work for, hyper-personalization ensures that each touchpoint resonates on a deeper level. That means sending the right message at the right time, using the right format and channel.

This strategy is the secret weapon of the most successful PR specialists. Additionally, those with access to advanced tools have a clear advantage. These tools can analyze engagement patterns, sentiment trends, media coverage, and even track how many times your recipient clicks on the email you’ve sent.

It’s a shift, a fundamental one to be quite honest, as audiences become more selective and more brands fail to deliver personalized storylines and experiences. Beyond just reaching targets with this method, you’ll also build long-lasting relationships with journalists and your audience.

Practical applications

1️⃣ Customize outreach on a deeper level

Journalists receive hundreds of pitches daily. They’re tired of getting nonsense emails that aren’t even remotely relevant to their beat. To capture their interest, reference their recent work, interests, or social media activity to show that you’ve done your research. Tailor your message to fit their coverage style and audience. A hyper-personalized pitch is far more likely to get noticed and result in actual press hits.

2️⃣ Use social listening tools to find and target smaller, engaged communities

The most valuable opportunities aren’t always right in front of you. To find them, dig through niche forums, Slack groups, LinkedIn communities, and other conversations. Prowly’s Media Monitoring and Social Listening tools can help you track emerging discussions, identify key influencers, and get your message heard by the right people in a context that fosters trust and credibility.

3️⃣ Use AI to segment your audience 

However, don’t just ask AI to pull up information and do it for you. Gather larger datasets and categorize audiences based on behavior, engagement patterns, sentiment, and more. Analyzing this information can help you determine which content is most likely to perform well, on which platform it has the highest chance of success, and where your audience is most active.

Trend #4: Focusing on a niche

If I had a cent for every time someone in public relations told me about a story where their client harassed them for a mention in Tier 1 media, I’d be a multimillionaire by now. And while there’s absolutely nothing that can warm a heart more than seeing your brand mentioned in a fancy outlet, there are other ways to get it recognized—and leave an impact.

Think of it this way: marketers started utilizing micro-influencers to sell their products some time ago because they yield better results. That’s because they’re more authentic and speak to highly engaged audiences. Well, the same goes for niche outlets.

Unlike mainstream media, niche outlets have specialized audiences who are already deeply interested in your topic. You don’t need to convince them—they’re ready to hear you out. This means that any coverage secured is more likely to convert into meaningful actions, whether it’s brand awareness, new leads, or increased sales.

Additionally, journalists and editors at niche outlets are often more receptive to tailored pitches, as they’re constantly on the hunt for high-quality, relevant content rather than something generalized. In effect, niche outlets give you the opportunity to foster truly impactful relationships rather than just securing one-off placements.

Practical applications

1️⃣ Explore community-driven platforms

Sometimes, putting more energy into places like Reddit, Discord, or even LinkedIn can yield great results. Some brands have strong, community-led conversations there that you wouldn’t know about from things like customer feedback or social media comments. Bonus tip: check for sentiment while you’re at it. People on these platforms can be unhinged—both positively and negatively.

2️⃣ Identify niche-focused mediums

Even if your brand or product is ridiculously narrow in terms of the audience it can serve, you’ll probably find a community that follows it religiously anyway. Whether they have a podcast, newsletter, or Reddit thread, it’s smart to pitch stories directly or offer things like invitations to interviews, if possible.

3️⃣ Leverage micro-influencers

Involve them in campaign development and provide detailed yet flexible briefs to ensure their authenticity is on point—all while meeting brand objectives.

Trend #5: Strategic partnerships

If you’re looking for a place to allocate your budget, 48% of respondents in our PR Trends 2025 report said it will be strategic partnerships. The past actions of many professionals show that this move offers brands and in-house teams the opportunity to reach diverse audiences and strengthen their message more effectively.

Through collaboration with strategic partners, companies can adjust their messaging to resonate more deeply with their audience and broaden the impact of their PR initiatives. The key to making this trend work lies in identifying the right partners. This isn’t always an easy task, but with the right research and a soft trial-and-error approach, it can result in a successful strategy for the future.

Think of who your audience already trusts. Whether they’re influencers, industry experts, or adjacent brands that spark joy within your target community, choose those who have already made an impact or are about to. Then nurture those relationships to ensure long-term success. Respect their time and contributions and don’t treat it purely as a business transaction. They, too, want personalized experiences in their interactions with brands that work with them.

Strategic partnerships offer a way to strengthen PR strategies by bringing in new perspectives and testing different communication angles. Select them carefully, stay in touch, and you’ll start seeing success unfold before your eyes in no time.

Practical applications

1️⃣ Test for compatibility

Not every partner you’d like to work with will be the perfect fit. We’re all human, after all. To test the waters, invite them to low-risk initiatives like co-hosting webinars or contributing to a whitepaper before going all in and committing to larger campaigns.

2️⃣ Measure success using joint metrics

To strengthen the impact of an upward or downward trend, use joint metrics. Did both media impressions and reach increase after a specific action? Start by defining shared KPIs for partnership campaigns to ensure both sides gain the value they seek.

3️⃣ Create case studies

To attract similar collaborations in the future, create case studies or summaries of your work with a particular partner. Not only will this benefit you and help secure more budget in the future, but it will also show others that your work delivers results aligned with broader company goals.

Conclusion

From AI-powered workflows to hyper-personalized outreach, niche media strategies, and strategic partnerships, what’s going to be trending in 2025 will solidify the shifts we’ve observed over the past few years. However, meaningful relationships and strong audience connections are staying at the forefront and not going anywhere (at least in 2025!) 

To read more about what PR professionals are spending their money on, what practices they’re honing and which ones they’re leaving behind, you can download the full PR Trends 2025 Report for free.

The post 5 PR Trends to Jump On in 2025 (+ Tips and Tactics) appeared first on Prowly.

In 2024, Prowly listened to your feedback and industry talk to diagnose three main problems PR pros will be facing in 2025:

• Problem #1: Pitch engagement is lower than ever before
• Problem #2: There isn’t enough real data to base your PR strategies on
• Problem #3: Scoring quality coverage takes too much time and effort

To help you overcome them, Prowly added a set of groundbreaking features that might change the way you look at targeting journalists, hyper-personalization, AI adoption, and more.

Prowly never stops improving. Keep on reading and get a sneak peek of our future updates!

PR Problem #1: Pitch engagement is lower than ever before

Getting journalists to respond to pitches is starting to feel like pushing a boulder uphill. 

In the PR Trends 2025 report, 32% of respondents say that hyper-personalization will be their priority from this point forward. The emphasis is on deeply researching Tier 1 journalists, crafting individual pitches, and focusing on building lasting relationships.

Here’s how Prowly will help you understand journalists and their audiences like no other tool on the market. 

Precise data for better targeting

We’ve expanded your research capabilities adding new journalist and outlet insights to our Media Database. Use a single tool to quickly scan journalists’ online activities, publishing frequency, X (Twitter) following, timezone, domain traffic, and in-depth audience profiles (more on that later).

Crafting engaging stories

Get acquainted with the first AI Assistant for PR, a groundbreaking feature designed to brainstorm captivating ideas and examine the journalist’s perspective. Go through a Q&A that mirrors an interview with a journalist and discover smart angles for your story.

If you’re struggling with crafting compelling emails, write them using the new dynamic AI prompts for:

• expert comment suggestions,
• interview opportunities, or
• sharing survey or research results.

Expanding your media lists

Writing an email or a press release? Get automatic contact recommendations based on what you write! Spot relevant journalists and outlets you hadn’t found on your own.

Pitch personalization & follow-ups

In Prowly’s new personalization flow, you get quick access to all your notes, recent journalist's publications, audience insights, and your communication history, so you don’t miss any important element of your pitch.

And, to make personalization even more convenient, connected inboxes can now automate follow-ups based on whether or not the recipient has opened, replied, or clicked on your message. Read on to see more about Prowly’s advanced email analytics.

PR Problem #2: There isn’t enough real data to base your PR strategies on

How do you build a data-driven campaign when the information is scarce and hard to get?

37% of participants of the PR Trends 2025 survey believe that data-based strategies will yield more measurable outcomes in 2025. Prowly has made insights much easier to find, track, and analyze so you can revolutionize your PR tactics.

In-depth audience profiles

Age and country metrics aren’t enough to hyper-target the media. By integrating data from Semrush, Prowly enables you to dive into detailed audience information such as interests, occupation, income distribution, education level, or even household size. 

All audience and traffic insights come from Semrush, a reliable global leader in visibility management trusted by over 10 million marketing professionals. 

Easy access to reliable data

Prowly aims to make your search experience as easy as possible. That’s why you can now filter results by specific audience insights, traffic data, exact regions, and media categories. Thousands of contacts can be quickly narrowed down to just the most promising ones.

New Media Monitoring channels

Some of the most requested Prowly features were new monitoring sources. First we've added TikTok and YouTube, then partnered with industry leaders, LexisNexis and TVEyes, for print and broadcast monitoring. Monitoring dashboards now have new metrics and widgets for a more comprehensive overview.

Strategic dashboards and precise alerts

We’ve simplified data analysis. Now you can filter metrics by keywords to build strategic dashboards and narrow down your data into actionable chunks. To stay updated at all times, use keyword filtering to set up laser-focused alerts. You’ll be able to spot brand crises from miles away.

Tracking email analytics

We improved the precision of inbox data and engagement tracking. Prowly’s mailing tool now adjusts open and click rates to filter out bot activity. And, if you’re a Pro user with a connected inbox, you can see journalists’ email viewing times and detailed, time-stamped breakdowns of their every interaction with your messages.

PR Problem #3: Scoring quality coverage takes too much time and effort

How do you justify spending long hours on research when there’s still monitoring, writing, and strategizing to do?

Do everything in one tool. Keeping your media lists, email campaigns, communication history, dashboards, and notes in one place saves days of work each month. And of course, AI-powered tools are crucial, according to 74% of respondents in the PR Trends 2025 report.

Here’s how the new Prowly features speed up the PR workflow.

Content on high gear

We all know how rigid and awkward AI writing can be; Prowly’s AI for PR is trained to draft professional press releases and pitches that sound authentic. The Pitching Tool also helps boost your email deliverability and engagement by detecting potential spam triggers and empty fallback for personalization tokens. 

And, to further alleviate your stress, the Press Release Creator reviews your draft’s Content Score and suggests improvements, such as:

• headline, messaging, and formatting clarity,
• potential angles and promotional perspectives,
• checking more sources or adding supporting quotes.

Easier query building and polishing

Prowly has added query editing so you never have to start from scratch to tweak some details ever again. The search builder also has a new “OR” operator, so you can diversify your exploration and catch all relevant mentions.

Better sender’s reputation

Using the Prowly inbox, you don’t have to worry about sender reputation technicalities. The writing tool warns you about spam words in text and adds the “Unsubscribe” button, as mandated by Google’s and Yahoo’s policies for quality senders. Email analytics show you problems with deliverability so you can react and prevent send-out hiccups.

Over to you

2024 was a busy year for Prowly, but it must have been even more chaotic for you, a PR pro.

The media reality is shifting, as more and more journalists expect hyper-personalization and spot-on pitches. The lack of quality data leads to weak PR strategies, which in turn causes low journalist engagement.

But remember: engagement rates, data-based pitches, efficient workflows–they’re all just a means to an end. The point is to get your story out there. Let Prowly help you carry your narrative into 2026!

The post Top 3 PR Problems and New Ways to Fix Them: Future-Proof Your Tactics in 2025 appeared first on Prowly.

There’s rarely time to create a flawless pitch. Speeding up usually means compromising on quality. But how can your story be engaging without good research and credible data sources? 

PR pros need realistic, evidence-based strategies to be able to pitch with confidence. 

This December, Prowly has introduced new features to help you organize and enhance your PR workflow, from research to follow-ups.

Read on and learn:

• How to find more information about online media outlets
• New ways to expand your topical search
• How we made following up more convenient

Update 1. Enhanced online outlet data (powered by Semrush)

As far as online media outlets, until now you could only browse information about the general domain. With this update, Prowly's Media Database gives you instant access to some of the most hard-to-find data: traffic and audience details for subdomains and subfolders.

Thanks to Semrush, a leading provider of credible traffic and audience data, you can now check the real numbers behind every branch and subpage of your chosen domain.

For example, instead of just researching CNN.com, you can analyze the traffic and audience insights of the station’s subdomain (e.g. money.CNN.com), or one of their subfolders
(e.g. CNN.com/world).

And, to make your search even more precise, domain traffic and audience info are also available as search filters in all search tabs. So, for example, when you go to the Media Outlets tab, you can quickly filter out the most-visited news sites with female viewers aged 35+ from Montreal, Canada.

Knowing the exact audience and traffic stats helps you personalize your pitches better. Not sure how to best personalize your messages? Read our step-by-step playbook.

3 tasks this feature will make easier for you

1. Targeting. Finding the perfect journalists for your story is easier when you know their exact audience and traffic stats.
2. Identifying relevant Tier 1 media. Allocate time where it matters. Perfect the pitches for your Top 10 or Top 20 outlets, establish connections, and show stakeholders the true value of your PR efforts.
3. Creating precise pitches. Knowing the outlet’s or journalist’s traffic and audience insights helps you find the right story angle and personalize your message.

Update 2. Smarter search for journalists by topics

Expand your search without getting a bunch of irrelevant results. Try Prowly’s new topic branching.

Before the update, when typing “technology” into your topic browser, you’d get only exact match topic categories to choose from, like Technology or Computers & Technology. Now, Prowly's Media Database will also show you related topic recommendations, like Cloud Computing or Artificial Intelligence.

Using this feature, you might find some unexpected but useful results.

2 ways this feature will make your life easier

1. Faster research. Tracking down relevant journalists goes smoother with precise and related topic suggestions.
2. Wider reach. Uncover new connection opportunities and tap into niches you might have otherwise missed. 

Update 3. Advanced follow-ups (feature for Pro Plan users)

To boost your pitching efficiency, try to improve your email open and reply rates. Sending systematic follow-ups increases your chances for coverage.

In Prowly's mailing tool, connected inboxes can now automate follow-ups based on whether or not the recipient has replied to your message. As soon as you get a reply, the mailing list for pre-planned follow-ups will update itself so that only non-responders get them. No more manual removals. And, you get to craft 1:1 follow-ups based on the content of the reply.

It works for all emails sent after Tuesday, Nov 19.

This functionality is yet another reason to connect your inbox with Prowly. You don’t have to remember to keep track of your silent recipients—and you’ll never miss important replies! Automation helps you avoid the risk of being pushy, annoying, or non-responsive.

Your reply rates will also be included in the email campaign overview and will act as filters in your CRM.

3 perks you’ll get from this feature

1. Higher reply rates. Journalists’ inboxes are always full. You have a better chance of not being skipped if you stay top-of-mind. Well-timed, relevant follow-ups are crucial for increasing your pitching success.
2. Fewer things to remember. Automation is your workflow’s friend. You only set up the follow-ups once a campaign and don’t have to worry about them again.
3. No more missed chances. Suppose you could have landed coverage, but you forgot or didn’t have time to follow up. Never again!

Try them yourself

Timeliness and relevancy: this is what journalists want in a PR pitch. Features like automation and research support come in handy, helping to find up-to-date story angles and do thorough research.

Don’t underestimate how stressful guesswork in PR can be. Being confident that your story will resonate with the journalist’s audience can take a huge load off your shoulders.

We’re constantly improving the Prowly app to give you the best PR-building experiences. The Basic Plan covers essential PR research and outreach tools, while the Pro Plan unlocks all Prowly functionalities (you can upgrade now!). 

If you’re a Pro Plan user, here’s a quick guide to integrating your inbox with Prowly.

Ready to engage journalists with your next-level pitches?

Give Prowly a try for 7 days free!

The post Low Reply Rates? Transform the Way You Pitch with Prowly’s New Features appeared first on Prowly.

You’d think that year on year changes in any industry aren’t significant enough to flip the script upside down, yet every single time we’re collecting answers from PR professionals we get to find out the shifts they’re dealing with on a daily basis. 

We found that an increasing number of clients and stakeholders are starting to prioritize evaluating our work on measurable results, usually built on data-driven strategies. 

With smaller budgets and cuts all around, 58% of respondents said they’re struggling with finances, so the only way to get more money is to deliver a clear ROI. 

What’s the solution? Respondents in our survey say it’s time to prioritize resources according to what we want to achieve, contact people who can get us results, and choose the right channels with extreme care (more on that in the report!).

#1 The rise of the ROI-driven PR model

PR professionals are facing increasing pressure to demonstrate value, with 48% struggling to prove the effectiveness of their work in 2024—up from 41% in 2022.

More than ever before, the PR industry is under more pressure to align their activities with business outcomes. Since the demand from clients and stakeholders for proving value is coming at us from all sides, choosing ways of working that don’t yield concrete numbers is putting us at a disadvantage. While personalization and fostering strong relationships with our contacts isn’t going away, it might need to step off center stage, at least for a bit.

• Our respondents said that the use of sales metrics in PR measurement has increased from 13% in 2023 to 19% in 2024. 

It’s not easy for clients and stakeholders to comprehend the value of the work we do with traditional metrics like the number of mentions or SoV, therefore people have shifted towards more bottom-line KPIs such as the number of leads or specific sales metrics.

• People want faster, more comprehensive PR reports. In 2022, only 6% of respondents said this was important, but by 2024, that number has risen to 22%. 

This only highlights the PR industry’s need to prioritize efficiency, clarity, and real-time decision-making. After all, reporting is an essential tool in proving our worth, what we do, and how we succeeded. 

#2 Data-driven decisions require PR tools

Budget constraints aren’t stopping the rise of PR technology adoption. Tool usage is up to 67.4% in 2024, despite 68% of professionals citing financial challenges.

Excel spreadsheets are still widely used, but they’re not enough. Those in charge want to have the ability to see what coverage you’ve secured, what impact it had on the overall strategy, and how it improved their goals. Since juggling between several tools is not only tiring, but also expensive, PR professionals are steadily moving towards implementing PR tools into their workflow.

• The use of regular email services for pitches has significantly declined, dropping from 74% in 2022 to 50% in 2024.

Sending emails through Gmail or Outlook is fine if you continuously pitch to the same contacts over and over again. Since there is an abundance of content-producing outlets at the moment, such an option isn’t as feasible as it was even two years ago.

Now, PR professionals want specialized features such as open rates, click rates, and read rates so they can further personalize their outreach and make sure their pitching strategy is polished to perfection.

• Google Alerts usage has decreased from 31% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, which indicates an increase in spending on paid media monitoring tools.

While Google Alerts can give you basic information and notifications for mentions, it lacks the depth, accuracy, and analytical capabilities of tools that are specifically designed for public relations. 

Paid tools can deliver more insights such as sentiment, SoV, competitive benchmarking, audience insights and many others. In order to make data-driven decisions, such tools are becoming an indispensable tool to prove ROI and demonstrate their work aligns with business goals.

• AI usage in PR has increased significantly, with adoption for research rising from 53% to 67% and for analysis from 8% to 31%.

One thing is for sure: technology is great at computing and making sense of numbers. Whether it comes down to quantifying research, or analyzing loads of complex data, AI can do it faster, and perhaps better, than any human can. 

Its ability to process data and give insights based on those numbers allows PR professionals to measure outcomes more effectively and precisely, so that they can save time on making data-driven decisions.

#3 The growing emphasis on measurement

An increasing number of PRs are prioritizing tracking and measuring PR efforts, with a focus on achieving quantifiable results, rising from 23% in 2022 to 39% in 2024.

There’s less of a desire among the PR industry to complete tasks that don’t yield quantifiable results. After all, in order to stay competitive and show off your success you’ve got to give your client and stakeholders an outcome, not an output. We’re always busy, but is it doing us any good? This year, concrete numbers are what kept us ahead of the game.

• PR measurement is on the rise, with 75% of professionals now tracking their efforts, up from 69% in 2023.

As with any business, proving value is more than just a necessity. Whether you’re a one-man band doing it all, work in-house, or have an agency to run, effectively demonstrating success can set your work apart from the other employees or business competitors. 

• There has been a significant uptick in monitoring social media, broadcast media, and print media.

With loads of content all around us, monitoring all types of channels is crucial to knowing the perception of your brand efforts and whether they’re working at all. More content to analyze means more opportunities to show where numbers are doing great, and where they can be improved.

Some food for thought

Are we permanently shifting to a data-driven model in PR, forever? It’s impossible to predict so, even though there’s been a growing trend of dipping your fingers more in concrete PR measurement as opposed to anything else.

With increasingly tight budgets, showing value is now more important than ever. Thankfully, dedicated PR tools help with tackling this challenge head-on thanks to relevant metrics, measurement capabilities tailored to different business model needs and more. With that being said, it’s apparent that data-driven, ROI-focused PR strategies are here to stay.

The post The State of PR 2024: Top 3 Takeaways You Need To Know appeared first on Prowly.

But often, reality means working with lesser-known brands, tight budgets, and industries that aren’t exactly glamorous — you’re faced with a client specialized in roofing, waste management, office furniture — you name it.

If we’re being honest, these brands don’t always spark immediate creativity, making it harder to come up with newsworthy ideas that journalists will actually want to cover.

However, after more than a decade in PR, I’ve learned that these challenges can lead to some of the most rewarding and successful work you may ever create, turning ‘dull’ clients into favourites.

How? Below I’ve compiled five tactics I use when faced with a more challenging client.

#1. Work outwards from the core product

I’ve found that some PRs can get a little bit too transfixed on the direct product or offering itself, rather than thinking about all the interesting things that surround it.

While ‘office furniture’ itself might feel quite boring and lead you to a lot of dead ends when thinking up ideas, the concepts related to office furniture really aren’t that dull. There’s job interviews, office politics — even office romance — all that can be drawn back to your humble office furniture offering, immediately opening up more opportunities for rich creative ideas.

Finding related topics to your core offering can be achieved in many different ways, but a classic tactic is ‘mind-mapping’ — this is where you sit with a piece of paper and work outwards from your subject, exploring all of the things connected to your product or offering. In a short space of time, you can fill a page with subjects that broaden your opportunities, drawing away from a simple wheely chair and into areas that will resonate with a wider range of people.

From this alone, you could start ideating, but to take things a step further and help you build out even more related topics or concepts, there are a range of different online tools you can use. These include BuzzSumo’s Content Ideas Generator, the Semrush Topic Research tool, or Answer The Public. Using these tools, you can input your core product, e.g. ‘office furniture/office chair’, or some of the topics you’ve mind-mapped, e.g. ‘office romance’, and see what comes up.

Semrush’s Topic Research tool will help you find trending content ideas tailored to your subject. For example, if you search for "office furniture," you might uncover content like "Sustainable Office Design: The Rise of Eco-Friendly Furniture," which steers you towards the growing interest in sustainability in workplace design. This insight alone can provide a springboard for ideas that will actually resonate with current market trends and client needs, rather than getting stuck with a boring old swivel chair to ideate around.

On BuzzSumo, you’ll find top performing content based on subject, which can again provide more inspiration: a simple search of ‘office furniture’ threw up this New York Times piece on where office furniture goes when no one wants it, steering you into the realm of recycling, upcycling, and what could be possible for your client in that space straight away.

Meanwhile, Answer the Public shows you what people are searching for around your core topic. Insights which can be mined again and again on each of the topics you’ve mind-mapped, helping you to both learn more about your audience and potentially uncovering some valuable insights to use in your ideation.

The first step when coming up with ideas for any client, whichever end of the boredom-scale they fall on, should always be one of exploration as you get your head into that world. Working outwards from the core product can be a great way to kick this off.

#2. Magnify a niche element of your brand

On the flipside, a tactic I use a lot is focusing on something about the product or offering at a really in-depth level. All to uncover something that could become an idea in itself. Because while certain things might seem dull at first, there could actually be something hyper-relevant to your client’s business or product that you just haven’t considered yet which could be the launchpad for an entire campaign.

To use an example from my own experience: we work with a client that specialises in scrapping cars which, on the face of it, isn’t the most exciting subject. However, through taking the time to learn more about car scrappage, how it works, and learning from the client, we learnt that certain parts of cars (namely the metals found in ‘catalytic converters’) are recycled and often turned into jewellery, including wedding and engagement rings.

When paired with the fact that we also knew that some people develop a serious bond with their cars, or simply love cars in general, this niche nugget of information became the basis for an entire campaign.

We partnered our scrap client with a jeweller to give petrolheads the chance to create wedding or engagement rings from parts of their old scrapped cars. As some cars can play a big part in a couple’s formative years and may play host to memories of road trips and first dates, the campaign resonated very well, and got our client covered by the likes of Forbes, key motoring titles, and even wedding publications, which they would otherwise never have been able to gain coverage or links from.

This was all thanks to taking the time to learn a bit more about car scrappage and really focusing on a niche element of it that many people are unaware of. This is a great example as to why you should always ask your client as many questions as possible and aim to learn about their world, as there could be a similar opportunity awaiting you.

After learning these little niche nuggets of information, I’ll ask myself the question ‘What if this thing was the main focus of the campaign?’ and see where it takes me. When partnered with another, broader insight (such as the strong connection some people have with their cars, as used in the example above) you could be onto something.

#3. Partner up with a more ‘interesting’ subject

Speaking of partnering things up. If neither of those tips are working for you and you’re finding yourself lost in how mundane the subject you’re facing may be, a tactic I almost always find to be a winner is to pair it up with something that definitely is ‘interesting’ on a mass scale.

Wondering ‘What if we brought music into the equation?’ or, ‘What if the idea was based around art or illustrations?’ or even, ‘What if my ‘boring’ client collaborated with one of my ‘dream’ clients?’ are just a few questions you could be asking yourself in order to come up with something that’s a bit more unique.

This might not lead you to the finished article, but can immediately help you spice things up and take your base subject matter in new directions — and, most importantly, in a direction that more people are likely to find interesting. 

The way I often do this is based on ‘random topics’. Simply having a long list of random topics, from children’s toys to politics, influencers to streetwear, and thinking of what stories we could create if I paired my client up with that topic. Here’s 10 to get you started — it can be amazing what thinking of a completely different subject during your ideation can result in.

• Landmarks
• Hygiene
• Conspiracies
• Wildlife
• Fashion
• Poetry
• Memes
• Make up
• Space
• Video games

This might sound like chaos, but I find it to be a really useful way of overcoming the imaginary barriers you might have created because you weren’t immediately inspired by the core subject.

Bringing this back to the office furniture example I mentioned above, simply bringing music into the equation could bring about ideas around office disputes caused by music choice, or finding what the ‘swear-threshold’ is for an acceptable workplace playlist. All these ideas could make sense for your brand, as you have a space to talk about the office environment as a whole, and not just the furniture in it.

Starting to ideate around subjects you’re actually interested in can also breathe life into what could have otherwise been a challenging brief, so it’s a win-win!

#4. Embrace the ‘boring’

Despite there being so much value in taking your brand to new places and bringing it to life in exciting ways, I do think as marketers we can often hold ourselves to the pressure of every single story being something you could shout about on social media or submit for an award a little too much.

Of course our output has to work and get results, but that doesn’t mean that we need to reinvent the wheel and produce the most creative thing you’ve ever come up with every time. It feels weird saying it as someone who loves big, shiny ideas, but sometimes, with certain brands and certain objectives, you just need to embrace the boring.

A media-friendly story could be staring you in the face, but because you deem a certain brand or product as ‘dull,’ you could be missing it. Journalists need to cover more straightforward topics too and some simple advice from your client (the expert on the subject) could be all you need. Be it cleaning advice, opinions on a law related to your product, or some interesting internal data, there’s tons of opportunity for most brands on the surface level.

Again, tools like Answer the Public and BuzzSumo can be great at highlighting what people are searching for and what the media is writing about around your topic, which can in turn highlight areas for using brand data, presenting new research, or publishing some simple commentary. 

I also love using Reddit for this. There’s a subreddit for almost everything, and while the content of your brand’s offering might not be something you’re personally interested in, someone else surely will be. These subreddits provide a great window into what people are discussing, what interests them, and what experts are saying. This helps you identify areas related to your client and develop them into media-friendly stories.

Once you’ve created your story, and as these topics can often be quite niche, it’s worth exploring tools like Prowly's Media Database, which allows you to search for journalists who cover your specific topic. With this, you can curate a media list that will genuinely be interested in your story. If you need to narrow down your search to find the most relevant contacts, you can:

• Search media outlets where your target audience is active, then follow up with the contributing journalists.

• Search for articles using your keywords (expanded with AI-generated suggestions) and get in touch with authors writing in your niche.

#5. Build trust

Finally, while you might have come up with a campaign idea you just know will work and is something geared to take your client from a somewhat niche industry to gaining mainstream media attention, it goes without saying that getting them to go for it will take some trust. 

If they’re going to be putting their brand out there (and spending money to do so), they’re going to need to be confident. So how can you build the trust required to actually execute the ideas you really believe in?

• Play the long game: Trust is something that is built over time and if your idea doesn’t have to be launched right now, it could be something worth saving for the future. Start building trust with other activities, rather than ‘scaring’ anybody with an idea that might seem a little out-there in your very first meeting.
• Back it up: While you, as a PR, might know why your idea will work with the press, your boss or client might not. Be sure to back up your ideas with examples of similar campaigns which have been successful to help cement its validity. These can be from previous projects you’ve run to similar stories in other industries. 
• Relay the objectives: If your idea is ‘perfect’ it should connect with the objectives you’ve all agreed upon upfront – from media targets to brand tone – so when presenting the idea, be sure to take them on a journey that reminds them of all of these objectives, positioning your idea as the solution that ticks off all of the markers. After that, how can they say no?!

To summarise, any brand can be made interesting, exciting and be able to land newsworthy features. Sometimes you just need to look past your initial perceptions, because that oh so boring brand might end up being the ‘dream’ client you’ve been looking for all along.

The post Making a ‘Boring’ Brand Interesting: How A Dull Subject Can Be Made Newsworthy appeared first on Prowly.

We chose a few PR-related newsletters that deliver insights (and, oftentimes, delight) and have been proven to level up your PR skills. 

Here's the list of the top 18 PR newsletters:

1. Spin Sucks
2. PR Week
3. Ragan Daily News
4. Tonya McKenzie’s newsletter
5. Prowly newsletter
6. O'Dwyer PR
7. The Grapevine
8. Michelle Garrett’s newsletter
9. Morning Brew
10. PR@ctical
11. PRNews
12. Stephen Waddington’s newsletter
13. Almost Timely
14. PRovoke Media
15. The Marketing Millennials
16. Sword and The Script monthly newsletter
17. Thea Chippendale
18. JBH

Why should you give PR newsletters a chance?

#1 Getting news-worthy stories delivered

As a PR specialist, any major event in the world can impact your agenda. That's why informative newsletters can help you stay in the loop with the newest developments in the business world.

#2 Understanding wider trends in PR

PR newsletters often cover wide-spread tendencies, regarding not only what you do as a PR specialist but how you operate. 

As an example: have you felt that work-related stress has wreaked havoc on your mental health? It’s been reported by 92% of PR specialists. With a wider perspective in mind, you can take those factors into account in your daily work.

In Prowly, we decided to focus not only on what we do as PR pros, but also what we deal with. Sign up for our newsletter to learn about these trends.

#3 Staying on top of new ideas

It's a cliche, but you won't find fresh approaches in classical readings. Getting in touch with practitioners – whether through social media or newsletters – is a must for constant development. And newsletters have two huge advantages: you won't miss the message (due to algorithms), and you can easily get back to them when needed.

Our choice: best PR newsletters to follow

#1 Spin Sucks

You must have heard of Spin Sucks, Gini Dietrich or the PESO model – but if not, make sure to check them out!

Spin Sucks started off as a blog and became a thought leader in the PR industry. With books, podcasts, certifications and a community, they raise important issues for PR professionals.

Their newsletter (and other resources) make a solid source for PR insights. It aims to change the perception of the PR industry, promoting high ethical standards and quality education.

📩 Where to sign up? Look at the footer on their sites, like Spin Sucks Resources.

#2 PR Week

PRWeek is the go-to source for quality PR news and insights – and now you can access it from your inbox with the PR Week newsletter.

What's nice is you can preview them before you subscribe: certainly helpful to make a decision to sign up for (yet another) newsletter.

For the U.S. market, it comes in a few variations:

• PRWeek Healthcare Weekly: covering this specific area, available for free
• PRWeek Dashboard Weekly: focused on the latest tools in communications technology, also available for free
• A daily or weekly summary of the most important PR news: open to paid subscribers
• Breaking news alerts: available to paid subscribers

Apart from these, in the paid plan you also get access to PRWeek’s full online content.

PRWeek covers also two other areas, the UK and the Middle East, mostly with free newsletters, like: 

• Middle East weekly edition
• the UK weekly edition
• Public Sector Briefing 
• Healthcare Bulletin
• Breaking News 
• PRWeek UK Daily News, which is the only newsletter exclusively available to subscribers.

📩 Where to sign up? You can find all available options on PRWeek’s site.

#3 Ragan Daily News

Ragan Communications, Inc. is known for their PR conferences, but there's more to it than that. On Ragan's PR Daily they cover public relations industry news, including social media and marketing. And you can have them delivered to your inbox!

Their daily newsletter covers a wide range of topics: from internal comms to employee engagement. Yet, with the sign-up, you can choose your 3 most important areas of interest, so the messages will stay relevant.

📩 Where to sign up? Go to the Ragan Newsletter Subscribe page.

#4 Tonya McKenzie’s newsletter

Tonya McKenzie is the founder of Sand & Shores, a PR agency focused on non-profit and civic organizations. She’s gathered over 20 years of experience in various types of PR areas and is definitely one of the most recognizable names in PR for non-profit.

Make sure to read our PR Chat with her and get to know her better!

When signing up for updates, you can check off the topics that interest you – so that you get only relevant messages.

📩 Where to sign up? Go to Sand  & Shores’ page and click on the white Subscribe button.

#5 Prowly newsletter

At Prowly, we also have our own PR newsletter! Every two weeks, you'll get a fresh choice of quality PR tips, detailed guides, and relevant industry news. There's more to it than just the company's blog updates. Stay up to date with industry research, and campaigns – like the latest about managing stress in PR professional life.

📩 Where to sign up? Check out the Prowly Newsletter subscription page.

#6 O'Dwyer's PR

When you want to know what's brewing in the PR industry, especially in the U.S., the O'Dwyer's newsletter should be a top choice. They cover all the news, including acquisitions, new launches, and calls for partnerships. It's amazing for keeping your PR game up-to-date.

What's more, even though it's not a purely educational newsletter, they usually feature tips from top industry minds.

📩 Where to sign up? Leave your email on O’Dwyer’s page.

#7 The Grapevine

The Grapevine newsletter is your go-to point for inspiration. Once a month, you get an email filled with diverse campaign examples, new formats, top picks and insights. It's more than just a few links, though. The Grapevine gives you a detailed insight into what made the best campaigns work – together with tips you can implement in your work right now.

Their motto is, "One email. Once per month. No bullshit." And it's visible in every message. I bet you'll take notes from each issue and save the key ideas!

📩 Where to sign up? You'll find the form on The Grapevine’s page.

#8 Michelle Garrett’s newsletter

Michelle Garrett is a PR consultant, writer, and speaker who helps B2B businesses create content, earn media coverage for their brand, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. She’s also published a book on B2B PR that became a bestseller on Amazon.

Michelle Garrett’s newsletter often includes practical tips, strategic advice, and insights that are invaluable for both seasoned professionals and newcomers to the field. Her newsletter might include information about upcoming industry events, webinars, or some other networking possibilities.

📩 Where to sign up? Go to her page and scroll down: the form is in the footer.

#9 Morning Brew

Morning Brew is a newsletter you’ll immediately recognize in your inbox thanks to the little coffee cup emoji. As they claim on their site, they "deliver quick and insightful updates about the business world." As a big fan, I need to add – in a funny and delightful way.

Apart from the main issues, you can find newsletters dedicated to various topics: technology, marketing, finance or HR, among others. They focus on the U.S. perspective.

📩 Where to sign up? Go here for the main issue, and take a look at Brew Brands for specialized newsletters.

#10 PR@ctical

Some of the most interesting newsletters come from practitioners. And that's the case with Pr@ctical, where Sarah Evans, founder and CEO of Sevans, a digital PR agency, shares her views on trending PR industry topics.

Pr@ctical combines hands-on tips with intelligent opinion commentaries. It's aimed mostly at PR experts who want to build visibility and influence. Once a week, you get a message ideal for a short read-break: the articles speak with Sarah's voice, being both entertaining and inspiring.

📩 Where to sign up? You'll find Sarah's newsletter on Substack.

#11 PRNews

PRNews is a well-known educational resource where you can find the newest PR movement analysis, strategy tips, and news. They contribute greatly to the PR industry, holding conferences, awards, and hosting job boards.

The PRNews newsletter gives you a wide range of topics to choose from – from data and measurements to job board openings. When you sign up, you can tick what options are most relevant for you.

📩 Where to sign up? Find the form on PRNews online’s page.

#12 Stephen Waddington’s newsletter

Stephen Waddington is a business advisor, and book author. He is the founder and managing partner of Wadds Inc.

His weekly newsletter is personal and direct. He attends numerous PR conferences and events – both those focused on business and academic perspectives – and shares his insights in an elegant and simple way. He also mentions important topics for the PR world.

The Wadds Inc. newsletter is available via Substack, so you can go and check out the previous issues.

📩 Where to sign up? Check it out on this Substack page.

#13 Almost Timely newsletter

Almost Timely keeps you in the loop with all relevant AI-related news. It's a weekly digest with thought-provoking content about generative AI. There's also a practical side, with tips on implementing the newest tools and a free resource section.

Although it's not a specific public relations newsletter, it's definitely worth checking out. Any tool that helps to speed up the creation process is useful for PR specialists.

📩 Where to sign up? You can sign up on the author's substack page.

#14 PRovoke Media

The PRovoke newsletter supplies you with a thorough perspective on PR with original research, in-depth case studies, and industry reports. It's another one with a focus more on commenting on different aspects than guiding you through the basics of the PR arena. They focus strongly on PR agencies, preparing annual research and global rankings.

On their page you can choose from two options:

1. Global briefing: which is a regular editorial, covering opinion pieces, trending news, and reporting. 
2. Marketing and events: which gives a heads-up about the PRovoke Media initiatives, global events, and job board.

📩 Where to sign up? Fill in the form on PRovoke Media’s page.

#15 The Marketing Millennials

The Marketing Millennials newsletter comes from Daniel Murray, founder of Authority B2B, a B2B LinkedIn growth and brand-building agency. That's why it should get your attention, as Daniel is talking a lot about branding. A LOT. Which is easily transferable to the PR area.

Learn about catchy email subject lines (to get the attention of your chosen journalists), how brand X is benefitting from their actions, and influencer marketing. All of this soaked in humor, pop culture references, and rich insights.

📩 Where to sign up? You'll find the sign-up place right on Marketing Millennials’ page.

#16 Sword and the Script monthly newsletter

Do you recall what headlines impacted you 3 weeks ago? Neither do I.

That's why newsletters like Sword and the Script, by Frank Strong, are amazing. Each week, he sends out a list of the most valuable articles from different areas, like data and marketing, psychology, creativity, and career.

Frank also shares his newsletter archive, which is an amazing way to confirm that you want those letters in your inbox.

📩 Where to sign up? Go to Sword and the Script’s page.

#17 Thea Chippendale’s newsletter

Thea Chippendale is the founder of a PR agency TLC. Apart from PR services, she offers consulting, mentoring and insights on PR strategy. She specializes in French PR, doing outreach to prestigious outlets.

Her newsletter covers PR hot topics, campaign roundups, and tips from invited PR experts. Thea has a wide perspective on the PR industry and delivers valuable information in a short and sweet form. She also adds exclusive materials to help you with campaign ideation.

📩 Where to sign up? Join the mailing list right on TLC Freelance’s page.

#18 JBH

JBH is a digital PR agency from the UK. They have a wide array of clients they support, and this experience informs their blog and newsletter insights. When you subscribe, you'll get the newest posts, sharing insights about integrating PR strategies with their clients' brands, huge PR moments, and industry break-throughs.

📩 Where to sign up? Go to their JBH’s home page and scroll down to the footer.

That’s a wrap

Hopefully, you have been able to choose some newsletters for yourself. As you can see, with curated content and well-thought messages, PR newsletters won't just take up storage in your email inbox.

PR newsletters (and those PR-related) are a great source of inspiration. Whether you need to follow the latest industry news, or gather all the tips you might use in the future, a constant influx of fresh ideas is a must. Most likely you won't use them all right away, but when the need arises, you'll be able to choose from a much wider repository of insights.

And when it comes with a bit of entertainment and vivid personality – you'll soon see yourself eagerly checking your email for the newest stories.

The post Best PR Newsletters in 2025: 18 Picks for PR Professionals appeared first on Prowly.

This was the big question faced by Sabina Covo Communications, a fully integrated PR and business consulting agency specialized in pioneering communication with a focus on U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets.

In their recent partnership with J&J Green Paper, as they launched their groundbreaking sustainable packaging initiative in collaboration with Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee. Equipped with a robust set of PR tools, including Prowly, they hit all their goals and got their client a big win by attracting investors in a highly competitive market.

In this article you’ll learn all about the:

• PR Agency’s Strategy and Planning, including challenges and key messages
• Execution of their winning PR campaign
• Campaign results and big wins

Crafting a winning strategy in a highly competitive landscape

Starting off, the PR agency faced a highly competitive landscape. The topic of sustainability is vast and the niche of sustainable food service packaging has its fair share of voices vying for attention. 

To get their slice of the pie, the PR Agency needed to craft precise communication. Define clear aims. Establish their key messages. And be absolutely sure of who their target audience was and how to reach them.

Facing the challenge of a highly saturated market

With numerous plastic alternatives already dominating the conversation, it was important to communicate how the client’s new product stood out.

What made it different from other options already on the market? Why was this, with so many other options out there, a game changer? 

Answering these questions and more required very clear and concise communication. Not only of what the product was, but how it was going to impact the market. And don’t forget the roles of the stakeholders. There was a lot to say and truly very little room to say it.

"We are thoroughly enjoying working on the PR campaign for J&J Green Paper, as it has been a continuous learning experience. One of the challenges was ensuring complete alignment with the Arcos Dorados Argentina communications strategy. After numerous edits and revisions, we successfully released a compelling communications piece that effectively showcased everyone's role."

- Sabina Covo, Director

A PR strategy based on hard numbers

With its aim to successfully launch Janus, a sustainable packaging product developed over the past decade, the campaign had a clear roadmap to success:

1️⃣ First, to generate awareness. The PR agency’s campaign needed to secure a share of voice to ensure the right people knew all about the new product’s arrival on the market.

2️⃣ Secondly, the client was putting out a brand new technology. So explaining precisely what it is was critical. What it was, how it was made, and the impact it would have on the market was all new ground that needed to be covered.

3️⃣ And finally, the PR agency’s communications needed to showcase the product’s market potential for stakeholders and investors. That means hard numbers to illustrate real results.

The goal? To ensure the product’s smooth implementation in McDonald's restaurants all across Argentina.

Sabina Covo’s 5 Key Messages

In support of this strategy, the PR agency produced five key messages to span across their communications.

The first to highlight the important role of each stakeholder:

• J&J Green Paper Commends Arcos Dorados for moving towards a more sustainable future.

To explain precisely what was arriving on the market:

• JANUS® is an all-natural coating that creates a barrier to grease, water and oxygen when applied to paper for food packaging, like wrap paper, boxes, cups, utensils, K-cups, and straws.
• The organic JANUS compound is 100% biodegradable, backyard compostable, repulpable and recyclable.

And finally, to showcase the real, measurable results:

• The largest McDonald's franchise in the world that operates the brand in Argentina began to implement a change in the primary bags and wrappers of hamburgers.
• JANUS replaces the current coating standard – petroleum-derived polyethylene – offering a solution to single-use plastics and PFAS chemicals, each a well-known health and environmental hazard.

Finding your target audience

The most perfectly crafted message in all the world will come to nothing if it doesn’t reach the right ears.

To ensure the product’s successful implementation, there were three major groups that needed to hear what the client had to say.

1️⃣ The primary focus was to highlight the financial opportunities this new product presented to potential investors. But this alone would not guarantee success. 

2️⃣ To support this and other goals, the key messages also had to reach the general public. Raising awareness generates buzz and guarantees a greater share of voice.

3️⃣ Finally, there was a need to reach potential clients. Those who would promote the adoption of similar sustainable solutions. And who may seize upon a new opportunity for sustainable practices.

Knowing who they needed to reach, what they wanted to say, and understanding the demands of a highly competitive conversation, it was time for Sabina Covo to set to work.

Equipped with a robust set of tools, enhanced by powerful technology like Prowly, and with a mind full of creative elements, the PR agency was geared for success.

A PR Campaign that geared McDonalds for a more sustainable future

The next step? Choosing your channels of communication.

You want to be where your audience is. Get features in the outlets they read.

Your first point of contact is the journalists who write for them. So you’ll need their up to date contact info for a start.

Prowly’s media database keeps over 1 million journalist contacts from around the world up to date and at your fingertips. But that’s not the best part. With handy filters and an AI Assistant, you can easily find the right journalists to reach out to and even check out examples of their articles before you pitch them. 

With these in hand, backed by solid partners, with just the right media to enhance your message, and powerful technology by your side, you’re on the road to success from the word go.

#1 Securing media placements in Yahoo! Finance and more

With their target audience in mind and several goals ahead, the PR agency set out to establish a list of journalists and reporters covering their main target groups.

The campaign sought out environmental reporters to cover all the details of what this JANUS was and what impact it would have on sustainability in the food packing industry.

Such as this juicy feature in Industry Intelligence Inc:

You can check out the full environmental report here.

The campaign also addressed journalists and reporters covering their potential consumers, reaching out with the aim to inform their product’s client base. 

As seen in this publication from Packing Strategies:

These outreach activities covered a broad sweep of the client’s target audience This ensured both comprehensive coverage and awareness. But its primary goal required a slightly more specialized approach. So the PR agency also reached out to the financial media to inform potential investors of this new opportunity.

Producing articles like this piece from Yahoo! Finance:

Thus Sabina Covo Communications courted effective channels to reach their target audience where they were. Appearing in financial, environmental, and consumer outlets to ensure comprehensive communication across all aims and goals.

Try Prowly’s AI enhanced media pitching today

#2 Crafting the perfect press release and stunning visuals

First off, the bread and butter of every successful PR campaign, the PR agency backed its message with an effective and comprehensive press release. You can read the full press release as published here, by J&J Green Paper. 

In it, they neatly cover all their key messages. Detailing the technology behind the new product as well as its potential impact on the food packaging industry and sustainable packaging of the future. Not falling short in covering the real life impact as the new product is adopted and released across all McDonald’s locations in Argentina.

Prowly’s AI assistant is equipped to help you write the perfect press release for any campaign.

But why stop there? Sometimes it’s better to show than tell. And how better to do it than with a short video to prove the point? And so, It’s NOT 1984, published on youtube.com, was produced to fully showcase the client’s message.

To get the big wins, you have to put in a little elbow grease. Writing and drafting the perfect press release and assembling a robust list of journalist’s contacts is no joke either.

But with the right tools and technology on board, like Prowly’s AI assistant and robust media database, these tasks can be made smooth and simple.

#3 Fostering partnership with the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee

Though the PR agency’s direct client was J&J Green Page, a big benefit came from Sabina Covo’s collaboration with Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee and first adopter of the new technology.

They played a key role in sharing their communications strategy so the full PR campaign could reflect their core values and goals, bringing the full band of communications in line with the target audience. Enhancing the campaign’s effectiveness in smoothing the rails for an effective product launch.

#4 Choosing the right technology and tools to enhance your message

But of course, they didn’t do it alone. Every PR agency worth its salt has a toolbox filled with the essentials to get the job done. With the right tools and technology by your side, you can turn any campaign strategy into success.

The campaign itself used several tools and platforms to build their success. These included a newswire to distribute their press release as widely as could be, LinkedIn for planned outreach to journalists and reporters in their respective niches, and Prowly to handle the breadth of their media management and provide a robust media database fit to the task.

Prowly enhanced this process by helping Sabina Covo find all the right journalists they needed for their outreach program, all tucked into Prowly’s rich media database of over 1 million media contacts.

You can find more testimonials about how Prowly can enhance and enrich your PR campaign strategies here.

But don’t take our word for it.

You can try Prowly today and test out its media database entirely free for seven days.

Campaign results and the big wins - a summary

Over the course of its execution, the campaign received extensive media coverage. 

Namely 571 direct publications as earned through the newswire service, pitching and organic posts. But most importantly, and keeping in line with the campaign’s goals, it successfully generated investment benefits for J&J Green Paper to help smooth the product’s successful launch into the market.

These successes were further affirmed by the client, who gave direct positive feedback and testimonials highlighting the agency's success in raising awareness and driving interest in their new sustainable packaging solution.

These days, the Sabina Covo team is working on earning new consumer media for J&J Green Paper by securing interviews.

The future goal? To further educate the public and build the brand's reputation. Positioning J&J Green Paper as brand leaders in the sustainable packaging industry, ensuring continued growth and recognition.

"Translating and adapting the release to Spanish and Portuguese required numerous edits and revisions to ensure it made better sense in each language. We are now in the process of releasing the news to other countries around the world." 

- Hilda Juan, Account Director  

Access a rich media database of over 1 million media contacts and an AI assistant to help you craft the perfect press release today with Prowly.

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This community is a collective built on the idea that we are stronger together. It offers a safe and supportive space where you can connect with other PR professionals and always keep your PR mates by your side.

Why join the PR Collective by Prowly 

Are you tired of being a one-man PR orchestra? Join a community where you can meet other pros, exchange experiences, share knowledge, and: 

✨Connect with other PR stars. Build your network and bounce ideas off industry experts.

✨ Level up your skills. Share best practices, get inspired by colleagues, and discover your wow factor to deliver your clients fresh tactics. 

✨ Get exclusive tips and resources you won't find anywhere else.

✨ Master your craft. Participate in members-only workshops and events to refine your PR skills.

✨ Shape the future of PR. Collaborate with Prowly on exciting upcoming projects and contribute to the industry's growth.

Ready to join the PR Collective and take your career to the next level? Sign up today!

Community benefits

Let’s cover all the details. Why you should join the PR Collective and how it will benefit you. It is way more than just networking. You can look forward to:

• Getting direct access to a network of seasoned PR professionals and industry experts. They're not just names on a screen. They are real people who can offer personalized guidance and mentorship, helping you navigate any PR challenge with confidence.
• A constant exchange of ideas. On this platform, you can share your ideas, learn from others, and stay inspired by innovative practices in the PR industry.
• Exclusive access to valuable tips and resources that can help you stay ahead in your PR game. Think insider secrets, battle-tested strategies, and cutting-edge tools all designed to keep you ahead of the PR curve.
• Invitations to members-only workshops and events where you can learn, grow, and expand your skill set. Join interactive sessions, hands-on learning opportunities, and brainstorm alongside fellow PR peeps. Fuel your PR growth in a fun and collaborative environment.
• Collaboration with Prowly. Let’s join our forces on exciting projects. It may be a great chance to get involved in shaping the future of PR.

Social proof

Don’t just take our word for it—hear from our community members! Here’s what one of our early members had to say about their experience with the PR Collective by Prowly:

Community posts overview 

Discover your PR Community: welcome to the PR Collective by Prowly

Joining the PR Collective by Prowly is quick and simple. Just a few clicks and you’re in! Gain direct access to a network of seasoned PR professionals and exclusive resources. Don’t miss out on the chance to collaborate, learn, and grow with a community passionate about PR. 

Take the leap, join the PR Collective by Prowly today, and start reaping the benefits of being part of a supportive and dynamic community. Your PR mates are waiting!

The post Find your PR Mates: Join PR Collective by Prowly appeared first on Prowly.

The findings were suspected but still shocking: 92% of respondents reported that work-related stress has wreaked havoc on their mental health. They’ve said the stress sometimes infiltrates every aspect of their life and affects not only their emotional and psychological health but also takes a toll on them physically.

“Working in the field of communications is both rewarding and challenging. On the positive side, it's engaging, rarely boring, and often financially rewarding … On the negative side, it's demanding, the news cycle is 24/7 so there are rarely any breaks, and much of what PR pros are trying to achieve is outside of their complete control. All of these aspects can lead to burnout, difficulty sleeping, higher blood pressure, etc. I have experienced all of these negative aspects” - Tricia Payer, Sr. Director of Executive Communications for Microsoft.

Feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and burnout. Those were the most common comments we’ve received, which make it nearly impossible for PR specialists to disconnect from work and have a work-life balance. The physical toll is equally harrowing, with numerous professionals suffering from sleep disturbances, stress-related illnesses, and chronic pain including headaches, stomach aches, and back pain. Need more?

57% of respondents experience stress-related symptoms either daily or very often.

We’ve compiled all the key information from this survey for you so that you can read more about the stressors others face in PR and practical solutions based on other professionals in the field on how to mitigate these challenges. Because after all, there’s more to life than a job – and our mental health and overall well-being are the most important.

Things PRs stress about the most (and what to do about it)

It’s a high-pressure world we live in, and for anyone who has a job in public relations, stress is a constant companion. Read on to find out what takes the biggest toll on PRs health, and what solutions you might want to implement to take care of your well-being better.

1. Predicting work outcomes

An overwhelming 61.2% of respondents said predicting outcomes was the most stressful part of their job. This isn’t surprising, considering how little control we have over the many external factors that can make it unpredictable to control the public’s perception and most importantly of all, media coverage. That uncertainty makes it really tough for anyone who works in PR to assess the impact of their work, especially when stakeholders or clients are demanding concrete answers.

→ Solution: To overcome this issue, start by focusing on what’s controllable. It sounds stupid simple, but it helps. Make a list of what you can and can’t control, and just make sure you’ve done everything that’s possible on your part. Set aside some time for reflection as well: think about what you could have done differently (realistically!), and what was without any doubt truly unpredictable. This will help you “visualize” the area of control you have. Also, don’t forget about forecasting tools, and upskilling your data game. Both can make a big difference in showing a concrete strategy that works.

"Managing client expectations, delegating tasks, and having daily to-do lists with a dedicated mindset that most items on it must be completed are other major keys to keeping stress levels moderate while working in PR. However, being used to tight and short deadlines for media interviews, PR campaign launches, and events is just a part of the business. If someone can't deal with that, it is best to be self-aware, understand this, and perhaps pivot to another industry" - Samantha Savory, CEO and Founder of Savory-PR.

2. Securing media coverage

Getting that mention was chosen as a significant stress factor by 57% of the respondents. This comes as no surprise, given the competitive nature of media attention and the constantly new ways PRs need to come up with to break through all the noise. Additionally, if you’re working with clients or stakeholders who don’t understand how public relations work, and expect to get the best of the best on a tiny budget, this can take an additional toll on your mental health.

→ Solution: To address this, try something called cognitive restructuring. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. Sit down and identify all the challenging negative thoughts, and replace them with positive, realistic ones. Allow yourself to give up the “black and white” thinking scheme, and instead of telling yourself things like “If I don’t get that coverage, I’ve failed”, reframe it to “This is just one opportunity, and there’s many more out there”. Such a shift in your mindset can help you reduce stress and improve your approach to securing media coverage.

"On many occasions throughout my career, I have worked nearly 24/7 for days at a time and managed communication in extremely sensitive situations, including individual safety, loss of life, and substantial operational disruptions. Early in my career, these incidents would burn me out mentally and emotionally, impacting my personal relationships and overall mental health. 

Over time, I developed skills to help manage stress and maintain more emotional distance from work. The first step (as with many things in life) was just acknowledging that it was affecting me—that I wasn't emotionally invincible. 

I picked up hobbies that took me away from my email (kayaking, for example), adopted a dog, started regular and consistent talk therapy, and began meditating daily. Not one of these things was a magic bullet fix, but combined with other self-care practices, they collectively created "safe spaces" for me to decompress" - Jessica Whidt, Managing Director at Warner Communications.

3. Reporting and proving work value

Demonstrating the value of PR activities was identified as a major source of stress by 45% of respondents. To put this in perspective, half of those who work in PR claim proving their value is a stress factor, which is a huge red flag for the industry in general. This highlights the need for clear metrics and effective communication about the PR ROI and is impact on business goals.

→ Solution: To tackle this, focus on open communication and educating your clients and stakeholders on media relations. How it works, what it is, and what it’s not before you start a project. Then, together, you can shift to more meaningful KPIs that align PR activities with the desire outcomes. It will help you reduce the pressure to meet metrics that don’t reflect any value and barely make sense. 

"Personally, I've experienced burnout and stress that have led me to not be fully present in my personal life. Having someone in your life you can turn to and talk to is helpful, but zooming out and identifying areas to streamline your workflows so that you don't always feel the need to keep it all in your head is a saving grace. 

I recently implemented a slew of improved systems and processes for documenting, tracking, and reporting on all of our PR firm's efforts, and it's done wonders for my mental health and stress levels" - Mike Mejer, Founder and CEO at Green Lane Communication.

4. Coming up with creative campaigns

There’s not one person in the world that runs on creativity juices 24/7. Nearly 35% of survey respondents said coming up with innovative ideas for campaigns was a factor contributing to work-related stress. Time pressure can stifle inspiration, and having to be creative on demand puts a lot of pressure on PR professionals. Combine that with all the other tasks you need to do, and you’ve got yourself a stress bomb in the making.

→ Solution: Encourage collaborative creativity by setting up team brainstorming sessions to make it all a shared effort. This approach reduces the burden of doing things individually, with no outside help. What’s more, it not only sparks ideas but also helps ease the stress of having to come up with creative solutions all on your own. 

5. Contacting journalists

Make no mistake, this isn’t even about being an extrovert or having more stress tolerance than others. 27.2% of respondents said that reaching out to journalists is a significant stressor in the PR industry, especially when faced with tight deadlines and the ongoing pressure to secure media coverage. The fact that journalists’ responses are often unpredictable, critical, or dismissive doesn’t help either.

→ Solution: To better deal with this, it’s important to recognize that negative responses or rejections are never direct reflections of your value or competence. Basically, it’s not you – it’s them. Try shifting your mindset and viewing those interactions as opportunities to better understand journalists’ needs, their wants, and what expectations they have. It’s a mindset shift, but with a bit more thought, you can practice self-compassion this way and making sure you’re setting up realistic expectations for yourself.

6. Managing social media channels

Working in PR means becoming the Jack (or Jill!) of all trades. Since public relations has been meshing with marketing even more, there’s an additional stressor put on us to manage social media and 25.1% of respondents say it adds to their daily stress load. The constant monitoring and quick responses create a persistent sense of urgency, especially since social media never sleeps. The scrutiny, negative feedback, cancel culture, and everything else – it’s a lot to take on. Let’s not even talk about ever-changing algorithms.

→ Solution: Hands down, automation. Use tools that will help you schedule posts, manage social media, and alert you when there’s a critical mention you need to take care of. This will greatly reduce the need for constant monitoring, and help you effectively delegate tasks, making it easier to share the workload.

What needs to change in the PR industry?

• More time or increasing teams: working overtime and doing the job of 5 people can take a toll on just about anyone. Nearly half of all the respondents said employing more specialists, and more budgets for freelancers would make their job less stressful.
• Open communication and media education: there’s nothing worse than working with people who have no idea how public relations work and expect the same outcomes as you would get with paid advertisements. 43.3% of people said this is a core factor for making a change in the PR work environment.

"All PR roles are difficult—at least all the jobs I've had have been. But, when I've worked with peers, colleagues, managers, or stakeholders where there's mutual respect and trust, I've had a great experience. Without mutual respect and trust, it has been terribly destructive to my mental and physical health" - Tricia Payer, Sr. Director of Executive Communications for Microsoft.

• Setting realistic KPIs: there’s the ever-dreaded AVE, but sometimes, there’s nothing else to use. The nature of public relations makes it difficult to assess what goals are realistic, and which ones aren’t. Well, over 34% of survey respondents think so as well.
• A budget for tools: let’s face it, Excel can only take us so far. If clients and stakeholders want promising results, they need to spend money on PR tools that will help us automate what can be automated, and focus on creativity (as opposed to repetitive tasks).

"I have successfully run my PR agency for over 10 years now. I have a system of tools and checklists to ensure I am effectively and proactively managing my mental health and disorders in the best possible way. Minimizing unnecessary stress as a business owner and a publicist is key" - Samantha Savory, CEO and Founder of Savory-PR.

• More industry communities: nearly every fifth respondent said that more PR communities would help them alleviate some stress. Asking questions, getting answers, not being judged, and helping one another.
• Other responses worth mentioning include:
  • Encouraging media outlets to respond to pitches quicker
  • Outsourcing tasks such as bookkeeping or accounting
  • Valuing the expertise of PR professionals more
  • Making sure leadership is trained to support PR activities
  • Improving the compensation model to better reflect the value and efforts

What’s next?

The results of our survey highlight the intense pressures that PR professionals face on a daily basis. From securing media coverage to proving the value of their work, stress is present in all aspects of their work. 

What we need to do, collectively as an industry is keep on advocating for better solutions to ensure our well-being is taken care of. One thing is clear for sure – public relations must absolutely prioritize the mental health of the people who work in it so that we can have a more balanced and fulfilling career in PR.

The post What Stress Looks Like When You Work in PR (and How to Manage It) appeared first on Prowly.

This growth may make you consider testing the waters in a new PR market. Since US and UK businesses share a common language, a switch or expansion from one of these countries to the other feels like a natural fit. 

While there are similarities that will make the transition easy, you also need to be aware of some big differences. 

Just like New York public relations jobs can look different from Silicon Valley public relations jobs, PR looks even more different when you broaden your perspective globally and tackle London public relations. There can be huge surprises for PR professionals looking to leap from one country to another.  

Fortunately, if you plan and prepare for these differences in advance, you’ll enter your new market primed for success.

Similarities

You Need a Strong Story 🗞

Some PR fundamentals can never be skipped. This is especially true of brand stories. There is no side-stepping the most basic fact: your client needs to be newsworthy, whether it’s a new product, service, or company story. 

You’ll want to vet and select clients with story angles you’re proud to pitch. Ideally, they have multiple angles for you to work with. Even a seasoned PR pro cannot sell a story that won’t earn reader interest. 

Media Relationships are Key

In both the US and the UK, PR professionals are valued most by the strength of their media network. The most sought-after professionals usually have years in the business and have developed the ability to pitch the right story at the right moment to the right person. When launching a PR campaign, they’re more likely to have their emails opened, and they know how to craft PR pitches that appeal specifically to the editors they work closely with. 

Some of the very best PR professionals can pick up the phone and land placements immediately. At a minimum, they use PR automation software like Prowly to access media databases with hundreds of thousands of searchable contacts that can be categorized and pitched to based on their specific beats.

Editorial Calendars Matter 📆

Public relations professionals are some of the best planners in business, and whether you’re working in New York public relations or London public relations, you want to get editorial calendars for your targeted publications. 

Following editorial calendars ensures you provide relevant topic pitches at the right time. You can even use them as a guideline for brainstorming different story angles for your clients.

PR Professionals Are More Than a Mouthpiece

In parts of the world outside of the US and Western Europe, media relations and press events are the primary function of public relations jobs.  PR professionals are handed company messaging that they pass down to the media. 

It’s different in the US and UK, where the PR role is more closely-integrated into a company’s overall marketing strategy. This means that PR professionals are actively engaged in creating brand strategy and company messaging. PR pros don’t just act as a mouthpiece for the company; they are responsible for crafting the story too.

In fact, in the US and the UK, PR roles are still expanding as the media landscape grows. PR professionals in these countries should not be surprised when their roles include social media management, data analytics research, and crisis communications planning.

Differences

Topic Interest 

UK public relations efforts focus primarily on industry topics and take a global angle. UK PRs might be surprised to learn that US public relations is strongly US-based instead. 

On top of that, US public relations offers another angle that’s not as popular in the UK: focusing solely on one company’s news. This is a good thing!  It means there are lots of business publications willing to write about an individual CEO’s insights on leadership, industry trends, and market positioning. Stories about a company’s business growth and specific strategy are particularly popular.

This is also true of standalone product coverage. Where UK publications usually focus on product round-ups, US publications are open to an entire story on the features and benefits of just product or service (if the story is compelling, of course!).

Customer success stories also have more appeal in the US, so PRs there may focus on telling the story from a customer perspective. These stories focus on a customer’s challenge or pain point, then explains how their client introduced the solution.

The Role of PR Professionals

We discussed how both US and UK public relations jobs are broader than in other parts of the world. However, the US role is even bigger. At the top of the profession, PR professionals have been elevated to an executive role in companies. They are expected to advise and works directly with the C-suite to build and protect the company’s public image. 

In addition, US PR pros play a key role in developing and executing the communications strategies for the investor community and industry analysts. This is a significant responsibility tied to business recognition and investment funding. 

Next, add in the job of leading strategy for company awards and executive speaking opportunities, plus potentially leading employee communications. 

Finally, US PR agencies often work with outside research firms to develop studies that provide trending industry data to journalists that make click-worthy headlines.

Important to note: if you plan to leave a New York public relations job to take a public relations role in London (or vice versa), you’ll want to research the current average public relations salary in the UK and US. These could vary by more than you’d expect, due to this difference in PR role responsibilities.

Competition for Media Coverage 

This one shouldn’t come as much of a shock, as the US population is almost 5x larger than the UK population. 

This population difference means that the number of US media outlets is much larger. As a result, PR professionals need to manage a vast array of publications, websites, podcasts, and influencer channels. (BTW, a PR automation software like Prowly can definitely help you with this). 

While there are a lot more media opportunities, there’s also more competition for media coverage in the US  Research firm, IBISWorld reports that there are 54,581 PR firms in the US as of 2022. This number has grown 4.8% per year on average over the five years between 2017 - 2022. That’s a lot of PR pros pitching alongside you.

On the bright side, there are many more niche publications. So, PR campaigns can focus on different angles for different media channels, like general business, industry-specific, consumer-facing, and investment publications. This means that writing press releases in multiple ways can result in several different media placements.

US PR Costs are Higher 💸

Since public relations professionals cover more territory (both in job responsibility and media landscape), PR is generally much more expensive in the US, whether through monthly agency retainer costs or salaries for PR executives. 

To give you a basic idea, a PR professional at the top executive level in the US could be looking at a $200,000-$300,000 a year salary. Monthly agency retainers usually start at $10,000 per month.

💡 Tip: To get to know the top magazines to pitch in the US market, explore this article.

Faster Timelines

US editors are asked to do a lot nowadays. As the media industry has become more competitive, and ad costs have shifted from print to digital, editorial teams have been reduced and current editors have to cover more topics at a faster timeline. These editors are expected to be very nimble in their work.

This means that PRs need to make an editor’s job as easy as possible by delivering as much content as they can in an easy-to-use format. A great example of this is the growth of the online press room, where an editor can find and download press releases, photos, and spokespeople quotes all from one place. 

In regard to US public relations, the pitch just isn’t enough. It needs to include statistics and data when available, along with hi-resolution images and videos.

How to do pitch effectively in the US?

Lately, we prepared a series of articles called Email Pitch Academy where you can learn to improve sender reputation and email deliverability and more. For more pitching tips for the US, check out Gini Dietrich's article - she's a US-based PR professional and the CEO of a wide-known Spin Sucks PR company with over 20 years of experience.

Making the Leap

Yes, there are some big differences between US and UK public relations, but there are some basic similarities that will make the transition easy for you. 

Armed with the differences, you’ll be able to make a solid plan for adjusting to your new PR role on the other side. You won’t be thrown by surprises, and you’ll get to focus on the fun that comes along with launching a new adventure in a new land.

You know that all of us at Prowly are here to assist you with the changes you’ll face in media database creation and pitching. We have your back – just let us know what you need!

The post The Similarities and Differences Between US and UK PR appeared first on Prowly.