Public Relations

Service description

Public relations earns media coverage and manages how a business is described in public. A provider typically sets the story and key messages, writes press releases and pitches, builds relationships with journalists and outlets, handles announcements and inquiries, and prepares the business for sensitive moments. Coverage is earned, not bought, so no provider can guarantee it.

Common industries

Applies to any business with news to share or a reputation to protect.

ROI

Third-party coverage builds trust in a way ads can't; announcement- and news-driven.

Benefit

Earn media coverage and manage communications — announcements, press, and reputation — to build credibility and reach.

Why get it

Coverage by an independent outlet carries a credibility that advertising does not. Steady press relationships also mean the business has trusted channels ready when something goes wrong.

When you benefit

Ongoing, with peaks around announcements such as launches, funding rounds and leadership changes.

What it costs

Typically a monthly retainer.

When you pay

Most firms bill a monthly retainer for an agreed scope of work, often with a minimum commitment of several months. Some quote a project fee for a single announcement. Media-related costs are generally billed separately at cost.

Other costs

Press-release distribution services, media monitoring tools, event or travel costs, media training, and paid placements if the business chooses to add them.

Risks to know

Coverage can't be guaranteed, so a business that expects a set number of articles may be disappointed. A statement that is inaccurate, or that leaves out a paid relationship with a reviewer or influencer, damages credibility, and a poorly handled response to a crisis can magnify a problem rather than contain it.

When risks arise

Results typically take a few months to appear as relationships and story angles develop. Accuracy and disclosure problems surface right after publication, often within hours, and are hard to retract.

The process

The provider learns the business and its goals, settles key messages and a media list, then drafts releases and pitches for the business to approve. It follows up with journalists, arranges interviews, tracks the resulting coverage and reports on it, adjusting the approach as stories develop.

Your commitment

The business gives the provider access to spokespeople and decision-makers, accurate facts about the news, and fast approval of statements. It says which topics are off-limits, and discloses any paid or free arrangements with people who will be quoted or asked to review.

Documents to gather

• Company background, boilerplate and recent news
• Names, titles and short bios of possible spokespeople
• Past press coverage and press releases
• A list of customers, partners or experts willing to be quoted

Helpful reading

• Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews — Federal Trade Commission
• FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking — Federal Trade Commission