What is a PR campaign?

(Including
definitions and tips)

What is a simple definition of public relations?

Key Takeaways. Public relations (PR) refers to managing how others see and feel
about a person, brand, or company. PR for corporations, notably publicly traded
companies, focuses on maintaining a positive corporate image while handling media
requests and shareholder inquiries.

What do public relations do?

Public relations specialists create and maintain a positive public image for the
individuals, groups, or organizations they represent. They craft media releases and
develop social media programs to shape public perception of their clients and to
increase awareness of each client's work and goals.
What is the modern definition of PR?
A starting point for defining modern public relations is the definition of PR itself:
Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial
relationships between organizations and their publics.

How do you define PR?

PR is short for "public relations" and refers to the strategic communication from an
organization to the public to maintain or cultivate public image and/or respond to
public discourse.

What is the scope of the public relations?

Public Relations is responsible for managing communication between your

organization and the general public, with the objective of building, managing, and
maintaining your business's positive image.

What is a PR scope?

The PR scope of work template is the area of a contract where the public relations to
be carried out by you is described. The scope of work template contains any
deliverables, reports, milestones, and end products that the clients should be
expecting to be provided by you.
What is the scope for public relations?
Public Relations is responsible for managing communication between your
organization and the general public, with the objective of building, managing, and
maintaining your business’s positive image. They work towards the management of
internal and external communications to enable the smooth functioning of the
organization, along with the analysis and understanding of the opinion of your target
audience about your organization.

The PR professionals you work with will ensure that the public sees your company in
a positive way. Press releases, speech writing, and advertising are some of the tools
used to achieve the same. Among these tasks, their primary job is to gain you
earned and paid media coverage. With the kind of competitive market that we face
today, PR is a powerful way to break away from the clutter and help position your
brand strongly.

This write-up will guide you through the ways a Public Relations agency help you
build your brand image by gaining media coverage through various means.

Media Partnership

PR agency helps your organization in getting media partnerships to support the

events or conferences you conduct in your industry, resulting in mutually beneficial
publicity. The partnership will gain you access to the general public through a range
of pre-event and on-site branding activities, increasing an extended reach for your
organization.

The PR agency will research and jot down a list of media outlets that are most likely
to deliver your message most effectively and help to plan your approach carefully. Of
which, they come up with a media outlet that will best fit to earn the desired outcome
for your event.

Some of the opportunities offered by Media partnering are:

 Organic exposure to the general public

 Exchange of content
 Promotion of your organization on the website of the media partner
 Reach among their target group
For instance, if you partner with a newspaper publication to cover your CSR activity,
then you will have one of their newspaper pages occupied with the details of your
event. It helps you gain better reach among the general public, earning you more
visibility to your business.

Role Of PR Agencies In Media Partnership

 Public Relations professionals carefully devise a list of things that your

organization could offer to the media partner and what you want in return from
them.
 They prepare content materials such as surveys, pictures, and videos, and
arrange an interview with a leader of your organization to promote your event.
 Preparing articles or interviews to publish on the website of your media partner.

Example of media partnership

An excellent example of a media partnership is the relationship established

between an Indian newspaper and a leading European business school by the
school’s PR agency. The business school aimed to attract more executive education
business from India, and hence its PR agency provided a monthly management
column written about the school’s academics. It helped to raise the school’s profile in
India while the newspaper gained many new readers and more considerable
publicity because of the PR experts it had writing for it. Thus, it mutually benefitted
both the parties involved in the partnership.

Event Sponsorship
Sponsoring an event refers to supporting an event by providing funds in exchange
for something that is valuable for your organization. Often, the so-called ‘something
valuable’ is received in the form of increased brand exposure, speaking opportunities
at the event or access to data of people attending the event.

Several organizations sponsor events in the hope of moving their own businesses
forward, along with their interest in patronizing an event for the good cause of the
community. Sponsoring any random event would not help you to reach your potential
audience. When you sponsor an internal event within a company, it rarely provides
enough value to your organization and serves no purpose. This is where PR
agencies come in. If you have the right PR agency on board, they will shortlist the
events you should sponsor in order to gain exposure to your own brand among the
general public.

Opportunities offered by Event sponsorship are:

 Increased brand awareness among the attendees of the event

 Visibility among the general public
 Chance to directly interact with your potential or existing customers
Nowadays, several companies are shifting their resources to sponsor local events.
These events allow the brands to be in touch with their target market, which in turn
might aid in driving direct sales. These local events attract smaller crowds but since
they are exactly the target the brand is looking for, these event sponsorships tend to
be quite effective.

Role Of PR Agencies In Event Sponsorship

 Your PR agency will research and shortlist the events that you should sponsor for
favorable publicity about your business among your audience.
 They help your business to communicate effectively with the event organizers.
 They devise strategies to build the image and reputation of your
business and its products or services in the event.

Example of event sponsorship

Coca-Cola is well known for its sponsorship of the Olympic Games, which the brand
has been supporting through various means since 1928. Its latest success story
dates back to the Rio Olympic Games of 2016 with its #thatsgold campaign.

As part of this campaign, Coca-Cola came up with two TV commercials, which

included archive footage from past games as well as current top athletes. With this
idea, it broadened the reach of the Olympics as well as promoted its brand. Also, this
program brought together selective global bloggers and social media influencers
around the world who partnered with the brand to bring more people under the
#thatsgold campaign, helping it reach more audience.

This partnership between the event and Coca-Cola means that the brand has taken
efforts to perfect the leveraging of the event for the benefit of both parties.

Seeking Media Opportunities

Media relations is a valuable service offered by PR agencies, with which your

company or brand engages and interacts with the media. This is the main reason
why PR firms are often sought-after. They have the contact or access to the press,
aiding to take your brand’s core message and turn it into compelling stories that
create a buzz among the media to cover. The outcome of your PR agency’s
relatios. Industry awards, recogninship with the media often results in a feature in
a magazine or a TV interview on a well-known news channel.

Building and maintaining media relations is a time-consuming process that requires

diligence, creativity, and an understanding of how the media functions. It can’t be
achieved overnight and requires an ample amount of time and effort. To summarize,
it is an investment that pays dividends. Your PR agency takes care of all these
activities and makes use of its media relationships to create awareness and
engagement for your brand.
Content marketing is an essential role of the PR agency because of the opportunities
that owned content possesses. With content marketing, your PR agency takes your
brand message and translates it into valuable pieces of content that lives on your
own websites, blogs, etc.

Forms of content that creates brand visibility:

 Press releases
 Articles in magazines
 White papers
Press Releases and articles in magazines are crafted to showcase the news that you
want to share with the public in a well-structured way. White papers show the
efficacy of your brand and help to build trust.

These forms of content help in promoting your product or service, attracting

consumers, and driving leads for your business. In short, your PR agency’s
relationship with the media will seek new opportunities that drive authority and
credibility for your organization.

Helping To Win Award Recognitions For Your Brand

Winning an industry award can work wonders for your organization when
appropriately leveraged. It is one of the practical means to gain credibility for
products or services offered by your business. Industry awards, recognition from a
higher authority in your industry, or related small-business organizations can
increase the visibility for your brand, improving your business’ reputation.

But locating appropriate opportunities and awards demands a lot of time, effort, and
consideration. Thus, businesses often abandon the process before it even begins.
This is where PR agencies play a significant role. They assist your business to take
part in surveys and rankings from which you have chances to earn awards for the
products and services offered by your company.

Winning awards places your organization alongside other remarkable brands. It

earns profitable networking opportunities and may even allow your customers to
choose you rather than your competitor. Also, your PR agency promotes your brand
after you receive the award through several ways. They write and publish press
releases about the award you received in your industry, promoting your organization
among the general public.

Credibility

An organisation may spend crores on advertising and feel that this brings on brand
awareness and builds brand image. There is no doubt that advertising campaigns
generate a great deal of attention amongst consumers but where they lack is
credibility. Everyone knows that advertisements are released by the brands and
therefore they are bound to only reveal the positive side of the brand. On the other
hand, when something about a brand is reported by the media which is a third party,
the credibility factor comes in. This is one of the key reasons that every ad campaign
must be complemented by a PR campaign as well.

Monitoring Media

One of the services offered by a PR agency is monitoring the media. The agency
acts like the eyes and ears of your organisation and constantly scans thCrisis
Communicatione media for news of your organisation. It also keeps tabs on your
industry, competitors and the key happenings. This helps you make informed
decisions to promote your business and also helps you prevent any kind of negative
news into blowing up in a big way.

Crisis Communication
What are PR campaigns?
What is a PR campaign? A public relations campaign is a series of planned activities
executed over a specific time to positively impact a brand's reputation. Public
relations is a strategic communications function, and campaigns are the individual
pillars that execute a long-term public relations strategy

What are the 4 methods of PR?

There are four models of public relations.

These four PR models — the press agentry, public information, two-way

asymmetrical, and two-way symmetrical — are essential building blocks for crafting
comprehensive communication strategies that cater to an organization's diverse
needs.

What is PR and its types?

Public relations (PR) is a broad field that involves creating, managing and distributing
information about an organization to the wider public. PR specialists can use
different types of public relations to increase brand awareness and develop a
positive brand reputation for a company.18 Jul 2023
Indeed Editorial Team

Updated 7 September 2023

Public relations or PR campaigns are an effective tool that

businesses use as part of their marketing strategy. When used in a
targeted manner, a public relations campaign can boost brand
awareness and motivate individuals to buy or invest. Understanding
these campaigns and how businesses use them is key to
successfully attracting a large audience. In this article, we explain
what a PR campaign is, why they're important and offer 10 tips to
help you conduct one successfully.Related: How to get into PR
(with helpful steps and useful tips)
Related jobs on Indeed
Part-time jobs
Full-time jobs
Remote jobs
Urgently needed jobs
View more jobs on Indeed

What is a PR campaign?
A PR campaign is an organised course of activities aimed at
distributing information and positively promoting the image of a
business or organisation. These campaigns have clear objectives
such as increasing awareness of a product, service or brand.
Marketers run them over a fixed timeframe and monitor their
effectiveness before consulting marketing teams on the next step.
There are several types of public relations campaigns, including:

Community relations

This type of campaign focuses on building a positive relationship

between a company and the local community. PR strategists use
various methods to engage the community, including sponsoring
local events and activities or convening meetings where
representatives can explain the company's agenda and field
questions. This type of PR can be labour and resource-intensive, but
positive results are long-lasting and can establish a positive
reputation of a company.

Media relations

Media relations is an area of PR that's specifically focused on

building relationships within the media so that PR professionals can
disseminate favourable information via this channel. Organisations
seek access to the media to promote themselves, which a media
campaign can assist with. Media relations PR specialists work with
journalists, influencers and bloggers to secure media coverage for
their clients.Related: PR accountant manager resume keywords
(and how to use them)

Public affairs

This type of PR allows businesses to make their views known to

political organisations and departments. Public affairs PR also
gauges the influence of public opinion on key political issues for
business use. The lobbying activities of public affairs PR
professionals can involve media campaigns, the authoring of white
papers and policy submissions.

Strategic communications

Strategic communications focus on coordinating the spread of a

single strong message across multiple channels and audiences.
This type of outreach takes advantage of varied communication
methods, including guest blogs, press releases or social media
campaigns to raise the profile of a business and generate leads or
sales. Strategic communications are most successful when the
campaign's aim and the message propagated are very clear.

Crisis communications

Crisis communications or crisis management is a form of PR used to

address crisis events for companies or negative news that involves
them. This niche specialism involves a robust communications
strategy that includes nominating a spokesperson, releasing
targeted statements and priming sympathetic media outlets with
responses. Preparation of detailed crisis communications plans is a
major aspect of this field.Related: What is public relations? (Plus
PR strategies and tips)

Why are public relations campaigns

important?
A well-constructed public relations campaign can have a
transformative effect on the profile of a business. These strategies
can alter a brand's image and position, promote new products and
services or change public perception. Here are the key benefits of a
public relations campaign:

PR can increase brand awareness

Public relations officers work to generate interest in a brand

amongst the general population. Their campaigns may not have a
specific commercial goal, but they aim to increase awareness and
brand recognition. This is important groundwork for establishing
and engaging an audience who may become potential customers of
the brand.Related: What are brand awareness metrics? (With
examples and tips)

PR can drive lead generation

Campaigns that promote the products and services of businesses

and other organisations can generate inbound enquiries and sales
leads. This is because the campaign boosts interest and informs
potential customers, who can then contact the company to learn
more. PR outreach can take place via media, online or offline
channels.Related: What is lead generation in business? A beginners
guide

Companies can use PR to attract investment

Good PR lifts the profile of companies and gains them a level of

exposure that may attract the attention of investors. Many
companies actively use PR to generate a positive image and inform
the public of why they're a good investment. Press releases and
media engagements can lead to a rise in a company's share price,
as people seek to buy shares based on a promising announcement
from the board.Related: What is investment? Definition, types and
how it works

Effective PR may reduce overall marketing spend

PR can deliver an excellent return on investment because the

messages, press releases and media stories that PR professionals
have shared spread far and wide. The longevity and pervasiveness
of PR content mean that businesses can leverage their PR for other
aspects of their marketing strategy like social media or email
marketing. Existing PR work often amplifies the effects of other
sales and marketing activities.Related: Marketing vs. PR: key
differences and 10 career options

8 tips for launching and running a successful

PR campaign
A successful public relations campaign requires consideration of a
variety of factors. These include the type of PR, the channels used,
the target audience and the campaign's central message.
Meticulous planning of your campaign ensures effective execution.
Here are some tips for running a successful campaign:

1. Create clear goals

For your campaign to be effective, it requires an obvious goal that

you and your team can focus on achieving. Examples of campaign
objectives include:

 reaching a new audience

 ensuring a business becomes known for a particular product
or service
 increasing sales of a particular product
 improving the image of a company with the general public
 counteracting negative press about a company
Once you've established the purpose of launching the campaign,
you're ready to develop its specifics. This can include any
benchmarking or targets that you want to create in line with the
goal to measure the campaign's effectiveness.Related: How to
Develop SMART Goals (With Examples)

2. Identify your target audience

Determine who you want to receive your message by developing an

audience profile. Knowing your target demographic helps you
establish the best platform for your campaign. For example, printed
media may be best for an older audience, while younger people
engage more with social media.Related: What is a target audience?
(And how to identify one)

3. Choose the most effective platform for your objectives

PR professionals generate interest using press releases, newspaper

articles, radio and TV broadcasts or blogs. A significant part of the
expertise of a PR manager is selecting the best platform for
delivering the message. Once they select the platform, PR teams
can leverage their network of media, publishing and blogging
contacts to share the campaign.

4. Author a press release

A press release is a piece of formal, structured communication used

to inform corporate news on a specific event or issue. Journalists
use the information you supply in a press release to create stories.
Be mindful of your word choices and aim to use language that
entices people to want to read your press release.

5. Build relationships with media professionals

Establishing relationships with journalists and other media

professionals helps progress your public relations campaigns.
Consider contacting journalists with interests that apply to your
campaigns using the social media platforms where they often
publish their work. Doing this helps you connect with the media and
may introduce you to someone willing to write about your
organisation both now and again in the future.Related: What are
public relations skills? A complete guide
6. Improve your website with backlinks

PR can add momentum to your company's SEO and linking

strategies, as it generates inbound interest in your company's
website. Contact journalists or other organisations who show an
interest in your company to add a link to your company website in
relevant content. Good quality backlinks from authoritative sources
like newspapers and other leading publications improve your
website's domain authority, helping you rank higher in search
engine results.Related: How to use text anchors to improve SEO
and user experience

7. Generate social media shares

You can ask or encourage bloggers, influencers, journalists and

your company's own social media following to share stories on their
social media accounts. Sharing stories on social media platforms
generates signals that benefit your company's SEO. Social media
shares also introduce your company and campaign to a wider
audience.

8. Start an email list

You can harness a successful campaign that produces increased

website traffic by starting an email subscription list to stay in touch
with people who want to hear more from your company. Use email
marketing to keep your audience updated on aspects of your
campaign and what's new with your company. You can also create
newsletters, events and offers that target this growing audience.

What is a PR campaign? (Including

definitions and tips)
Indeed Editorial Team

Updated 7 September 2023

Public relations or PR campaigns are an effective tool that
businesses use as part of their marketing strategy. When used in a
targeted manner, a public relations campaign can boost brand
awareness and motivate individuals to buy or invest. Understanding
these campaigns and how businesses use them is key to
successfully attracting a large audience. In this article, we explain
what a PR campaign is, why they're important and offer 10 tips to
help you conduct one successfully.Related: How to get into PR
(with helpful steps and useful tips)
Related jobs on Indeed
Part-time jobs
Full-time jobs
Remote jobs
Urgently needed jobs
View more jobs on Indeed

What is a PR campaign?
A PR campaign is an organised course of activities aimed at
distributing information and positively promoting the image of a
business or organisation. These campaigns have clear objectives
such as increasing awareness of a product, service or brand.
Marketers run them over a fixed timeframe and monitor their
effectiveness before consulting marketing teams on the next step.
There are several types of public relations campaigns, including:

Community relations

This type of campaign focuses on building a positive relationship

between a company and the local community. PR strategists use
various methods to engage the community, including sponsoring
local events and activities or convening meetings where
representatives can explain the company's agenda and field
questions. This type of PR can be labour and resource-intensive, but
positive results are long-lasting and can establish a positive
reputation of a company.

Media relations
Media relations is an area of PR that's specifically focused on
building relationships within the media so that PR professionals can
disseminate favourable information via this channel. Organisations
seek access to the media to promote themselves, which a media
campaign can assist with. Media relations PR specialists work with
journalists, influencers and bloggers to secure media coverage for
their clients.Related: PR accountant manager resume keywords
(and how to use them)

Public affairs

This type of PR allows businesses to make their views known to

political organisations and departments. Public affairs PR also
gauges the influence of public opinion on key political issues for
business use. The lobbying activities of public affairs PR
professionals can involve media campaigns, the authoring of white
papers and policy submissions.

Strategic communications

Strategic communications focus on coordinating the spread of a

single strong message across multiple channels and audiences.
This type of outreach takes advantage of varied communication
methods, including guest blogs, press releases or social media
campaigns to raise the profile of a business and generate leads or
sales. Strategic communications are most successful when the
campaign's aim and the message propagated are very clear.

Crisis communications

Crisis communications or crisis management is a form of PR used to

address crisis events for companies or negative news that involves
them. This niche specialism involves a robust communications
strategy that includes nominating a spokesperson, releasing
targeted statements and priming sympathetic media outlets with
responses. Preparation of detailed crisis communications plans is a
major aspect of this field.Related: What is public relations? (Plus
PR strategies and tips)
Why are public relations campaigns
important?
A well-constructed public relations campaign can have a
transformative effect on the profile of a business. These strategies
can alter a brand's image and position, promote new products and
services or change public perception. Here are the key benefits of a
public relations campaign:

PR can increase brand awareness

Public relations officers work to generate interest in a brand

amongst the general population. Their campaigns may not have a
specific commercial goal, but they aim to increase awareness and
brand recognition. This is important groundwork for establishing
and engaging an audience who may become potential customers of
the brand.Related: What are brand awareness metrics? (With
examples and tips)

PR can drive lead generation

Campaigns that promote the products and services of businesses

and other organisations can generate inbound enquiries and sales
leads. This is because the campaign boosts interest and informs
potential customers, who can then contact the company to learn
more. PR outreach can take place via media, online or offline
channels.Related: What is lead generation in business? A beginners
guide

Companies can use PR to attract investment

Good PR lifts the profile of companies and gains them a level of

exposure that may attract the attention of investors. Many
companies actively use PR to generate a positive image and inform
the public of why they're a good investment. Press releases and
media engagements can lead to a rise in a company's share price,
as people seek to buy shares based on a promising announcement
from the board.Related: What is investment? Definition, types and
how it works
Effective PR may reduce overall marketing spend

PR can deliver an excellent return on investment because the

messages, press releases and media stories that PR professionals
have shared spread far and wide. The longevity and pervasiveness
of PR content mean that businesses can leverage their PR for other
aspects of their marketing strategy like social media or email
marketing. Existing PR work often amplifies the effects of other
sales and marketing activities.Related: Marketing vs. PR: key
differences and 10 career options

8 tips for launching and running a successful

PR campaign
A successful public relations campaign requires consideration of a
variety of factors. These include the type of PR, the channels used,
the target audience and the campaign's central message.
Meticulous planning of your campaign ensures effective execution.
Here are some tips for running a successful campaign:

1. Create clear goals

For your campaign to be effective, it requires an obvious goal that

you and your team can focus on achieving. Examples of campaign
objectives include:

 reaching a new audience

 ensuring a business becomes known for a particular product
or service
 increasing sales of a particular product
 improving the image of a company with the general public
 counteracting negative press about a company
Once you've established the purpose of launching the campaign,
you're ready to develop its specifics. This can include any
benchmarking or targets that you want to create in line with the
goal to measure the campaign's effectiveness.Related: How to
Develop SMART Goals (With Examples)

2. Identify your target audience

Determine who you want to receive your message by developing an
audience profile. Knowing your target demographic helps you
establish the best platform for your campaign. For example, printed
media may be best for an older audience, while younger people
engage more with social media.Related: What is a target audience?
(And how to identify one)

3. Choose the most effective platform for your objectives

PR professionals generate interest using press releases, newspaper

articles, radio and TV broadcasts or blogs. A significant part of the
expertise of a PR manager is selecting the best platform for
delivering the message. Once they select the platform, PR teams
can leverage their network of media, publishing and blogging
contacts to share the campaign.

4. Author a press release

A press release is a piece of formal, structured communication used

to inform corporate news on a specific event or issue. Journalists
use the information you supply in a press release to create stories.
Be mindful of your word choices and aim to use language that
entices people to want to read your press release.

5. Build relationships with media professionals

Establishing relationships with journalists and other media

professionals helps progress your public relations campaigns.
Consider contacting journalists with interests that apply to your
campaigns using the social media platforms where they often
publish their work. Doing this helps you connect with the media and
may introduce you to someone willing to write about your
organisation both now and again in the future.Related: What are
public relations skills? A complete guide

6. Improve your website with backlinks

PR can add momentum to your company's SEO and linking

strategies, as it generates inbound interest in your company's
website. Contact journalists or other organisations who show an
interest in your company to add a link to your company website in
relevant content. Good quality backlinks from authoritative sources
like newspapers and other leading publications improve your
website's domain authority, helping you rank higher in search
engine results.Related: How to use text anchors to improve SEO
and user experience

7. Generate social media shares

You can ask or encourage bloggers, influencers, journalists and

your company's own social media following to share stories on their
social media accounts. Sharing stories on social media platforms
generates signals that benefit your company's SEO. Social media
shares also introduce your company and campaign to a wider
audience.

8. Start an email list

You can harness a successful campaign that produces increased

website traffic by starting an email subscription list to stay in touch
with people who want to hear more from your company. Use email
marketing to keep your audience updated on aspects of your
campaign and what's new with your company. You can also create
newsletters, events and offers that target this growing audience.

Getting your brand noticed and not just seen is arguably becoming harder.
The bar to entry for new brands is lowering, thanks to digital technology
and talent access across borders. Consumers are constantly bombarded
with advertising messages—as many as 10,000 ad impressions per day—
which leads to overstimulation and a reluctance to retain information. But a
strong PR campaign can be game-changing for brands that want to break
through the noise and be remembered.
Unlike traditional advertising or marketing , a PR campaign is designed simply to
get people talking. It’s a way to put your brand in the spotlight, drum up
some press, and make a lasting impression on your audience.

What exactly goes into a PR campaign? Let’s look at some specifics as

well as some of the best recent PR campaign examples from 2022.

Table of Contents:

What Is a PR Campaign?

Why Should Campaigns Be Part of Your PR Strategy?

How Does a PR Campaign Work?

Best PR Campaign Examples of 2022

Best PR Campaign Examples of 2023

What Is a PR Campaign?

Let’s start with a definition. A PR campaign is a series of planned activities

designed to give a company or brand publicity. Most PR campaigns have
specific business goals, such as driving website traffic, getting notice about
a new product, or drawing attention to a cause. Activities are carried out in
a specific time frame relevant to the overarching goal.

A successful PR campaign hinges on a strong communication strategy.

Create the right message for your intended audience. Choose the right
channels for your message. Know who else might be listening (e.g., your
competitors). With communication as your foundation, your brand can start
to make a positive connection with the public.

Tip: Want to learn how to create a PR campaign? This guideline will help

you . Also, consider taking a look at our free PR in the Age of Influence

Report .

Why Should Campaigns Be Part of Your PR

Strategy?
In a world driven by sales messaging and calls to action, your public relations
strategy can be a breath of fresh air for consumers. The brand isn’t asking
for anything in return from the public. Instead, a PR campaign gives the
audience a chance to learn more about the brand without marketing or
sales pressure.

Taking this pressure away allows consumers to lower their guards and be
more receptive to your company. A well-designed campaign breaks
through their internal “ad blockers.” Campaigns aren’t just about the
products or services you sell, but rather your brand identity.

As a result of a great PR campaign, brands can establish greater

credibility with their audiences and build stronger media relations. Brand
identities become stronger and more memorable. And in many cases, sales
naturally follow.
 Tip: Learn about the differences between marketing and PR .

How Does a PR Campaign Work?

We have already published another dedicated blog telling you how to create
a PR campaign, but in general, they work like this:

Every PR strategy begins with a goal. Maybe you want to call attention to a
new product or a rebrand. Or maybe you want to put your brand in a
positive light after receiving some negative publicity. Whatever your goal, start
your PR campaign with a goal and work backward to decide the best
approach for sharing your message.

Some PR campaigns are nothing more than a well-written press

release distributed on large media networks - for example via our press
distribution service. News media outlets, blogs, and other publishers may
pick up the press release and share it on their channels. You can share this
same press release on your channels, too, such as a website, blog, email
subscriber list, and social media.

Or, you might choose to launch a solely social PR strategy. Social media
PR targets your social audiences and relies on likes, shares, and
comments to help you spread the word. You can also pay for ads to
expand your PR campaign’s reach.

Other campaigns take publicity to new heights, though. For example, Red
Bull’s New Moon event showed wingsuit-clad stuntmen descending from the
sky with sparklers, creating the image that UFOs were landing on Earth. In
the UK, a nude art installation promoted Sky Arts and its milestone in
becoming a free-to-air television channel.

Whether a written press release or a live publicity stunt, a PR campaign’s

role remains the same: to intentionally attract attention from an audience to
promote a brand (and ideally receive some sort of response).

For help planning, executing, and measuring the impact of a PR campaign

while minimizing their time and cost investment, get in touch to learn more

about Meltwater's media database and PR reporting .

Best PR Campaign Examples of 2022

Ready to launch your own PR campaign? Glean some inspiration with some of
the best PR campaigns we’ve seen in 2021-2022.

1. Airbnb.org for Ukraine Campaign

For most of 2022, Ukraine has been plagued with war, unrest, and plenty of
uncertainty. Millions of people have lost their livelihoods. With the war’s end
nowhere in sight, many brands have stepped up to support refugees and
those who have stayed behind to support and defend the country.

One brand campaign that stands out is Airbnb.org. The short-term rental
company hit the ground running in partnering with international and
regional nonprofits and governments to secure housing for up to 100,000
refugees. The company has been coordinating efforts to offer shelter and
safety free of charge. More than 28,000 people have signed up through
Airbnb.org to offer temporary housing to others, while Airbnb founders have
committed to match donations up to $10 million.

In addition (and thanks in large to user-generated social media PR), people

around the world starting booking rooms at properties in the Ukraine as a
way to support hosts during the conflict. This movement started as a way to
send immediate assistance to those whose travel businesses had been
impacted.

2. Penguin Random House’s Unburnable Book

In response to schools banning and burning books, publisher Penguin
Random House launched an unburnable copy of Margaret Atwood’s
acclaimed dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. The book represents
one of many works that has notoriously been the target of book bans.
Wrapped in a black cinefoil jacket, the book features white heat shield foil
pages, nickel wire binding, stainless steel bands, and high-temperature
adhesives to protect the freedom of expression. The book was placed on
Sotheby’s auction, with proceeds promised to PEN America to continue
protecting free speech.

3. Iceland’s Out-Horse Your Email Campaign

With travel back on the menu for millions of tourists, Iceland is taking
advantage of people’s wanderlust and encouraging them to disconnect
from work. The Out-Horse Your Email campaign is a clear winner in tourism
PR. The country’s tourism board build a giant working keyboard – big
enough to hold a horse! – and taught the horses to walk on it. Tourists can
let the horses handle their inbox while they sit back and relax on their
Icelandic vacation. The idea is to show that nothing is more important than
taking time to disconnect and enjoy a well-deserved trip abroad.
4. IKEA’s Seed Ball Campaign

A fun PR and social media campaign, IKEA created a playful take on its
famous Swedish meatballs with its release of the IKEA Seed Ball – at least,
the instructions on how to make one.

The Seed Ball is a savory, nutritious treat for bugs created in partnership
with the World Wildlife Fund. Using simple ingredients like clay, dirt, and
wildflower seeds, IKEA fans can craft their own seed balls to nourish the
insect community.
5. LEGO's MRI PR Campaign

LEGO has always been focused on childhood development and fun, so it’s
no surprise their public relations strategy includes a little something for
younger audiences. The company recently donated 600 LEGO magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scanner building kits to help children overcome fears
of getting an MRI scan. Through play, role-playing, and interactive building,
LEGO and hospitals can help children to build confidence while learning
and having fun in an otherwise nerve-wracking environment.

6. Coinbase Super Bowl QR Code

It’s bold of a brand to promote themselves so subtly on such a huge
national stage like the Super Bowl. But the stunt paid off in spades for
crypto brand Coinbase. The company paid nearly $14 million to show a black
screen with a colored floating QR code. Curiosity seekers that scanned the
code were directed to a link to receive $15 worth of free Bitcoin.

The ad proved so popular that the resulting website traffic crashed the
company’s app. It racked up more than 20 million hits shortly after airing.

7. ITV’s Second-Hand Wardrobe Campaign

While many TV stars enjoy top-rated wardrobes from designer brands, ITV
decided to take a different approach with its newest season of Love Island.
The channel recently teamed up with eBay to announce that the show’s
contestants would be wearing second-hand items in an effort to promote
sustainable fashion.

With the fashion industry often coming under fire for their wasteful
practices, this PR campaign encourages the practice of buying used, even
when you’re a celebrity.

8. Dove #TheSelfieTalk Campaign

PR and social media go hand-in-hand , especially when it comes to gaining a

response from your audience. Getting your audience involved in a
communication campaign leads to user-generated content that can
naturally strengthen the impact of your campaign.

As a leader in body positivity for women, Dove stays true to its brand with
its latest social PR movement, #TheSelfieTalk. Aimed at young girls and
women, the campaign is a smaller piece of the larger #NoDigitalDistortion
movement that is working to improve body image.

The brand features two digital download kits as part of its campaign: one
for parents and one for teachers. Each kit includes ways to talk to kids and
teens about selfies and how to embrace individuality and body positivity.
 Are you interested in more Dove campaigns? Learn how Dove raises the bar

with its #ArmsUp campaign .

MELTWATER PR SOLUTIONS

Measure every aspect of your PR

Get started today!

9. Gymshark’s Mental Weight Campaign

A champion of physical and mental health, Gymshark brought awareness to

the often-secretive nature of mental illness in a communication campaign.
In a series of weightlifting photos the brand posted on social media, subtle
statements on the sides of free weights remind us all that the loads we
carry in our minds can often be as heavy as the weights we lift at the gym.

10. CPB London’s International Women’s Day

Campaign
Combatting gender pay gaps and promoting inclusivity have been common
trends among PR campaign examples. One creative agency sought
to expose gender biases that many people have but don’t always recognize
it with a recent poster campaign. The team researched common gender
biases according to how children perceive men and women in the world.
The company then turned those insights into colorful posters that were
displayed throughout London. By helping to uncover unconscious biases,
the company brought awareness to gender issues at a critical time –
International Women’s Day.

Tip: Learn how to hire a PR agency and how to hire a marketing

firm .

Best PR Campaign Examples of 2023

The best PR campaigns are those where creativity knows no bounds. Best
of all, any brand can benefit from a little PR, whether you’re executing a
local campaign or running a national promotion.

Let’s look at 10 brands that have nailed the art of PR in 2023.

1. Coca-Cola’s “Create Real Magic”

When the clock struck 2023, AI seemingly landed on everyone’s minds.

The likes of ChatGPT and AI art generator Dall-E shone a game-changing
light on content creation, inspiring one of the most recognizable brands
to leverage the publicity of these new tools.

The result was the “Create Real Magic” campaign, which encouraged
customers to create their own AI artwork for the brand. Using popular tools
like Dall-E, fans could add their own spin to how they envision the brand —
regardless of design skills.

Not only did Coca-Cola find a fun way to engage and connect with fans, but
it also amassed a large volume of user-generated content to share on
social media and use throughout its marketing.

2. Oatly’s “FckOatley” Website

Many brands tend to shy away from potentially bad publicity. But Oatly
decided that since bad publicity happened anyway, the brand should lean
into it and take control of the narrative.

In light of boycotts and online criticism, the brand created a website for
people to air their grievances and learn more about the why behind the
company’s decisions and the backlash (such as the Glebe Farm lawsuit).

This tongue-in-cheek approach allowed the brand to acknowledge the

public outrage but also control it, to a degree. The brand used the website
to share its side of the story and show it truly does listen to its customers.
The website carries multiple domains, none of which were promoted by the
brand but rather discovered organically by the customers.

3. French’s Mustard-Flavored Skittles

America’s favorite mustard brand isn’t quitting its day job any time soon,
but the past few PR campaigns indicate they have a serious sweet tooth
that mustard just can’t satisfy.
Take the latest PR stunt, for example. Earlier this summer, you might have
seen bright yellow Skittles appear along the famous red flag logo. It wasn’t
a trick — the brand really did collaborate with Skittles to create a mustard-
flavored treat.

Comments rolled in, spouting everything from, “This wasn’t on my 2023

Bingo card” to “Is this April Fool’s Day?” And it’s not the first time the brand
has successfully sweetened its PR. They’ve also collaborated on mustard
doughnuts and mustard ice cream!

4. Tito’s in a Can

PR campaigns aren’t always what they appear to be — and that's part of

what makes them so effective. That’s the story with Tito’s in a Can, which
as it turns out, isn’t exactly Tito’s in a Can.
Rather, it’s Tito’s in a Can. See the difference?

The website gives customers a clear breakdown of how it is — and isn’t —

what you think. Rather than bottling Tito’s famous vodka in cans, it created
a can-like koozie to keep your Tito’s cold. It’s an empty can until you add
your Tito’s, at which point it becomes Tito’s in a Can.
Lots to unpack there, but that’s enough to get people talking and enjoying
the brand in a whole new way.

5. Dove’s “Stand Up for #KidsOnlineSafety” Campaign

Dove is no stranger to social advocacy, body positivity, and helping people

feel good about themselves. Their recent hashtag campaign is no different,
this time focusing on kids and their growing use of online channels.

Partnering with Common Sense Media and Parents Together Action, the
campaign aims to draw attention to the Kids Online Safety Act, which is
legislation to help protect kids from online content that may be detrimental
to their mental health.
The campaign tracks with Dove’s previous commitments to caring for the
whole person, not just how they look and smell. It also demonstrates that
PR efforts can be powerfully effective with the right partnerships.

6. Casper’s “Get Paid to Sleep”

Studies show that more than half of Americans have napped on the job.
Your current boss might not approve, but if sleeping sounds like a dream
job (pun intended), mattress brand Casper has your back.
The company offered a cushy job to a lucky few people—sleep your normal
sleep for $25 per hour. The sleep participants also earned free Casper
products, plus they could wear their pajamas to work. Sounds like a
win/win.

7. Who Gives a Crap’s “Flush Your Ex”

Throwing a flaming bag of dog poo on your ex’s front step is so old-school.
Cheeky toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap found a better idea, and it’s
way less messy.
As part of a Valentine’s Day PR campaign, the company offered to “turn
your ex’s empty promises into something that’s actually useful.” Customers
could mail their old love letters to the company and have them turned into
100% recycled toilet paper.

Brilliant.

8. VisitLEX’s “Horse Kicks”

New York City is known for the Statue of Liberty, Philadelphia for its
cheesesteaks, and Boston for its beans. When people think of Lexington,
there’s no mistaking it for anything other than the capital of horse racing.
So when the city’s tourism department needed a campaign idea, it naturally
involved the city’s iconic history of horses.
The resulting campaign was a fake line of designer horseshoes, called
Horse Kicks. These specialty sneakers began as a stunt to promote the
city, but growing interest from the public turned it into a real collection of
shoes, a storefront, a website, and lots of eye candy.

The campaign racked up more than 3 billion earned media impressions,

millions of new social media followers, celebrity shout-outs, and even brand
collaborations and custom orders from NFL and NBA teams and others.

9. Walker’s “Heart-Shaped Crisps” Campaign

If you’ve ever thought your potato chip looked like a heart, a dog, or the
shape of Florida, you’re not alone. Most chips aren’t perfect circles, and
Walkers decided to call out that little detail just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The brand opted to give away £100K to anyone who found a heart-shaped
crisp in their bag of Walkers. Customers were encouraged to send in a
picture of their finds for a chance to win some cash. The PR stunt was a
huge hit, but it got even better when one unlucky customer missed his
chance at the cash since he ate his special chip before he could redeem it.

10. Vimto to Vimpto

English is hard, so it’s no surprise that there are several words that people
commonly mispronounce: acai, GIF, and cache, to name a few. Bbrand
names can be easily mispronounced too, but one company decided to roll
with it for a PR campaign.
Vimto, a popular brand of drinks in the Persian Gulf states, heard one too
many people pronouncing its name as “Vimpto,” which inspired a new
campaign. The company added a “P” to its logo along with a new
tagline: ‘Changing our name to Vimpto… seeing as you all pronounce it
that way.’

It was relatable, honest, and humorous, making for a successful campaign

— so much so that many Vimto drinkers thought the change was real! At
least it got people talking, which is the point of every good PR stunt.
 How will you create your next PR campaign? Meltwater can help you shine

when you need it most. Our PR strategy tools and expertise help you create

and manage your PR campaigns from end to end. Request a demo today

by filling out the form below.

What are the 4 stages of PR campaign?

The RPIE acronym stands for Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.
It serves as a structured framework for executing successful marketing and PR
campaigns. Each step addresses crucial aspects of the campaign, from
understanding the audience and objectives to executing tactics and evaluating
outcomes.

n effective PR campaign can increase brand awareness or sales for your

brand for years after the campaign's completion. And that's probably why
you're reading this blog, right? You want to execute a PR campaign that
captures the attention of your target audience.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a PR campaign with winning

results:

What is a PR Campaign?

What are Common PR Campaign Objectives?

 

How to Create a PR Campaign

Creating Public Relations Campaigns: Key Takeaways

What is a PR Campaign?

A PR campaign involves the production and release of strategically

planned content designed around any number of business goals. These
could include, but are not limited to: promoting a product release,
announcing a new executive hire or reorg, announcing a merger or
acquisition, damage control during or after a crisis, or creating buzz prior to
a big reveal.

What are Common PR Campaign Objectives?

Public relations (PR) is a powerful way to connect with your audience and
creating the ideal campaign and implementing it properly, has never been
more important.

The goal of a public relations campaign is to create a media narrative and

control the spread of information about your business to attract customers.
It can also be used as a tactic to generate awareness about a specific event
or business venture. Oftentimes, marketing and advertising campaigns are
focused on driving sales, whereas public relations teams usually have set
different PR KPIs:

 Attract media attention

 Generate awareness
 Inform the public about the latest company news
 Enhance your brand reputation
 Build stakeholder relations

Many PR experts choose to use the SMART method as a template when

coming up with the goals for their PR campaign:

 Specific: What is the desired outcome?

 Measurable: How will success be measured?
 Achievable: How will the campaign achieve its goals considering
outside influences?
 Realistic: Is your campaign goal realistic for the bandwidth of your
campaign?
 Time-based: How long do you have to meet these goals?

How to Create a PR Campaign

Now that you know a bit more about what a PR campaign is, let's discuss
how to create a pr campaign.

1. Determine what you want to accomplish



2. Select your target audience

3. Brainstorm

4. Gather market intelligence

5. Choose your channels

6. Sense check your idea

7. Execute your PR campaign

8. Follow up
 

9. Measurement

1. Determine what you want to accomplish

Before you start planning your public relations campaign, you need to
decide what the desired outcome is. Are you looking to increase sales and
leads? To increase brand recognition, brand value and brand valuation? Or is
partner engagement and recruiting your focus?

Deciding what objective you want to achieve first helps determine the PR

strategy you should use. In the section above, we outlined several

objectives that you may want to consider setting as your goal.

When setting your PR goals, remember to thinking about how you will
measure success during your campaign planning. Your leadership team
doesn’t want a list of links to PR clips and some social media snapshots;
they want to understand how the promotion supported the business's
objectives.
 Wondering how to measure PR ROI ? To make sure you are on the right

path, we’ve identified 14 proven PR KPIs you’ll want to consider

tracking.

2. Select your target audience

If your goal is to increase brand awareness around your new product line of
diapers, you probably aren't going to be marketing them to single men in
their early twenties. Reaching your goals requires reaching the correct
audience.

So, when mapping out your communications plan and public relations strategy,
think about who you want to target. Your PR team will likely have to adjust
its tactics based on the audience the team decides to target.

3. Brainstorm

Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can begin thinking about
the best way to achieve your set of goals.

Brainstorming is an important part of developing and creating a PR

campaign. To hold an effective brainstorming session, bring in different
people from various backgrounds and relay what you are trying to achieve.

Conduct thorough brainstorming by asking for lots of ideas and seeing how
they correlate with each other. Then, give it a day or so to settle before re-
approaching with anything you may have missed.
Consider these questions

 What is the message?

 Who is the message for?
 What platforms will share the message?
 What topic is the message and how will you get it across?

In addition to holding a brainstorming session, you may also want to collect

market intelligence about your target audience or competitors. Try using a
survey to sample how your audience is feeling or consult a subject matter
expert.

4. Gather market intelligence

During these early stages of the campaign, it is a good idea to collect

industry research and market intelligence. This information can be used to
determine how your story fits into broader industry trends, what aspects of
the story to embrace or not, and how to counter any potential negative
backlash. It is also a good idea to take note of what the media is interested
in.

Tip: When crafting a press release , frame the announcement as a story.

If you want journalists to pick up your company's news, then help them to

understand why it's newsworthy by creating a headline for your press release
 that reads like a news story that'd be interesting to the public, not just a

company news bulletin post.

Conducting research like a social media analysis, competitive analysis, or

digital media analysis could be beneficial to the campaign and marketing
efforts.

Other things to research

 Competitors websites
 Competitor campaigns (SEO, social media, and PPC)
 Competitor LinkedIn pages
 Your competitors on Google and set up Google alerts

To collect all of this information, you may have to involve stakeholders from
other departments, like marketing and sales. These stakeholders could help
inform and vet the key messages and campaign plan.

5. Choose your channels

Your carefully crafted message will be meaningless if nobody hears it.

Will you be sending out a press release or holding a press conference? Do

you want to use influencers to help spread your message or only your
company's branded social media profiles?
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The channels that your target audience pays the most attention to, should
be a key consideration in the campaign planning process.

Again, if you are marketing your company's new line of diapers, then you
could consider leveraging a marketing mix of online and offline tactics to
reach people before they go shopping and when they are out shopping.

When developing the strategy, your public relations team may want to think
about how the campaign relates to the marketing team's SEO
strategy, social media strategy, and other digital marketing channels.

Unsurprisingly, most press releases aren’t SEO-friendly. You don’t have to

be technical and a search engine specialist to understand SEO’s impact on
your PR campaign. With the help of semantic SEO boosting your PR
campaign and research-driven link building, you will be able to increase your
brand’s reach, drive more organic traffic, and increase your site’s (and
brand’s) authority.

Tip: Learn how to optimize a press release for SEO and take a look at

our free PR in the Age of Influence Report

6. Sense check your idea

Before jumping into the public relations campaign execution and launch,
present the ideas to people not involved in the project. How many times
have you seen an ad and thought "how did someone approve that?" Well,
chances are, not many people were involved in the approval process.

To avoid a PR crisis, consider finding out what your journalist friends and
influencers think. Influencers have great insight into how the social media
world will receive your message.

Most importantly, get feedback early in the process . Doing this can help

catch something obvious or prevent something you didn't realize was tone-

death. Be sure every part of the campaign aligns with brand and company

values.

Think about your target audience and ask yourself:

 What is important to them?

 How will this campaign make them feel?
 What are their pain points and how can you solve them?

7. Execute your PR campaign

Before your public relations team presses "go", double-check that every
detail is correct and all of the assets are on-brand, don't contain typos, or
other mistakes. Be sure that every piece of data or set of facts included is
accurate. This is the time to make any changes — before officially
launching.
Now it's time for tactical execution. Give yourself a minimum of 10 days, or
even longer for some public relations campaigns. Consider current events,
competitor news, and even holidays. Expect that things may happen that
are out of your control and give yourself some wiggle room. This space to
make any last-minute changes is crucial to campaign success.

Be sure to have any additional information ready to go, and the authority to
send it. It is imperative to capitalize on every single call, so have
communication channels open and be ready to respond to every inquiry.

8. Follow up

Have a follow-up plan for journalists. If you notice that your story has been
bumped or not covered yet, be ready to explain how the content is still
newsworthy, and how it will continue to be newsworthy in the days and
even weeks to come. It is common for journalists to have their inboxes full
of pitches, so be sure that yours stands out.

Plan to send a follow-up email 3-4 days after the initial

communication. Include a link to a customer review, or a link to data or
research showing its continued value. Or if it was an event, include some
photos. No campaign is ever one-and-done, so create a follow-up plan for
added coverage.

Tip: Learn how to pitch your press release to journalists and look at

these examples of well-performing press releases . Meltwater provides a

press release distribution service to help you automate that process.

9. Measurement

After your PR campaign has concluded, it's time to package your success
and report on all your KPIs and metrics. Write up a narrative of what
happened and take a victory lap with a blog celebrating the coverage. Take
your time writing up every detail and outlining the success of the campaign.

Make note of metrics such as:

 Sales numbers
 Media inquiries
 Changes in social media
 Attendance numbers

Also, be sure to create a mass report with demonstrated KPIs, objectives,

and opportunities for improvement. Look for anecdotes that made the
campaign important and write an award entry.

Tip: Learn how to measure and analyze your media coverage , how to

create media monitoring analysis reports , and how to conduct a media impact

analysis .

Meltwater's PR Reporting capabilities will also help you automate that process.

Get a free tour today!

Creating Public Relations Campaigns: Key
Takeaways
The key to a successful PR campaign is to not only have a Plan A, and a
Plan B, but a C and a D as well. Considering every single possibility will set
you apart. Get feedback from outside sources like a journalist, but also
consult people that are not in the business. Look out for anything that could
be considered offensive or tone-death.

Data is also an incredibly important element. Use compelling and

interesting data to make the case for your story, and above all else, be sure
it is accurate and backed up with credible evidence.

However, the most important thing is to give yourself the time to fail and to
succeed. Many great PR campaigns have failed because of small details
and little time for adjustments. Time is the key to an effective public
relations campaign.

For more information on strategy and planning, watch our free on-demand
webinar about how to launch a successful pr campaign .

For getting a free consultation about how Meltwater can help you plan,
execute, and measure your next PR campaign, fill out the form below.

What are the four stages of the PR process?

The four steps of the PR process, including research, planning, communication, and
evaluation are also defined. The document outlines an end-of-semester planner for a
public relations class.15 Apr 2013

The PR Process:
R.A.C.E.
Campaign Creators : 10/14/14 1:25 PM
Marketing PR Research marketing planning process

The PR process can be as simple or complex as you’d like. Yet if you want to have
a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with your publics, it’s going to be a
somewhat involved practice.

What is symmetrical communication? This model as described in Grunig's

Excellence Theory, is the process of ensuring that decisions made by organizations
are mutually beneficial between the organization itself and it's audiences. This
means using strategic communication to negotiate with your audience, resolve
conflicts, and promote mutual understandings all backed with thorough research.
This type of system is put in motion when generating a strategic PR Plan.

While there are multiple variations of this PR process, the two most common are
R.P.I.E. and R.A.C.E. Though both are found to be equally effective, we believe
the R.A.C.E. process to be a more in-depth and evaluative process. For that very
reason we will be going over the basics of R.A.C.E.

What is RACE in PR?

RACE is an effective process to follow when developing a strategic PR plan if you
want to have a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with your publics. The
R.A.C.E process encompasses the following 4 phases: Research, Action and
planning, Communication and relationship building and Evaluation.

Now, let's take a look at each step.

Research
Both formal and informal research with internal and external stakeholders is
required to define the problem or opportunity.

You should be able to answer the “Who?” “What?” and “Why?” for your
organization’s situation. A good starting point in gathering research is noting what
other organizations have done in the past given similar circumstances. How can
you ensure your findings are reliable? Make sure you are gathering your
information methodically. It is important to mention that in this phase you should
search for any possible assumptions and consequences the public might make.
Action and Planning
This step is essentially strategizing and creating the plan. Dr. Hongmei Shen, PR
author and researcher, recommends using S.M.A.R.T. objectives to set goals for a
program based on research and analysis. Shen recommends having a:
 Specific (purpose)
 Measurable (outcomes)
 Attainable (objective)
 Realistic (goal)
 Time (available and necessary)

Following this model allows for structure and a clear estimation of a goal's
attainability. Your action and planning are necessary to gage measurable results!
Follow these S.M.A.R.T. objectives and you'll avoid falling off track.

Turn your brand awareness

into actual leads with this intro
to lead gen guide & Checklist!

Communication and
Relationship Building
Relying on that two-way symmetrical communication, build mutually beneficial
relationships with your publics. Full disclosure, honesty, and transparency are vital
to building consumer trust. It’s not enough to just send messages anymore, there
should be an ongoing conversation. Maintaining focus on social responsibility
should be a high priority in creating positive relationships.
Communication is the foundation of PR and where you go to relay your
information determines how people will receive your news. Knowing your target
audience plays a huge role in the success of your PR plan. Zero in on demographic
information, find where you target audience goes to for their source of information,
and what they like to see. Understanding who you're talking to is just as important
as how you're talking to them. Depending on your audience your channel of
communication can vary (ex. television, magazines, social media, etc.)

Evaluation
The evaluation phase should focus on your campaign results, be aligned with your
primary objectives, and guide you in preparing any additional steps for the future.
It should be an ongoing process that is measured against your previously set goals
to analyze overall effectiveness. Need a good way to prove growth? Determine
your ROI. Monitor any press generated from your campaign, give a rough estimate
for the value of that press, and compare it to any expenses affiliated with producing
that PR. Here are additional ways to monitor and measure the success of your
campaign:
 Secondary Data – (PRSA, IPR, etc.)
 Case Studies – Best practices, methods of crisis communication
 Press Clippings – How much coverage was generated
 Advertising Value Equivalent – Editorial coverage value (Column length/air
time x Ad rate)
 Media Content Analysis – Tracking past and future success and failure
 Readability Test – Years of education required to understand campaign
 Audience and reader surveys
 Focus groups and interviews

To avoid faulty results, all four steps of the R.A.C.E. process should be
continuously monitored. The best results come from persistent data collection. If
the RACE model doesn't particularly interest you, remember it is just one version
of the PR process, but most share a similar concept. Get informed and choose the
one that best fits your organization's vision.
 Public relations (PR) efforts can help build brand awareness among target buyers
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8 Stages Of A Typical PR
Campaign: What Clients Need
To Know

John Boyanoski
Former Forbes Councils Member
Forbes Agency Council
COUNCIL POST| Membership (Fee-Based)
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Jul 12, 2023,07:15am EDT

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John Boyanoski is the president of Complete PR, a full-service public

relations firm located in Greenville, South Carolina.

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A good PR campaign is like a well-baked cake—it has everything you want,
looks great and everyone loves it. However, a small-business owner or the
director of a nonprofit oftentimes doesn’t have the knowledge or extra ticks
on the clock to develop that fantastic campaign they want, so they hire an
outside consultant—often a PR person or agency. Then, after hiring
someone, they think everything will take care of itself. But that’s not how it
happens. There are a lot of stages that go into making a PR campaign work,
and my goal in this article is to help demystify them as much as possible.

• Discovery Stage: This first phase is going to involve you, the client, the
most. In the discovery stage—the fact-finding phase—your PR agency will
need to get as much information as possible from you to build out the
basics of your campaign. Will the news or ideas you want to publicize be a
massive pitch? How will this information be released? What are the pros
and cons? What are the alternatives? These are some of the ideas your PR
partner will likely want to ponder—and share—with you.
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• Writing Stage: This is my favorite part of the process because it’s all
about writing. Now, it’s pencil-to-paper time. (Or more precisely,
keystrokes-to-screen time.) This is where the ideas of the discovery stage
get synthesized into something coherent. This means you are writing press
releases, web copy, basic talking points and the like that you will send to the
client for review.

• Building Stage: The building stage is a key step and one that can often
get overlooked or underperformed. This is where your PR team will track
down any photos, logos and videos needed for the campaign; decide what
media members they need to pitch to and how, and create a social media
strategy of when, where and how to share the information when it's ready
to be released. Your PR team should also look for potential sharing
partners. For example, are there economic development groups or business
partners who can help share this information? Depending on the
experience and energy of your PR team, this stage can make or break your
campaign.

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• Rediscover Stage: The rediscover stage is when your PR team will

return to you, the client, to fine-tune materials. It's about finalizing the
campaign and where client input is crucial. Your PR team is trying to make
this as successful as possible, and they will need your help. Remember, they
are asking you more questions because they need more answers. These
could be questions about correct titles for people being quoted or the best
names for a product. One thing that comes up often is how to properly refer
to a company name on second reference.

• Rewrite Stage: Even if you haven’t asked for major changes, this is the
step where your PR team will really scrutinize the campaign. At my firm,
this usually involves a cold read for someone who has not been involved in
the project. They are more likely to find holes in the strategy or think of
something new that hadn't yet been considered.

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• Finalization Stage: At this juncture, you should be ready to start

getting final approvals for items to be released. However, experience has
shown me that at this stage, you'll sometimes have to go back to the
discovery stage. This is the case if too many changes are coming in or a lot
of questions have arisen that can’t be easily answered. At this point, a key
mistake that happens is numerous copies of the pitch and materials start
floating around. People are having side conversations. It gets messy. It’s
better to start over than to hope you have everything.

• The Cooling-Off Stage: One of my goals is to always wait a while after

everything has been finalized before sending the campaign off to the media
or launching it. Few things are more draining for a PR person than sending
a release and five minutes later, getting a text requesting a change. By
waiting a few hours or even a day, you have time to rethink everything for
better or worse. Remember that once this work is out there and published,
people will be able to see it forever.

• Launch Stage: Whether it's a pitch to a reporter or a full press kit being
sent out about a project, this is the final stage of your campaign. Fingers
crossed that nothing goes wrong. All systems are go.
 So, the next time you think your PR agency is trying to make their work
sound harder than it is, remember these stages.

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in

successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising
agencies. Do I qualify?

Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website.

John Boyanoski
John Boyanoski is the president of Complete PR, a full-service public
relations firm located in Greenville, South Carolina.
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