Category Archives: media relations

What Does Artificial Intelligence Say About Your Company’s Reputation? 

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When Google released their Analytics platform in the early 2000s, the traditional playbook businesses had used to market themselves, demonstrate credibility and measure those efforts had to be completely reworked. 

And here we go again. 

In the years that have passed since the launch of Google Analytics, tech experts have been working diligently to take us to the next level – to harness, organize and act upon volumes of data. 

Enter artificial intelligence (AI). 

What was once a game of improving a business’ search engine optimization (SEO) ranking through keywords, backlinks and other factors, has now evolved into a new challenge of demonstrating credibility to the Large Language Models (LLM) that are fast becoming the first stop for many in how information is discovered and understood. 

The rise of AI search 

According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, 50% of consumers were using AI-powered search as of October 2025. As AI tools become more sophisticated, that percentage is likely to rise, making it critical that brands begin addressing their AI search credibility. With this increase in popularity, business leaders will find that consumers assess their business’ authority and trustworthiness based on AI’s interpretation of the organization’s online presence. 

Platforms like ChatGPT or Google Gemini pull from a wealth of data points that analyze brands based on factors such as how often a brand is mentioned in the media, expertise on a subject and more. In short, AI platforms depend on third-party credibility to rank trustworthiness. 

Measuring trust 

The data points and rules in place for AI platforms to analyze information are constantly changing based on a multitude of factors. However, because the internet is flooded with generic and increasingly less credible AI-generated content, AI platforms tend to prioritize third-party validation. Thought leadership content, interviews and mentions on reputable media sites including national, regional, business and industry trade press are considered highly credible by AI platforms and feed search summaries. 

LinkedIn is another area AI is increasingly prioritizing for search queries. However, AI search algorithms rely more on how other users reference and interact with a brand across LinkedIn including posts, newsletters, articles, videos and more rather than the LinkedIn posts a business publishes on their own page. 

AI is a moving target

As business leaders look to better understand AI-powered search and improve their brand’s credibility in search queries, they should keep in mind that the technology is ever changing. 

Beyond the platform updates and expanded capabilities, regulatory scrutiny is shaping the future of AI search and will likely continue to do so for years to come. But that should not discourage businesses from investing in their online presence. In fact, it makes a strong case for continued or even additional investment in earned media coverage, thought leadership, owned content and more. Beyond AI-powered search, these communication channels offer businesses more control of their company narrative and their reputation. 

While business leaders cannot manipulate how AI platforms respond, they can have a hand in some of the authoritative information online about their company that is feeding AI’s algorithms. As AI search evolves, the companies investing in building credibility through earned media, thought leadership and thoughtful owned content are building a digital reputation best positioned for success now and into the future. 

How I Got Here: Cassidy Taylor’s Journey to PR

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Many career paths are unplanned. As specialists in insurance communications, we hear from insurance professionals all the time who found their way to their professions through unplanned or unexpected means. The same can be true of public relations. Whether it’s journalism, marketing or human resources—the PR field is uniquely suited to diverse backgrounds. That is why we are sharing this blog series breaking down how our team members came to find their current PR roles. For any new grads trying to figure out what they want to do, or even established professionals looking to make a change, we hope this series can shed some light on the PR field. 

What did you go to school for?

I graduated from a small Liberal Arts College in Easton, Pa., the former home of Kimball Hughes Public Relations, with a double Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and Film and Media Studies. 

I always knew I wanted to go into a career that involved reading or writing but saw the creative fields evolving in a way that would alter the professional landscape. I knew I had to have a good grasp on modern media to remain competitive and relevant, which led to the addition of my Film and Media Studies degree. Additionally, I played Division One soccer while I was in undergraduate school, so you could also say I went to school for the love of the game.

After graduating, I went back to school to receive my Master of Arts in Communications with a certificate in Public Relations and Advertising. 

What did you envision your job would be?

My initial goal was to work in journalism. The fast paced, investigative environment called to me. After an internship with a small, boutique public relations (PR) agency in college, I fell in love with PR. The idea that I could continue to work in a fast-paced environment, tapping into my creative skills while helping organizations achieve their goals was what inspired me to shift fields.

What was your first job out of college?

Immediately after graduating from college, I worked for a global trade association in the fresh produce industry. This in-house role taught me how to support multiple stakeholders at once. I also fell in love with crisis communications in this role. One of my first projects involved a crisis related to a major food-borne illness outbreak. The intensity of both the pace and content brought a high-pressure thrill to the work that I enjoyed – a thrill similar to what I enjoyed during my years as an athlete. 

How did you end up in your current role?

I initially joined Kimball Hughes Public Relations as an intern my junior year of college. During my time as an intern, I worked closely with both the organization’s principle, Rod Hughes and vice president, Eileen Coyne. Rod and I stayed in close communication after my internship ended, and he became an invaluable mentor to me throughout my early years as a public relations professional. As we stayed in touch, I often looked for opportunities to work with Rod again, and the stars aligned in 2021 when I was looking for my next opportunity and Kimball Hughes Public Relations was seeking a public relations manager. 

What has surprised you most about your career or yourself given your current role?

What has surprised me the most about a career in public relations is the amount of trust required. Public relations professionals, clients, journalists, vendors and others all need to work together with a high-level of trust to ensure brand integrity and accuracy are maintained and high-quality, interesting and helpful content makes it to the appropriate audiences. 

What have you learned from your career journey?

Confidence is key. You can be a proficient writer with all the best media contacts, but if the client, journalist or your colleagues do not have confidence in you or your work, success will only be surface level. I have found this confidence, and trust with all stakeholders, comes from connection. The more clients feel you know them, their business and can explain how you will help them achieve their goals, the more confidence they will have in you. 

What lesson or myth-busting idea would you want to share with someone thinking about a career in public relations?

Public relations is not limited to social media content, attending influencer events and putting together PR boxes for celebrities. There is a lot of PR work in the B2C space that looks like what you see in the movies, but many B2B organizations in highly technical fields, such as insurance, legal or finance, also need PR support that looks very different. Anyone pursuing a career in public relations should seriously consider the industries that interest them. This will help you understand where you best fit within a very diverse communications industry. 

How I Got Here: Mike Madry’s Journey to PR

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Many career paths are unplanned. As specialists in insurance communications, we hear from insurance professionals all the time who found their way to their professions through unplanned or unexpected means. The same can be true of public relations. Whether it’s journalism, marketing or human resources—the PR field is uniquely suited to diverse backgrounds. That is why we are sharing this blog series breaking down how our team members came to find their current PR roles. For any new grads trying to figure out what they want to do, or even established professionals looking to make a change, we hope this series can shed some light on the PR field. 

What did you go to school for?

I went to school initially for journalism. During my junior year, I changed my major to public relations after deciding there might be more opportunities there compared to a career in broadcast journalism. 

What did you envision your job would be? 

During my freshman year of high school, I had the opportunity to anchor the school news. After a few broadcasts, I realized I wanted to be a news or sports anchor. I loved the writing aspect of it and really enjoyed the production tasks, such as editing and filming, that came with the job as well.

What was your first job out of college? 

My first job out of college was as a public relations coordinator for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the profession. The role exposed me to different aspects of public relations, from writing press releases and coordinating press conferences to scripting and producing video content. The variety of responsibilities challenged me to learn quickly and develop a well-rounded skill set. Looking back, that experience laid the foundation for my career and shaped me into the public relations professional I am today.

How did you end up in your current role?

After working in-house for about seven years, I was ready for a bigger challenge in public relations, and I thought joining an agency would be the best move for my career. Then it was about finding a PR firm that best aligned with my industry experience. Having spent the last five and a half years in health insurance, I thought Kimball Hughes Public Relations would be a good fit given their insurance expertise. I also felt a very strong cultural fit. With that said, it was a no-brainer to join.

What has surprised you most about your career or yourself given your current role?

What surprises me the most about public relations is the different opportunities that are out there. I’ve found there are a ton of companies and c-level executives that believe in the power of PR and throw their support behind thoughtful PR strategies. That creates a variety of opportunities for professionals in our field to stay challenged, engage in a fulfilling career and earn a solid living.

What have you learned from your career journey?

For me, the most rewarding part of public relations is seeing the real-world impact it can have. It gives you the opportunity to bring attention to important issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. With the right strategy and the right media coverage, you can spark meaningful conversations that have the potential to influence perspectives and even drive change.

What lesson or myth-busting idea would you want to share with someone thinking about a career in public relations?

Internships are invaluable for anyone considering a career in public relations. They not only help you determine whether the field is the right fit, but they also provide hands-on experience that sets you apart when applying for full-time roles. I’m convinced I wouldn’t have landed my first PR job with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives without the internship experience I gained in college. 

Managing a Crowded Hour with the Media

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Theodore Roosevelt described his experience leading his Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry force, on a charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American war as his crowded hour. He used the phrase to describe an intense, critical and life-altering activity where he risked all to achieve a monumental goal; in this case, taking the hill and securing a strategic advantage for the U.S. military.

While few public relations professionals take on anything beyond proverbial fire (they do call us flacks), if you have been in the communications trenches long enough, you have experienced a comms-version of your own crowded hour. Often, these crowded hours involve the need to convey a crucial organizational message or announcement in the wake of bigger news events.

The question, in these high-stakes media moments, is what to do?

Which Hill to Climb?

There are a range of approaches, and each offers its own risk-reward scenario to consider.

  • Ride the Wave. If the situation is pliable, you may be able to tie the organization news or announcement to the bigger issue or news wave dominating the media. This could come in the form of expert commentary as well as market or trend analysis. For instance, if the dominant story is about a major cybersecurity incident and you’re announcing a new SaaS or tech tool, lean on the product or service’s security features to reassure your target audience this new product or service is meeting the moment by providing improved security.
  • Try New Channels. If there is a market-moving event, the likelihood business or trade media will focus on your announcement is slim. The good news is the media market has fractured enough that there are ample opportunities to still get your message out. Social media (especially LinkedIn) can be a godsend and is a major tool feeding AI searches today. Specialty outlets like Substack and Medium can provide access to laser-focused audiences regardless of the news cycle. There are also countless podcasts that have gained credibility and wider audiences. And never count out trade newsletters, which sometimes speak more directly to audiences. 
  • Lengthen Your Runway. Try splitting your announcement into a range of different angles or news hooks. This can include client-testimonials, regional statistics or vignettes, contributed articles to trade media, pithy video content for the organization’s owned social channels (i.e., YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, etc.) as well as both your email and LinkedIn newsletters. (*If you aren’t self-publishing a LinkedIn newsletter you’re missing a tremendous audience as a B2B brand regardless of the news cycle.)
  • Hold the Announcement. Reading the room is a critical communications tactic. There are moments such as the 9/11 attacks, the March 2008 run on Bear Stearns and the February 2026 initiation of major combat operations in Iran that can distract from all other news events. There are also regional or more focused events, such as school shootings or VIP arrests or deaths that can dominate broader news cycles. In these instances, it’s not worth the risk of your news being missed entirely or only reaching a fraction of your target audiences while the focus is on other events or news. Delay the press release, LinkedIn or other social media posts.

Good public relations professionals, and certainly those who have been through a crowded hour or two, will formulate an informed opinion and advise senior leadership accordingly. 

Experienced leaders should heed the experienced advice provided from their comms teams.  Those who ignore that advice risk wasting their efforts during the media’s crowded hour and damaging their reputations with the media in the process. 

Why Smart Companies Want Journalists on Their PR Teams

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When I was a working journalist, I sometimes hung up on public relations people who called my office. I regret doing so because now I’m on the other end of the line.

While my response back then showed a lack of maturity as well as patience, my reasoning was on somewhat solid ground. Well intentioned, no doubt, those I hung up on would lead the call with some version of the following: “I’m calling on behalf of XYZ company, and I’m just following up to see if you received the press release I sent you by fax.”

In addition to dating myself, the above illustrates how the PR person never considered the perspective of his audience: me, a working journalist.

On any given day, we would receive about one dozen press releases along with two or three menus from local lunch spots promoting that day’s specials. The 1990s were wild; loaded with possibilities and dining options. Still, we had a small team and responding on receipt to each release was never going to happen. Also, there’s nothing remotely engaging about the above phone pitch. Would you search breathlessly to find their press release? I didn’t.

Eventually someone would skim the resulting stack of streaky press releases. If the headline or lede didn’t grab and hold us immediately, it was tossed into the recycle bin. Most were drenched in florid verbiage celebrating the wonder of monumental pronouncements that were of zero interest to our readers.

The Perspective Problem

As a former journalist who never studied PR, I had to reverse engineer my approach to the practice when I entered public relations. That meant identifying the interests of the audience, finding a compelling story or idea that matched that interest, and then dialing in the client’s value proposition. Over the course of two decades I have refined the approach, gut checking myself with current working journalists to make sure what my colleagues and I do remains effective. And when change is needed, we adjust.

That journalism-first perspective has served me, and my clients, well. 

It’s not that native public relations professionals, those who train for the job from the start, aren’t effective. On the contrary, the really good ones, and there are many—including among our team—bring skill and intellect that, well applied, are powerful force multipliers. And when you can teach these PR pros to think like journalists, well, the effect can be positively stunning. 

What former journalists bring to PR sets them apart from the traditional training provided in college for PR pros. Former journalists will:

  • Stress test a story or pitch concept before it ever lands in a journalist’s inbox
  • Constructively, but insistently, push back on leadership who want to promote a story with no news value
  • Not confuse a feel-good company newsletter concept for an actual newsworthy story
  • Always remember trade journalists receive 100-or-more press releases per day while mainstream news outlet reporters get as many as 300 per day, and act accordingly
  • Never forget to consider working journalists are time starved and have zero interest in doing anyone a favor
  • Filter announcements and messaging for credibility, legal exposure, source strength and headline worthiness because that was the job as they pursued enterprise stories from their newsroom days

A Nose for News

Experienced journalists-turned-PR-pros know what today’s journalists need. They know most journalists are skeptics, so they will redouble their efforts to make any press release or announcement bullet-proof and factually accurate. Quotes in a release have to say something meaningful and memorable. They push their clients to stay engaged with media rather than just reaching out with promotional announcements because credibility, availability and consistency matter to journalists looking for reliable sources. And they should have the courage to respect their clients enough to push back when an idea or story concept will fail to serve the reputation of the executive or organization well because their experience and training validate that perspective. 

In short, former journalists working at PR agencies are ideal sounding boards because they’ve had to assess countless pitches to determine real news value, and that’s a skill that never leaves the soul of a journalist. 

This skill, applied to the advocacy they undertake for clients in their PR roles, can be the difference between securing one-off or infrequent coverage and becoming a trusted, reliable and quotable source media will return to regularly.

Public Relations, What Were You Like in the 90s?

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By now, you’ve likely seen the “What were you like in the 90s” question posted on Instagram, with the song, Iris, by the Goo Goo Dolls playing in the background. Maybe it’s a former boyband member flashing back to a slideshow of himself in a synchronized dance routine or posing on the cover of Teen Beat magazine. Or maybe a movie star, when they were lesser known and less wrinkled. In the same vein, we thought it might be fun to reflect on public relations. After all, things have changed quite a bit since Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky dominated a budding 24-hour news cycle.

Here is a brief list of some common PR tools and tactics that have since gone the way of the be-kind-rewind video store.

  • The fax machine: If you look carefully, you can still find these relics in some doctor and dentist offices, but in the 1990s, the fax machine was an office staple. It was often delegated to a room of its own due to the screeching, buzzing and beeping noises emitted when transmitting or receiving the thermal rolled paper via fax. At the time, PR pros would distribute press releases via fax machine as it was one of the fastest ways to   a newsroom. Also, often found on the fax machine, was the menu for the pizza place down the street. These days, good PR pros have learned to rely less heavily on the press release to gain media coverage, but when distributing a press release, we lean into email and wire distributions. Of course, the best agencies will steer clear of the so-called spray and pray approach.
  • The Bacon’s Book: The thick green Bacon’s Media Directory was the PR pro’s bible back in the day. This heavy tome listed contact information for daily and weekly newspapers and news services providing PR pros with valuable phone numbers and eventually emails to reach reporters. These days, those searches are conducted on software systems that help PR pros identify a reporter covering a certain beat, circulation and readership information for their publication, reporter’s preferences and more. While these platforms are not perfect, they have eased and sped up the process for PR pros and reduced the “heavy lift” required.
  • The beeper: Leading up to the dawn of cell phones, many business professionals relied on this device to get in touch with an executive or subject matter expert. The beeper was a small device users clipped onto their belts, allowing them to receive phone numbers or a numeric message. The PR pro attempting to reach the SME would make contact with the beeper via a landline and the executive receiving the text would need to find a landline to call back the number displayed. Today’s PR pros are attached to their cell phones where they text and call for immediate access to the SME or colleague. Whether it’s receiving news of a crisis in a timely manner or quickly reaching an executive before a reporter’s tight deadline, these devices have been a game changer.
  • The clippings’ service: While many of us continue to refer to an online list of the month’s client media placements as a clip report, earlier iterations of these reports were much different. In the old days, clippings services would actually clip – with scissors – mentions of a client’s name in a physical newspaper or magazine and mail or deliver the collection of clips to the PR agency or client. The goal was to build a fat clip book with a “thud” factor when dropped in front of a client. Today, PR pros gain access to news stories featuring their client through online vendors that provide clickable access to client stories and in some cases, those of their competitors.
  • The wine and dine: In the 1990’s PR professionals could be equated with salesman, setting meetings at a fine restaurant where they hoped to woo a reporter with a high-end meal and a fancy cocktail. This trend has come and gone over the years in line with peaks and valleys in the economy, but since COVID, the wine and dine trend has nearly disappeared. With many reporters, subject matter experts and PR professionals working remotely or located in geographically diverse locations, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time for an in-person meal. At the same time, on-screen meetings have provided a new and important medium where all parties can “see” each other with some frequency to build stronger relationships without having to physically travel.

Admittedly, in the 90s, I was on the other side of the fence – studying journalism in college and then starting out as a young reporter. However, from this perspective, I did gain valuable insight into the public relations world – insight into more than their beepers, beer, and Bacon’s Books. That insight has certainly helped shape my career in PR.

When looking for the right PR partner, understanding the tools at their disposal is important, but it’s also critical to ensure any PR partner:

  • Thinks like a journalist and possesses a journalism ethos
  • Prioritizes responsiveness
  • Comes to the table with ideas, rather than asking what’s next?

To learn more about how Kimball Hughes PR can work for you or to simply reminisce with us about PR in the 90s, drop us a line.

Newsjacking: Using breaking news to a brand’s advantage 

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Some believe newsjacking is a dirty word. It is seen by some as akin to ambulance chasing. In reality, it is simply a part of the news cycle. In fact, while the term newsjacking carries a negative connotation for some, it actually helps journalists tell better, more accurate stories while also positioning sources as industry or trend experts. When executed properly, this tactic can present a client with an invaluable opportunity to showcase their expertise directly to their target audience on a newsworthy topic that is engaging readers, viewers or listeners at that moment.

Newsjacking allows companies to elevate their brand authority and credibility by positioning a leader within the company as a subject matter expert to share insights on a topic in the news that is relevant to the company’s key messaging or an SME’s area of expertise. An article published in the media can be invaluable when it comes to building credibility for a brand through third-party validation. 

Executing a Newsjacking Strategy

Let’s say the CEO of an insurance company for commercial trucking fleets is looking to generate press coverage for the brand. The PR team sees the federal government is requiring commercial fleets to implement technology-based monitoring systems in commercial trucks. If this CEO is well-versed on the issue, the PR team can reach out to media outlets covering this issue with two or three thoughts to consider to gauge interest in an interview or commentary. 

Next, the PR team will likely reach out to relevant publications offering the CEO’s insights/opinions on the impact of these requirements, the impact on risk reduction efforts and future insurance rates, as well steps fleet owners can take to ensure compliance. 

If the CEO is offered an opportunity to comment and the outlet uses the CEO’s insights, newsjacking likely earned a win for the company and broadcast insight and working knowledge of a meaningful trend trucking companies face. Consequently, the media audience for that story may see the insurance company as a potential resource to help them improve their businesses.

Newsjacking Done Right

Newsjacking requires a deft touch.  

Before making an attempt to newsjack, ensure you are working with a PR team that understands the fundamentals, including how to: 

  1. Set the foundation. Before a PR team can offer an executive’s commentary to a reporter or outlet, they’ll want to make sure they have a valid online presence including an online biography stating experience and credentials, a high-res headshot, a company website that is up-to-date and reflects the current brand identity and ideally previously published articles—even if simply on Linked In or the company website—on industry topics and trends. 
  2. Identify/qualify an opportunity. To newsjack successfully, understanding the universe of current and recent news coverage is essential. Pitch an angle that was already addressed, and you can be perceived as being out of touch. You also need to game out any sensitivities. If the issue involves life/safety or health issues, among others, the pros and cons of newsjacking need to be weighed to avoid unanticipated blow-back on more sensitive matters.
  3. Suppress promotion.  Newsjacking done right is an opportunity to help a reporter better understand a subject or provider deeper insights, rather than promoting the company’s products or services. Stick to the issues. The opportunity for the company will be a secondary benefit if the reporter includes your comments.
  4. Move quickly. Newsjacking is an in-the-moment opportunity requiring rapid action. PR teams should interpret relevant breaking news through the lens of what the company can say and immediately gather insights and commentary. PR pros who aren’t deeply plugged into the company’s executives, lines of business and appetite for media topics will fall short on newsjacking every time. The faster your PR team, and your company, can react and respond, the more likely a journalist will include your thinking in a story.
  5. Leverage the opportunity. Any media placement, whether sourced from a newsjacking opportunity or elsewhere, is most effective when leveraged across multiple channels. PR teams should know to promote media placements on social media channels, the company website, in marketing materials and more, letting their audience know their expertise has been validated by a third-party. 

Newsjacking is a powerful and effective tool to generate earned media coverage to increase your brand’s visibility and credibility. At Kimball Hughes PR, newsjacking consistently allows us to position our clients as subject matter experts in their varied B2B and B2C industries. If you have questions about how a newsjacking strategy can work for your brand, please drop us a comment.

Beyond the Fridge Magnet: Leveraging Media Placements in 2026

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When I was in grade school, it was cool to see your name in the local newspaper—whether you were mentioned for good grades, sports, a musical achievement or the like. If my name made it into print, we would head straight to the 7-Eleven to pick up the latest issue. I would page through the newsprint scanning for my name, then proudly show it to my mom. She would grab the scissors, clip the article and pin it to the fridge, where it would live out its days, seen only by whomever happened to pass through the kitchen.

Many of us have similar stories. In those days, unless the article was physically mailed to grandma, posting it on the fridge was the extent of our abilities to leverage our “coverage.”

Things have changed.

Today, media placements are destined for much more than life under a fridge magnet. With the right amplification, one placement can be shared, repurposed and extended across multiple channels to reach far beyond its original audience and continue to deliver value.

At Kimball Hughes Public Relations, we are securing meaningful media placements in key B2B trade and Tier One media outlets targeting our clients’ core audiences. Once these articles or broadcast interviews featuring our clients’ quotes, commentary or contributed content are published, we don’t stop there. We work to leverage those placements to ensure they create lasting impact.  

A good public relations partner knows individual opportunities should never be one-and-done opportunities. Those partners will consider amplifying the article through the following:

  • Social media: LinkedIn and other relevant social channels can serve as excellent platforms to gain extra attention on a media placement. Consider posting a brief teaser or summary of the article with relevant tags and hashtags along with a link to the article on the company’s LinkedIn page as well as on executive profiles. This practice not only puts original content from your company in front of followers, clients and prospects showcasing third-party validation, it also encourages engagement and drives additional interest in your company.
  • Email signatures: Encouraging executives and other employees to reference and link to the article in their email signatures can also serve as a credible endorsement or proof point for clients and prospects.
  • Website press rooms: A press room on a company website serves as a home for media placements and press releases. Housing materials here will help draw people to the company website where they can learn more about your company and the services it offers, while supporting discoverability.
  • A blog post: A blog post housed on your website can serve to draw more attention to your article and its third-party validation, as well as allow the SMEs to take a deeper dive on the topic or even provide additional information on how the company can provide solutions related to what was discussed in the article.
  • A LinkedIn newsletter article: Similar to a blog, the LinkedIn newsletter article could be something written to tease out the media placement and offer additional insight. LinkedIn articles are delivered directly to LinkedIn newsletter subscribers and encourage engagement and sharing broadening the article’s reach considerably.
  • Employee communications: Media placements can also be leveraged to generate company pride and excitement. Internal comms teams can distribute media placements with commentary to staff members to build company loyalty, foster company culture and encourage more to participate in media opportunities.
  • E-newsletters or direct mail: Weaving mentions of the placements and links into e-newsletters and direct mail to clients and prospects can serve as another touchpoint to highlight that objective validation provided by a media placement, helping to instill reader confidence in the brand.
  • Sales materials: Sales teams can take great advantage of the independent validation media placements provide when making a pitch or in a prospect conversation. It can be valuable to include publication mastheads, article summaries and links in sales decks, proposals and the like. Again, doing so showcases third-party validation supporting claims made by the sales team, reinforcing trust in the brand.

With these suggestions for amplification, it is critical to keep copyright in mind. Even if a company SME authored the piece, the company likely no longer owns the collateral. Often, once an article is published it becomes the property of the publication. Any posting of the article in its entirety could violate copyright laws. Media placements should always be properly attributed and should never be copied and pasted in part or in their entirety without permission from the original publishing outlet.

A strategic multi-channel approach leveraging a media placement can result in lasting meaningful impact for sales, the brand and company morale. So don’t just frame that article on your office wall, leverage it.

Are You Ready for PR? Questions to Ask Yourself Before Engaging

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Water is a necessity of life. It sustains us. Public relations serves a similar purpose for reputations, as it builds trust and keeps individuals and organizations top of mind. PR sustains good business. It can also protect your business when things go wrong.

But unlike water, believing you can turn the PR faucet on and off is to misunderstand how PR works. Reputations aren’t built on the occasional press release. Executives don’t find themselves interviewed by the media on the strength of a single pitch. Impactful public relations requires sustained engagement. For PR to work, you have to commit to it.

Because when you hire a PR professional or agency, you aren’t delegating work. You’re forming a partnership and understanding that related expectations and responsibilities matter.

Public relations can serve as a business development resource—strong media coverage can build credibility, open doors and reinforce a reputation among prospective clients. But PR is rarely effective when treated as a direct sales engine. Those who expect media coverage alone to drive immediate revenue are often disappointed. PR works best as part of a broader strategy that includes marketing, relationship-building and sales execution.

It’s important to gut-check whether an organization can use PR as a growth accelerator or if it risks becoming an exercise in frustration. That gut-check largely follows a series of basic-yet-important questions.

Do we have capacity to support public relations?

PR requires access to leadership, subject-matter experts and decision-makers who can provide insight quickly. Journalists work on tight deadlines and often need executive perspectives on short notice. If leaders are rarely available or approvals take days or weeks, quality media opportunities will disappear and become increasingly rare as the organization’s reliability with media fades.

Can we dedicate consistent time to the process?

Public relations is not a set-it-and-forget-it resource. Developing story angles, reviewing messaging, preparing interviews and responding to media requests requires ongoing collaboration between an organization and its agency. If internal teams don’t have time to engage regularly, even the best PR strategy will struggle to gain traction.

Are we telling important stories or just promoting ourselves?

The media is rarely interested in covering company news that doesn’t significantly impact markets. Strong PR depends on substance—innovation, new approaches to solving problems, deep industry insights or meaningful perspectives on emerging trends. If the most important part of your story is about you, your organization, your event or products or services, you likely don’t have a story the media will be interested in covering.

Do we have something important/interesting to say?

Executives who want to be seen as thought leaders must do more than comment on the news cycle. Real thought leadership requires informed opinions and a willingness to engage with the trends shaping the industry. It also requires getting out of one’s comfort zone. That doesn’t mean being controversial. But it does mean having a clear perspective on what comes next, what companies are getting wrong and forming opinions on what leaders should be considering for the future. Absent this approach, thought leadership descends into little more than a cacophony of bland, homogeneous opinions of interest to no one.

What does successful PR look like?

Public relations can support many business goals: building credibility, attracting talent, strengthening investor visibility, positioning executives as experts or helping a company stand out in a crowded market. Absent a shared understanding of what must be achieved and what success looks like, PR efforts can feel scattered and difficult to evaluate, impacting perspectives on the ROI of the engagement.

A Partnership is Required

Public relations works best as a partnership with shared goals, language and vision. Agencies bring media relationships, strategy, creativity and storytelling expertise. Organizations and their leaders bring insight, access and the spark of ideas that lead to stories worth telling. When both sides contribute the results compound over time and help sustain and grow the business.

Like a tall glass of cold water, leaders who answer these gut-check questions long before bringing in the PR pros often find themselves both refreshed and satisfied with their investment. 

For those attempting to evaluate where or how strategic communications might fit into their broader business goals, a thoughtful conversation with the team at Kimball Hughes PR can be a useful place to start.

What to Expect From a PR Partner: Debunking Common PR Myths

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Public relations’ (PR) function in business can often be misunderstood. The frequent conflation of PR with marketing and advertising, which both contribute to a brand’s visibility and growth in different ways, can complicate its understanding further. Like many communications efforts, PR’s direct impact on sales isn’t easily measured, making it difficult for those who don’t understand its value to commit to consistent PR in order to take full advantage of the long-term audience-building and reputational benefits. 

Below, we’ve listed and debunked some of the most common misconceptions we see related to public relations: 

  • “PR is just putting out press releases” 

The role of PR in building a business’ reputation goes well beyond press releases. While press release writing and distribution does remain an important tactic for sharing relevant and timely business updates, press releases are not and should not be the sole method PR professionals leverage; they should be one tactic of a more strategic approach likely involving proactive pitching of thought leadership and more. Press releases should be used tactfully and strategically. An effective PR partner will avoid the “spray and pray” approach, in which press releases are distributed broadly across a myriad of publications to prioritize the quantity of placements over quality ones that reach relevant audiences and perpetuate an organization’s communications goals. Before a press release is distributed, media lists should be curated carefully to ensure only media contacts with related beats and relevant audiences are on the receiving end.

  • “All publicity is good publicity”

In today’s digital world, where an ill-timed social media post or public faux pas can catapult an everyday individual into public infamy overnight, bad press can tank careers and upend businesses. In the current news cycle, there is never a guarantee those individuals will get a chance to share their side of the story. Any good crisis PR expert will tell you negative publicity requires immediate, careful consideration for the short and long-term reputation of the individual at issue and/or the health of a related organization. 

  • “There is no ROI on PR”

As mentioned above, PR success can be difficult to measure as verified numbers regarding accurate article views are rarely shared or can be unclear. Earned media is earned not bought, which means there is no absolute guarantee of coverage as there would be with advertising or sponsored content, especially in a crowded and fickle news cycle. Our agency has had success measuring share of voice (SOV) with clients, which measures the percentage of a brand’s presence in market conversations relative to competitors. Media relations results are dictated by the given coverage and even if a PR pro sends a well-crafted, relevant pitch to the perfect contact, one breaking news story could completely disrupt their efforts. An effective PR agency will work with clients to identify what metrics are most important to an organization’s goals and report these measurements at a regular cadence. 

From media relations to crisis communications, PR can be misunderstood. At the end of the day, it’s a key component in ensuring your organization remains not only in good standing but reflects the company’s mission and draws in its audience. A good PR partner will be well-versed in how best to identify storytelling opportunities, navigate relationships with the media and position organizations in front of their target audiences. Don’t let these PR myths deter your business from committing to a PR team who will implement a consistent approach that will set your company up for media success.