Public relations can mean something different to every organization—a way to generate headlines, protect reputation or fuel demand. But when integrated strategically, PR can become one of the most powerful growth and credibility drivers in your marketing mix.
The media landscape is constantly shifting. Journalists are covering more stories with fewer resources. New digital outlets and journalist voices appear daily. Social conversation can amplify—or damage—a brand overnight. In this environment, an aligned, well-equipped PR agency can give you a competitive edge by shaping the stories that matter, connecting with the right audiences and proactively managing your reputation. But getting the most out of that partnership takes intention and collaboration.
Here’s how to set your agency relationship up for long-term success and amplify your public relations strategy.
1. Share the full story behind your brand.
Your agency can only champion what it truly understands. Go beyond the basics of your product or service, and share your company’s history, mission, values, competitive differentiators and culture. What are the big milestones? The internal mantras? The customer moments that make your brand proud?
PR thrives on authenticity and nuance. When your PR agency understands what drives you, it can tell stories that resonate and stand out.
Example: A manufacturing client once shared its century-long legacy of craftsmanship during onboarding with the Motion PR team. That detail turned a simple product launch pitch into a major trade feature about heritage and innovation—coverage they wouldn’t have earned otherwise.
2. Introduce your key voices and experts.
Strong PR often hinges on strong, credible spokespeople. Identify the subject matter experts inside your organization who can bring color, insight, and authority to your story. Share their areas of expertise, career highlights, and personal passions—not just their titles.
The better your agency knows who to call on, the more opportunities they can land, from trend commentary and bylined thought leadership to podcast appearances and broadcast interviews.
Quick tip: Have your agency create a simple “expert roster” with names, specialties, headshots and any media experience or training they’ve had. It helps everyone move faster and smarter.
3. Align early on goals and how to measure them.
PR success can’t be one-size-fits-all. From the start, discuss what matters most: industry share of voice, earned media impressions, message pull-through, quality of coverage, lead attribution—or a mix of all of the above. Consider setting key indicators: pitch-to-placement ratio, reach into your ideal key persona outlets, share of voice growth over competitors, and sentiment analysis of coverage.
One Motion B2B client moved from simply counting press hits to monitoring how often their sustainability message appeared in coverage. Over a year, that key message pull-through grew, reinforcing their positioning with customers and investors.
4. Strengthen your messaging and preparedness.
Even the most established brands have messaging gaps. Audit your brand narrative and supporting materials: boilerplates, FAQs, crisis comms plans and media training. Your agency can help refine and fill those gaps, from sharpening sustainability proof points to aligning spokespeople on key messages.
Start by gathering your latest brand boilerplate, leadership bios, product fact sheets, social content pillars and any existing crisis Q&As. Then, identify outdated or missing pieces. Your PR team can modernize or craft new messaging so you’re ready to respond quickly to media or market changes.
5. Treat your PR agency as a true strategic partner.
A PR agency should be more than a vendor—they’re an extension of your team. Bring them into early conversations about product launches, company milestones and potential risks. Share your wins and challenges.
Give them access to your internal channels, invite them to planning meetings and share your organization-wide marketing calendar. The more visibility they have, the faster they can spot stories and proactively shape narratives or mitigate issues before they escalate.
When a client’s internal team flagged a potential product delay early, the Motion PR team built messaging and media guidance in advance. When the delay became public, the brand controlled the conversation and maintained trust with customers.
Final Thought
Effective PR isn’t just about headlines; it’s about influence, resilience and growth. Start by auditing how you’re engaging your PR partner today—what access, clarity and trust are you giving them? The stronger your foundation, the more powerful your agency can be in helping you earn attention, shape perception and protect your reputation in a fast-moving media landscape.
