In a recent webinar on the impact of Public Relations (PR) in business growth, PR experts Heidi Thompson and Monika Dürr shared insights from their combined decades of experience. They discussed how smart PR strategies can help businesses build credibility, grab media attention, and create lasting relationships with key stakeholders.
Here’s an overview of the strategies discussed, including real-world examples, PR planning tips, and actionable takeaways for 2025.
1. What Audiences Want to Hear
Effective PR is rooted in understanding the needs and interests of your target audience. Heidi kicked off the webinar by explaining the types of content that resonate most with audiences in the technology and manufacturing sectors. These include:
New product launches and innovations
Customer success stories (case studies)
Third-party collaborations
Market trends and analysis
Community engagement and corporate social responsibility initiatives
When you tailor your PR messaging to meet these interests, you ensure your brand stays relevant, builds trust, and strengthens its presence in the marketplace.
2. The Scope of PR in Your Organization
PR is not an isolated function—it should be embedded across an organization. Heidi and Monika emphasized the importance of involving key teams, including sales, marketing, customer support, and even CSR, in your PR strategy. Here's how PR fits into the broader organizational structure:
Content Creation: The foundation of PR lies in producing valuable content like press releases, case studies, webinars, and market reports.
Distribution Channels: Once content is created, it needs to be distributed through multiple channels, such as corporate websites, email campaigns, social media, and speaking engagements.
Audience Reach: Content doesn’t just go out to your customers; it reaches your media partners, influencers, and even third-party organizations who can amplify your message.
As Monika highlighted, PR is a team effort—collaboration is essential for success.
3. The Recipe for PR Success: Authentic Content
The key ingredient for any PR campaign is authentic content. But what does that mean in practice? Authentic content provides genuine value to your audience. Whether it's a customer testimonial, a well-researched case study, or an in-depth market report, this content should be both informative and engaging.
Case Study Example: “Reclaiming Lost Real Estate in NYC”
Heidi shared a case study that exemplifies how PR can be a catalyst for business growth. The story was about a government agency in New York that utilized their client's technology to digitize documents and free up an entire floor of office space.
This success story, which was framed as "Reclaiming Lost Real Estate in NYC," was shared on their client’s company website, in email campaigns, and across social media. Not only did it generate new leads and reduce the sales cycle, but it also resulted in third-party collaborations that are still yielding benefits today.
Why Case Studies Work:
They build trust by showcasing real-world success.
They generate leads and shorten the sales cycle.
They provide social proof that validates your products and services.
4. Planning for 2025: How to Maximize Media Exposure
To stay top-of-mind for journalists and media outlets, it’s essential to have a consistent PR plan. Monika recommended issuing press releases every month. Topics might include:
New product releases or updates
Notable customer wins
Staff changes or new partnerships
Events and webinars
Press releases are not just a one-off tool—they boost SEO, improve online discoverability, and provide ongoing, optimized assets that can serve your business long-term.
Press Rooms: The Key to Seamless Media Access
Another important aspect of media relations is having a dedicated press room on your website. A well-organized press room allows journalists to quickly find the latest news about your brand and download key assets, such as high-quality images, fact sheets, and press releases. As Monika put it, “journalists work under tight deadlines, and your press room can be the tool that helps them get the information they need in a timely manner.”
5. Trade Shows and Media Relations
Trade shows continue to be a valuable platform for building relationships with the media. Heidi and Monika shared several examples of their work with clients at international trade shows such as drupa, interpack, and Labelexpo. Key strategies include:
Video interviews with customers: These are powerful tools for lead generation and media coverage.
Press kits: Well-prepared press kits—whether physical or virtual—ensure that journalists have all the information they need to cover your brand.
Onsite media relations: Engaging with journalists directly during trade shows can result in immediate editorial coverage and longer-term media relationships.
In fact, trade show coverage often leads to articles published in key industry magazines, driving visibility and business growth for clients.
6. Trends in Europe: Smaller, Hybrid, Quality
Monika discussed some of the PR trends they’re seeing in Europe, particularly around trade shows. The shift is toward smaller, hybrid events with a focus on quality over quantity.
Key takeaways include:
Smaller, more focused events: There’s a rise in niche, specialized trade shows where the quality of interactions is more important than the volume.
Hybrid events: These combine in-person and virtual elements, allowing companies to expand their reach while keeping the quality of interactions high.
Visual content: With a shift toward virtual and hybrid events, high-quality visuals, videos, and podcasts play an increasingly important role in media coverage.
7. PR and Visuals: A Winning Combination
One of the final topics covered was the critical role of visuals and multimedia in successful PR campaigns. As Monika put it, “a picture is worth a thousand words”—and high-quality images, videos, and infographics can significantly improve media pick-up and engagement. Visual content can:
Increase media coverage: Journalists are more likely to cover stories that include strong visuals.
Support SEO: Properly optimized images and videos can improve your search engine ranking, making your content more discoverable.
Enhance storytelling: Visuals make complex topics easier to digest and more memorable for your audience.
8. Q&A: Addressing Common PR Questions
In the final segment of the webinar, Heidi and Monika addressed some common questions from attendees.
Q1: How can we generate media coverage if our social media engagement is high but we’re not getting editorial coverage?
Heidi’s advice: The key is to issue press releases regularly, and the starting point for sharing the information is on the corporate website. The next step is to distribute press releases and associated images to the targeted media outlets. This is critical as the reach of traditional media is often 10 to 100 times larger than most companies' channels. It’s also important to reach out to the key media contacts to answer any questions, offer interview opportunities, or provide more information. Once the information is released to the media, then share it on social media.
If you make this a regular practice, you should begin to see more media coverage each month.
Q2: What if we don’t think we have enough news to issue press releases every month?
Monika’s response: PR isn’t just about big news—it’s about consistent messaging. Smaller updates, like product enhancements or event sponsorships, can keep your brand top-of-mind for journalists and stakeholders. A steady stream of news shows your company is active and growing.
Q3: What role do visuals and multimedia play in PR?
Visual content is essential. It improves media coverage, supports SEO, and makes your messaging more engaging. As Monika said, “A good image or video is often the difference between being noticed and being ignored.”
Conclusion
Effective PR is an ongoing effort that goes far beyond media coverage—it’s about building trust, fostering relationships, and aligning your brand with the needs of your audience. By focusing on authentic content, maintaining a regular PR cadence, and leveraging visuals, your business can build a strong foundation for growth in 2025 and beyond.
If you have any questions or would like to dive deeper into any of these topics, feel free to contact Heidi Thompson at hthompson@acepublicrelations.com and Monika Dürr at monika.duerr@prservices24.onmicrosoft.com.
Here’s to your continued success in the world of PR!
