Public Relations Consulting Firms

My first communications hot take of 2025! 🔥 Traditional PR metrics are dead. Stop counting press releases. Stop tracking AVE. Stop chasing meaningless numbers that don't tell you anything or move the needle. These metrics are a relic of the past. If you're still using them, your strategy is falling behind. (And if your agency is serving up these metrics as proof of their impact, then it's time for a hard conversation.) 🤨 Here's what needs to go: ❌ "Number of press releases" is just vanity. Nope, press releases aren't a strategy—they're a tactic. Publishing isn't the same as reaching. ❌ "Volume of coverage" tells you nothing. A hundred mentions in low-tier outlets don’t compare to one strategic feature that influences decision-makers. ❌ AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency) is meaningless. This was never a meaningful metric. Did you spend that budget on ads? No? Then why measure it like one? It doesn’t capture influence or impact. ❌ "Total impressions" lacks context. Reaching the wrong audience 1M times = wasted effort. Context is important here. If it’s 1M impressions with your target audience that drives some meaningful outcomes—that’s your metric. ❌ "Social follower count" is shallow. Having 50K silent followers is cool and all, but give me 5K engaged people any day. Social is shifting from brand followers to people, making follower count even less relevant. . Here's what (I think) actually matters in 2025: ✴️ Narrative Share (think thought leadership, elevated) → Are you shaping how people think about key issues? → What percentage of relevant conversations include your POV? → Are you leading the narrative—or playing catch-up? ✴️ Share of Voice *Quality* (not just mentions) Focus on: → Authority & Impact: Topic leadership and decision-maker credibility → Message Effectiveness: Perception shifts and resonance → Business Value: Lead quality and customer story impact → Stakeholder Engagement: How key audiences interact and respond ✴️ Audience Journey → What happens *after* someone sees your message? → Do your efforts drive real behavior change? → How are stakeholders engaging, retaining messages, changing behavior, or taking action? ✴️ Community-Driven Influence (beyond basic engagement) → Are you building advocates or just awareness? → What's happening organically in your networks? → Is your community telling your story for you? 🤔 I'll be the first to admit that measuring these isn't "easy" or as simple as open rates. Measuring the metrics that actually matter in PR requires a *mix* of qualitative and quantitative approaches, and it means leaning into tools, methodologies, and frameworks that go beyond surface-level data. 🗣️ Bottom line (and something I've been saying for years): PR isn’t just about getting your name out there. It’s about influencing how people think, feel, and act—to drive business OUTCOMES. If your metrics don’t reflect that, it’s time to rethink them. 📈 What PR metrics are you focusing on in 2025?

I spent 8 years working on Capitol Hill. I've been lobbied thousands of times. Here are 10 strategies for lobbying Congress on an issue you care about (regardless of who wins the election next week): 1️⃣ - Begin with your own elected officials. Offices prioritize their constituents. When you reach out, provide your city and zip code to show they represent you. 2️⃣ - Have a clear ask. It's ok to explain why you're passionate about the issue, but ask them to take a specific action. See if they'll support an existing bill or letter, or if one doesn’t exist, ask them to lead the issue. 3️⃣  - Amplify your voice. Rally ten other constituents to make calls, send emails, and write letters in support of your cause. A single call won't move the needle, but multiple ones can. 4️⃣ - Contact relevant legislative staff. If you can’t find their email address online, call the main line and ask. Or stop by the office and pick up their business card. 5️⃣ - Be clear and succinct. Send a personalized email requesting a 15-minute call or meeting. Explain the issue in a few lines and attach a memo with additional information. If they don’t respond the first or second time, try something different and get creative. 6️⃣ - Provide a compelling justification. Explain why it’s in their interest to support the idea. Show them it's politically safe if it aligns with their previous positions or has constituent support. 7️⃣- Seek assistance from advocacy groups. These outside organizations can endorse the legislation, reach out to staff, and rally support from other constituents. Before supporting initiatives, legislators will often ask which groups support the idea. 8️⃣ - Validate the idea. Highlight thought leaders, academics, and experts that endorse the idea. Have them write an op-ed or ask them for a favorable quote. Their endorsement makes it easier for legislators to support your cause. 9️⃣ - Engage supportive elected officials. Ask those that already champion the idea to talk to your legislator. They will want to know if other like-minded elected officials support the issue. Peer pressure works. 🔟 - Leverage celebrities. Most stars are passionate about something. Find the one who cares about your issue and encourage them to engage. Set up briefings and events where they can speak to legislators and staff. What has worked for you? 👇 Let me know in the comments ♻️ Repost this to help other advance the issues they care about. And follow Geo Saba for more.

3 PR tactics that should have died a decade ago Still showing up in 2025. Still hurting your brand. Still wasting time. Let’s fix that: Dead PR tactics still used (and what to do instead): 1. Mass-pitching "exclusives" Old: Sharing “Exclusive interview request with CHRO” with 20 other journalists in BCC. If 20 journalists get it, it’s not exclusive. New: Create reporter-specific pitches. Your TG is not the reporter. It’s the reporter’s audience. 2. Cold-calling without research Old: “Hi, I’m Joe, calling you on behalf of this SaaS tool company. Are you working on any story where my client can participate?” New: Study the reporter’s last 3 articles. Connect with their perspective. PRO tip: Talk to them before you need them. 3. Pursuing radio silence Old: If journalists aren’t responding, we need to stop pushing. New: Reframe the angle. Or find a better story. Or another reporter. Traditional media isn’t dying. Business coverage continues in newspapers. But getting featured requires smarter approaches. Modern PR = - Direct communication - Digital presence - Traditional media coverage → All working together Stop mass-sending templates. Start: - Building better relationships - Creating hyper-personalised pitches - Knowing when to stop following up - Researching thoroughly - Targeting precisely Clients don’t care how many doors you knock. They care how many you open. Take a hard look at your current PR methods. Stop chasing. Start connecting. PS: Does your team connect with reporters before pitching?

(A note to all my overwhelmed comms managers who are doing it all!!) If you’re in a comms role and suddenly expected to “do PR,” you're definitely not alone. Press isn’t just an extension of marketing, it’s a completely different discipline with its own rules, rhythms and relationships. Over the years, I’ve worked with lots of comms managers who were expected to “just send a press release” and instantly generate coverage. Often, they're given KPIs that simply don’t work in press, because media coverage doesn’t follow the same logic as campaign impressions or email open rates. Below are a few common mistakes I see (as a former journo), usually driven by pressure to deliver arbitrary amounts of coverage, that can actually backfire (and what to do instead.) ❌  𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 I know your internal stakeholders think it’s a big deal, but unless it’s a senior appointment, a substantial survey (2k+ sample) that has something new to say, or a genuinely new product/service, a press release is overkill. Focus on the story, not the format. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Sending a generic release to 200 journalists isn’t outreach, it’s a lot of unnecessary noise. Offer an exclusive where you can. Build fewer, stronger relationships. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗞𝗣𝗜 Press releases aren’t monthly deliverables. Only send one when there’s actual news. It’s better to pitch strategically than tick a box. Focus on outcomes, not output. ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵) I rarely pitch to more than 10 target titles. And each one gets a slightly different version - based on what that journalist actually covers. Spend the crafting your pitches, instead of pushing out hundreds of emails. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 Open with: why this matters and why now. Then add three concise bullet points max. You’re aiming to save the journalist time, not take more of it. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 If the story isn’t strong, even the best contact can’t place it. The story always comes first. Showing that you care about a journalist's time and respect their craft, also leads to better relationships in the long run anyway! 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 Polite persistence is fine. Pestering is not. If it’s a “no,” consider reworking the angle or holding it for a better moment. Or if they do respond with a no, ask them what they are working on and how you can actually help. This has led to me securing whole op-eds for my clients as a result! Personally, I prefer the little and often method. Pitch one smart idea a month - a comment, insight or news reaction. If it’s not picked up = save it, repurpose it as a newsletter or post, or pitch it later when there’s a relevant hook. Would love to know how other comms managers have managed to strike this balance!

I'm tired of hearing PR = traditional media. Most agencies are getting it wrong too. 🙃 It isn’t… The NY Times The WSJ  <Insert any other big-name publication> people get excited about Even if you land in a top-tier publication, chances are people will read about it like you are right now - on their LinkedIn feed - rather than the actual media platform where it was published. These traditional platforms may provide varying degrees of credibility, but they don't provide distribution. Today, EVERYTHING is media. Here’s what that might look like: Targeted Content: - Niche Podcasts: Identify the specific podcast your ideal CIO (Chief Information Officer),  CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), or whoever listens to based on their industry and interests. These podcasts are GOLD for moving prospects from awareness to consideration. - Curated Newsletters: Seek out targeted Substack newsletters relevant to your niche, not just "gems." Think "Bankless" for crypto enthusiasts or "The Information" for tech insiders. - Engaging Collaborations: Partner with influencers who genuinely understand your audience and know how to engage them on platforms like Instagram Live. Look for influencers who spark conversations and promote meaningful interactions. - LinkedIn Fireside Chats: Host live-streamed chats with industry leaders and your CEO, and top clients. This adds credibility and attracts a wider audience. - Leveraging Trends: Create TikTok accounts or tie into those that creatively engage with relevant trends and topics specific to your industry. Interactive & Community-Driven: - Virtual Conferences: Participate in or host virtual conferences that attract your target audience, offering valuable content and networking opportunities. - Twitch Streams: Consider live-streaming on Twitch for real-time interaction, especially if your target market is tech-savvy or in the gaming industry. - Reddit AMAs: Host Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything) on relevant subreddits to directly engage with your audience and answer their questions in an informal setting. - Pinterest Boards: Create curated Pinterest boards around themes your target market actively searches for, showcasing your brand's expertise and visual appeal. Content with Reach & Impact: - YouTube Channels: These channels have content optimized for search, and one interview alone can drive targeted traffic. - Data-Driven Insights: Prioritize creating content backed by data and industry insights that your target market craves, like reports, white papers, or infographics. Remember: If you aren't seeing the results you want with PR, it's almost ALWAYS one of two things. Either your definition of media is too narrow (and hence, strategies are outdated and underperforming), and/or you don't have a distribution plan to go with it. #pr #publicrelations #strategiccommunications #marketing #tech #b2b

Early in my journey, I learned a simple yet powerful truth about investor relationships—it’s never just about the numbers. Performance matters, no doubt, but what truly cements long-term partnerships is transparency and trust. I remember a particularly tough quarter when we faced unexpected headwinds. The easy way out would have been to sugarcoat the situation, focus only on the positives, and hope for a better next quarter. Instead, we chose to be upfront—laying out the challenges, the reasons behind them, and most importantly, our plan to navigate through. What surprised me wasn’t just the investors’ understanding but their reinforced confidence in us. That moment reaffirmed that honesty is valued far more than perfection. Trust, on the other hand, isn’t built in a single conversation. It’s earned over time through consistency, ensuring that what we commit to aligns with what we deliver. Whether it’s staying true to our vision, making principled decisions, or keeping open lines of communication, trust is a byproduct of actions, not just words. Beyond balance sheets and presentations, investor relations, at its core, is about people. Behind every investment is an individual backing not just financial projections but a vision and a leadership team. Connecting on a human level—understanding their concerns, engaging in meaningful conversations, and aligning values—goes a long way in building lasting relationships. Today, investor expectations are evolving. It’s no longer just about financial returns; it’s about the larger impact a business creates—be it sustainability, governance, or contributing meaningfully to the ecosystem. Transparency in these areas is becoming as critical as financial disclosures. In many ways, trust and transparency are like the foundation of a building—often unseen, yet holding everything together. They are the reason our investors have stood by us through both successes and challenges. How do trust and transparency shape your relationships, in business or beyond? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #InvestorRelations #Transparency #Trust #Leadership #BusinessGrowth

Ready to Expand Your Reach? Social Media Tips for 2025 Today, I was pleased to deliver an online workshop for Stronger Kent Communities on "Increasing Your Impact: Social Media for Social Good." I was joined by an amazing group of charities and non-profit organisations. We covered the key steps to creating a strong social media strategy. We also covered the latest trends and tactics to make the most of it! Here’s what I shared: ONE ↳ Goals: We discussed the importance of setting clear goals, focusing on Awareness, Community, and Conversion. Building that know-like-trust factor is key! And, of course, keeping those goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). TWO ↳ Audience: Understanding your audience is so important. We brainstormed who their audiences are and how to build detailed buyer personas. We discussed tools like answerthepublic.com, Google, and Facebook Groups to discover the pains and challenges of their target audience. THREE  ↳ Lead Magnets: Creating lead magnets is a great way to attract your audience and provide a solution to their pain or challenge. This step is about bringing people into your email list, where you can nurture them further and guide them towards conversion. FOUR ↳ Engaging Content: We explored ways to create content that grabs attention and engages your audience. Using platform-specific features is essential. For example, LinkedIn is seeing success with polls, carousel posts, and infographics, while Instagram reels and carousel posts are driving great engagement. FIVE  ↳ Engagement: Don't just broadcast and walk away. Engagement is crucial. Jump into the platform, have conversations, and interact with your audience. The algorithms love it when you keep people engaged, and it will reward you with better reach. SIX ↳ Outreach: Engagement naturally leads to outreach. Start conversations! Follow up on interactions like polls and initiate meaningful discussions. Conversations can lead to conversions, and making the first move can open doors you didn't even realise were there. So, how's your social media plan shaping up for 2025? What's the takeaway you can implement right now? Make sure you have a strategy, stay focused, and maximise your social media impact! To your successes, Zoe

𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯): your opinion about someone or something, or how much respect or admiration someone or something receives, based on past behaviour or character. I recently interviewed someone who shared an example of overcoming a significant early career setback. Their mistake in their twenties damaged their reputation and became a handbrake on their career. I was impressed by their honesty in owning this error of judgement, yet more so by the efforts they had undertaken in the two decades since to address the issue and lead differently. The mistake itself isn't all that important. But it did get me thinking about reputation. I've often said reputations are hard-earned and yet so easily lost. For many of us, it's the most essential professional currency we own and can positively or negatively influence. So, do we spend enough time managing our reputations? Reputations are built over time. It is a gradual process that requires consistent effort, thought and focus. So, how do you set about building or improving your reputation? Here are nine ways you can enhance your reputation. 1. Assess your current reputation: Understand how others perceive you. Seek feedback from trusted friends, colleagues, or mentors. 2. Define your values: Determine the principles guiding your behaviour and decisions. This will allow you to project a consistent and authentic image. 3. Build effective relationships: Invest in building positive relationships. Be genuine, supportive, and dependable. Networking and maintaining connections with diverse individuals is a proven way to enhance your reputation. 4. Develop your expertise: Improve your skills and knowledge in your area of expertise. Become a reliable resource by staying current with industry trends and sharing valuable insights. 5. Deliver quality work: Strive for excellence in everything you do. Delivering results will add to your reputation. 6. Seek feedback and learn from it: Listen, accept constructive criticism, and use it to grow. Demonstrating a willingness to learn and adapt shows humility and a commitment to self-improvement. 7. Engage in positive communication: Communicate respectfully and diplomatically. Avoid gossip, rumours, and negative discussions. Ensure you are known for your discretion. Rise above negativity. 8. Pay it forward: Contributing, paying it forward, and giving back will enhance your reputation, and you will also feel good for doing it. 9. Act with integrity: Demonstrate honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour in your personal and professional life. Keep your promises, admit mistakes, and treat others with respect. And lastly, you cannot cultivate a reputation for being trustworthy and reliable if you are neither. Accept that mistakes will happen, but that does not need to define you as a person. Be patient, consistent, and genuine in your actions. Over time, your efforts will contribute to a stronger and more favourable reputation.

Changing ingrained behaviors and habits is hard. Changing your reputation after you’ve made those changes is even harder. People are still walking around with the old version of you in their heads, and frankly, they’re not paying close enough attention to notice you’ve leveled up. You’ve done the internal work and broken the patterns but your colleagues are still expecting the person who used to scramble at deadlines or avoid difficult conversations or whatever your old thing was. Your reputation is basically everyone else’s highlight (lowlight?) reel of your past mistakes and quirks, and they’re not exactly rushing to update their mental files. The tricky part is that you can’t just announce “Hey everyone, I’m different now!” and expect people to believe you. They need to see it, experience it, and have enough new data points that they can’t ignore the shift. Most of us get frustrated because we expect our transformed habits to immediately translate into different treatment and opportunities. But reputation change is slow, then fast. You need to stack enough evidence that people have no choice but to update their assumptions about who you are. Here are five ways to speed up the process without feeling like you’re bragging about your personal growth journey: 1. Tell specific stories, not vague transformation tales. Instead of saying “I’ve gotten better at time management,” share the story about how you restructured that chaotic project timeline and actually delivered early. Give people concrete evidence they can remember. 2. Go where nobody knows your old reputation. Volunteer for a cross-departmental initiative or join the committee where people haven’t witnessed your previous patterns. These become your reputation reset opportunities where you can show up as your new self from day one. 3. Have the awkward conversation with key people. Seriously, just tell your boss or closest collaborators that you’ve been working on specific changes and ask them to call you out if they see old patterns creeping back in. Yes, it’s vulnerable but it fast-tracks their awareness of your evolution. 4. Ask for feedback like early and often. Check in regularly with people whose opinions matter and ask what they’re noticing about how you’re showing up differently. This keeps your transformation visible and gives you intel on where the old reputation might still be sticking. 5. Play the long game without losing momentum. Your new habits need time to become your new reputation, just like it took time for your old reputation to solidify. Keep being consistent because eventually, the new pattern becomes so obvious that people forget you were ever any other way. #coaching #leadership #feedback

A top strategy tool you’re probably not using: The Issue Tree Want to crack business challenges in a super logical way? Start with a structured thinking tool: the issue tree. Let’s walk through how a company—let’s call it NewMediaCo—might use an issue tree to chart a path to an ambitious goal: adding $10 million in EBITDA within 2 years. Step 1: Frame the Core Question Begin with a sharp, focused question: “What must NewMediaCo do to grow EBITDA by $10M over the next 24 months?” The question is specific, outcome-oriented, and time-constrained—everything a good strategic challenge needs. Step 2: Deconstruct the Problem Logically Split the problem into major levers: 1. Grow Revenue 2. Cut Costs Then continue breaking each down further: Revenue Growth Strategies: 1. Grow Existing Products 2. Launch New Products Cost Reduction Levers: 1. Fixed Costs 2. Variable Costs Why Use Issue Trees? 1 Clarifies thinking — No more vague strategy sessions 2 Ensures thoroughness — Based on the MECE (Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive MECE) principle 3 Simplifies complexity — Breaks large problems into manageable chunks 4 Aligns teams — Keeps everyone focused on the same levers Real-World Use Cases -Plotting turnaround strategies -Evaluating and ranking growth opportunities -Driving alignment on cross-functional priorities If you’re not leveraging issue trees, you’re making problem-solving harder than it needs to be. They’re the strategist’s cheat code—clear, comprehensive, and incredibly effective. Follow Tim Vipond, FMVA® for more!