Sarah Kissko Hersh

If you just hired a new PR agency, give them 3 months to show results.

It really takes that long to learn the company/brand/audiences/subject matter experts/key messages, build a media list, make outreach, pitch stories and start to see all of that bear fruit with coverage or interviews.

If you need immediate results, buy an ad.

PR is PR is PR. With very few exceptions, if you can successfully do PR in one industry you can successfully do PR in any industry.

Over the years I’ve worked for clients in:
Travel and hospitality
Architecture and design
B2B
B2C
Non profits
Museums
Associations
Consumer packaged goods
Government and quasi-government orgs
Public companies
Private companies
Entertainment Marketing
Tech
Luxury
Retail
And more (even a jazz dance troupe)

The principles are the same, and they are transferable. New media relationships can be made.

So if you’re hiring a PR person or PR agency partner, prioritize things like:
Chemistry fit
Attitude
Writing skills
Work ethic
Creativity
Genuine interest in following news
Tenacity
Past success

For anyone in external communications, the thrill of their pitch resulting in a media coverage never gets old. Never.

But just because leadership thinks something is a great story idea, doesn’t mean the media will agree. There has to be a strong angle, and a journalist who will care about it.

So if someone on your media relations team tells you your story idea won’t get media attention and it’s not worth pitching, believe them.

(And if the PR team passes, don’t assume that your social team will somehow be able to make magic happen)

We’re experts in the media space and finding angles.

But if it’s not there, it’s simply not there.

That doesn’t mean your idea or initiative or your work isn’t strong,

or that we’re being negative

or lazy

or that we’re not on your side.

It just means there is no story there for media to bite into.

And if we try to pitch a dog of a story, it’ll compromise credibility with that writer and they might not pay attention to our future pitches.

So trust us, we’re here to help…and sometimes that means not making that pitch 😉