Tag Archive for: communications

PR Doesn’t Fail in the Pitch. It Fails Before That.

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Key Takeaways

  • PR challenges are usually clarity problems, not distribution problems

  • One-size-fits-all angles are convenient for brands, not suitable for journalists

  • Strong stories are tailored to the lens of the person receiving them

  • PR is 1:1—your research and pitching should be too

PR Pitch Fail: It’s Not What You Think

When PR isn’t working, the first instinct is to fix the pitch—tighten the subject line, refine the angle, add more reporters to the list, and push harder on outreach. Sometimes that helps. Most of the time, it doesn’t. Because PR rarely fails in the pitch. It fails earlier than that.

We were reminded of this in a recent conversation with a client. They had put real thought into a set of angles based on our initial thinking and came back with a fair question: would their preference – which was a mixture of two pitch angles – land with all the reporters we were targeting? The collaboration was exactly what you want, but the question itself revealed the underlying issue. They were seeing if we could make one story (of course the one story they wanted to tell) work for everyone.

That’s where things start to break down.

There’s a natural tendency, especially on the brand side, to look for efficiency. One clean, uniform angle that can be applied across a shortlist of media feels aligned and manageable. But in practice, it’s often a version of forcing a round peg into a square hole. What works for one reporter won’t necessarily work for another, not because the story is wrong, but because the lens is different.

What AI Pitches Get Wrong

One reporter might be drawn to growth—data, traction, something new in the numbers that hasn’t been covered before. Another might not care about that at all and instead focus on the human side—how a founder thinks, or the one principle they operate by every day. Same company, same underlying story, but two completely different entry points depending on who’s on the receiving end.

This is where PR often gets misdiagnosed as a distribution problem, when it’s actually a clarity and alignment problem. It gets treated like a volume exercise instead of a relationship-driven one. But PR has always been one-to-one. The outreach is, the relationships are, and the research has to be as well.

That research goes beyond simply looking at what someone covers. It’s about understanding how they cover it—what catches their attention, what makes them decide something is worth sharing, and how your angle fits within that context. If that step is skipped or generalized, the result isn’t a tailored story. It’s a broadcast.

Most teams do come up with good ideas. They’re thoughtful, well-articulated, and directionally right. But that’s not the bar. The real question is whether the story actually does something—whether it gives a specific person a reason to care, fits how they already think and write, and meets a moment they’re paying attention to. If it doesn’t, no amount of pitch refinement will change the outcome.

We see this same dynamic outside of PR, especially in thought leadership. Content can sound polished and correct, but if it isn’t clearly attributable to a specific point of view, it ends up feeling interchangeable. It could have been written by anyone, which means it’s remembered by no one.

At the root of all of this is a simple but often overlooked disconnect. Many brands spend their time thinking about what they want others to say about them, without first getting clear on what they actually need to say and show themselves. That clarity has to come first. Without it, everything downstream, angles, pitches, outreach, becomes harder than it needs to be.

Because by the time we’re writing the pitch, we’re revealing the outcome rather than creating it.

 

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What Does PR Do?

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Key Takeaways

  • Building Trust Through Third-Party Endorsement: As consumers grow more skeptical of direct brand messaging, public relations serves as a vital tool by leveraging third-party validation. PR can effectively communicate a brand’s story through trusted sources, enhancing credibility and engagement.
  • Consumer Expectations for Social Responsibility: Modern consumers, particularly younger demographics, expect brands to take a stand on social and political issues. A strong PR strategy can help brands authentically showcase their values and involvement in relevant causes, which can influence purchasing decisions.
  • PR’s Impact on Information Preference: Data indicates that consumers, especially business decision-makers and Millennials, prefer learning about companies through articles rather than advertisements. Effective PR campaigns can generate more goodwill and engagement, making them invaluable for purpose-driven brands looking to establish a positive narrative.

Understanding PR’s Role in Today’s Media Landscape

There are more ways than ever for brands to communicate directly with prospective customers, investors, and stakeholders. Along with traditional marketing platforms like TV, radio, print, and billboard advertising, alternative methods such as social media and YouTube give companies even more ways to tell their story to their audience.

But even with more communication channels, traditional advertising (and even social media) has limits. Being constantly exposed to promotional content has made consumers more skeptical than ever. One study from Ragan found:

  • 86% of TV viewers skip or ignore ads
  • 44% of direct mail is never opened
  • 91% of email users unsubscribed from a company email list they originally opted into

Why Consumers Expect Brands to Take a Stand

Unlike previous generations, today’s employees and consumers expect leadership to weigh in on meaningful topics. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer:

  • 67% of employees expect employers to take a stand on issues they care about
  • 71% believe CEOs should respond to social and political challenges
  • 76% say CEOs should take a leading role in addressing societal problems

Younger audiences remain especially skeptical about authenticity:

  • 37% of teens (ages 16–19) doubt brand claims about causes
  • 69% believe brands exaggerate their support

PR is uniquely positioned to help companies navigate these expectations with credibility and consistency.

How PR Can Help You Reach (and Persuade) Even More People

If marketing and advertising are the tools brands use to tell their story, PR is the art of getting others to tell that story for you. While it may seem counterintuitive for brands to put their faith in having other people tell their story, there are benefits from good PR that can’t be matched by marketing and advertising. When trust is the goal, few tools are more effective.

Does PR Really Work? The Data is Clear

There’s already plenty of data to back up these claims. The Content Marketing Institute found that 70% of consumers prefer to get information on a company from articles as opposed to ads. This is even more true among businesses; CMI also found that 80% of business decision-makers prefer to learn about a company from articles instead of ads. Lastly, HubSpot found that Millennials are 247% more likely to be influenced by blogs and social media than by traditional advertising.

Brands who take advantage of what PR can do have an advantage over those who ignore these potential benefits. Getting articles about your company into trustworthy publications will generate more engagement and goodwill than even the strongest, most effective ad campaign. For brands that are purpose-driven, this kind of PR is priceless.

Frankly, more brands should be promoting themselves as values-based and purpose-driven. It’s a good business strategy; the MediaCom report we mentioned above found that 54% of the teens surveyed said they had bought from or intentionally avoided specific brands because of their ethics and values. MediaCom also found that 63%  of teens said they were more likely to buy from a brand that supported causes or charities that the teens cared about.

But credibility requires consistency, transparency, and real action, three pillars PR helps reinforce.

How PR Shapes Your Narrative and Strengthens Trust

Brands that actively shape their narrative gain a meaningful edge. PR helps you:

  • Clarify your mission
  • Reinforce your values
  • Correct misconceptions
  • Build long-term trust
  • Position your brand with purpose

This is particularly important when communicating around complex, nuanced, or potentially polarizing topics.

How Avaans PR Can Help

Avaans Media has a strong track record of helping brands tell their story in an interesting, creative way. Take our work for a hemp-based wellness brand. We had our work cut out for us with this campaign, as we had to establish the validity of hemp-based products in the consumer packaged-goods space despite skepticism from many prospective customers. But by harnessing our media contacts and crafting a campaign across a range of business, science, and lifestyle publications, we were able to place more than 200 stories about our client over a period of three years, averaging five stories every month.

Ready to find out what PR can do for you? Contact us here. 

 

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PR Statistics for Your PR Strategy for 2025

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Key Takeaways

  • Growth and Digital Shift in PR: The global PR industry is rapidly growing, expected to reach $129 billion by 2026. This growth highlights the increasing importance of digital PR, including online visibility, SEO, and social media, as businesses move away from traditional PR methods to a more data-driven approach.

  • PR Integration with Other Functions: PR is increasingly intertwined with marketing, SEO, and influencer marketing, with 60% of PR professionals noting influencer marketing’s growing importance. The relationship between PR and SEO, in particular, will be crucial in 2025 to drive online traffic and improve search engine rankings.

  • Personalization and Quality over Quantity: Journalists are overwhelmed with pitches, making it essential for PR efforts to focus on personalized, relevant, and well-crafted content. With only a 3% response rate to pitches, creating unique, engaging stories will be key to gaining media coverage in 2025.

Check Out Our 2026 Update on PR Statistics

The public relations (PR) landscape is constantly evolving, and understanding key PR statistics is crucial for success. In an age where digital media reigns supreme and audience expectations shift rapidly, understanding  the current state of PR can help you make smarter decisions for your business. Whether you’re a tech startup, a consumer brand, or scaling a solid PR strategy, it can help you grow, gain trust, and ultimately boost your sales. But how do you know what works? What’s changing in the PR world that you should pay attention to? This is where understanding current PR industry data becomes essential.

In this blog, we’re sharing the most important PR statistics you should know to set yourself up for success in 2025. Plus, we’ll dive into the five biggest trends you’ll want to integrate into your PR strategy moving forward.  So, let’s dive right in.

PR Statistics 2025: Essential Industry Data

In this section, we’ll break down 20 of the most important statistics from the latest studies, providing a better understanding of the current state of public relations and how to navigate it effectively in 2025.

1. The State of the PR Industry in 2025: Key Statistics

The global PR market currently stands at a massive $88 billion. This number is expected to skyrocket to $129 billion by 2026, according to Statista. This rapid growth shows how important PR has become across all industries. Brands see the value of a solid PR strategy to build awareness, credibility, and trust.

This growth also highlights the shift from traditional PR to a more digital and data-driven approach. Companies recognize that a successful PR strategy goes beyond media mentions—it also builds online visibility, boosts SEO, and drives business growth.

2. PR Statistics Show Market Growth

The PR industry saw a significant rebound in 2021 with a growth rate of 10.2%, according to The Business Research Company. This increase was largely attributed to the shift towards digital platforms, especially due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase shows how adaptable and resilient PR is, especially when businesses leverage online channels for visibility.

3. Digital PR is on the Rise

According to the uSERP State of Backlinks report, 60.05% of online businesses outsourced their digital PR efforts in 2021 and 2022. This PR statistic is significant because it demonstrates how businesses increasingly rely on external PR agencies for specialized skills in managing their online reputation, securing quality backlinks, and running influencer campaigns. It’s a clear sign that outsourcing PR is not just a trend but necessary for businesses looking to scale quickly.

4. The Importance of PR Agencies

PR agencies have experienced a 30% growth over the last five years, as stated by USC Annenberg. This rise in PR agency growth mirrors the need for professional help crafting effective PR strategies. As businesses expand and enter new markets, they require experts who can navigate the complexities of media outreach, digital content, and influencer collaboration.

5. Content Creation Challenges for In-House Teams

The Holmes Report reveals that 90% of in-house PR teams struggle to generate enough quality content to drive results. This finding suggests that even though many businesses may have internal teams, they still struggle to keep up with the demands of effective content creation, media outreach, and brand storytelling. A PR agency can deliver high-quality, engaging content that resonates with journalists and audiences.

6. The Value of PR Professionals

Salary.com says the average salary for a PR manager in the U.S. is $114,358. This PR statistic highlights the value of experienced PR professionals. However, it also underscores the high cost of hiring a dedicated in-house PR team. For many businesses, especially startups or mid-sized companies, working with a PR agency is a more cost-effective and efficient way to manage their public relations.

7. Brand Mentions and Online Traffic

A survey by uSERP found that 84.39% of digital PR professionals believe brand mentions play a significant role in driving online traffic. Media coverage increases brand awareness, which, in turn, can lead to higher website traffic, better SEO rankings, and more opportunities for conversion. This is why brand mentions should be a central focus of any PR strategy.

8. PR and Marketing Integration

A report from Cision found that just 18% of PR companies are closely integrated with their clients’ marketing teams. This PR statistic highlights a gap in collaboration between PR and marketing. As companies move forward into 2025, integrating these two departments will be crucial to ensure consistent messaging and a unified approach to brand building.

9. Influencer Marketing in PR

According to USC Annenberg, 60% of PR leaders believe that influencer marketing will continue to play a vital role in PR success. Influencers help amplify a brand’s message to a larger audience, often in more authentic ways than traditional advertising. As influencer marketing thrives, integrating this approach into your PR strategy will be essential in 2025.

10. Email Pitching Best Practices

Muck Rack’s survey found that 93% of journalists prefer receiving pitches through email. Despite the growth of social media and other digital platforms, email remains the most effective method for connecting with journalists. This PR statistic reinforces the importance of mastering the art of email pitching and personalization when trying to secure media coverage.

11. The Optimal Length for PR Email Pitches is 200 Words or Less

Muck Rack also found that journalists prefer email pitches that are 200 words or fewer. The reason? Journalists are inundated with hundreds of emails daily and don’t have time to read long, drawn-out pitches. Keeping your message concise and compelling is key to increasing your chances of getting noticed.

12. 72% of PR Professionals Struggle to Measure the Business Impact of Their Efforts

According to Muck Rack, 72% of PR professionals struggle with measuring the direct business impact of their efforts. It’s one of the biggest challenges in the industry—proving that PR efforts contribute to the bottom line. It is why working with an experienced PR agency that uses advanced analytics tools can help ensure your PR strategy is truly moving the needle.

13. Twitter Is the Most Popular Platform for Connecting with Journalists

Though email remains the preferred method for pitches, Twitter/X remains the go-to platform for connecting directly with journalists. If you’re looking to build relationships with the media, being active on Twitter/X can help you stay top of mind for relevant journalists.

14. Buzzstream, Pitchbox, Mailshake, and Prowly Are Popular Tools for Outreach

According to uSERP, digital PR tools like Buzzstream, Pitchbox, Mailshake, and Prowly are essential for efficient outreach and media management. These tools help streamline identifying journalists, tracking interactions, and managing pitches, making them vital assets for any PR strategy in 2025.

15. The Power of Storytelling in PR

Storytelling is more important than ever in PR. According to the Holmes Report, 88% of PR leaders believe storytelling is the highest-value skill for successful PR campaigns. Crafting compelling, authentic narratives will remain at the heart of any successful PR effort in 2025.

16. The Evolving Definition of PR

As PR continues evolving, many professionals feel that “public relations” no longer accurately reflects their work. PR has become a multifaceted discipline that blends traditional media relations with digital marketing, content creation, and more.

17. Thursday Is the Best Day for Press Releases

Prowly’s data shows that Thursday’s press releases have the highest open rates (over 26%). This PR statistic tells us that timing matters, and sending press releases on the right day can make a big difference in how they are received by journalists and readers alike.

18. Journalists Respond to Just 3% of PR Pitches

The harsh reality for PR professionals is that journalists respond to only about 3% of the pitches they receive. It underscores the importance of crafting highly personalized, relevant, and attention-grabbing pitches. Quality matters more than quantity.

19. The Importance of Personalized Pitches

Muck Rack’s survey found that 77% of PR professionals believe relevancy and personalization are the most important factors in determining whether a pitch will be successful. Mass email blasts are no longer effective. A personalized, thoughtful pitch can help your brand stand out in a crowded media landscape.

20. 25% of Journalists Receive Over 100 Pitches Per Week

According to Cision, journalists are bombarded with a large number of pitches every week—around 100 or more. It reinforces the need for personalized, well-crafted pitches that stand out from the noise.

As these PR statistics demonstrate, the landscape is constantly shifting. Staying informed is crucial.

Key PR Statistics: 5 Industry Trends for 2025

As we head into 2025, several key PR trends are expected to shape the industry. Let’s take a closer look at the most important developments that will influence your PR strategy in the coming year.

1. Digital PR and SEO Integration

In 2025, the relationship between digital PR and SEO will grow stronger. Digital PR is not just about gaining media coverage—it’s also a vital part of an SEO strategy. Backlinks acquired through media coverage and digital outreach enhance search engine rankings, increasing organic traffic to your website. The collaboration between PR and SEO will be essential in 2025 for brands aiming to sustain a strong online presence and increase their visibility.

2. The Expanding Role of PR

The role of PR is evolving rapidly. 87% of PR professionals agree that “public relations” doesn’t fully encompass their current activities. Modern PR includes digital marketing, content creation, and influencer partnerships. This expanded definition means that your PR strategy in 2025 must be holistic, embracing multiple channels and approaches to maximize impact.

3. Quality Over Quantity in PR Pitches

Gone are the days of mass pitching. In 2025, PR will be all about quality over quantity. Journalists are inundated with press releases and media pitches, so only the most personalized, relevant, and well-crafted stories will get attention. PR agencies will be crucial in ensuring your pitches stand out and get noticed in a crowded media landscape.

4. Diversifying PR Channels

In 2025, PR will no longer rely solely on traditional media outlets. Brands will increasingly look to diversify their PR efforts by tapping into new channels like podcasts, webinars, digital events, and influencer marketing. These channels offer opportunities to connect with new audiences more authentically and engagingly, making them essential components of your PR strategy moving forward.

5. Companies as Media Outlets

In response to the decline in media responses and the rise of self-publishing, many brands will begin to create their own media outlets in 2025. Companies like HubSpot and SEMRush have already acquired media properties, and this trend is expected to continue. Owning your media lets you control your brand narrative, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms.

In conclusion, as we move into 2025, the PR landscape is more dynamic and fast-paced than ever. Understanding the key PR statistics and staying ahead of the trends is essential for crafting a successful PR strategy. For businesses looking to maximize their impact, partnering with a PR agency can help streamline efforts, improve media outreach, and ensure that your brand message resonates with your target audience.

If you’re ready to elevate your PR efforts and develop a winning strategy, Avaans Media is here to help. As a top-rated PR agency with a 100% executive-level team, we specialize in boutique PR services for emerging industries and hyper-growth companies. Let us help you make a lasting impact in 2025 and beyond. Reach out to us today.

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5 PR Measurements for Fast-Growing Companies

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Key Takeaways

  • Identify the “Why” Behind PR: Understanding the core purpose driving PR efforts is crucial for aligning strategies with long-term and short-term business goals. This clarity strengthens communication strategy and ensures PR tactics evolve alongside company objectives.
  • Focus on Quality Metrics: Rather than overwhelming clients with extensive KPI dashboards, effective PR measurement should focus on 3–4 key metrics that directly support business outcomes. This makes insights clearer and keeps efforts aligned with real company goals.
  • Integrate Data with Emotional Intelligence: Successful PR measurement blends data-driven analysis with contextual and emotional intelligence. This ensures strategies remain responsive to social, cultural, and market dynamics.

5 PR measurements for Fast-Growing Companies

Here’s a question we get asked a lot, in the quick, nimble world of hyper-growth companies how do we measure PR?

A top-tier PR agency should always begin by asking,  “how will you measure success?”  As a modern boutique PR firm, the team at Avaans Media always ask about future goals.  This is critical to can tie results to meaningful business objectives. We also ask this question because results drive our PR pricing, which is built around your objectives, not ours. 

Unlike traditional models, modern PR measurement has evolved. Every year since 2010, PR professionals meet in Barcelona and set the Barcelona Principles as a framework for measuring the effectiveness of PR and communication. We based our PR measurement philosophy on these modern PR measurement principles: Barcelona Principles 3.0.

These 5 PR measurements for fast-growing companies provide insight into how we work and provide a roadmap for PR success, no matter what your objectives.

1. DETERMINE THE “WHY” BEHIND PR

The “why” behind your PR strategyis the foundation for clarity, alignment, and momentum.  There may be a 5-year goal in mind, or a sales goal for the next year. Goals for hyper-growth brands may be dynamic and far-reaching. Having long-term and short-term goals as a fast-growing company is perfectly acceptable.

Why It Matters

Your “why” might be long term, or immediate. For example,a PR campaign for venture capital attraction  is different from  a company preparing for an IPO. And if a company wants to improve revenue growth, the PR strategy for that would be different as well.

How to Apply It

Share your goals openly and regularly with your professional PR team. As goals change, so should the PR strategies and tactics. It’s important PR efforts reflect both positioning for today and tomorrow. The “Why” is where the communication strategy is built and it’s a critical piece to PR success. Once you determine your overall “why,” a top PR agency will then know what levers to pull for a quality PR campaign

 2. PR MEASUREMENT IS ABOUT QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

It’s tempting to rely on PR dashboards with hundreds of KPIs , but more data doesn’t always mean better insight.  With the advent of AI, gathering and interpreting your KPIs will be much easier. However, until that day happens, your PR KPIs should reflect 3-4 metrics that reflect the goals of the company.

Collaboration is Key

Work with your PR agency to determine which KPIs truly matter. If you’re unsure why something is being measured, ask. Modern PR is collaborative and iterative. As goals evolve, so should the metrics.

Pro Tip

Include metrics that include both outputs (coverage achieved) and potential impacts (business outcomes) for fast-growing companies, because that’s where the real story lies.

3. DATA AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TELL THE PR MEASUREMENT STORY BEST

Your PR measurement should include data points, but it should also include context and insight. Data without insight is practically meaningless for hyper-growth brands.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence

PR data and the importance of that PR measurement will have different meanings against, social, cultural, and corporate contexts. Splashing numbers across a page is the simple part. Modern PR measurement requires emotional intelligence to surface real insights and actionable strategies.

The Result

When there are radical changes, your PR firm should dive deeper to provide meaningful insight and assure correct changes were made proactively and the KPIs reflect the insight and analysis.

4. PR MEASUREMENT IS HOLISTIC

Why silo PR, one of the most important strategies for fast-growing companies? Modern PR includes SEO considerations, social media, paid media, and earned media, online and offline.

Breaking Down Silos

Insist that your modern PR firm collaborate with other agencies and departments or at the very least that they keep one another informed of campaigns and their goals. Aligning earned, paid, and owned strategies ensures that all marketing channels amplify each other.

Comprehensive Measurement

As a CMO, it’s also critical that you share the OTHER KPIs you measure in advertising, social media, and owned media so the communication measurement incorporates the entire picture. This holistic measurement provides a more accurate picture of brand momentum.

5. TRACKING FOR SMARTER, MORE ETHICAL GOALS

Everyone understands SMART objectives (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound), but modern PR agencies are adding ETHICAL and REVOLUTIONIZING to make objectives SMARTER.

Smarter PR

PR professionals have professional ethics set forth by organizations like PRSA. Journalists also have a set of professional ethics. But those ethics are only the beginning, because modern PR agencies should consider digital ethics (security, disclosure) as well as social and cultural ethics, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Transparency Contextualizes Data

Today’s PR strategies involve many levers—from earned to paid opportunities. Transparency ensures stakeholders understand what drives results.

Educate teams and executives on which outcomes are paid placements versus earned media. Understanding the distinction allows more accurate measurement and budgeting.

Transparent reporting fosters stronger relationships between brands and agencies—and leads to smarter, more confident decisions.

The Future of Measurement

PR measurement should always be contextural and advance both the brand AND society. These modern-day ethics aren’t only for purpose-driven brands, they are for all stakeholders who care about the brand. It’s more critical than ever that modern PR firms incorporate SMARTER goals and outputs that enhance brand value over short-term bursts which may actually hurt a brand’s reputation. The next generation of PR isn’t just about results—it’s about responsibility.

FINAL THOUGHT: PR MEASUREMENT THAT EVOLVES WITH GROWTH

PR measurement will remain as dynamic as your fast-growing business, customers, and culture. These five goals for hyper-growth brands provide guidance and help you achieve real success with PR.

At Avaans Media, we’re committed to being best-in-class in providing PR measurement with genuine insights that apply to your business. Contact us today for a meaningful discussion about PR measurements for today’s business goals.

 

 

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5 Steps to CPG PR Crisis Planning

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Key Takeaways

  • Crisis preparation protects your brand: For CPG brands—especially in emerging industries—proactive PR crisis planning helps organizations respond quickly to scrutiny, rumors, or regulatory changes before issues escalate.
  • A dedicated crisis response team is essential: Effective crisis communication requires coordination between leadership, PR professionals, legal advisors, and operational leaders, each with clearly defined responsibilities.
  • Crisis communication must be tailored to stakeholders: Different audiences require different messaging and channels. Planning in advance ensures communication remains consistent, timely, and credible during high-pressure situations.

For most CPG brands, a PR crisis is rarely a question of if—it’s a question of when.

This is especially true in emerging industries where regulations evolve quickly, research is still developing, and business deals grow larger and more visible. Those conditions create the perfect environment for public scrutiny—and occasionally, public relations crises.

Most CPG companies initially approach PR firms to share their story, gain media coverage, launch campaigns, and build brand recognition. Those are the exciting parts of public relations.

But some of the most valuable work a PR firm does happens behind the scenes: preparing a company for moments when things don’t go as planned.

Why Plan for a PR Crisis Before One Happens?

According to Plos|One research, true rumors are confirmed in roughly two hours—but false rumors can take more than fourteen hours to debunk.

In today’s fast-moving media environment, misinformation spreads quickly across social platforms and news outlets. Companies often have very little time to assess the situation, determine their response, and communicate clearly.

This is why crisis planning matters.

We once had an entrepreneur decline crisis planning because they “didn’t want to think about it.” For us, that was a clear red flag. Crisis preparation isn’t about pessimism—it’s about protecting the brand and ensuring the company can respond effectively when pressure arises.

Crisis planning may not be glamorous work, but it is essential. A thoughtful plan strengthens your brand’s resilience and allows leadership teams to act with clarity instead of panic.

In the era of rapid news cycles, social media amplification, and cancel culture, having a plan in place is one of the most effective ways to protect your company’s reputation.

Step 1: Identify Your PR Crisis Team

Your crisis response team should include the individuals responsible for leadership decisions, communications, and operational response.

Depending on your organization, this may include:

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Chief Marketing or Communications Officer
  • Brand Spokesperson
  • Public Relations Agency and Investor Relations Advisors

Additional team members may participate depending on the nature of the crisis:

  • Legal Counsel
  • Human Resources
  • Product or Quality Assurance Leaders
  • Social Media Specialists
  • Customer Service Representatives

Not every crisis will require every person listed above. However, each team member should understand their role before a crisis occurs. During a crisis, clarity around responsibilities helps prevent confusion and conflicting communication.

Step 2: Identify Potential Crisis Scenarios

Some CPG PR crises are unique to consumer brands, while others affect companies across industries.

When developing a crisis plan, leadership teams should brainstorm potential scenarios together. This process helps ensure all perspectives—legal, operational, marketing, and communications—are considered.

It’s also important to remember that a crisis can emerge simply because someone claims something happened, even if the claim proves false.

For example, if allegations against a company appear in the media or circulate widely online, the reputational damage may occur regardless of the outcome.

A well-known example is the Tide Pod Challenge. Although Tide had nothing to do with the viral social media trend encouraging people to consume detergent pods, the company still needed to respond quickly and responsibly.

Common crisis scenarios to consider include:

  • Product injuries affecting staff or consumers
  • Quality control issues or product recalls
  • Natural disasters affecting operations
  • Legal actions involving employees, clients, or partners
  • Regulatory investigations or emerging research impacting the industry
  • Executive leadership changes

Not every situation requires the same response. Some crises demand immediate public statements, while others may require targeted communication with a limited audience—or occasionally no response at all.

Step 3: Identify Stakeholders and Audiences

Most crises involve multiple stakeholder groups, each requiring slightly different communication.

While the core message must remain consistent, the level of detail or tone may vary depending on the audience.

  • Employees
  • Customers
  • Retail partners or dispensaries
  • Business partners
  • Investors
  • Government regulators
  • Industry media
  • National media
  • Local media

Mapping these audiences ahead of time ensures communication can happen quickly when needed.

Step 4: Determine Communication Formats

Different crisis scenarios require different communication strategies.

Companies should determine in advance how messages might be delivered. For example:

  • Will the company issue a press release?
  • Will leadership provide media interviews?
  • Will updates be shared on social media?
  • Will a video statement be appropriate?
  • Will investors require direct communication?

Although press conferences are relatively rare in the CPG sector, certain situations may call for them.

Planning communication channels in advance allows teams to move quickly and consistently during a crisis.

Step 5: Know Where Critical Information Is Located

During a crisis, speed matters.

Your crisis team should have immediate access to key information, including contact lists, internal leadership contacts, legal advisors, and media relationships.

Your PR firm should also have the necessary background materials ready—company facts, leadership bios, and messaging frameworks that can be adapted quickly.

Having this information readily available can sometimes mean the difference between damaging headlines and quickly resolved issues.

The Ongoing Step: Listen Carefully

In the day-to-day demands of running a CPG brand, it’s easy to overlook early warning signals.

That’s why monitoring industry conversations, social media sentiment, and media coverage is an essential part of crisis preparedness.

Strong media monitoring and social listening allow companies to identify potential issues early and adjust messaging before a situation escalates.

Understanding how consumers, regulators, and investors are reacting to industry developments provides valuable context when determining whether and how to respond.

There’s no single formula for CPG crisis planning. Each plan should reflect the company’s culture, leadership style, and risk profile.

But if a crisis does occur, having a plan in place provides something incredibly valuable: a clear path for decision-making.

If you’d like to learn more about crisis communication planning—or if you’re looking for experienced cannabis PR crisis advisors—you can start here.

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Create an Edge with Powerful Purpose Driven Public Relations

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Key Takeaways

  • Consumer Demand for Purpose: A significant majority of consumers (63%) prefer brands that align with their values, and 62% want these brands to take a stance on social and political issues. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger audiences, highlighting the competitive advantage for brands that embrace purpose-driven strategies.
  • Authenticity is Crucial: Brands must back their claims about supporting social causes with genuine actions. Consumers, especially teens, are skeptical; 37% doubt brands’ sincerity in supporting causes, and 69% believe brands often overstate their contributions. Authenticity in messaging is essential to build trust.
  • Successful Case Studies: Brands like Nike and Patagonia demonstrate the benefits of purpose-driven public relations. Nike’s partnership with Colin Kaepernick showed that taking risks on social issues can resonate positively with consumers, while Patagonia’s commitment to environmental causes strengthens its brand loyalty. Companies that adopt and communicate a clear purpose can attract and retain customers effectively.

Why Purpose-Driven Public Relations Have an Edge 

It’s easy to see why some companies are skeptical of shifting to a “purpose-driven” business model. Doing so requires companies to take a position on important, potentially controversial issues like environmental protection, workers’ rights, racial and gender discrimination, income inequality, that have social impact.

Is Taking a Stand the New Social Media in Public Relations?

Taking a stand can generate a swift backlash from the community and consumers. For an example, look no further than the reaction from many fans of the National Football League when several players, most notably San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, knelt during the national anthem as a protest against police violence.

The NFL is one of the few monolithic institutions left in American life, and the response from its fans would seem to discourage other brands from getting involved in political and social issues. Even President Donald Trump got involved by putting pressure on team owners and league officials. And yet, the NFL’s handling of its players’ police violence protests offers an instructive example of why brands should lean into social causes instead of avoiding them.

After all, what was the ultimate outcome for Kaepernick? The NFL caved on player protests and is allowing social justice messages in the end zones this year. Kaepernick partnered with Nike on their “Dream Crazy” ad, which helped spread his message to a much wider audience. Though the ad was criticized in some quarters, most people responded positively to it. Younger audiences, one of Nike’s key demographics, responded especially well.

Making that ad was a risk for Nike, but it’s a risk that clearly paid off. By being aware of social trends — particularly among some of its core customers — and partnering with someone who had legitimate social justice credentials, Nike scored a public relations coup and rode the wave to increased sales.

Jumping into the realm of social activism is new for Nike, but other brands have engaged in social, political, and environmental causes for many years now. The clothing company Patagonia, for instance, supports many social causes, especially groups focused on the protection and preservation of public lands in the United States. They’ve also imposed a “1% for the Planet” tax on themselves, in which they spend 1 percent of their sales (not just their profits) on environmental activism while encouraging other companies to do the same.

Another brand that’s making headway in terms of changing the way business is done is King Arthur Baking Company. Unlike many larger bakeries, King Arthur is a private company that is owned by its employees and is a benefit corporation. This means that having a positive impact on the world is built into the company’s corporate structure. In an article for the New York Times, Ralph Carlton, one of King Arthur’s chief executives, said “Being accountable to our employee-owners means we have to take them into account. We don’t believe in growth for growth’s sake.” The company’s message is clearly resonating with consumers; according to the Times article, King Arthur’s sales tripled this past spring when many people went into quarantine and started baking their own bread and other goods.

Is a Purpose Driven Public Relations Strategy for Everyone?

These examples and additional research illustrate the gains to be had for brands that embrace social causes. For instance, the research firm Accenture found in 2018 that 63 percent of consumers prefer to support brands that share their values and beliefs. In that same study, Accenture also found that 62 percent of consumers want brands to take a position on social and political causes, and 65 of consumers said their buying decisions are influenced by the values, actions, and words of a company’s leaders.

As we saw with Nike, these trends are even more pronounced among younger audiences and consumers. Other researchers have found that 54 percent of teens age 16-19 boycotted or bought from a brand because of its ethics. Furthermore, 63 percent of teens say they are more likely to buy from brands that back charities or other causes they believe in.

These figures provide more evidence that consumers are eager to buy from brands they perceive as having strong morals and values. However, brand trust is a precious commodity that companies should not take for granted. About 37 percent of teens surveyed in the study mentioned above said they didn’t trust the claims brands make about the causes they support, and 69 percent of teens in the survey said brands overstate how much they support the causes they supposedly champion.

That last point is critical. It’s not enough for companies to say they want to make the world a better place, they have to back it up with their actions and policies. If you tell consumers you’re moving to a purpose-driven business philosophy, you need to give them proof.

Once again, we can look at Nike for an example of this theory in action. Regardless of other criticisms the company has faced in the past, making Kaepernick the centerpiece of a campaign took courage, as he was a pariah in many circles and hadn’t been a star player for several years. But because Kaepernick had sacrificed his career and his reputation for his beliefs, Nike benefitted from his social justice bona rides.

As more consumers push for brands to become more socially and politically engaged, companies that have already adopted a purpose-driven approach or are willing to make a good-faith effort have a tremendous advantage in the marketplace. If you can show consumers that your brand shares their values, they’ll flock to your business.

How to Celebrate a Purpose-Driven Public Relations

 

Of course, getting your message in front of consumers is easier said than done. You need a public relations firm that understands the challenges purpose-driven brands face and the benefits they can provide consumers. Fortunately, PR for purpose-driven brands is what we do at Avaans Media, and we can help show the world what makes your company special.

It’s important not to be too bold or too generic when it comes to PR for purpose-driven brands. You need to be specific about what you’re doing and how it’s generating the kind of positive change you’re striving for. We’ll create a campaign that’s tailored to your company’s specific strengths and goals, and we’ll show consumers that you’re serious about achieving those goals.

This kind of campaign is something we already have experience doing. One of our biggest successes came from helping a nonprofit create content to help parents who were non-native English speakers improve their children’s early education outcomes. We listened to what they wanted to achieve and created streamlined, easy-to-understand social media content for parents to share with each other and their children. Furthermore, we helped the nonprofit lobby the state legislature to fund early education programs for pre-kindergarten students.

Our campaign was a tremendous success, generating over 401,000 impressions over six months among our target audience, with an engagement rate of over 50 percent. The state legislature also saw the extensive community support for the program and funded more early education programs, providing an even greater benefit to the community.

Our organization has the tools and talent to bring this kind of success to your purpose-driven brand. To learn more, visit our contact page to schedule a call with one of our offices. You can also find us locally in New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Phoenix, Denver, and San Diego.

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