PR AGENCY DIARIES: HOW TO GET PR WHEN YOU HAVE NO NEW NEWS TO TELL?

In an era where 'what's new?' is the virtual currency, gaining media coverage in lil ol’ NZ without breaking news seems about as easy as winning a marathon in jandals.  

But here's the secret: you don't need a groundbreaking development to grab the media's spotlight. It's about turning your existing expertise, stories, and insights into compelling press.  

For many businesses, especially those out of the limelight of high-tech or fast-moving consumer goods, getting PR without a new, shiny object to dangle is an intimidating prospect.  

And while the default is often to go down the easy route with maintenance campaigns that revolve entirely around staid ATL awareness drives, it’s a fact that these may do a lot for brand recall but are doing nothing to drive brand love (read: purposeful intent and desire). 

Here’s where ‘always on’ PR enters the chat.  And the brands you can reel off as success stories or non-negotiables in your proverbial shopping cart are all over it. 

A smart journalist (cc Hannah Story at Seven Sharp who has the most wonderful and fitting name for a reporter) once said to us, ‘give us news we can use’, and this simple statement can be a guiding light in ensuring you have a sound communications strategy at all times. 

It’s entirely possible to have always on PR that provides a subtle repeat reason for customers to seek out your product or service.  

Let's lift the lid and navigate the strategic landscapes that lead to media visibility even when you're not at the launchpad of something brand new. 

Build relationships with journalists 

In the public relations realm, relationships are akin to plutonium - you need them for explosive publicity. If you don't know the media or how to interact with them (including how to frame the message, what info to supply and in what format) you can bomb out hard and fast.  

The starting point is knowing who holds the mic. Research and identify journalists who cover your industry, or better yet, get your agency to give you a 411 on the lie of the land.  Challenge your preconceptions and listen to measured intel on why you would go to who and when, and for what reason. 

At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than reputation. And maintaining yours (and your businesses) with every stakeholder should be top of mind.  

Having (hopefully) already used your agency to introduce your company and its wares to the media, the next step is to follow what each media in your industry’s realm are covering day to day so you can insert yourself into relevant conversations. 

A good agency will be monitoring this for you, can help you to engage organically with them on social media (journalists love LinkedIn and X), and frame up valuable comments and insights into conversations they're leading that could get you published and build your top of mind status as a third party expert in the industry. 

Develop compelling story angles 

Clever companies also master the subtle art of 'newsjacking'—seizing the moment when current events align with the company's expertise to shine that spotlight on their services or products, sans actual news. 

Even without newsworthiness, your business teems with story angles. Is there a unique trend you're observing that hasn't hit mainstream news yet? Perhaps there's an unsung area of your industry where you can become the herald. 

Be the voice of change, the torchbearer of innovation, or the thought leader pushing the envelope.  

Case studies where your services helped another business achieve great feats are also headlines that the media enjoy covering, and readers love to devour. Nothing beats a good 'underdog triumphs' story. 

No, your efforts to place a recycling bin in each store and quest to be plastic free by 2025 aren't newsworthy in and of themselves.  

But a small PR stunt to create edible wrappers for one day coupled with the fact your largest competitor hasn’t even started their journey creates a media storm. It has a great visual of someone chomping into their wafer-based branded packaging, a timeliness (one day only edible packaging) and crucially an ability to get your until this time boring key messages on sustainability out there. Oh, and a boot into your competitor to move faster if they want to be taken seriously. 

This is what we did for our burger client to great success.  

Talk to your partners. What can seem innocuous to you can often (with some magic dust) spur a golden opportunity that reaps more reward than a $100k maintenance play could ever. 

Engaging the media's palette 

With the above in mind, when pitching to journalists or crafting content, consider the shades and flavours that your industry paints.  

For beauty companies, it might be behind-the-scenes looks at product development or profiles on the teams that create the magic.  

Food businesses thrive on taste-test features, nutrition proclamations, and the farm-to-fork journey tales. 

Understanding and projecting what makes your industry unique and engaging can turn mundane updates into timeless features. However, the core of any PR strategy must always be authenticity and reliability, two elements that transcend trends and never go out of style. 

The content conundrum 

Content isn't merely king; it's the kingdom.  

Thought-provoking blog posts, insight-driven articles, and the occasional viral-worthy opinion piece can catapult your business into the public arena. 

Tell them what you care about and then use the agency's strong-suit in copywriting to mould your thinking into a pithy, impactful statement that demands attention. They can sell it into a media placement, and you can then push it out on LinkedIn, your company website and beyond. 

Another powerful tool is the guest post.  

Contribute to respected industry resources or, better yet, secure regular columns in digital or print media where your targeted audience flocks. If you can't make news, be the news through your commentary and content. 

Networking and collaborations 

Never underestimate the potency of a handshake and a shared dream.  

Have the agency pull together a calendar of industry events where journalists and influencers congregate, and beyond just attending, create a small campaign or 'play' around your business to tag your company name to it, without the sponsorship pricetag. 

For our PR work for gaming and technology brands, this can be as simple as arranging a pre-event drinks function before industry mainstays like Armageddon (the media and influencers then know they're valued and part of our clique) or creating a guerilla sampling exercise near to the event (where you know your captive audience are orbiting for the day). 

Forge partnerships within and outside your industry. Couple up with brands that make sense - e.g. it made sense for two Kiwi icons Pic's and Whittaker's to unite, much like it makes sense for ROKU gin to host stunning co-branded events with equally cool Japanese brands and businesses.  

A good pairing will not dilute either brand's ability to get leverage from the collaboration. Joint reports or studies, co-hosted webinars, and collaborative events with brands that are complementary to yours put you in front of new audiences and generate shared media interest, plus shared costs too. 

Tortoise and the hare mentality 

Patience is not only a virtue; it’s a PR strategy.  

Consistent outreach, continuous networking, and engaging content are fruits that ripen over time, not overnight.  

The journey to being 'that company' everyone knows and talks about started with one pitch, one handshake, or one well-timed blog post.  

For New Zealand businesses, the local press is like a home-cooked meal: comforting, familiar, and a staple of everyday life. The fish and chip wrapper adage is even more cutting in today’s online world, with blink and you miss it a real risk to every business spending coin. 

Instead of trying to pull a new rabbit out of the hat, focus on polishing the silver you already own.  

Master the art of repackaging the old into the new. Highlight your best features, showcase your expertise, and, most importantly, be present and consistent. The media is always hungry for a good story, and sometimes, the best ones derive from what you've been doing all along. 

Remember, every press release or piece of content is a dot on a grand, long-term canvas that, in time, will paint the picture of a company that's as integral to the media's narrative as the newsworthy names. You want your best bits (not just any issues or missteps) to show up when people google your brand and working up a way to talk to your good news will tick that box and some. 

If you’ve got an itch to scratch, and need a committed partner that truly gets long-term visions and can translate that into bite-sized, sustained and interesting moments, get in touch to chat options.