Five proven strategies to make your PR campaign fly
After a big campaign, I always sit with a pen, paper, and a big cup of filter coffee to break down what worked and what didn’t.
I’ve looked through some of my most recent flagellation/self-congratulation to pull out a few common themes. Because PR isn’t an exact science – some campaigns explode, and some never quite take off. But when a story goes to the moon, it’s rarely by accident.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
1. Work with clients you believe in (and who trust you)
The best ideas happen when you’re fully immersed, and the client is willing to be brave. When approvals don’t strangle creativity. When you’re trusted to get on with it, rather than justify every tiny decision.
Find clients who see you as experts and implementers, not just expert implementers. When trust is there, ideas move faster, momentum builds, and you don’t end up in a cycle of, "Can we just run this by X, Y, and Z before we decide?"
2. Back yourself and sell hard
We always have a good idea of where a story could land on a good day. The difference between decent coverage and kablammo? Back yourself to push it through.
The art of the sell-in is fading (I’m somewhat nostalgic for those ol’ ring-round days…), but it’s the thing that takes a campaign from nice to unstoppable. You can have the best angle in the world, but if you don’t make sure it’s seen, what’s the point?
3. Be a journalist
My colleague Henry Ainslie always says, "Once a journalist, always a journalist," and he’s absolutely right. Those 10,000 hours of finding, shaping, and selling a story never leave you, and it’s why so many journalists make great PRs.
The stories that land hard have actual news value. We’ve usually made sure of it. No fluff, no spin – just a fully oven-ready media package with a tight angle, quality video, and great press photography.
If you’re not reading widely, staying on top of cultural conversations, and looking for the angles that make people care – you’ll always be playing catch up.
4. We’ve found a clear Trojan Horse
A punchy, culture-driven hook grabs attention. But it has to lead naturally to the brand.
"Mossgiel launches crowdfunder"? Nobody cares.
"Mossgiel launches the UK’s most expensive flat white to fund the future of farming"? Suddenly, it’s everywhere.
If you don’t have an obvious way in, find one. The best campaigns have a Trojan Horse that sneaks a brand’s message into the biggest conversation.
5. Move fast
Speed creates its own momentum. Some of the best ideas die in the graveyard of PR bureaucracy – overthinking, endless sign-offs, nervous hesitation. That trend may be a thing of the past next week.
At Story Shop, we move fast. We brainstorm in real time, bounce ideas off each other, and trust our gut. When something has the potential to go big, we don’t let it get stuck in "let’s pick this up next week" purgatory.
TL;DR?
Work with clients who trust you
Sell hard – earn the coverage and don’t wait for coverage to happen
Think like a journalist – news value is king
Find the Trojan Horse – make it easier to cover than ignore
Move fast – don’t let things die in the graveyard of bureaucracy.
The campaigns that go to the moon aren’t usually the biggest or the most expensive. They’re the ones with the right story, the right idea, the right execution, and the right timing.
And when it all comes together, like in these campaigns, It’s a thing of beauty.