Why PR campaigns should focus on more than ‘awareness’

Awareness. We sell it. Clients want it. Executives crave it. And it makes the PR world go round and round.

But awareness for the sake of awareness has never been enough—and it never will be.

Yes, brand awareness is valuable. But we can do so much more, which requires us to think beyond traditional PR metrics. Ask yourself: What’s the single most important business objective you are trying to drive through media relations right now? If the answer has anything to do with visibility, website traffic, competitive share of voice, message penetration, etc., you’re not thinking big enough.

Those metrics are important but limiting.

Media relations—and PR in general—is a means, not the end. Extracting the full value of PR requires us to intentionally align our strategies with something bigger. Think market share, lead generation, sales enablement, competitive displacement, funding, M&A and talent. If your PR strategy is not working at this level, you are likely leaving value on the table.

Media coverage is getting harder to come by. There are fewer reporters, more PR teams and a nonstop news cycle. The opportunities we secure are precious, and we need to ensure they hit the right mark.