by Nycole Walsh
Good PR is not a broadcast. It’s a relationship game, and most brands are only playing half the board.
Too many teams chase media hits like it’s 2015, forgetting that today’s influence is distributed. AI search, niche creators, internal skeptics…all of them shape your visibility and reputation.
Here are the five PR relationships every brand needs to thrive and how to keep them strong.
1. The Journalist (Duh, But Not Just Any Journalist)
Why it matters: Media relationships are still foundational. But the Rolodex has changed. The new power players aren’t just at TechCrunch and the WSJ. They’re also on Substack, TikTok, and Discord.
How to keep it healthy:
- Pitch real stories, not self-serving announcements.
- Be a source before you need a favor.
- Respect deadlines and inboxes (read: don’t cold pitch at 5 PM on Friday).
- Follow up, but don’t be a pest. Three strikes and you’re ghosted.
Invest in building human relationships. Comment on their work. Celebrate their wins. Reporters are people, not PR vending machines.
- The Algorithm (Yes, It’s a Relationship Now)
Why it matters: AI is shaping how people discover brands. If your PR efforts don’t surface in AI-generated summaries or LLM answers, you’re basically invisible.. Zero click search is a must play game these days.
How to keep it healthy:
- Treat your “knowledge footprint” like a product. Make sure your brand shows up across high-authority and multimedia sources like podcasts – they play well with LLMs.
- Prioritize content that’s easier for LLMs to scrape. Think: Reddit, vendor blogs and review sites.
- Refresh content regularly so your info doesn’t get stale or buried.
If you’re not seeing traction in AI search, it’s not an SEO problem, it’s a PR + visibility problem. Fix the inputs.
3. The Internal Stakeholder (a.k.a. Your Comms Co-Conspirators)
Why it matters: Great PR doesn’t happen in a silo. You need sales for story signals, product for roadmap context, execs for narrative alignment, and legal for… well, not getting sued. If those teams don’t trust or understand what you’re doing, PR turns into a bottleneck instead of a business driver.
How to keep it healthy:
- Involve stakeholders early, don’t just surface when you need approvals.
- Show how PR ladders up to their goals (revenue, recruiting, reputation).
- Create simple, repeatable workflows for gathering input and securing sign-off.
Strong internal relationships give you context before you pitch. You’ll spot story opportunities, avoid landmines, and move faster because you’re already in the loop.
4. The Community Influencer (Creators, Niche Voices, Analysts)
Why it matters: The trust graph has splintered. People believe people, not brands. That niche podcast host or Reddit mod might even drive more pipeline than a Bloomberg feature.
How to keep it healthy:
- Ditch the spray-and-pray. Go deep on the few that actually influence your ICP.
- Give them value: early access, exclusive data, unfiltered exec time.
- Don’t control the message, co-create it.
Track which influencers and analysts are already shaping your category. Then invest in building something real with them.
5. The Crisis Crew (Your Fire Drill Friends)
Why it matters: Crisis happens. Your response time, tone, and facts-under-pressure will define your brand far more than the crisis itself.
How to keep it healthy:
- Build your response team before things go sideways.
- Create and rehearse a simple decision tree: Is this a crisis? Who decides? Who speaks?
- Draft templates ahead of time. Don’t wing it when the heat’s on.
The best crisis comms aren’t about spin. They’re about clarity, speed, and being the most trustworthy source in the room.
Relationships Are Your Real PR Strategy
Media. AI. Internal allies. Community voices. Crisis partners. These aren’t “nice-to-haves”, they’re the new pillars of modern PR. And like any relationship worth keeping, they require consistent effort, respect, and a little emotional intelligence.
Visibility is just the tip of the PR iceberg. It’s about being understood, trusted, and talked about in the right circles. The brands that win are the ones that show up consistently, credibly, and in community with the people who shape perception. Build those relationships like your reputation depends on it, because it does.
