How to brief a PR agency (so you actually get the results you want)
Here’s something I see far too often.
A new client walks in with a big ambition, a rough idea, and a PDF from three years ago titled “Marketing Strategy (FINAL FINAL).”
We’re talking about a media launch, a new brand push, maybe a shift in messaging but the brief? Vague at best.
The thing is a strong PR brief doesn’t have to be long or full of buzzwords. But it does need to give your agency enough clarity to do what you’re hiring us to do: tell the right story, to the right people, in the right way.
So if you’re gearing up to engage a PR agency, here’s what we actually need from you to make the partnership work.
Start with your ‘why’
Why now?
Why PR?
What’s changed in the business that’s prompting you to invest in communications?
Is it a growth phase? New leadership? Brand overhaul? Expansion into new markets? Are you trying to build credibility before capital raising or prep your spokespeople for media?
This context is gold. It shapes the strategy, the tone, and the way we approach media.
Without your ‘why,’ we’re pitching in the dark.
Tell us what success looks like
Spoiler alert: “more media coverage” is not a strategy.
Tell us what good looks like. That might be:
3-5 pieces of tier one coverage
Consistent visibility on LinkedIn
Industry positioning ahead of a launch or event
Internal alignment on messaging
Executive profiling in trade or national media
Clear objectives give us something to aim for and give you something to measure.
Define your audience (and be specific)
You’d be surprised how often this gets skipped.
We don’t need a 50-page persona deck, but we do need to know:
Who are you trying to reach?
What do they care about?
Where do they spend time?
If you say “everyone,” we’ll politely push back. Because good PR isn’t about reaching everyone it’s about reaching the right people, repeatedly, with a message that resonates.
Share what’s worked (and what hasn’t)
Had a great run with a podcast or op-ed in the past? Tell us.
Burnt by a previous agency or internal team? We want to know that too, not to critique, but to avoid the same mistakes.
If something flopped, that’s useful insight. If something landed, we can build on it. Honesty here makes for a stronger partnership.
Give us access
Access to the right people = better PR.
Whether it’s your founder, CFO, technical lead, or product strategist let us in. Let us ask the “dumb” questions so we can shape smart messaging.
If you're engaging a PR agency, trust us to do what we do best. We don’t need full visibility into every team call but we do need context, candour, and access to those who can speak with credibility.
Be real about timing and budget
We don’t expect unlimited runway or bottomless budgets. But we do need to know what’s realistic.
A six-week campaign? Great – we’ll plan accordingly.
A longer-term retainer? Even better – we can build brand equity over time.
Last-minute launch with no media assets, no spokesperson prep, and no approvals process in place? We’ll be honest about what’s possible.
PR isn’t magic. But when well briefed, it’s incredibly effective.
Bonus tip: clarity beats polish
You don’t need a glossy 40-page doc. In fact, some of the best briefs we’ve seen have been written in bullet points over a coffee.
What matters most is clarity:
What are we doing?
Why now?
What does success look like?
Who are we trying to influence?
What do we have to work with?
We can shape everything else from there.
In short: help us help you
A good PR agency doesn’t just chase headlines we build reputations, shape narratives, and help your business earn trust in the places that matter.
But we can’t do it alone.
So if you're ready to partner with a PR agency, take the time to brief us properly. Because clarity on day one means momentum from day two. And that’s how the real magic happens.