PR News | PR Belongs at the Front End of a Business Strategy

Public relations has long been viewed as the final step in a business strategy – a tool used to amplify decisions already made. But according to Toni Harrison, Founder and CEO of Etched Communication, that approach limits PR’s true potential. Joining Doug Simon on the PR’s Top Pros Talk… podcast, Harrison emphasizes the importance of shifting PR from a reactive function to a strategic driver. “So many times, PR is brought to the table after strategic business decisions are made,” she says. “What if the products we selected were more poised for success with our markets because PR was at the table from the start?” By embedding PR in the business planning process, companies can anticipate vulnerabilities, leverage market insights, and ensure their products and messages resonate before they even launch.

Integrating PR into early decision-making isn’t just about better messaging – it can shape business strategy itself. When companies seek to expand into new markets, they often focus on demographics without fully understanding the values and behaviors that drive purchasing decisions. Harrison emphasizes that a deeper understanding is essential. “You have to know their value systems. How do they make purchasing decisions? What are their current pain points or barriers that you could solve for them?” she explains. Balancing audience expansion with loyalty requires strategic planning, something PR professionals are uniquely positioned to guide.

Doug highlights another key challenge brands face: ensuring authenticity in their messaging. “Authenticity for brands is also critical,” he says. “Does knowing the audience and the different audiences help align authentic messages that are going to resonate?” Harrison agrees, stressing that culture isn’t just about race or ethnicity—it extends to industries, professional groups, and consumer communities. “If you want your message to connect, keep in mind that engagement is two-way,” she says. “It’s about influence, and influence is necessary for engagement.” Whether it’s a B2B company targeting female entrepreneurs or a sports brand appealing to a new segment of fans, understanding the cultural landscape and communicating authentically determines success.

Despite the value of PR in shaping business strategy, convincing executives to fully embrace it can be a challenge. Harrison argues that the best way to gain buy-in is by linking PR initiatives directly to business outcomes. “Start with the business outcome,” she says. Simon echoes the importance of flexibility, especially when strategies don’t go as planned. “It doesn’t always move in a straight line,” he notes. “Sometimes you have to sell in the idea of what’s a reasonable time interval, knowing that some things will work well, others won’t.” Harrison agrees, adding that real-time measurement allows PR teams to pivot without abandoning entire strategies.

Harrison’s team uses an approach called predictive vulnerability, which goes beyond monitoring media mentions to tracking conversations across platforms, including Reddit threads and blogs. “We’re not just seeing what’s picked up—we’re seeing if new conversations are starting elsewhere,” she explains. This agility allows brands to adjust strategies in the moment. “We no longer wait till we get to the end. Measure in real time as you go,” she says. “That way, you’re not getting to the end saying, ‘That didn’t work, really sorry,’ but rather, ‘We saw something wasn’t working, we were nimble in the moment, and look at the result we had at the end.’”

Harrison believes that shifting PR from a reactive function to a strategic driver is the key to delivering real business impact. “No longer should the public relations function simply be firefighting,” she says. “It is so much more than mentions. It is even more than headlines. We’re driving business change, and we must be at the table at the front end.” By embedding PR into early planning, ensuring authenticity, and using real-time measurement to stay agile, businesses can position themselves for long-term success.

View all of the interviews in the “PR’s Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].

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Suchi Sherpa is a Marketing Communications Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.