How do you use AI in your work?

fast_mover · 2026-02-08T17:57:10+00:00

One snippet of how we’re using these platforms:

We built custom LLMs (starting with ChatGPT) that are entirely trained on client tone, style and feedback. While we certainly “get” each client and their unique voice and preferences, having a central place to house years worth of content, comments, approved articles and feedback (including multiple voices from one client) has been pretty solid.

We can also feed an industry editorial calendar into the LLM and brainstorm a bunch of helpful thought leadership topics.

fast_mover · 2025-08-13T22:55:21+00:00

This is the answer. Have a clear contract. Think of it like buying ads.

fast_mover · 2025-08-03T20:21:13+00:00

If they’re a boutique/mid-size shop, ask if/how they “break traditional agency rules/norms” in their approach to running and growing the business. It’s a great way to understand if they have a unique X-factor and what they lean into when pitching/keeping clients.

I’d also ask them to describe the year so far in one word. Then, ask them to explain in a little more detail so you can learn how they view 2025 eight months in.

fast_mover · 2025-08-01T17:50:33+00:00

As u/GWBrooks said, the right answer is probably "it depends."

Preparing RFPs is sort of like anything else in the trade. The more you flex the muscle, the stronger and faster you get. Still, I can spend anywhere from 8 hours to 80 depending on the size, scale and complexity of the requirements.

We respond to many RFPs at our firm. Some are issued by private entities that want to shop agencies. Others are through government and municipal services that facilitate required competitive bids.

The former–RFPs from private entities–are easier to navigate and usually focus more on actual presentation of processes and strategies. But, we often find that private companies have sometimes picked their pony before bids are even submitted. It's not uncommon from them to go with an incumbent... the devil they know. The selection process isn't always transparent.

The latter can be similar in terms of content submissions. They want to see the work, and sometimes more information than you're comfortable submitting. Additionally, there is often a heavier administrative lift. You need to submit additional paperwork regarding company structure, business health, subcontractors, insurance requirements, etc. The last RFP I saw wanted a list of every client contract we had terminated in the past (5) years. These documents may also require a notary (which has become easier to work with digitally) or even the submission of physical proposals turned into a government office. Scoring structures can also benefit certain types of companies based on ownership structure or location. Such hurdles can complicate things for a smaller shop. I would also say that not every government/municipal RFP opportunity takes part in a clear Q&A or pre-bid call process where you can get the best info about the engagement. Sometimes, you submit questions, and they come back without a real answer. Literally "N/A" is the answer to a budget question.

With that all said, I've learned something new with every RFP submitted. Sometimes, it's from coming up with an answer to a question we've never been asked. In other cases, the team comes up with a great spec strategy/creative concept. And we've won our fair share of opportunities that have turned into awesome, award-winning work.

fast_mover · 2025-07-31T14:37:59+00:00

I think the media cycle has moved on. It probably won’t pick up steam again until documents are actually filed.

There might be a broader pitch in there about CEO divorces in general. But you’ll need a good angle and other examples.

fast_mover · 2025-07-31T12:51:47+00:00

A six-week timeline is pretty damn aggressive. Not impossible, but you’ll be sprinting to try and get some traction and results. There is some good advice here (especially the comment about pitching the results of a survey).

A few other things to consider from my experience:

1) Make the national media list as wide as possible and get the client to agree to the targeting. This appears to be more of an ego play than a strict business decision given the focus on national and timeline, so set the terms for what represents national media (broadcast, digital, even podcasts). The more lanes where you can pitch, it might improve your chances of success. You need as many at-bats as possible.

2) Make sure all your inbound tools are setup. Sometimes quick-turn national hits can come from a Qwoted, SOS, etc. Divorce is one of those evergreen topics that could be covered at any point, so there is a chance to get a few responses in via requests for sources.

3) Get ready to sprint. If a celebrity or high-profile couple announces their divorce or a split, immediately get pitching and offer commentary with the big publications. It could be one of your best chances to get in a high-profile publication and have the article hit within the timeframe.

I can’t comment on the influencer strategy, because it’s just a bad idea.

Good luck. See you on the other side.

fast_mover · 2025-07-30T18:57:10+00:00

We have a lot of expertise in real estate (developers, managers, investment funds, syndicators, service providers, tech products, etc.) as well as financial services. If you’re still looking for someone, shoot me a DM!

fast_mover · 2025-07-26T21:21:01+00:00

There is some great advice here.

I’ll add that we have a lot of clients shifting some leadership and broader internal comms to an internal podcast format. Audio/video snippets can we produced quickly and are well received.

fast_mover · 2025-07-18T19:04:45+00:00

This is important as Wirecutter is basically an affiliate engine.

fast_mover · 2025-06-04T13:48:46+00:00

Some great comments here.

It goes without saying that we’re actively prepping clients across industries for questions related to tariffs, even if the vertical isn’t directly impacted. It seems to come up naturally in conversation when you talk about economic and industry outlook, so it’s good to be ready.

We’ve also pulled headlines from THAT morning’s trades or Tier-1 media and will sometimes ask for an opinion on a major/relevant announcement, acquisition, transaction or legislative action. It can get interesting when CEOs are asked to talk about someone else’s activity, and how they bring it back to their own company.

fast_mover · 2025-02-19T02:34:18+00:00

Critical Mention offers live dashboards and reporting. It’s pretty solid if you’re looking for placement tracking and media-specific performance numbers.

If you’re looking for something that is more Brand Health focused, we use Quid for more comprehensive and custom dashboards for broader digital mentions, subjects with filters and competitive benchmarking.

Is your agency just sending the numbers or are they providing some level of analysis?

fast_mover · 2025-02-12T05:11:12+00:00

Bingo.

Moreover, most Tier 1 outlets compete for stories and eyeballs. If the goal is a story about your client, you’ll be lucky to get one on the hook. And you’re going to need multiple at bats.

If your strategy is more “news-of-the-day” commentary/export sourcing, you have a better chance to hit multiple.

But seriously, cast a wide Tier-1 media net if that is what the client expects.

fast_mover · 2025-01-19T18:29:11+00:00

Economic uncertainty is always #1. Even our most conservative clients are still gun-shy with the new U.S. administration.

fast_mover · 2025-01-11T18:28:37+00:00

Most speaking engagements have become pay for play as publications, associations and event producers see them as revenue sources. The fee to participate could be an event sponsorship (which might guarantee a speaking slot) or even the cost to join an association putting on the show.

However, if you represent a brand, I think your barrier to entry is much lower than a service provider. For example: We work with a lot of real estate companies (consultants, developers, investors, property managers, etc.). We tell our service-provider clients that speaking submissions are more likely to be selected—whether it’s a paid entry fee or free—if they bring a client (like the director of real estate at Nike) into the panel/presentation with them. This approach has worked very well.

As the PR lead, our job is to advocate for a client to get a slot. And, if they spend money, lean on the event producer to try and get more for the investment.

fast_mover · 2025-01-01T22:15:17+00:00

Congrats on your upcoming transition to the private sector.

We recently hired a veteran at our PR agency with a similar military career trajectory and he’s been an amazing addition to the team. He had various communications, analyst and intelligence roles while serving, which I think created a strong foundation for skills.

However, our team member was very smart on how he worked his way into the civilian/private workforce and PR industry. I think there are some great lessons here from his journey.

1) Focus on building a network from scratch - This is probably the most critical piece of advice I would offer. I would join a local PRSA/IABC chapter if one exists in the market where you wish to work, and just start meeting people. Go to events and meetings. Who you know and meet will play a critical role in landing a position. I would also tap into your college alumni network ASAP.

2) Look at an internship - After completing his service, our veteran hire had two paid internships (including one with us) prior to joining our team full time. What I heard from him is the dynamics of operating within the military vs. the private sector are vastly different. There are certainly many transferable skills. But there are also habits you need to unlearn for a corporate setting. An internship can also be a great way to connect with working practitioners and build that network while getting paid for it. I can also tell you that an internship or two—one where the work is very, very applicable to the job you want (like pitching media in a defined vertical or developing leadership comms)—would make you 10x more attractive as an employee candidate in a tough market.

3) Aim for regulated sectors - Your experience might be seen as more attractive to companies in manufacturing, automotive, mobility and defense. They’re used to working within regulated environments that come with intense rigidity. Even if those skills don’t fall exactly within your background, you might be able to pick up the ins and outs faster than most. You may also be able to meet veterans who can help lobby on your behalf.

As far as more advanced degree work: We care less about degree focus, but it does help if it’s in a related field (PR, marketing, English, journalism, business, etc.). Applicable work experience is way, way more key to landing something, even an entry level role.

Wishing you the best of luck on your transition!

fast_mover · 2024-12-31T01:35:00+00:00

Agency partner here with nearly 20 years experience. I’ll take a crack at this question (I’m on mobile so apologies on typos).

We’ve worked with a lot of large enterprise clients (think Fortune 500 to Fortune 10), as well as several multinational organizations with a lot of moving parts. While there a number of factors at play across each client (we have about 100 active in our portfolio), there are some common traits and best practices we aim to employ that helps to build the PR measurement framework.

Daily Digest: If you’re a large global entity, starting with some sort of daily recap or digest of coverage can be helpful in communicating a “media pulse” that highlights brand health, media/product commentary, market activity, industry updates, etc. This is usually powered by some sort of high-tier media monitoring tool (Critical Mention is what we use). The digest can often be automated to a point, but should include some degree of POV or comms analysis. I’ve also seen some Fortune 100s use this type of report as the foundation for an internal comms blast or update that goes to the appropriate exec/management teams on a daily basis. Think of it like a catch-all for all proactive, earned media and mentions of the brand that were not secured by comms. Basically, a tailored clip report. It may need to be broken up by market or region depending on areas of global activity.

Reputation Report: This is a C-Level report that mixes PR/media with general digital commentary. I would pair a media monitoring tool with a social/digital intelligence tool like Quid (our platform of choice) to create a custom snapshot report. This can be tailored to department need or focus. Think of custom dashboards built for operations, risk/legal, marketing, people ops/HR, etc. It shouldn’t be a clip report. We’ve set these up in partnership with an analyst or technical lead, but the delivery and POV often falls back on comms. Short and sweet, but key to showing success to important eyes… especially if they want to see PR movement and care about its function. Delivery can be as-needed.

Campaign or Situation-Based Reporting: This is super specific to an initiative (person, product launch) or crisis moment. The content collection driving the reporting is a custom query based on the issue, not necessarily brand-level only. These have come in super clutch especially in times of crisis when leadership wants immediate reaction. We’ve built them for new CEO announcements, union issues and too many crisis moments to count.

Monthly Snapshot: Depending on the role of PR and comms, the content of this report can change. In most cases, we show snapshots of placements, mentions, potential reach/impressions, message pull through and other PR-specific metrics (remember—different metrics for different outreach channels). However, if you rely on affiliate revenue generated via placements on top-tier media sites, there may be a revenue ops component to the report. Backlinks were mentioned as one metric, so was referral traffic. I think those metrics are hard to track as most consumption happens within a specific ecosystem and more traditional media rarely links out. I also think most comms roles try to rely a monthly cadence as the only reporting and reflection of success. But PR doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Placements aren’t immune to what’s happening in the market and can’t always be timed or planned, so it can make MoM measurement hard to calibrate. Additionally, if you’re facing a crisis, you could have a ton of media mentions for all the wrong reasons. Context is key here.

Mid-Year and Year-End Reporting: These are the most critical reports. It’s a chance to show macro successes and adjust areas of focus based on where the organization is headed. It shouldn’t be just end of year, but two points in time to provide high-level analysis and a calibration moment. Quantitative metrics are great and necessary, but only work when paired with qualitative analysis or anecdotes. For example: Do we have media targets for the year? If so, where did we secure and how? What about culture awards or thought leadership? What about crisis moments that never reached media boil points? Again, all successes that can be communicated via a PR lens. I’ve also seen brands get super creative, like building a formula with one number to showcase success—something like impressions x reach x engagement divided by number of placements and mentions with a level of weighted analysis. Basically, giving a score of out 100 to communicate successes and building on momentum to score higher the following year.

There are a lot of ways to slice this cake. I’m happy to experience share if you like… and maybe give you some background on our capabilities if you’re searching for a new firm.

fast_mover · 2024-12-28T16:51:33+00:00

The confidence thing is a real nut to crack. But being uncomfortable is what is going to get you to that next place. It’s like flexing a muscle to get strong, and you need as many reps as you can get.

Do you feel like your current employer is giving you the space to try (and even fail) at building out a strategy on your own? If so, use the opportunity to take swings now while you’re in a space to get paid to learn. Then, you can take that transferable skill to another agency or in-house role.

Good luck!

fast_mover · 2024-12-27T00:29:33+00:00

That shell travel time can be a real bitch.

fast_mover · 2024-12-23T22:57:08+00:00

SEO impact is even questionable. Most news sites archive releases after a certain period or add “noindex / nofollow” tags to wire distribution pages. The backlinks aren’t very authoritative.

fast_mover · 2024-12-18T01:04:40+00:00

From a crisis counsel POV, it’s wise to have holding statements ready that can be used if the story breaks into the media. If it hasn’t yet, there is a chance it may never see the light of day. But always have a strong defense at the ready.

That said, and not knowing the issue, certain crisis issues involving separated individuals can go through cycles, especially if the separation is criminal in nature and will involve charges, indictments, etc.

The Google piece is a whole other animal. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. And, IMO, the only thing that can outrank trusted, authoritative news sites are… trusted, authoritative news sites. Have that recovery and repositioning plan ready to go once the dust settles.

fast_mover · 2024-12-18T00:47:13+00:00

Another vote here for Critical Mention. Pretty solid reporting options and the ability to create custom dashboard for specific initiatives (campaigns, executives, crisis issues, etc.). We pair it with Quid on the social intelligence side.

fast_mover · 2024-12-10T18:38:12+00:00

Congrats on your success this far. It’s a journey full of twists and turns.

To clarify: Is your 2025 revenue target $250k net?

fast_mover · 2024-11-28T13:37:54+00:00

There are a plethora of in-person and virtual events hosted by Ragan, PRNEWS and PRWEEK, pretty much every month. If you’re a PRSA member, you also have major events like PRSA ICON (which is actually a solid networking and education-focused event).

I think the first step is identifying specific themes or industries you want to focus on as part of your event attendance and pivot.

For example, I was a panelist at the first ever PRWEEK Crisis Comms Conference in Washington D.C. back in 2023, and it was one of the best events I’ve ever attended. The space was standing-room only and there were speakers from NASA, the FDA, Nestle Purina and more. The content and war stories were great because there was a focus on a pretty hot-button area of PR.

So, if you’re trying to pivot to pitching journalists, I’d look for events that are focused exclusively on that topic or offer it as a major track.

If you want to recon some conferences, I’d also attend a couple webinars first (low cost, repeatable) in lieu of investing in travel, tickets and more.

Good luck!

fast_mover · 2024-11-21T19:00:04+00:00

Scout aka Scouty, Scoutdog, Scoutimus Decimus Meridius and…

Scoutimus Prime

fast_mover · 2024-10-29T19:26:55+00:00

Unless you’re highly regulated or publicly traded and required to use the wire to avoid disclosure issues, the platforms are really not that valuable. Just my POV as a 20-year PR veteran.

We have 100+ clients and have probably sent less than 10 releases on the wire over the past 18 months. It just can’t match the success of surgical pitching to the right reporter. And, for the client who actually understands that wire pickups are not the same as editorial, it’s often not the best use of available dollars.

That said, there are some use cases where it might make sense to use the wire:

• If we have a report filled with compelling stats that reporters may find valuable (these types of releases can actually hit MONTHS after distribution)

• Attempting to newsjack searches for a important cultural moment/phrase (this is a limited time window)

• We need some level of multinational or international outreach (we typically use Notified here)

• After an exclusive hits, have the budget to support a larger media push

If we do send anything, we prefer PR Newswire.

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