There’s a saying that advertising is all about telling the world, ‘We’re great,’ while PR earns the recognition, ‘You’re great,’ from others. 

In today’s fierce competition for eyeballs and attention, there’s an advantage to layering both advertising and public relations tactics in your communications strategy. At its core, great PR is about storytelling, and advertising can amplify stories that matter in front of the right people, ensuring your brand or organization’s voice is heard above the noise.

Advertising can act as a natural complement to PR in many ways, with different tactics and use cases depending on your goals. Keep reading to uncover how combining these strategies can enhance brand visibility, strengthen your message, and help you engage with your audience more effectively across various channels.

Boost PR Wins with Paid Media

Securing a media feature is a significant PR win, but it doesn’t have to end there. Once you’ve earned that coverage, leveraging advertising can amplify its impact. Sponsored posts on social platforms can help boost coverage, increasing the likelihood that key stakeholders see your media mention. Paid ads offer precise targeting, allowing you to either broaden visibility or focus on specific stakeholders to drive action.

With the power of paid media, your PR wins don’t just get noticed—they get shared with your target audience, leading to even greater engagement. Let’s dive into how combining these efforts can create a unified narrative.

Create a Unified Narrative

When paid ads and PR efforts are synchronized, they create a powerful, unified narrative. Think of PR as the story and paid ads as the megaphone that amplifies it. Using paid media alongside written content, like press releases or thought leadership articles, can significantly boost engagement. 

Consider tactics like native advertising, which seamlessly blends your message into editorial content. This approach is highly effective in building credibility and fostering organic connections with your audience, making it a great PR counterpart. 

Audience fatigue is a real challenge, which is why delivering your message across a mix of earned and paid channels—tailored to how your audience engages with each—helps keep your content fresh and impactful.

Promote Events and Opportunities

There’s significant effort that goes into planning the perfect event for your client, and you want to make sure the right stakeholders, community members and centers of influence attend. By using paid social, display ads, or paid search, you can target groups beyond your professional network with a likelihood to attend webinars, conferences, or other media events your team is planning. This adds an extra layer of visibility for your event and extends reach to audiences beyond your immediate circles that would be an asset in attendance. 

Measure in Real Time

One of the biggest advantages of paid advertising is the ability to track and measure results in real-time. While PR is excellent for building awareness, lead generation campaigns thrive with advertising, offering valuable metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and behavior data. 

These analytics reveal how your audience is engaging with your ads, allowing you to track their journey through the funnel, identify where they drop off, and understand which messages resonate most with your stakeholders. 

Ready to Start Today? We’ve Got You Covered.

Ready to amplify your PR strategy? Our experts are here to help you integrate targeted advertising to create a unified, compelling message that truly resonates with your audience.

To get in touch with one of our media experts today, click here.  

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – This old proverb holds true in many situations, especially when it comes to the value of partnerships and coalitions in public affairs.

Coalition building is the strategic collaboration of resources and reach to advance public policy goals, amplify a common message, and influence decision-makers. Simply put, an effective coalition helps your campaign by building trust and credibility, tapping into broader networks, and sharing responsibility. 

Why Build a Coalition? 

Building partnerships through a coalition is a powerful strategy for achieving public affairs goals. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, coalitions expand influence, strengthen advocacy, and pool resources, resulting in a far greater impact than individual efforts alone. Coalition building enables organizations to reach broader audiences and align messaging to drive change more effectively.

As you consider your own public affairs objectives, think about how you can leverage strategic partnerships to enhance your impact, foster innovation, and achieve long-term success. The results will pay off when you work to build alliances that can propel your mission forward.

Who Should Be in Your Coalition? 

Successful coalitions bring together organizations, influencers, and stakeholders with shared objectives. While you may not agree on every issue, focusing on a specific common goal can still be highly valuable.

When selecting coalition partners:

• Identify organizations with complementary strengths and resources
• Recognize that diverse interests require careful alignment and communication
• Ensure transparency and trust to maintain coalition effectiveness

Flexibility and collaboration are key—a coalition thrives when partners remain aligned, communicative, and focused on the shared mission rather than individual differences.

How Do You Align a Coalition? 

To maximize a coalition’s effectiveness, start with a clear, unified strategy that outlines:

• Shared goals and how success will be measured
• Roles and responsibilities to ensure coordination
• Key messages to maintain consistency

Regular communication is critical—misalignment can derail even the most well-intentioned efforts. Strong relationships, transparency, and active conflict resolution keep a coalition moving forward, even when challenges arise.

Additionally, managing competition among partners is essential. While each organization may have its own priorities, maintaining a collaborative, mission-first mindset ensures that partnerships remain productive and beneficial for all involved.

Final Thoughts

Coalition building isn’t just about assembling a group of like-minded organizations. It’s about strategic collaboration that drives real results. By fostering trust, alignment, and clear communication, you can create partnerships that advance your organization’s mission and create lasting impact.

With proven public affairs expertise, NP Strategy helps clients navigate complex issues, influence key audiences, and drive meaningful change by building effective coalitions and managing stakeholder engagement. Click here to learn more.

Securing national media coverage is a significant achievement that can elevate a brand’s visibility and credibility, providing unmatched exposure and opening doors to new opportunities. While national coverage can be a game-changer, it’s important to approach it strategically to ensure it aligns with your goals. Here’s a breakdown of essential factors for securing national media coverage and when other options might be more effective.

Timing is Everything

Timing is critical when working with all media, but it’s especially important at the national level. It’s not just about having a great story; it’s about delivering the right materials at the right time.

• Do they have time to get what they need? Journalists, editors, and producers work on tight deadlines, so securing coverage with a quick turnaround can be challenging. If you’re hoping for coverage next week but aren’t ready to provide a full package of assets, your story is less likely to get picked up.
• Have they run a similar story recently? Journalists receive an overwhelming number of pitches. While it may seem logical to contact a journalist who has covered your topic before, if your angle is too similar, they may pass. Instead, find a fresh perspective that builds on previous coverage.

Consistency is Key

Persistence (without being overbearing) is crucial when building relationships and securing media coverage.

• Follow-up matters: Journalists receive hundreds of emails daily, so don’t expect an instant response. When following up, be polite and highlight the timeliness or relevance of your story.
• It takes time: National stories often require months of planning and coordination. Be patient—some of the best features take time to develop.
  • For example, it once took me a year to get a story on air. I first contacted the show’s producer in April after months of preparation. We didn’t start taping until January, and the story aired in March.
• Be ready to move quickly: Conversely, some opportunities arise suddenly, and you must be prepared to act fast. Having a media kit or pre-approved quotes can make all the difference.
  • Once, a national producer saw my story on a local affiliate and wanted to air it that night. They needed additional footage and sound bites. This project overwhelmed our day but we were able to provide them with the video package just in time for the evening broadcast.

Relationships Matter More Than You Think

Building strong relationships with media professionals is invaluable. A great story alone won’t guarantee coverage.

• Invite producers to your events—don’t just pitch them: Invite journalists to your events without immediately asking for coverage. This helps build trust and shows them your work firsthand.
• Be transparent about what you can deliver: If a journalist requests materials, set clear expectations. Overpromising and underdelivering can harm your credibility.
• Even strong relationships don’t guarantee coverage: A journalist must assess if your story fits their editorial and audience needs. If they say no, don’t take it personally—another opportunity may arise in the future.

When National Coverage Might Not Be the Best Fit

While national media exposure offers broad reach, it isn’t always the most effective option for every client or brand. Here’s why:

• Millions of views—but is it the right audience? National outlets like Good Morning America or NBC Nightly News reach millions, but if your brand is hyper-local or niche, a more targeted approach may yield better results.
• Local or trade publications can provide more value: Specialized or regional media outlets often engage audiences who are genuinely interested in your client’s offerings, leading to more meaningful conversions.

Looking to develop a winning media strategy? NP Strategy’s media team can help you secure the right coverage to maximize your impact. Contact us today to learn more!