In a fast-paced digital landscape where trends, news, and discussions can occur almost instantly, making sure your PR strategy stays ahead is key. This is where reactive PR comes into play, and this is how to make it work for you and your agency.
Reactive PR is nothing without speed. Responding quickly to the unforeseen events or relevant stories. Whether this is crisis management, trends, or discussions regarding organisations or industry. Today, you may see reactive PR showcased across multiple different channels, including X, TikTok, and online news or blog outlets. It often includes brands sharing timely content through a brand spokesperson or professional.
There are several techniques that sit under reactive PR. Newsjacking involves inserting your brand into the latest news and public conversations, while Trendjacking allows brands to leverage trends and jump on pop culture events and memes. Another important approach is responding to journalists’ requests and urgent inquiries to provide quick insights for potential media coverage.
Unlike traditional campaigns, when it comes to creating reactive PR for your brand, it’s very common to have very little pre-planning of what you’re going to publish. Making sure your reactive PR is effective for your clients, you must react in real time, be consistent with your brand identity and messaging, and be published on the correct platform to purposefully engage the right audiences.
The low-budget supermarket Aldi are masters of reactive PR. They have consistently reimagined cultural moments into marketing opportunities. Campaigns such as their #FreeCuthbert Campaign created a well-received response when they became under fire by M&S, suing them over the caterpillar cakes disputes.
Similarly, Aldi’s clever rebrand of its Prestwich store to ‘Aldeh’, inspired by the Oasis reunion, allowed them to tap into a trending cultural conversation that was met with significant praise.
Why reactive PR is so beneficial:
- Protecting reputation: It enables you to quickly address negative events and controversies, preventing the spread of misinformation.
- Increases brand awareness and visibility: By jumping on the back of trends, you can effectively get your brand out there and quickly reach a wide audience by utilising what is trending on social media.
- Cost effectiveness: It often requires less research, in contrast to more major proactive campaigns.
- Builds credibility and trust: Brands that promptly respond to public concerns are often seen as more transparent and accountable. This shows that you’re willing to engage with audiences, and they will do the same in return.
- Another benefit is the improved relationship with journalists: Delivering quick and relevant quotes builds trust with reporters, making them more likely to return for future commentary.
In a nutshell, reactive PR is the speedy tactic that works to benefit your brand and protect it from any public issues that may arise. As well, it’s a great opportunity for a brand to grow its audience when done effectively and in a way that works for your brand.
Overall, by ensuring your brand is a part of the conversation, reactive PR can deliver impactful results that traditional planning alone may not achieve.
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