Wait, Is Your Brand Even READY for PR?
Not every brand or public figure is up to par for a public push. Here, two longtime industry experts break down why public relations isn't necessarily the right initial move for everyone.
So you have a product or a personal following—what more do you need? Well, a lot of things actually. Public relations may sound like a one-stop-shop to success, but it’s actually not so simple. A publicist’s true job is to amplify what’s already present. If there’s an innovative product with eye-catching packaging, a flowing budget, but no brand awareness, that’s where PR comes into play. On the flipside, however, if you’re just another face in the crowd (literally or figuratively) with no real point of view, budget or gap to fill in your market, having a team can only do so much.
“You have to offer something that hasn’t been seen before, but still aligns in some way with current media trends,” explains Bianca Busketta, founder of Bianca Busketta PR. “Take LED masks, for example. They're having a moment, but unless you're launching one with breakthrough technology or truly impressive before-and-afters, it’ll be hard to cut through the noise. The key is to focus on your why. What sets you apart from competitors, and why should media and consumers care?”
I recently hopped on an hour-long consulting call with one of my paid subscribers. They have more than a million followers on TikTok, and they do have a specific niche within beauty. At the time of our chat, they didn’t, however, have a strong point of view or journey to follow. And they aren’t at the events brushing elbows with fellow creators. They recognized that, which led them to schedule a call with me to help determine if they were ready to make the push for a manager, agent or PR team. The large following is the first step. That’s truly the toughest battle. To build that level of interest with no real selling point means once you develop your main brand pillars, things can only expand from there.
“Come to the table not just with your PR goals, but with a clear understanding of your overall business objectives,” says Busketta, who currently represents Personal Day, Meaningful Beauty, Le Mini Macaron and Lightsaver. “It’s important to approach these initial conversations as a collaboration, not just a checklist of what the publicist can do for you. It needs to be a dialogue around what you can build together. At the end of the day, a publicist isn’t just a vendor, they’re an extension of your brand. The stronger the relationship, the stronger the results.”
On the same token as a content creator looking to build their brand, a brand itself is nothing in 2025 without a founder who has a captivating story (or one they can tell through their products).
“In today’s PR landscape, founder narratives and thought leadership have become central to brand storytelling,” Busketta explains. “But with more founders than ever vying for attention, it’s not enough to simply have a story—you need a unique one. Founders who can clearly and compellingly articulate both their personal journey and the brand’s mission have a distinct advantage.”
Even once you land a well-respected team and develop a clear-cut message, the journey is far from over—especially when it comes to your bank account. Signing someone on for the fundamentals of PR, alone, typically runs anywhere from $5K - $30K per month, and again, that’s just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to building a brand.
“Promoting buzzy marketing terms worked in the past, but what works now in a saturated beauty market is getting your brand into a luxury spa or into a brick and mortar like Sephora or Ulta because that's where you'll understand who your customer is and what they like,” explains Wally Montes de Oca, PURPLE’s Senior Account Manager, Beauty & Wellbeing. “I feel like a lot of brands, especially skincare brands, really miss the mark by not being in those retailers—even grocery stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts and yes, even Erewhon. Instead, they’ll focus on PR because they think there's a direct connection between getting a placement in Vogue and making thousands in sales.”
If you can’t get your brand into stores, there’s still payoff to PR, but again, it will cost you.
“You need to put investment towards having experiential events,” says Montes de Oca, whose clients include Le Labo, Balmain Hair and REFY. “Makeup is a little bit different because the payoff you can get is pretty instantaneous. Editors can get hundreds of packages, and when it comes to skincare, sometimes people don't want to stray from the skincare routine that’s working for them. So offering events or experiences for them to understand a product they may not otherwise use is key. That said, with a new eyeliner, for example, it’s sort of like a one-swipe-wonder they can use on a whim. I also think what drives beauty as a whole is hiring an expert to speak about products and to almost defend the products’ legitimacy and offer better insight into how to use them. A publicist can only say so much.”
Adds Busketta: “The PR landscape has changed since I started over 15 years ago. Back then, there were only a handful of channels to optimize. Now, it’s an ecosystem, with paid social, affiliate programs, influencer strategy, reviews, PR and beyond, all with hefty budgets attached. You have to pull multiple levers at once to get real traction. PR is just one part of a much larger machine, and can’t do the heavy lifting on its own. And if you can’t afford all of those things at once, you may want to get some of those channels running smoothly before engaging in PR.”
Vulnerability Is Key
You know how in therapy, you’re not going to see results if you’re constantly lying or holding back from your therapist? Yeah, well, surprise, it doesn’t get any easier with PR.
“It’s really just about transparency,” says Montes de Oca. “We want to be able to fully show up for our clients, and that means understanding the full picture. Especially in today’s landscape where things can go viral so fast, it helps to know if there’s anything in the past we should be aware of, so we can get ahead of it and not be surprised by it.”
Part of that realness goes back to the aforementioned budget.
“The brand needs to be honest about how much product they want us to push for them because if we're going far and wide with pitching, and we get 100 requests, you don’t want people unhappy because they aren't receiving product,” Montes de Oca says. “I don't think there should be a limit on that if you're signing with a big agency with lots of connections. If it's a brand that hasn't had PR, you need a couple of months to build momentum. It’s key to give products to not only editors and big influencers, but also micro influencers and key opinion leaders because chances are they have the niche audiences that will buy a $200 skincare product.”
On the other end of it, a founder needs to already be tapped into their pre-existing audience (regardless of size).
“It's important for people or brands to let us know who their fans are,” Montes de Oca explains. “Which editors have already tried the products and love them, which influencers have tried them and love them. Then we know not only where to start, but also the existing fans and relationships that we need to continue nurturing for them.”
The Waiting Game of PR
As touched on above, PR isn’t a quick fix. Sure, there may be some elevated brand buzz generated through gifting, but Busketta always tells her clients (whether new or established) that they’ll want to play the long game.
“Most publicists will tell you that meaningful PR results typically take anywhere from six months to a year,” says the industry veteran, who most recently helped Lili Reinhart’s new acne-driven skincare brand Personal Day gain momentum outside of being celebrity-driven. “However, I usually prefer to start with a 3–4 month contract. This gives us time to test the waters, to see if the brand’s story is resonating with the press, and to assess how the working relationship is shaping up.”
Once a brand or public figure gets its first major PR push, they’re responsible for keeping the momentum going. Then, it’s the publicist’s job to amplify those next moves.
“There needs to be a steady stream of newness,” Busketta explains. “This doesn’t mean launching a new product every month. Newness can come in many forms: creative campaigns, unexpected brand partnerships, retail expansions or social-first strategies (like a TikTok push that goes viral). All of these efforts help keep the brand relevant and give PR something to work with.”
And of course, in the meantime, “Brands and public figures need to build their own social presence,” she says. “Simply relying on organic influencer gifting alone won’t move the needle. At the end of an initial trial period, if I’m seeing limited press interest—or if, for lack of a better word, the vibes just aren’t there, I’m honest with the client about it. Then we sometimes go our separate ways.”
But Busketta isn’t quick to give up. One of her biggest duties in the initial stages of PR with a client is to help them reassess their priorities in the next phase.
“These early months help surface where a brand might need to redirect focus or budget,” she says. “Sometimes, that means pausing PR efforts and shifting resources toward other areas like paid ads, ambassador programs, or sampling for reviews, which are critical for building credibility and visibility.”
Bottom Line
Before pulling the trigger on PR in 2025, you must have your foundation aligned. What are your brand pillars? What are your Ws (who, what, why)? Where are your branding assets and campaign imagery? Do you have a pre-existing following or network?
“A client should definitely come fully prepared with a user friendly website with clickable links to purchase,” Montes de Oca says of his bare minimum to sign a client. “Obviously brownie points if they’re already set up with an affiliate program. If they are not because they are a new brand, we can guide them on how to set up on an editorial affiliate, like Impact or Awin [formerly ShareASale]. But I also think it’s important for brands to know that PR typically doesn’t lead that set-up process. Rather, we get the word out there about their commission rates and entice editors to cover us more frequently with an increased rate. They should also be on ShopMy or another platform that influencers can benefit from.”
And finally, PR requires the client to pull their own weight.
“The founder or public figure needs to be proactive,” Busketta says. “Networking with fellow founders and brands at key industry events, responding to editors and media inquiries promptly, and staying highly engaged with your PR team. That includes providing materials when needed and regularly sharing business updates, milestones or wins. These insights often unlock fresh story angles and help your publicist position the brand in a more compelling way.”