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In a Public Relations Rut?

When it feels like you’ve run out of angles to pitch, that’s when it pays to have an open mind and ambitious creativity.

We’re a creative PR firm and tend to win a lot of clients because their previous PR firm grew a little stale. It’s easy for anyone to get into a rut when it comes to brand development and storytelling, but here are some strategies we use to keep our clients’ content and outreach efforts fresh. We believe that there is no detail too small that won’t catch a reporter’s eye; it’s just a matter of finding the right one. Here are some ways we boost our own PR efforts and how you can supercharge yours:

  1. Look to your people for storytelling inspiration. Do you have a longevity story to tell because your people stick with you? Or how about an employee who always goes above and beyond —maybe there’s a business story that will inspire others.
  2. What truly makes you unique when compared to your competition? Talk about it! Is it the speed of service? It could be a unique ingredient. Lean into what makes you different.
  3. Limited-time offers are a great way to reconnect with guests and find new customers. Are you able to do a limited run of something? A short run of a menu item or service?
  4. Many have jumped on the community giving bandwagon over the years, but doing good is never a bad PR strategy. Remember, it doesn’t take a huge donation to make a big difference. The ALS bucket challenge didn’t cost a cent.
  5. Is your business solving a challenge that could change your industry? Consider writing an opinion editorial for your local daily newspaper and/or a key trade magazine.
  6. When is the last time you won an award for your business or a high-performing team member? Take a look at your local business media for inspiration on awards you could chase after
  7. Do you have a skill that promotes your business and could be taken to television as a tutorial? Our food clients make mouthwatering dishes on TV, but if you’re a hotel, let’s fold a fitted shit with a local anchor!
  8. Do you have a major milestone or anniversary? Work with your local mayor’s office to create a proclamation.
  9. Take a look at seasonality. Is there a story related to spring that you can tell? For our HVAC clients, we’re talking about changing filters in your home. Did you know May is National Barbecue Month? Leverage tier two holidays to your benefit. How does Daylight Saving Time or Mother’s Day relate to your business or organization?
  10. Dream up your own top 10 list. Everybody loves stories that count down (or up) with tips. (See what we just did there? 🙂)
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In Uncertain Times, Restaurants Offer a Slice of Stability

When the economy gets shaky, comfort becomes currency — and guess what? People turn to restaurants to feel better.

Even though they might be tightening up their budgets, American customers won’t cut back completely. They will just redefine what splurging on themselves looks like, and that’s a huge opportunity for quick-service restaurants and other mid-level dining establishments that once might have specialized in lunch but now find themselves catering to people at all hours of the day.

When groceries cost as much as dining out, reluctant home cooks wonder why they are going to all the trouble in the first place. A home-cooked meal can easily cost $10-15 per serving, not to mention the time required to gather the ingredients and put them together. That’s the cost of those fancy prepared meal kit companies, which also require effort to plan and, ironically, prepare. This is when QSRs shine.

With bulk buying power, QSRs can manage the fluctuating market costs better than the home consumer, and with the right storytelling, restaurants can position themselves not only as a value but also a source of certainty during uncertain times.

If big-ticket items get scrapped, like that big family trip or add-on to the house that no longer feels affordable, a nice dinner feels like a mini getaway. This si the time for QSR restaurants to remind people that they offer a safe, familiar escape in the middle of the chaos and stress of day-to-day life.

So, how can QSRs turn tough times into opportunity?

✅ Remind guests you’re here. Use storytelling, limited-time offers, and nostalgia to stay top of mind.

✅ Make their lives easier. Highlight the convenience and value — especially when your scale lets you do it better, faster, and cheaper than home cooking.

✅ Tap into emotion. Dining out is emotional. It’s a celebration, a stress-reliever, a family moment. Don’t just hint at that. Own it.

Tactics that work:

🎉 Grand re-openings, milestones (hello, 1 million margaritas!)

🍔 Limited-time menu drops and pricing on fan-favorites

📣 Team shout-outs and founder stories to humanize your brand

📆 Tie into National Food Days for timely buzz

And don’t forget: PR is one of the most cost-effective tools in your marketing mix. Pair it with strong social to reach the hearts (and stomachs) of your community.

Want to stay relevant during rocky times? Be the comfort people crave, and if you’re feeling stuck, we’re here to help

 

 

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Best practices for media interviews

The art of media interviews is always evolving, but this year, we’ve seen changes unlike anything seen before. The priorities of every newsroom shifted entirely, and so did their interview styles. 

Read more
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PR Horror Stories: What happened and how we survived

While most of us consider Halloween to be the scariest day of the year, public relations crises are, unfortunately, not limited to just one day. Crisis can happen when you least expect it and, no matter how much you prepare, many PR people can be caught off guard. The goal is to plan – as much as possible – for the unexpected.

My First Crisis

The call came in late at night, well after office hours. My supervisor didn’t know much outside of the fact that someone died in a manufacturing facility. We raced to the office, feeling like we’d function better as a team in the same room. As information came in surrounding the tragedy, we learned more about the person who died – a single mom who had been employed by our client for many years. A safety aspect of the machine she worked on did not function properly. She was pulled into the machine and died quickly. A coworker found her.

Our first order of business was to help the president of the company with his public statement. To his credit, he really wasn’t interested in talking with his PR firm – he was upset and concerned for his employee’s family, her children. We had pre-written responses built into our crisis plan for the company, but given the emotion wrapped into this particular situation, we opted to update the language to reflect the president’s feelings.

Once the statement was approved, we shared it with a local newspaper reporter with whom we had a relationship. The reporter broke the story and, as it was picked up, we monitored who covered and made sure the information was accurate. As new information was available through the investigation, we reached out to those who were covering the story to ensure they had the most up-to-date and true details.

My Reoccurring Crisis

Having worked in food and beverage public relations for my entire career, the crisis I see most often relates to a bad ingredient. From spoiling to bugs to a lot of other unsavory things, food manufacturing and preparation has its share of scary things. For the purpose of this post, we’ll refer to them as “bad ingredients”.

The first step in a bad ingredients situation is to identify what caused the problem and determine how we can quickly pull the ingredient from the facility. If the bad ingredient is in multiple stores throughout the country, how can corporate be sure ALL has been pulled? The simplest, but costly answer is the best: Physically visit every location to be sure the pull has happened.

For a voluntary pull, who do you tell? Well, it’s complicated. As you’re pulling stock, have language ready for the employees working closely with the bad ingredient. Instruct them on how to handle public statements and where to pass along media inquiries. We typically ask media to speak with either our main contact with the client or a high-ranking person at our firm.

If there’s a chance the bad ingredient made its way into the hands of consumers, it’s important to communicate concisely and swiftly to ensure they’re protected. Don’t wait until people come forward claiming to be sick, or worse, that loved ones have died as a result of your delay.

 

With any crisis, remain calm and think through every direction the situation could take. Your role as a PR professional is to weigh the options, guide your client on protecting their brand and their customers. In a perfect world, our client’s crisis would stay quiet, behind closed doors … but we aren’t always that lucky. Be honest, be transparent and be empathetic.

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