A matter of urgency: why speed counts in PR

Great public relations (PR) hinges on more than strong media relationships. With sharp messaging, expert insight, and a detailed understanding of the target audience, brands have an excellent foundation to earn attention and trust. But even the most powerful pitches can lose their punch if your team doesn’t move at pace. Here, we explain how a well-oiled PR machine can amplify your efforts – securing timely media coverage, boosting brand visibility, and strengthening your position as a true thought leader.

Today, timeliness is everything

From breaking news to trending conversations, the media moves fast – and so should your brand communications. Whether through a reactive newsjacking comment or a timely response to a journalist request to cement your spokesperson’s expertise, the sooner you show up with valuable commentary and insights, the better your chances of being featured and recognised in the future. 

But being fast doesn’t mean being frantic. It’s not about scrambling for coverage or scattergunning comments, but leveraging smart timing, tight coordination, and a clear strategy to slot your brand into the right narrative at the right moment. Do it correctly, and the returns can run way deeper than the headlines:

• Brand visibility in front of a targeted audience

• Stronger trust, authority, and brand credibility

• A reputation for being relevant and on the pulse

• Highly engaged readers who are invested in your message

• Valuable relationships with influential media leaders

But speed should never compromise accuracy or integrity

Getting there first is only valuable if you get it right. A fast response that’s off the mark can do more damage than no response at all. So your PR culture needs all the right safeguards – facts, ethics, and legal checks – embedded from the start. A media mention also shouldn’t come at the cost of your brand integrity. Ask yourself: is the story right for our brand? Does this ‘reactive comment’ sound like us? Speed is powerful, but only when it’s paired with accuracy, purpose, and strategy.

Creating a well-oiled PR machine

Nailing a reactive PR campaign is rarely a lucky break. Behind every ‘quick win’ is a coordinated team of experts, with many moving parts that need to work together: 

1. Spot the opportunity. Swift reactions start with early awareness. Before you can act, you’ve got to spot the moment. Whether it’s a breaking news story, a trending topic, or a #JournoRequest, being switched on to current events (especially those in your industry) is essential.

2. Craft a sharp response. Your contribution needs to work hard and fast. Writers need the right tone, a strong angle, and messaging that hits the mark with journalists and audiences alike.

3. Sign off internally. Everyone in your team needs to know what ‘good to go’ looks like – and be confident to approve it without delay. 

4. Get external approval. Stakeholders or clients also need to give the green light, so loop them in fast. Your spokespeople should be prepped and aware of their role from the moment you land the opportunity to keep the comms wheel turning.

5. Pitch to relevant outlets. Your pitch needs to land fast, stand out, and add value. All teams need to move as one to get the message out in the right place, at the perfect moment – not hours (or days) after the deadline. Journalists won’t wait.

Of course, this is just one example of what a perfectly tuned machine looks like, and every team will tailor it to fit their own ways of working. Whether that’s bringing marketing into your efforts or empowering stakeholders to trust a team’s judgement for a faster turnaround, the goal is to remove friction and create a process that works for you. 

What happens if one cog in your PR machine lags?

When things slow down, so does your impact. When any one component of this process is delayed, your brand can miss out on valuable opportunities entirely, losing relevance in your sector and potentially damaging relationships with journalists. Instead of owning the conversation, you can be left playing catch-up. And in the meantime, your competitors can be stepping into the spotlight, leaving you trailing behind. 

So, how can you prevent this from happening? 

Above all, find a rhythm that works for your team – one that makes it easy to adapt fast, stay agile, and make sure your sign-off structure is clear and efficient. Again, this is all about finding what works for you. For instance, while the idea of pre-approved stakeholder comments might sound efficient, we’ve found they can quickly become outdated, over-complicated, or lack laser-focused relevance to add value to new topics. Instead, keeping a bank of previously used and approved comments as reference can help you communicate and move quickly, without reinventing the wheel every time.

High-speed PR in action

Unless you’re a seasoned, truly integrated marketing and digital PR agency, nailing reactive PR campaigns might be too much to cram into your workload. And we get it, because we do this stuff every day – and know what it takes to get results. Results like:

• Going big on comms during the global IT outage. In July 2024, we secured widespread national media coverage for cloud service provider virtualDCS. With our deep understanding of the cloud space and its nuances, we didn’t just react – we took charge of the conversation, positioning virtualDCS as a trusted authority when the media was looking for clarity and leadership.

• Landing a BBC spot for our HR client hoomph. In February 2024, our speedy response to the news of Electronic Arts (EA) laying off 5% of its employees globally helped us secure an authoritative comment for a HR firm with a specialism in the gaming industry – in a publication with a circulation of more than 549 million, no less.

• Being on the ball for our medtech client Mizaic. When a journalist request surrounding the NHS’ paper trail issues went out in April 2024, our team secured an interview for its CEO with The Telegraph. Mizaic’s expertise gained national coverage, positioning the company as a forward-thinking leader in the healthcare sector. 

To get air-punching results like these, it’s all about making the right judgement, at the right moment, with the right message. And if you want to make the biggest impact, it’s best to call in the experts.

Want to show up when it matters most?

Creating a high-speed PR culture takes effort – but with the right people and processes, the results are epic. Accuracy is essential, so should never be overlooked for the sake of pipping other brands to the post. With streamlined communication, expert know-how, and a strategic approach, your PR machine can move quickly, without compromising on quality. 

Need help grafting a more responsive PR engine?

Let us keep our finger on the pulse for you – and make sure you’re always at the forefront of the conversation, when it matters. Let’s get started.