The Brutal Truth About Your PR Strategy (or Stop Solely Focusing on the Company Narrative)

I’ve got some bad news for you. That carefully crafted company story you’ve been pushing? It’s not working anymore. In fact, it might be doing more harm than good. I know, I know. As a PR professional with over 15 years of experience, I’m supposed to be the champion of storytelling. But hear me out. The landscape has shifted, and if we don’t adapt, we’ll be left behind.

Let me take you back to when I first started in this industry. A compelling narrative could make or break a campaign. We’d spend weeks, sometimes months, perfecting the arc of a company’s story. The founder’s humble beginnings, the eureka moment, the struggles, and finally, the triumph. It was a formula that worked time and time again.

But something changed.

The Death of the Company Narrative

It didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow, almost imperceptible shift. But now? Now it’s impossible to ignore. The company story, once the cornerstone of public relations, has become little more than background noise.

Why? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. Information overload. We’re bombarded with content every second of every day. Your beautifully crafted story? It’s competing with cat videos and breaking news alerts. And let’s be honest, it’s usually losing.

2. Authenticity trumps narrative. Consumers have become savvy. They can smell a manufactured story from a mile away. They’re not interested in your rags-to-riches tale. They want to know what you’re doing right now.

3. Actions speak louder than words. In an age of corporate social responsibility and brand activism, what you do matters far more than what you say about yourself.

4. Data-driven decision making. With the rise of analytics, gut feelings and emotional appeals are taking a backseat to hard numbers and tangible results.

The Rise of the Anti-Story

So if storytelling is dead, what’s taking its place? I call it the “anti-story.” It’s not about crafting a narrative. It’s about demonstrating impact.

Let me give you an example. I recently worked with a tech startup that was struggling to gain traction. They had a great origin story – two college dropouts who built a million-dollar company from their garage. Classic stuff, right? But it wasn’t moving the needle.

So we tried something different. Instead of talking about their history, we focused solely on the problems they were solving for their customers. We shared data on time saved, money earned, and efficiencies gained. No fluff, no narrative, just cold, hard facts.

The result? Their media coverage tripled. Their customer base grew by 200% in six months. All because we stopped telling their story and started showing their impact.

The New Rules of PR

Now, I’m not saying we should completely abandon storytelling. It still has its place. But it can no longer be the centerpiece of your PR strategy. Here are the new rules I’ve developed after years of watching this shift happen:

1. Lead with data. Numbers don’t lie, and they’re far more interesting to journalists and consumers than your company history.

2. Show, don’t tell. Instead of talking about your values, demonstrate them through your actions.

3. Be responsive. The news cycle moves fast. Your ability to quickly comment on and contribute to current events is far more valuable than your long-term narrative.

4. Embrace transparency. In an age of misinformation, radical honesty stands out.

5. Focus on the now. What you’re doing today matters more than how you got here.

The Future of PR

I can already hear the objections. “But Mark,” you’re saying, “stories are what make us human. They’re how we connect.” And you’re right. We are hardwired for narrative. But here’s the thing – the story your audience cares about isn’t your company’s story. It’s their own.

The future of PR isn’t about telling your story. It’s about becoming a character in your customer’s story. It’s about demonstrating, consistently and authentically, how you add value to their lives.

This shift isn’t easy. Believe me, I know. I’ve built my career on being a storyteller. Adapting to this new reality has been a challenge. But it’s also been incredibly exciting. Because when we stop focusing on crafting the perfect story and start focusing on creating real impact, that’s when the magic happens.

Your New PR Playbook

So, what does this mean for you? How do you adapt your PR strategy to this new reality? Here’s your new playbook:

1. Audit your current PR materials. How much of it is focused on your company’s story versus your current impact? If it’s more than 20% story, it’s time for a rewrite.

2. Invest in data. You need to be able to quantify your impact. If you can’t measure it, you can’t promote it.

3. Build a rapid response team. You need to be able to contribute to conversations as they’re happening, not weeks later.

4. Empower your customers. Their stories about how you’ve impacted their lives are far more powerful than anything you could say about yourself.

5. Focus on solving problems. Every piece of communication should clearly demonstrate how you’re making life better for your customers or society at large.

The Bottom Line

Look, I get it. Letting go of your carefully crafted company narrative feels like letting go of a security blanket. It’s comfortable. It’s familiar. But it’s holding you back.

The brutal truth is this: in today’s fast-paced, data-driven world, your company’s story just doesn’t matter as much as you think it does. What matters is what you’re doing right now, the problems you’re solving, the value you’re adding.

So take a deep breath, and let go of the story. Embrace the anti-story. Focus on impact, on action, on results. It’s a brave new world out there in PR. And trust me, it’s so much more exciting than crafting the perfect “about us” page.

The companies that understand this shift, that can pivot from storytellers to impact-makers, they’re the ones that will thrive in this new landscape. And as for the rest? Well, they’ll be left telling their stories to an empty room.

It’s time to write a new chapter in PR. One where we measure our success not by the stories we tell, but by the impact we make. Are you ready?

Mark Kaley is the author of the book “From Pennies to Millions” and the PR Manager with Otter Public Relations. He has been featured in Forbes, Fox Business, Authority Magazine, Modern Marketing Today, PR Pioneer, Market Daily, O’Dwyer PR, DKoding, and Consumer Affairs. Mark is also a contributor with Hackernoon, you can view his contributor profile here. Learn more here.