SKC Insights

Public Relations isn’t a solo sprint—it’s a team sport. When everyone’s working toward the same end zone, your PR agency isn’t just running drills in the background. They’re helping you design the playbook, read the field, and move the ball toward the goal. And just like any great team, success comes from both sides working in sync.

When communication flows, expectations are aligned, and everyone is clear on the game plan, it becomes much easier to move the ball down the field together. In this blog, we’re sharing five tips to turn your PR partnership into a smooth, results-driven collaboration—and help you run up the score.

Set the Play with Realistic Expectations

Like a marathon, PR is paced, strategic, and built for endurance. Coverage grows week by week and month by month. The most successful campaigns begin with a shared understanding of what’s realistic, so every step builds toward steady, lasting momentum.

SKC client E.SUN Bank’s new Dallas, Texas, branch launch was a textbook team play. By working hand-in-hand with our team to provide timely feedback and closely coordinate key messaging, E.SUN scored strong media coverage while spotlighting its commitment to Taiwanese investment, innovation, and community growth in one of the U.S.’ most dynamic regions. With both sides aligned on realistic timelines and the overall game plan, the launch felt like a well-orchestrated drive rather than a last-minute scramble. Treating PR as a full season strategy helps companies build visibility, credibility, and engagement quarter by quarter, turning small plays into big wins that keep the scoreboard climbing.

Position the Team with a Strong Foundation

Before you hand the ball to your PR agency, make sure your team is already in position. Products, spokespeople, messaging, and internal approvals should be locked in and ready so campaigns can move down the field without fumbles.

Take Casper’s 2022 Dream Machine campaign as an example. By finalizing product details, visuals, and messaging with their agency well in advance, the campaign execution focused on what mattered most—showcasing the craft and science behind Casper’s mattresses. Proactiveness signals that your brand is organized, professional, and media-ready. When your team and agency are aligned from the start, campaigns run more smoothly, media relationships are strengthened, and your stories have the best chance to score big with the right audience.

Stay in the Game with Active Partnership

PR agencies perform best when clients are fully in the game. Staying engaged—by sharing customer stories, brand insights, or interview availability, for example—gives the agency the fuel it needs to craft compelling pitches and land meaningful media placements. This active involvement turns raw material into winning plays, such as through Warby Parker’s “Wearing Warby” series. This long-form campaign highlighted real customers’ stories in blog posts and video interviews, helping their agency tell authentic, human-centered narratives that go beyond product features.

Delays in feedback or information are like dropped passes—they slow down momentum and reduce impact. Responsiveness keeps the play moving by delivering speed, context, trust, and the building blocks for storytelling. In our experience, partnerships where both sides communicate openly lead to more creative, timely, and high-impact campaigns.

Trust Your Agency Quarterback’s Expertise

While you know every inch of your brand, your PR agency brings the media-savvy playbook that helps your biggest stories land. Earlier this year, Everlane leaned into a refined, “clean luxury” narrative, shifting from simple basics to a sustainability-forward, design-focused identity. By trusting its agency to shape this evolution, Everlane has secured thoughtful coverage in lifestyle and business media, focused on both its products and purpose.

Client input is still crucial, but giving your agency the space to steer the broader narrative is like letting the quarterback call the play. As the client and coach, you set the goals, but your agency’s expertise moves the team down the field. The result? Thoughtful storytelling that can elevate your brand from “just another DTC label” to a mission‑driven, design‑led leader like Everlane.

Strategize Championship Wins with Your Agency

A PR agency isn’t just a team that executes tasks. We’re your strategic partners who help shape your messaging, campaign timing, and big-picture communications. Patagonia, for instance, worked hand-in-hand with its agency to develop campaigns that advance environmental advocacy. Its “Blue Heart” initiative released a documentary and mobilized public support to protect Europe’s wild rivers from dam construction, pairing powerful storytelling with meaningful action.

When agencies are included in strategic discussions, they can anticipate opportunities, design proactive campaigns, and align communications with long-term goals. Collaborating in this way transforms PR into a lever for credibility, purpose, and measurable impact, helping your team play for the championship rather than just the next down.

Strong PR is built on collaboration, preparation, and trust. When you and your agency work as true partners, campaigns become stories that resonate, inspire, and create lasting impact. Staying engaged, responsive, and open to your agency’s expertise ensures your brand’s voice reaches the right audiences at the right time, turning every opportunity into a win.

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