PR Strategy Operating System

PR OBJECTIVES & KPIs

Objective	KPIs	Targets
Brand Awareness	Share of voice, brand mentions	+X% vs. competitors
Thought Leadership	Bylines published, speaking slots	X/quarter
Lead Generation	PR-attributed traffic, leads	X leads/month
Reputation	Sentiment score, message penetration	X% positive
Crisis Readiness	Response time, containment rate	<2hr response

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TARGET PUBLICATION MAPPING

Tier 1 - Must Win

Publication	Beat Reporter	Topics	Relationship Status
[Top industry pub]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Business press]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Tech press]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong

Tier 2 - Important

Publication	Beat Reporter	Topics	Relationship Status
[Trade pub 1]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Trade pub 2]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Regional pub]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong

Tier 3 - Opportunistic

Publication	Beat Reporter	Topics	Relationship Status
[Niche pub 1]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Podcast 1]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong
[Newsletter 1]	[Name]	[Topics]	☐ Cold ☐ Warm ☐ Strong

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MESSAGE ARCHITECTURE

Core Narrative

The Big Story: [One sentence describing what your company fundamentally changes]

Pillar Messages

Pillar	Message	Proof Points
Innovation	[What makes you different]	• [Data point 1] • [Customer example] • [Award/recognition]
Customer Success	[How you deliver results]	• [Metric 1] • [Case study] • [Quote]
Market Leadership	[Why you're the leader]	• [Market position] • [Growth data] • [Analyst recognition]
Vision	[Where the market is going]	• [Trend data] • [Investment] • [Roadmap hint]

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SPOKESPERSON STRATEGY

Spokesperson	Role	Topics	Availability	Training Status
CEO	Vision, strategy, big picture	Market trends, funding, M&A	Limited	☐ Needed ☐ Complete
CTO/CPO	Product, technology, innovation	Tech trends, product news	Moderate	☐ Needed ☐ Complete
CMO	Marketing, customer insights	Industry trends, customer data	High	☐ Needed ☐ Complete
Customer	Success stories	Use cases, results	By request	☐ Briefed ☐ Not briefed

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PROACTIVE PR CALENDAR

Monthly News Creation

Week	Activity	News Type	Owner
Week 1	Data release	Original research/insights	[Name]
Week 2	Thought leadership	Byline/commentary	[Name]
Week 3	Customer story	Case study/testimonial	[Name]
Week 4	Company news	Product/people/milestone	[Name]

Quarterly Tentpoles

Q	Major Announcement	Supporting Activities
Q1	[Annual predictions/report]	Bylines, speaking, social
Q2	[Product launch/event]	Press release, demos, analyst briefings
Q3	[Customer milestone/research]	Case studies, data release
Q4	[Year-end wrap/awards push]	Recap content, award submissions

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PITCH DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Story Criteria Checklist:
☐ Is this genuinely newsworthy? (Not just important to us)
☐ Why now? What's the timeliness hook?
☐ Who cares? Which audience/publication?
☐ What's the angle? (Trend, data, conflict, human interest)
☐ What's exclusive or unique about this?

Pitch Framework:
1. Hook: [Timely, relevant opening - 1 sentence]
2. Story: [What's the news - 2-3 sentences]
3. Why it matters: [Significance - 1-2 sentences]
4. Proof: [Data, quote, example - 1-2 sentences]
5. Ask: [Interview offer, deadline - 1 sentence]

Day	Action	If No Response
Day 1	Send initial pitch	Wait
Day 3	Follow-up email	Brief, add value
Day 7	Final follow-up	Offer alternative angle
Day 10+	Move on	Try different reporter/outlet

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REACTIVE PR PROTOCOLS

Inbound Request Handling

REQUEST INTAKE FORM

Date/Time: _______________
Reporter Name: _______________
Publication: _______________
Deadline: _______________
Topic/Questions: _______________
Story Context: _______________
Other Sources: _______________

URGENCY LEVEL:
☐ Immediate (<2 hours)
☐ Same day
☐ Within 48 hours
☐ Flexible

RECOMMENDED RESPONSE:
☐ Full interview
☐ Written statement
☐ Background only
☐ Decline with reason

Rapid Response Protocol

Scenario	Response Time	Approval Chain	Template
Industry news/trend	<4 hours	PR lead	Expert commentary
Competitor news	<2 hours	PR + Exec	Prepared statement
Company mention	<1 hour	PR lead	Correction/amplification
Negative coverage	<30 min assess	PR + Legal + Exec	Holding statement

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CRISIS COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK

Severity Levels

Level	Description	Response	Team
1 - Monitor	Minor issue, limited exposure	Watch, prepare	PR
2 - Respond	Growing issue, media interest	Statement, Q&A	PR + Exec
3 - Manage	Major issue, significant coverage	Full response, proactive comms	Crisis team
4 - Escalate	Critical issue, business impact	CEO involvement, external support	Full leadership

Holding Statements (Pre-Approved)

GENERAL HOLDING STATEMENT:
"We're aware of [situation] and are actively investigating.
We take [relevant concern] seriously and will provide updates
as we learn more. [Contact for further information]."

CUSTOMER IMPACT HOLDING:
"We understand some customers are experiencing [issue].
Our team is working to resolve this as quickly as possible.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience."

SECURITY INCIDENT HOLDING:
"We are investigating a potential security matter.
Protecting our customers' [data/privacy] is our top priority.
We will share more information as our investigation progresses."

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MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORK

Coverage Tracking

Metric	Definition	Target	Current
Volume	Total mentions/articles	X/month
Tier 1 Hits	Coverage in top publications	X/quarter
Message Penetration	% with key messages	70%+
Share of Voice	% vs. competitors	>X%
Sentiment	Positive/neutral/negative ratio	80%+ positive

Business Impact Attribution

PR Activity	Attribution Method	Metric
Media coverage	UTM tracking, referral traffic	Website visits
Bylines	CTA tracking	Leads generated
Speaking	Event leads, mentions	Pipeline sourced
Awards	Logo usage, sales mentions	Deal influence

Monthly PR Scorecard

PR PERFORMANCE SCORECARD - [Month]

COVERAGE METRICS
Total Articles: _____ (Target: _____)
Tier 1 Placements: _____ (Target: _____)
Message Penetration: _____% (Target: 70%)
Share of Voice: _____% (Target: _____)

ACTIVITY METRICS
Pitches Sent: _____
Pitch Success Rate: _____%
Media Meetings: _____
Bylines Published: _____
Speaking Secured: _____

BUSINESS METRICS
PR-Attributed Traffic: _____
PR-Attributed Leads: _____
Media Value (if using): $_____

HIGHLIGHTS: [Top 3 wins]
CHALLENGES: [Issues encountered]
NEXT MONTH: [Key priorities]

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