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PR strategy experts

PR strategy experts set the objectives, audiences, messages and channels that turn public relations activity into measurable business results.

2 experts, updated 11 Sept 2026

What our PR strategy experts do

PR strategy at Profile starts by settling what the programme is for: which commercial outcome it serves, and which decision-makers have to change their view for that outcome to happen. From there it sets the small number of themes the organisation and its senior people should be known for, the arguments supporting each, and the titles those arguments belong in. Channels follow the audience rather than the other way round, so a trade title, a LinkedIn post and a filmed interview are chosen against the same objective. The strategy then fixes the measurement, so everything produced afterwards is judged against it.

How they work

A strategy is mostly a set of refusals. Deciding what a firm will be known for means deciding what it will stay quiet about, and the plans that fail are the ones that kept every option open and gave the next twelve months no way to choose. Profile writes the decision down: the themes, the audiences, the titles, and what will count as it having worked. The measurement matters as much as the plan, because it has to be agreed before there is any coverage to argue about. Set afterwards, it becomes a description of whatever happened. Profile has been doing this work since 2014 and for more than a hundred clients, and the plans that hold up are consistently the narrow ones.

When to bring them in

The usual trigger is a senior figure whose public standing lags their standing inside their own firm, so buyers compare them on price and journalists call a competitor for comment. Other triggers include several executives speaking publicly without a shared position, entry into a market where nobody knows the name, and coverage that arrives but changes nothing. Strategy work repays over a programme of six months or more, which is the minimum Profile asks for.

Media reaction

On third-party credibility

"Journalists are valuable precisely because they can say no. Anything that gets past them arrives carrying an assumption a company cannot buy or write for itself, which is that somebody independent looked and thought it stood up."
Elizabeth LorraineElizabeth Lorraine, Client Director, Profile7 Aug 2026Available for comment
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Questions about PR strategy experts

The questions we get asked most about PR strategy, answered plainly.

What does a PR strategy expert actually do?
A PR strategy expert decides what a communications programme is for before anyone starts pitching. This covers setting objectives, identifying the audiences that genuinely influence the outcome, agreeing the messages, choosing channels, and defining how success will be measured. The goal is that every piece of coverage earned is coverage the business needed, rather than coverage that happened to be available.
What is PR strategy?
PR strategy is a structured plan that defines what an organisation wants to achieve with its reputation, who it needs to influence, and the messages and channels it will use to do so. It aligns communications activity with business objectives such as growth, recruitment, investment or policy change. A strategy also sets out how success will be measured, so activity can be judged against outcomes rather than volume of coverage.
How is PR strategy different from a PR campaign?
A PR strategy is the long-term framework that guides all communications, while a campaign is a focused burst of activity within that framework aimed at a specific goal or moment. The strategy defines priorities, audiences and messaging that stay consistent over time. Campaigns are the tactics that bring the strategy to life around product launches, milestones or news events.
How do you measure the success of PR strategy?
Success is measured against the objectives set at the outset, which may include share of voice, message penetration, website traffic, quality of coverage, sales enquiries or shifts in stakeholder sentiment. Effective measurement combines output metrics such as coverage with outcome metrics such as changes in awareness or behaviour. Baselines are set before activity begins so progress can be tracked accurately.
When should a business invest in PR strategy?
A business should invest in PR strategy when it is entering a new market, launching a product, seeking investment, managing reputational risk or scaling and needs a consistent public position. It is also valuable when existing communications feel reactive or fail to deliver results. Setting strategy early prevents wasted spend and gives every piece of activity a clear purpose.
What does a PR strategy typically include?
A PR strategy typically includes clear objectives, defined audiences, core messages, chosen channels, a content and activity plan, and a measurement framework. It often sets out positioning, spokespeople, risk considerations and a timeline. The document acts as a reference point that keeps internal teams and external partners aligned.

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