PR isn’t just about the front page (and never really was)

The line clients love to drop on agencies – and the one that gets the biggest eye-roll in return – is: “Can you make it go viral?”

I’ve seen cartoons of agencies ceremoniously unveiling a giant red “viral” button and giving it a dramatic press. Spoiler: there’s no such button.

In PR, the equivalent request is: “Can you get our [insert story here – anything from a 21^st birthday to a new MD appointment] on the front page of the Sunday Times?”

The answer? Probably not – at least, not without some salacious twist that won’t do your brand any favours. And even if we could, front-page news isn’t always the win people think it is.

Effective PR is really about something far simpler (and far more challenging): getting the people you want to trust and love you, to actually trust and love you.

Part diplomat, part firefighter

Sometimes that may mean front-page coverage, splashed in bold font with headlines so punchy they make a reader spit out their rooibos. But more often it means that we ensure your story is seen, heard and felt by the people who truly matter – the ones who keep your lights on and your mission alive.

At Flow Communications, our PR services have helped clients in more than 30 countries, across industries as varied as insurance, conservation, government, finance, tourism, manufacturing and, on particularly fun days, car washes with AI-powered WhatsApps (yes, really).

To us, PR done well is part diplomat, part firefighter, part magician; it’s about finding the thread in the chaos – tight deadlines, moving goalposts, rogue Friday 4.59pm client requests – and weaving it into something that connects.

When done right, PR takes your message and uses it strategically to build bridges between your brand and the public, communities and key stakeholders to make your success possible. It’s about creating spaces where different voices can meet, clash (politely, if we’re lucky) and learn from one another.

No two stories are the same

There are days it feels like we’re helping to write a first draft of a brighter future. We help organisations show (and sometimes rediscover) their soul. We guide businesses to act with integrity, help governments communicate policies in ways people actually understand and champion civil society initiatives that might otherwise be drowned out in the noise.

In any given week, I might spend Monday working with a foundation on rural education, Tuesday discussing mining policy and Wednesday helping a start-up launch a new app in Lagos. That’s the joy of it – no two stories are the same, and the stakes are always real.

PR isn’t just about headlines; it’s about holding the mic for the voices that matter, and making sure they’re heard. PR is for the curious, the relentless, the slightly unhinged optimists who believe words can change the world.

Caroline Smith is head of public relations at Flow Communications.