How to brief a PR Agency properly: A guide to setting up for PR success

Investing in public relations can be a transformative step for any business. Whether you’re launching a new product, entering a new market, or simply want to elevate your brand's visibility, PR has the power to generate awareness, build trust, and support long-term growth. But before you jump into hiring a PR agency or consultant, there’s one crucial piece of groundwork you must lay: writing a clear and comprehensive PR brief.

A PR brief isn’t just a formality or another checkbox on your marketing to-do list. It’s the foundation for your entire PR strategy and the blueprint from which your agency will build. A well-structured brief helps you clarify what you're trying to achieve and gives the PR team the context, information, and insight they need to create a tailored proposal, one that’s aligned with your goals, audience, and budget.

In this guide, we’ll explore why a PR brief matters, what you need to include, and how to make sure it sets the stage for a successful and productive partnership.

Why a PR brief is so important

PR is a collaborative process. Unlike other services that may be more transactional, public relations requires close alignment between the client and the agency. Your PR partner needs to understand your business inside and out in order to represent it accurately and persuasively to the media, your audience, and other stakeholders.

That’s where the PR brief comes in. A thoughtful, well-prepared brief ensures that everyone starts on the same page. It helps the agency develop a proposal that reflects your brand voice, fits your strategic needs, and delivers measurable outcomes. In contrast, a vague or rushed brief often leads to misaligned expectations, missed opportunities, and wasted time.

Start with clear objectives

The most effective PR campaigns are built around specific, measurable goals. So, the first section of your brief should define what you hope to achieve through PR. It’s important to separate your broader business objectives, such as increasing revenue, expanding into a new market, or improving customer retention, from your communication objectives, which may include raising brand awareness, positioning yourself as a thought leader, or managing public perception.

Be honest about what you're trying to accomplish. For example, if your primary goal is to drive traffic to your website or increase sign-ups for a particular product, say so. If you want to increase visibility in a new geographic market or among a new demographic, spell that out clearly. Being upfront about your goals will help the PR team determine the best tactics and media approach to achieve them.

Define your target audience

One of the most common pitfalls in briefing a PR agency is being too vague about your audience. If you say, “We want to reach everyone,” your campaign will reach no one effectively. Take the time to define who your ideal customers or clients are. Are you targeting consumers or businesses? What age group, gender, location, or industry are they in? What are their values, interests, and media consumption habits?

If you have data on your existing customer base, such as social media analytics, customer surveys, or market research, include it. And don’t forget to distinguish between primary and secondary audiences. A clear picture of your audience allows the PR agency to choose the right media outlets, tone, and messaging that will resonate with the people you care about most.

Highlight your key messages and USPs

To tell your story effectively, your PR agency needs to understand what makes your business unique. What are the core messages you want to communicate through PR? What do you want people to think, feel, or do when they hear about your brand?

This section of your brief should include your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and any specific USPs (Unique Selling Points) that set you apart from your competitors. If you have brand guidelines or established messaging frameworks, share them. The more clarity you can provide, the easier it will be for your agency to develop consistent and compelling narratives that align with your brand identity.

Tell your brand story

Beyond your USPs and objectives, the agency needs to understand the heart of your brand. Your story, your values, your journey. These are the elements that bring your PR to life and give it authenticity.

Include a brief history of your company, your mission, and any major milestones or achievements. Highlight who your key spokespeople are and what they bring to the table. If your founder has a compelling backstory, or if your company has overcome major challenges, share those too. These human-interest angles are often what grab a journalist’s attention.

Also, provide practical information such as how many employees you have, where you're based, and your company structure. This helps the agency frame your story in a way that is both accurate and engaging.

Provide industry context and competitor insights

To position your brand strategically, a PR agency needs to understand the landscape you operate in. While a good agency will conduct their own market research, providing your perspective can help speed up the process and ensure accuracy.

Outline the key trends, opportunities, and challenges facing your industry. Explain where your company fits within this context and identify your main competitors. You can go a step further by sharing what you admire about your competitors' PR strategies or what you feel they’re doing wrong. This gives the agency a clearer picture of how to differentiate your brand and where to find the white space.

Share your marketing activity

Your PR strategy should align with your broader marketing plans. In your brief, include an overview of your upcoming campaigns, events, or product launches. If you already have set dates for things like trade shows, partnerships, or internal milestones, make sure the PR team is aware of them.

Also, detail the marketing channels you’re currently using, such as paid social, email, influencer collaborations, or SEO, and how successful they've been to date. This allows the PR agency to identify opportunities for integration or amplification across your existing platforms.

Clarify deliverables and KPIs

One of the biggest pain points in PR partnerships is unclear expectations. Avoid this by outlining the specific deliverables you expect from the agency. These might include media placements, thought leadership articles, event publicity, influencer outreach, or backlinks for SEO.

Alongside deliverables, be transparent about how you will measure success. For some, this might mean the number of media mentions or quality of coverage; for others, it might be tied to website traffic, follower growth, or lead generation. If you're unsure how to measure PR success, a good agency can help you define realistic KPIs but the conversation should start with your brief.

Be upfront about budget, timeline, and decision-makers

Finally, don’t shy away from discussing budget. Your PR agency can’t put together a realistic proposal without knowing your financial parameters. Indicate whether you’re looking for a one-off project, ongoing retainer, or ad-hoc support, and whether there’s a separate budget for extras like events, photography, or research.

Also, specify your desired start date, any hard deadlines (e.g. a product launch), and who will be involved in approving the strategy. The clearer you are upfront, the fewer surprises there will be down the line.

A strong PR brief sets the tone for success

Writing a PR brief may feel like a daunting task, but it’s one of the most valuable things you can do to ensure your PR investment delivers results. By taking the time to clearly define your goals, audience, messaging, and expectations, you’re giving your chosen agency the best chance to hit the ground running.

Think of your brief as a roadmap. It sets the direction, outlines the journey, and ensures that everyone is working toward the same destination - greater visibility, stronger relationships, and a reputation that supports your business growth.

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