Even the best PR strategies can occasionally miss the mark.
It's frustrating to put time, resources, and creative energy into a campaign, only to face silence from journalists, flat engagement on social media, or customer confusion. But little or no traction doesn't always mean failure. It could simply mean you need to rethink your strategy.
If your PR campaign isn't delivering the desired results, this article uncovers the common roadblocks and how to overcome them.
Signs Your PR Isn't Gaining Traction
Not every PR campaign delivers immediate buzz, but certain red flags suggest your efforts are falling flat. They include:
Media Pitches Go Unanswered
You've sent pitches or press releases, but journalists aren't replying, requesting interviews, or publishing coverage. This is a common occurrence. According to Muck Rack's State of Journalism survey, 49% of journalists seldom or never respond to pitches.
Minimal or Low-Quality Media Coverage
Any press you receive offers only brief mentions or off-brand content. Or it's from outlets that don't reach your target audience.
Flat Website Metrics
You don’t see measurable spikes in website traffic, time on site, or conversions after PR efforts. This suggests your earned media isn’t driving audience interest.
Weak Social Engagement
Your campaign announcements, media hits, or influencer mentions generate little to no engagement on social media, again indicating little audience interest.
Lack of Internal Enthusiasm
The C-suite or management team doesn't notice or value your PR efforts. They may question whether PR is contributing to broader goals or ask for more justification of the investment.
No Secondary Momentum
Even if you see an initial response to your outreach, there are few inbound media requests, organic mentions, or continued coverage after the first wave.
Competitors Are Outshining You
While your efforts stall, competitors land features, trend on social media, and get cited in industry conversations, pushing your brand out of the spotlight.
These red flags don't mean your campaign is beyond saving. But they do demonstrate that you need to reevaluate your approach. Your first step is to find out why.
Why PR Campaigns Fall Flat
Lack of Clear Objectives and KPIs
Without defined outcomes, there’s no way to measure success. Vague objectives and vanity metrics (like “number of pitches sent”) don’t show real impact. Focus instead on measurable KPIs like media quality, message pull-through, and audience engagement.
Pro Tip: Read our blog, From Headlines to Hashtags: Building a Winning Public Relations Strategy, for insights into the measurable KPIs our expert PR team tracks.
Irrelevant or Untargeted Pitches
Muck Rack reports that 73% of journalists say the primary reason they ignore a pitch is lack of relevance. Another 6% cite a lack of personalization. Blanket pitching is at the very least ineffective. At worst, it can harm your relationships with the media. A better approach is to send fewer, more targeted pitches. Read more about the perfect PR pitch here.
Pro Tip: Don’t pitch a luxury spa grand opening to a local news reporter covering education or send national financial data to a journalist focused on small business trends in a specific region. Match your pitch to the reporter’s audience, location, and coverage area.
Messaging That's Too Promotional
PR isn't advertising. Journalists want credible, timely, and useful information, not sales language. When media releases lack news value or feel like a pitch deck, your credibility suffers.
Pro Tip: Instead of "Our new widget is a game-changer you can't live without," try "We've developed a new widget that improves energy efficiency for small business owners by 30%."
Confusing or Uncompelling Storytelling
Even strong campaigns can falter if the story lacks clarity or emotional pull. If your message doesn’t address an audience concern, align with current trends, or offer a fresh take, it won’t resonate.
Pro Tip: Before sending a pitch, ask yourself: “Why should this audience care about this story right now?” Frame your brand story as part of a larger conversation, trend, or human experience.
Mismatch Between Audience and Format
Great content delivered in the wrong format still falls short. For example, a B2B software campaign focusing on promoted blog posts may fail to engage decision-makers who prefer webinars or podcasts. Or Gen Z consumers may not see a media story in The New York Times, but they're more likely to see it if the story is on TikTok.
Pro Tip: Make sure you completely understand your target market, including where they consume news and content.
No matter the reason for a struggling PR pitch, there are proven strategies you can take to juice your reach and resonance. Here are a few troubleshooting tips.
How to Turn It Around: Troubleshooting Tips
Once you’ve identified why the campaign stalled, take focused steps to regain momentum.
Refine the Story and Add Timely Value
Sometimes, the core idea of the campaign is strong, but the way you framed it isn't connecting. If your story isn't landing, it may lack urgency, clarity, or relevance to current events.
Look for ways to sharpen your angle by incorporating:
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A timely hook: Tie the story to current events, seasonal trends, pop culture moments, or industry shifts.
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Fresh data or insights: Use proprietary research or third-party statistics to add credibility and context.
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A human-interest element: Highlight real people, personal impact, or unexpected stories to spark emotion and make the piece more relatable.
Real-Life Example: Netflix’s “Stranger Things” PR Campaign.
Netflix made its hit show feel like a cultural moment by transforming public spaces into immersive 1980s experiences and partnering with nostalgic brands like Coca-Cola and Eggo. The campaign created urgency around watching the show and tapped into the public’s craving for shared, offline experiences in a post-pandemic world.
Pro Tip: Scan headlines in your industry and the broader news cycle before finalizing your pitch. If your story doesn't naturally connect to what's happening now, consider revising the angle or holding it until the timing is better.
Align With Cultural Conversations or Purpose
Tap into broader trends and values that your audience cares about. When your messaging aligns with what people are already talking about or caring about, it feels timely, authentic, and newsworthy.
This doesn’t mean jumping on every trend or news cycle. It means understanding what matters to your audience and identifying where your brand naturally fits into those conversations.
Ask yourself:
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What social or industry trends are at the top of our audience's mind?
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Are there meaningful ways our brand can contribute to that dialogue?
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Is our message adding value, or does it look like we’re trying to capitalize on the moment?
Real-Life Example: Patagonia’s Climate Messaging
Patagonia regularly uses its PR platform to advocate for environmental protection. This issue deeply resonates with its target customer. But rather than promoting their apparel in PR, the brand tells stories about activism, conservation, and purpose, reinforcing its credibility and values.
Pro Tip: Use social listening and trend research to identify emerging trends in your industry or audience communities. Then consider how your campaign can contribute to the conversation, rather than hijack it.
Reevaluate Media Targets
If your story isn’t landing with journalists, it may not be a messaging problem. It might be a targeting problem. Instead of pushing your message to as many outlets as possible, focus on understanding what specific reporters, editors, and content creators actually care about.
Ask:
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Who are they writing for?
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What stories are they already covering?
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How can your brand contribute something valuable, timely, or fresh to that ongoing conversation?
And don’t forget to factor in format and timing. A reporter at a regional business journal may need a completely different hook or lead time than a national lifestyle editor.
Real-Life Example: McDonald’s “Thank You Crew” Campaign
During the pandemic, McDonald's shifted its PR efforts from product promotion to people-centered storytelling. The "Thank You Crew" campaign celebrated frontline employees by encouraging customer appreciation through social media, advertising, and earned media coverage. McDonald's offered human-interest stories, authentic voices within the organization, and a message aligned with national sentiment. Media outlets were eager to cover these stories because they were timely and emotionally resonant.
Pro Tip: Instead of asking “How can we get coverage?,” ask “How can we help this journalist tell a great story?”
Use Owned Channels to Reinforce Visiblity
Even the best earned media placements have a short shelf life. One of the most overlooked opportunities in PR is leveraging your owned media, which includes your brand’s website, blog, email newsletters, and social platforms. These channels allow you to amplify earned media, control your narrative, and keep the conversation going long after publishing the original story.
Here’s how to maximize that momentum:
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Repurpose media coverage into blog posts, email content, or LinkedIn articles.
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Feature press quotes or media logos on your website.
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Use social media to spotlight campaign milestones, behind-the-scenes content, or user-generated content tied to your PR push.
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Create a content hub that links your press hits, thought leadership, and related storytelling to reinforce brand expertise.
This strengthens your original PR efforts and improves discoverability, SEO, and long-term brand consistency.
Real-Life Example: Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” Campaign
Apple turned its customers into content creators, encouraging them to share real photos and videos taken with their iPhones. They featured the best submissions on massive billboards, social media posts, and across Apple's digital platforms. By showcasing real-world product use and placing that content front and center in owned media, Apple effectively told a brand story that was authentic, inclusive, and aspirational.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait for media coverage to speak for your brand. Use your owned channels to extend the life of your earned media and connect them with your broader marketing goals.
Final Thoughts
Even the strongest PR plans can stall. But that doesn’t mean the story isn’t worth telling. Sometimes all it takes is a more focused pitch, a stronger emotional hook, or a shift in timing or audience.
If you’re not seeing traction, take it as an opportunity to get creative. Revisit your strategy, realign with your media contacts and your customers, and explore new ways to add value to the conversation.
PR success is about relevance, not just reach.
Need Help Reviving a Stalled Campaign?
At Phase 3, we help brands troubleshoot PR roadblocks and build smarter, story-driven strategies that get noticed. Let’s connect.