Two Engines, One System: The Framework Behind Every Great PR Program
Most founders only run one PR engine. The ones who get consistent coverage know how to run both and they know which one to start with given where their business is right now.
PR runs on two engines. Understanding both and knowing when to use each is the single biggest unlock for founders who want consistent coverage rather than a single hit.
Proactive PR
You have a story a launch, a funding round, a hire and you take it to market. You pitch, follow up, and run a campaign. Most founders think this is all PR is.
Reactive PR
Something happens in the news and you attach your expertise to it. You offer a journalist a comment on a story they're already writing. You're not asking to be covered you're helping them cover something else.
Proactive PR works when you have strong news. The challenge: most companies don't have top-tier news every month. Reactive PR has no such constraint news happens every day.
What reactive PR gets you that proactive doesn't
- No announcement needed. A data release, a policy change, a market move any of these is a window. You don't need a product launch to get quoted.
- Speed is the only qualifier. A well-timed comment, drafted in 20 minutes and sent to five journalists, can land in a major outlet. A press release takes days.
- It builds relationships before you need them. A journalist who has quoted you twice as a source is far more likely to open your next pitch.
Proactive PR builds your narrative. Reactive PR builds your presence. The best programs run both. The full system spokesperson comment format, the pitch email, and a 90-day reactive calendar is in Lessons 3 and 4.