Captivating storytelling is essential to any PR campaign, but a stellar campaign requires more than that. From thorough research and strategic planning to precise messaging and intentional execution, PR campaigns hold the ability to build brand awareness, drive engagement and increase sales. However, the most crucial element to a well-executed PR campaign can still be hard to nail down despite perfect planning and execution: timing. This single element can make or break any campaign, so with a myriad of factors at play, how does one truly master the art of crafting a successful PR campaign? 

We cracked the code with Truly Free’s 2023 Spring Cleaning campaign, landing our long-standing client more than 40 individual stories and mentions, 45m views and drove over $100k in sales – in one month! Let’s dive into the six key factors that led to our victory, and learn how fellow PR pros can whip up their own recipe for success in future campaigns. 

Craft brand vision and develop a roadmap

From the start of any partnership, it’s crucial to identify your client’s long-term goals, dream media placements and ultimate desires for the brand. We learned from the outset that Truly Free wanted to be recognized as the leading all-natural alternative to traditional cleaning and laundry products. To help us achieve this goal, we needed to increase brand recognition and visibility to drive product favorability. We determined media placements across consumer-facing media outlets like Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy, Best Products and other commerce and lifestyle publications would help us achieve this goal overtime. We also took a look at timely moments throughout the year that would enable us to leverage Truly Free’s greatest product features and attributes with the media, further positioning Truly Free as the go-to solution for consumers’ every cleaning need. By laying a strong foundation early on with Truly Free’s ultimate brand vision in mind, we were able to create a strategic roadmap to help us get there. Through vetting previous years’ trending cleaning topics, direct competitors, ongoing media conversations around the best home products and more, we pinpointed the way in for our client – the biggest “cleaning” holiday of the year.

Determine timing, key objectives and KPIs 

Our research unveiled spring cleaning as the ideal moment of opportunity for Truly Free, renowned for its plant-based, non-toxic cleaning and laundry products. Using Google Trends analytics, we learned “Spring Cleaning” searches would skyrocket by 300+% on March 20th, which marked the official start of spring. We determined spring cleaning features would get us closer to our primary objectives of showcasing Truly Free’s products as the best way to tackle consumers’ spring cleaning needs, along with expert tips and tricks from Truly Free’s cleaning expert to help consumers get the job done. Through these objectives, we established our primary goal of “owning” the spring cleaning season. Timing is everything, so we leveraged our early knowledge of when major spikes in spring cleaning conversations would begin to conduct media outreach several weeks before the bulk of coverage started. By getting on reporters’ radars early, we increased Truly Free’s chances of being featured, and this proactive approach paid off.

Craft compelling narratives through detailed research 

Conducting a media audit prior to outreach is crucial for understanding the media landscape and reporters’ interests. Analyzing both Truly Free’s and its competitors media channels and previous coverage across print and online publications, TV programs, radio shows, social media and more, we gained crucial insights into key audience demographics, content trends and competitor strategies. It also helped us realize that, besides offering product samples for consideration, providing expert commentary on spring cleaning strategies was the second most popular topic covered and highly valued by reporters. 

Storytelling and messaging 

Our research showed that in addition to offering the “best” products for spring cleaning tasks, reporters loved sharing expert spring cleaning tips and tricks to help consumers approach daunting spring cleaning tasks. We crafted expert commentary on behalf of Truly Free’s cleaning expert, further positioning Truly Free as a go-to source for the spring cleaning season. Expert commentary enabled us to highlight Truly Free’s products, brand values and mission, emphasizing Truly Free’s commitment to helping consumers achieve not only their cleanest homes but healthiest. We even spotlighted Truly Free’s unique mission of freeing over 10m homes from harmful chemicals and toxins, giving the brand a competitive advantage. In addition to its family-safe, all-natural product attributes, we called attention to the brand’s eco-friendly elements, as its refillable packaging and several reusable products could help consumers save big on buying multiple products while also saving storage space. By highlighting these practical benefits, we emphasized Truly Free’s product values and efficiencies, appealing to consumers looking for both convenience and healthy alternatives to traditional cleaning products with easy tips to use. 

Strategic execution 

To maximize impact and reach, we conducted timely outreach and nurtured media relationships early on. By developing these connections over time, it became easier to secure placements when sharing new angles, as opposed to conducting cold outreach. Exploring a mix of traditional and digital media channels and building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with journalists and influencers were key components of this campaign strategy. These components in collaboration ensured that media placements were strategic and well-timed, enhancing the campaign’s overall impact and reach.

Assess performance and success

Analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as total stories, potential audience and views, is essential to gauge the success of any PR campaign. In terms of our Spring Cleaning campaign, Palmer secured 42 individual stories, reached over 1B online audiences and drove 47.13M actual views. In addition to these typical PR metrics, our media placements also drove $125,000 in direct sales, showcasing that power of a well-executed PR campaign. 

Conclusion

Truly Free’s 2023 Spring Cleaning campaign is a testament to the power of PR and reinforced the brand’s true potential. PR is more than pitching and writing press releases; it’s a strategic process of building close-knit media relationships and creative campaigns that resonate with the brand’s target audience. When done right, PR can yield significant benefits like enhanced brand visibility and favorability, ultimately building trust with consumers.  By strategically managing media relationships and delivering compelling, timely narratives, brands can unlock their full potential and drive long-term success and brand recognition.