Anyone in the communications industry will tell you public relations is a marathon, not a sprint. Networking, positioning and reputation building all take time. PR professionals are at pains to point out their job is about fostering trust, not simply headlines. We agree. But recent examples have caught our eye, showing that the occasional burst of fast PR works wonders. It's about being agile, ready to respond to cultural moments, and placing trust in your communications advisors when they ask for fast-tracked approvals.

Reactive PR has some close cousins. In marketing circles, seizing an opportunity quickly can be called ambush marketing, real-time marketing or trend surfing. In advertising, turning an ad around quickly to respond to current affairs is called newsjacking. One of our favourite examples is from IKEA, during the 2013 Federal Election campaign, with the ad: “Kevin, here’s a cabinet that won’t let you down”. The marketing and communications terms are all variations on the same, very effective, theme when it comes to garnering positive attention.

The goal of seizing the moment is to become part of the story, or at least to respond while it's still developing, rather than reacting after the peak. Imagine if Nutella had waited until Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific to post "Nutella: Now enjoyed in space"? Too late. Instead, while the spacecraft was on its way back from its lunar mission, parent company Ferrero was asking social media followers, "What's the most incredible place you've ever enjoyed Nutella?"

Your brand or organisation is unlikely to get anything quite as incredible as a zero-gravity moment. But when the PR opportunity knocks, be ready. Experienced communication professionals will have a thorough understanding of the subject matter expertise in your organisation, they stand ready to advise when a topic should stay off-limits, and when you should enter a debate.

Melbourne restaurants turning the fuel crisis into a feast

They say never waste a crisis, and soaring petrol prices have sparked some creative PR thinking. Well done to the owners of three Melbourne Italian restaurants who launched a "fuel on us" initiative: present a receipt for a taxi, rideshare or fuel purchase and receive a deduction from your bill of up to $25. That initiative saw the restaurant group featured across multiple television evening news bulletins and shared widely by those news outlets on social media. The cost to the business? Modest. The earned media coverage is, as they say, priceless.

Responding to calls for experts

If a topic your leaders know well is in the news, that can be the perfect opportunity to offer journalists a voice who can give their audiences analysis and context. It also positions your organisation as an authority on the subject, allowing you to be part of a conversation that’s relevant to your stakeholders.

A number of Australian universities have media teams who are very good at matching their academic and research experts to the news cycle. Some even offer a weekly list of who is available for comment on current affairs. Lately that list might include professors who can help explain space exploration, advances in Artificial Intelligence, experts in shipping law or international politics. An available expert who is media savvy is music to the ears of newsroom chiefs-of-staff and broadcast producers.

Offering a case study that helps newsrooms cover what’s topical is also often well received, whether it’s a patient who’s used a successful new medication, a parent who is navigating modern challenges such as junk food or screen management, or an executive who can talk about why an new novel staff policy has been a success for business.

The balance of proactive and reactive messaging

None of these examples require months of planning. What they required was a team with the authority to act, a feel for the cultural conversation, and organisations confident enough to move quickly. Fast PR isn't a replacement for long-term strategy, rather it's a complement to it. Organisations need a communications plan that leaves room for reactive pitches.

The organisations that win are the ones with a solid foundation and the agility to move quickly when the moment calls for it.

‍