Traditional PR and Media Relations

Coverage built the way journalists actually think

Most PR pitches fail because they read like marketing rather than news. Every consultant at marco/richards is a former national or Fleet Street journalist, so we start from what an editor will actually run: a genuine story, a strong angle and a spokesperson who can deliver a usable quote.

That means fewer, better-targeted pitches sent to the right desk, rather than mass emails that get deleted on sight. It is the reason our clients see coverage in the titles that matter to their buyers, not just a pile of low-value clippings.

Creative campaigns and reactive newsjacking

Some coverage comes from planned campaigns built around a launch, a piece of research or a genuinely creative idea. Other coverage comes from moving fast on a news story as it breaks, offering a relevant expert or comment before the window closes.

We run both. Planned campaigns give you a steady drumbeat of coverage you can schedule around; reactive newsjacking wins the placements that only exist for a few hours, and it is where a former journalist's instinct for what is running that day earns its keep.

Product launches and broadcast

Launches need momentum on day one, so we build the story, brief spokespeople and secure embargoed coverage in advance of the date rather than starting outreach cold. For brands with a broadcast-ready story, we also secure national television and radio coverage, briefing spokespeople so they perform well under studio pressure.

Consumer and B2B

Traditional PR works for consumer brands chasing lifestyle and national press and for B2B businesses that need trade and vertical coverage. Our strongest sectors are health and wellbeing, automotive and legal, and we also work across ecommerce, property, finance, retail, hospitality and technology.

Consumer campaigns tend to lean on lifestyle hooks, seasonal timing and human interest, while B2B coverage is usually won through data, market commentary or a founder's point of view on where an industry is heading. We run both disciplines from the same newsroom instinct, because the judgement about what makes a story is the same whoever the audience is.

Why former journalists get better results

A career spent on a newsdesk teaches you what gets spiked as much as what gets run. That means our team can tell a client honestly when a pitch is not strong enough yet, rather than sending it out and hoping, which saves relationships with journalists that a purely account-managed agency would burn through.

It also means faster turnaround. When a story is genuinely news, we know within minutes which desk it belongs on and which reporter is likely to want it, because most of us have sat on those desks ourselves.

Who it is for

Traditional PR suits brands with a genuine story to tell and a clear sense of who they need to reach, whether that is national consumers, regional audiences or a trade readership. It also suits businesses that already have media coverage but want it to be more consistent, better targeted and tied to commercial outcomes rather than one-off wins.

• Consumer brands launching products or seasonal campaigns
• B2B companies needing trade and vertical press coverage
• Businesses that want a reactive presence when news breaks in their sector
• Brands preparing for a launch that needs day-one momentum
• Organisations that want broadcast-ready spokespeople

How the work runs

1. 01DiscoveryWe learn your business, your audience and what has and has not worked in media relations before, including where past campaigns fell flat and why.
2. 02Story developmentWe shape the angles, data or creative hooks that give journalists a reason to run the story, testing each idea against what a real newsdesk would take.
3. 03Targeting and pitchingWe identify the right desks and journalists and pitch directly, drawing on newsroom relationships built over years rather than a bought media list.
4. 04Placement and briefingWe secure coverage and brief spokespeople so interviews land well, covering likely questions and the key messages to land.
5. 05ReportingWe report against the outcomes agreed at the outset, not just a volume of clippings, and adjust the approach where something is not landing.