Loreen Tischler: Different understandings of PR – why agencies and in-house teams often talk past each other
By Loreen Tischler, PR & Communications Director at HERO & McCann
After nearly a decade working across in-house communications teams, startups, PR and creative agencies, one pattern has become impossible to ignore: PR doesn’t mean the same thing depending on where you sit.
Not just in definition, but expectations and measures of success. One of the most persistent tensions I’ve observed is what I would call “reputation-led PR” and “creative-led PR”.
In many creative agencies, PR exists as part of a larger campaign ecosystem. The expectation is often straightforward: develop a strong creative idea, execute it well, and secure media coverage around the campaign itself. Success is measured through outputs, coverage, reach, engagement and visibility.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach. In fact, creative PR can be incredibly effective. But it can also position PR as the final stage of a creative process, something applied to an idea once it’s fully formed, rather than a discipline that helps shape the idea from the outset.
On the other hand, in-house communications teams and traditional PR agencies tend to approach PR through a different lens. The focus is often on sustained reputation building, narrative development, stakeholder trust and long-term credibility. Media coverage is important, but it’s viewed as a means to an end rather than the end itself.
In my previous role as the Head of Communications for a tech startup, success wasn’t measured by a single campaign cycle. It was measured over months and years through consistent media presence, thought leadership, narrative ownership and contribution to broader business objectives.
When I joined Hero as PR & Communications Director almost a year ago, I quickly realised that many of my colleagues had different expectations of what PR should deliver.
The breakthrough came through early alignment.
Rather than debating which interpretation of PR was correct, we focused on defining the role PR should play within each campaign and service retainer. Is the client after a creative idea and media exposure as a welcome treat, or is the client after creative and PR as separate services.
Many clients already work with dedicated PR agencies focused on ongoing reputation management. When creative agencies generate meaningful earned media as part of a campaign, it becomes an additional layer of value rather than a competing function.
The reality is that neither perspective is wrong. Creative PR and reputation-led PR simply pursue different outcomes. The problem arises when stakeholders assume everyone is working towards the same definition of success.
I’ve learned that one of the most important parts of my role is ensuring alignment early, internally between agency teams and with external stakeholders. Establishing clear expectations at the start of a project avoids disappointment later and creates stronger collaboration throughout the process.
Ultimately, it all comes back to strategy and intent:
• Are we trying to be part of the news cycle?
• Are we trying to shift perception over time?
• Are we making a defined announcement?
• Or are we using creativity to earn attention in a more competitive environment?
Each objective requires a different PR approach, and different expectations.
In my experience, strongest work happens when everyone agrees on the intent from the outset. Once that’s clear, both creative PR and reputation-led PR can do what they do best.
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