When is the time right to invest in Pr?

For anyone who has ever been the victim of bad timing, you know how frustrating it can be to waste time, energy, and money on an ill-timed endeavor that doesn’t pan out.

Yet, anyone who has ever built something from nothing has likely made this mistake at least once, from launching a business before it was truly ready, or realizing too late that an opportunity has passed. It happens often, and in PR, the timing question can be especially nuanced.

Invest too early, and it can be difficult to gain meaningful traction. Without the right story, proof points, or market momentum, PR may feel like a costly effort with little return. But wait too long, and you risk losing your competitive advantage, missing key visibility moments, or allowing others to shape the conversation before you do.

That is why one of the most common questions I help clients and prospective clients navigate is not simply, “Do we need PR?” but “Are we ready for PR right now?” For each brand, company, and individual, that might look entirely different, but as a rule of thumb, here is what I can tell you about how to know if you are too early, too late, or juuuuuuuuuust right.

It may be too early…

The product or service is still changing or doesn’t have a clean timeline for launch

We are big fans of pre-launch publicity! In our experience it can dramatically increase adoption and sales, and at the very least, subscribers lined up to know when the new offering does launch! But the timing here is critical. Case in point, we had an awesome client with an awesome new product that we were able to get immediate traction on. People were excited and outlets wanted to learn more. But momentum quickly stalled when one thing after another delayed to product until the time-to-launch became completely obscure. In this case, we aren’t able to fully produce the results we were hired to produce and the client walks away with no real tangible results – so everyone loses. Moral of the story? Its best to have a hard date for when you know your offering is going to be available.

The team needs PR to generate new sales

You will hear me repeat this one a lot, because this is the common misconception of PR and one that drives a lot of clients to hire PR firms that ultimately fail. Remember that sales will come as a natural effect of long-term PR, but it is not the immediate goal, nor will it produce big sales traction in short turn around times.

Leadership is not ready to participate in interviews or thought leadership

Perhaps nothing stalls a PR campaign more than a CEO or leader who can’t or won’t do media interviews. Considering that most media are going to want to talk to the person who launched the company, get their background story, understand their challenges, and create a great rags-to-riches story, you need to have a leader who is ready to talk to outlets and podcasts. Without this element, it not only severely limits the narratives we can pitch, but it makes it really awkward when an interested journalist has to be declined because they want to incorporate a thought leader perspective.

You have no other established avenues

If you have no proof points, no clear audience or positioning, no social media, and no pre-existing credibility, it would be hard for any PR firm to come in and gain immediate traction. While we have helped companies create these grassroots efforts from nothing, if you are on a budget, it would be best to have these established in advance, otherwise you can expect to spend the first few months of a PR campaign getting these off the ground.

Of course, a lighter PR foundation may still help at these stages, such as messaging, founder positioning, media training, or content strategy, the likelihood of getting real, meaningful placements might still be some months off. Our recommendation? Before pursuing full-scale PR – especially if you are on a budget – make sure your social media accounts are active, your website is up (Or you have an “coming soon” page with “subscribe now” actions), you can clearly define your competitive advantage, and that there is nothing stopping leadership from being able to share their origin stories openly and often.

It may be too late…

If a crisis is well underway or long gone

I had a client recently that waited over 2 years after the media had dragged them through the mud before reaching out to me. By this time, media were not only no longer interested in the story, but when opportunities did present themselves, the client was too afraid or embarrassed to go on the record to discuss the story – halting progress and making our jobs immensely more difficult. In this case, the damage was irreversible no matter how much they paid a PR firm to represent them. Meanwhile, any client who has reached out to me within hours or days after a story broke was (In my humble opinion) about 90% more likely to control the situation and narrative, leading to more positive outcomes.

If competitors now have the edge

Being early is not always possible, but it does help when you are looking to edge out competition. We had a client recently that had been in business for some 50 years. During that time there had been no investment in PR, but when a new competitor emerged (And was showing up everywhere from local news to top-tier broadcast television shows) and began consuming a large portion of their sales, they knew they had to do something to regain their edge. Unfortunately for them, they wanted to repeat many of the publicity stories their competitor was sharing, which did nothing to separate them nor provide them with the same media opportunities. Eventually, they had to go back for a complete rebrand in order to stay relevant in a changing industry.

In many cases, being too late doesn’t mean nothing more is possible. If others in your market are becoming the go-to voices, PR can help you reclaim narrative space and position your company more strategically. You don’t need to be the first on scene, but you do know how to make the most of the opportunities available to you.

Signs you are ready…

You have a clear story to tell.

You can explain what you do, why it matters, who it helps, and what makes you different without sounding generic. Often clients have multiple stories or aren’t sure how their current stories apply to a larger narrative. This is when talking to an expert can be helpful, but generally, if you can say “This would be helpful or interesting for others to know” then you have the foundation for a usable story.  

You have proof of momentum.

This could be customer growth, funding, partnerships, product traction, revenue milestones, awards, case studies, or strong founder expertise. On its own, it often needs a little fluff to make it sexy enough for journalists, but it’s a good basis to attach to industry trends and market insights for a more powerful angle.  

You are entering a visible growth phase.

PR can be especially valuable around launches, market expansion, fundraising, executive hires, new research, or major partnerships. Sharing this sort of news can be great for industry positioning, amplifying authority, and demonstrating leadership (through success metrics). Even better if it manages to impact the larger community, which can improve message reach, local reporter interest, and audience engagement.

You need to build trust with a specific audience.

PR is useful when credibility matters: investors, customers, partners, talent, regulators, or industry peers. Many of our clients choose to implement PR a month or two before a big raise, or ahead of a big talent acquisition or new product launch. This often helps increase awareness and credibility, leading to greater investment potential or initial sales. After all, a company that starts a campaign three months before a major launch is usually in a stronger position than one that starts three days before.

You have leadership with a point of view.

Strong PR is not only about company announcements. It is also about ideas, perspective, and authority. In fact, this is one of our strongest assets. A leader who can and will speak to outlets, podcasts, and broadcast news are far more likely to get their brand coverage. In some instances, I have seen clients pass this on to CMO’s or CFO’s, but as the face of the company, it’s the CEO who should be ready to go on record, unless a particular situation requires a different expert.

In Summary

The right time often doesn’t feel 100% perfect.

The good news is that you do not have to guess. If you have a clear story, proof that people care, and a strategic moment worth amplifying, PR can become one of the most valuable tools for building trust, authority, and long-term brand recognition.

If you’re not sure whether your business is in the right place to invest in PR, that’s exactly the kind of question worth talking through before you spend the money. Reach out to our team to schedule a strategy call, and we’ll help you assess where you are, what opportunities may be available, and how you can move forward with a PR strategy that actually makes sense for your stage of growth.