No matter the situation, you want people to see your brand in the best light‌ possible. And the best PR campaigns can make that happen.

💡 Read Digital PR Explained: Best Strategies and Tools

Whether you’re looking to soften the blow of negative press or bolster your image with a respectable move, you’ve made the first step in creating emotional connections with your audience. 

PR campaigns can bring out the best or worst in a brand. Today, we’ll focus on positive examples of successful companies that generated buzz, enhanced brand reputation, and increased customer loyalty.

What Is a PR Campaign?

A public relations campaign is a marketing strategy that aims to make a meaningful connection with a target audience. PR campaigns are often carried out with a clear goal, such as increasing awareness of a product, service, or brand. 

However, not all PR campaigns are proactive in creating a positive image of a brand. Many of them are reactive. For example, a crisis might occur stemming from a negative social media post or a marketing campaign gone wrong. 

As a result, a business scrambles to save its reputation by acknowledging its part in the negative event and taking corrective actions to alleviate outrage.

Unfortunately, “getting ahead” of bad news isn’t always realistic, so brands must take steps to resolve the issue and prevent it from happening again.

Establishing trust and managing crises is what a comprehensive PR campaign is all about.

Read 5 Crisis Managemet Solutions You Shouldn’t Miss Out On

Best PR Campaign Tips

Follow these five simple tips to help your PR campaign go off without a hitch. 

Set a Goal

Before you set out to craft your powerful message and distribute it to your audience, you must have a goal in mind.

Ask yourself why you’re sending the press release, pitch, or advertisement. PR campaigns can go beyond just generating press or managing crises. 

You might launch yours for other reasons, such as boosting sales or reaching a new audience. Setting a clear goal will help guide your campaign strategy and prevent you from getting “stuck” during the process.

Know Your Audience

Being familiar with your audience’s pain points, interests, likes, and dislikes will allow you to create messaging that resonates with them. 

If you have a buyer persona, go back and look at it to refresh your memory on what your audience truly wants and values. 

Then, tailor your message and news to that specific persona. 

Find a Creative Angle

Grab your audience’s attention with a campaign that stands out. Why should they care about the information you’re sharing? Why should a journalist take up your story?

If you’re not sure what angle to take, consider working with a PR agency. These experts can help you develop your brand identity and create quality news content that resonates with your audience.

Make Communication a Priority

Create a communications plan to highlight your target audience, the problem you’re trying to solve, the messages you want to convey, and the channels (e.g., mail, news articles, social media promotion, digital signage, open forums) you will use.

Plan out your distribution channels wisely to reach the right audience. And remember, your audience isn’t just potential customers. It’s also journalists‌ — ‌the people and outlets that’ll help you get your story out. 

Consider using digital business cards to complement your communications efforts. These business cards offer a quick and convenient way to share your brand’s contact details, social media links, and other relevant information. 

Measure Your Results

There’s really no point in launching a PR campaign if you’re not going to measure its impact. You can do this by using a media monitoring tool

Detailed reports can help you stay informed about social media posts that mention your brand or competitors as soon as they happen.

Read 4 Ways to Measure Brand Health & Tools to Use

App_SentimentAnalysis
Determ, media monitoring software

8 Best PR Campaign Examples 2023

Without further ado, here are the best PR campaign examples we saw in 2023. 

1. Airbnb – Ukrainian Refugees

The war in Ukraine continues to devastate the Eastern European nation. Airbnb’s powerful move to offer housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees was a statement of the brand’s true character.

As a result, Airbnb generated large amounts of positive media and social coverage. The vacation rental service probably suffered significant financial loss from the gesture, which underscores its authenticity and generosity.

This PR move showcased the brand’s commitment to making a positive impact in times of crisis. 

Read 5 Steps for Creating an Effective PR Campaign

2. Fenty Beauty – Superbowl Rihanna

Rihanna made a big splash at the 2023 Super Bowl as she announced her second pregnancy during her first live performance in over five years.

But what really got people talking was when she casually touched up her Fenty makeup during the show. This simple gesture caused such a stir that searches for the brand increased by 833%. The business also gained $5 million in “media value”.

Screenshot of Rihanna Super Bowl performance PR campaign
Screenshot of Rihanna Super Bowl performance PR campaign

Rihanna also released Super Bowl-themed products, which included football-shaped makeup sponges, undereye stickers, and stadium-ready makeup bags.

This marketing campaign likely garnered so much attention because the talented singer and business owner tied her personal news, brand promotion, and product releases in one neat little bow. 

3. Who Gives a Crap – “Flush Your Ex”

Toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap did something different for its Valentine’s Day campaign. Instead of the typical lovey-dovey messaging, the brand asked people to “flush” their exes. 

Screenshot of Who Gives a Crap Valentine's Day PR campaign Twitter post
Screenshot of Who Gives a Crap Valentine’s Day PR campaign Twitter post

Consumers would send in their ex’s love letters, and in return, they’d get a special roll of 100% recycled toilet paper with those broken promises printed on each sheet. This offered a lighthearted and symbolic way for people to literally flush away the memories of their past relationships. 

“Flush Your Ex” is a unique take on PR campaigns, but it works. Not only does Who Gives a Crap emphasize its commitment to recycling, but it also adds a humorous touch to the campaign.

4. Hims – Mental Health Ambassador

Hims & Hers is another example of a successful PR campaign. Kristen Bell joined Hers as a Mental Health Ambassador. This isn’t the first time Hims & Hers collaborated with a celebrity.

The brand also had a successful YouTube collaboration with JLO, highlighting the importance of having brand ambassadors to build trust and show social proof. 

Partnering with Kristen Bell was a huge step in PR for Hims & Hers in 2023. This achievement inspires other telehealth brands that even when selling products as delicate as mental health medicine, it’s possible to make a big impact and target a large audience.

Screenshot of Forbes article about wellness platform Hers as a mental health ambassador
Screenshot of Forbes article about wellness platform Hers as a mental health ambassador

5. Google – “Black-Owned Friday”

In 2020, Google partnered with the US Black Chambers, Inc. and advertising agency BBH to turn Black Friday into Blacked-Owned Friday. This was all part of an effort to celebrate and support Black businesses.

Google revived this campaign in early 2023 with the “Buying All Black” music video featuring popular Black artist Ludacris, which garnered 14 million views.

Screenshot of music video promoted by Google for black-owned PR campaign
Screenshot of music video promoted by Google for black-owned PR campaign

To further show its commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses, Google introduced a “Black-Owned” for businesses on Google Search and Maps. Google also launched a business directory that allows Black entrepreneurs to reach new customers and get access to valuable business resources. 

Read What’s the Hype: Black Friday edition

6. The Sims 4 – Trans and Disability Updates

Here’s another brand that demonstrates a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion‌ — Electronic Arts (EA). Its popular life simulation game, The Sims 4, released a new update to include medical wearables for Sims, such as hearing aids and glucose monitors. Breast surgery scars were also an addition.

Sims 4  inclusive players
Sims 4 inclusive players

These updates gave people with disabilities or gender-nonconforming more representation in the game. Fans quickly hopped on X (Twitter) to express their appreciation for EA’s important step in embracing diversity and promoting inclusivity.

What makes this campaign so powerful is that EA didn’t just say it supports Trans people and people with disabilities. It took action and added its diverse features into the game. This demonstrates that the gaming giant is authentic about its social responsibility PR initiatives. 

7. Coke – “Create Real Magic”

Coca-Cola’s Create Real Magic campaign got its audience involved by encouraging user-generated content.

It asked customers to generate original artwork for its advertisements using OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL-E tools.

These free AI image-generating tools allowed people to easily create images they’d submit to Coca-Cola for a chance to be featured in the company’s advertisements.

This shows Coca-Cola’s commitment to innovation and builds a sense of community. To be part of a brand’s creative process can really foster a sense of empowerment. 

8. Dove – “Stand Up For #KidsOnlineSafety”

In April 2023, Dove partnered with Common Sense Media and Parents Together Action as part of its Stand Up for #KidsOnlineSafety campaign.

This was a part of the brand’s support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), advocating for children’s safety online and protecting them from content that might hurt their self-esteem and mental health.  

Dove’s campaign highlights yet another social responsibility issue, and it does an excellent job of communicating its involvement in protecting children online.

It also demonstrates how important it is to establish and maintain brand consistency in PR campaigns. Dove has a long history of promoting self-esteem and body positivity through its marketing campaigns. And ‘Stand Up For #KidsOnlineSafety’ aligns with the iconic health and beauty brand’s core values. 

Read Best Healthcare Marketing Campaigns

Wrapping Up

Business owners put their brands out there to the public to build awareness, generate interest, increase customer loyalty, and boost sales. So, in a sense, brands engage in PR activities every day.

We’ve explored several companies that built connections with their target audience. But what about when these interactions aren’t always positive?

This is where effective crisis management comes into play. It’s important to always be prepared for a crisis and use the right tools to manage it, such as an AI-powered media monitoring platform. Book a demo to learn how Determ can help you mitigate crises.

If you are interested in improving your brand reputation, schedule a demo with our experts to see how Determ can assist you.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Britney is a freelance writer with 5+ years of experience. She has written for a variety of industries, including marketing, technology, business, finance, healthcare, wellness, and fitness. If she’s not spending her time chasing after three little humans and two four-legged friends, you can almost always find her glued to a book or awesome TV series.

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