We are Christina and Peter Pilarski, founders and leaders of CIPR Communications and hosts of Two Babies and a Business Podcast. In our previous podcast, we established two questions you should be asking: what are my goals; and am I ready? For our 9th podcast episode in this series, we discuss public and media relations goals and the top three goals we hear from our clients.
Earned Media Coverage
One of the most important and fundamental goals you should have is earned media coverage. These are news releases or blogs on your brand, written by others, that you can link to on your social media or website. Someone else speaking about your brand and story carries with it high credibility. Third-party coverage from journalists, podcasters, or vloggers all add credibility to your brand exposure.
Brand Exposure
The second goal you should have is brand exposure. Brand exposure aims to inform and educate as many people as possible about what is available, in a storytelling and educational approach. As this is not a sales approach, you should not think of using PR as a lead generation channel. Focus on using public and media relations to tell your story and not selling your product.
Top Three Goals We Hear From Our Clients
Generating Sales
Generating sales is a goal that we often hear our clients wanting. However, we feel that PR is a more difficult channel for making direct sales. The first question you need to ask is whether your product is a superior version of what already exists or if it is brand new that requires some education so people know they even need it. You will need to build your story for novel products and get early adopters that could turn into social media influencers to tell your story. Your PR will need to be appropriately targeted depending on whether you have a broad or niche market.
Investor Relations
Using a media PR approach is an excellent way to bring in investors and keep them alongside as you have the most control over your message. Press releases can be used to build excitement and media growth and tailored towards investors, while your website can be geared towards consumers.
Being on TV
This can be a legitimate goal and can lead to some great opportunities. But if this is your goal, then brand awareness is critical. Your company must have a story that can blast through all the clutter; your websites, blogs, and social media presence must be in order. Having your house in order is something we talk about in our next podcast.
If you like what you’ve been reading so far, we would love to connect with you! You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, be sure to follow us on iTunes, Spreaker, or Spotify to listen to the rest of our series in public relations and get notified of new episodes.
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Christina Pilarski
Christina Pilarski is CEO and co-founder of CIPR Communications, a digital PR, marketing, and AI consulting agency serving hospitality, tourism, and luxury lifestyle brands across North America. Before starting CIPR in 2010 with her life partner and business partner, Peter Pilarski, Christina led campaigns in a series of corporate roles and served as Special Advisor to the Minister at Alberta's Department of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. She now leads a team of 20+ staff and contractors across CIPR and its AI-focused division, the Tourism AI Network. Christina holds a BA with Honours and an MA in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary. Outside the office, she's a mom of twins and two dogs, based in Calgary.
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Peter Pilarski
Peter Pilarski is the Founder of Tourism AI Network and President of CIPR Communications. He helps tourism and hospitality organizations adopt AI strategically — from AI search visibility and custom tool development to team training and executive advisory. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and AI advisor whose sessions blend practical frameworks with real-world results.
