Dear PR Traditionalists,
Public relations can no longer hide behind polished decks and the tired mantra of “that’s how it’s always done”.
Those safe habits are shackles - slowing us down, dulling our impact, and disconnecting us from what really moves people.
We’re not here to simply publicly relate - we’re here to stir things up, to challenge the status quo, to drive culture forward with boldness and purpose. To be more than just public relations.
But somewhere along the way, we became obsessed with doing things “by the book.” And now that book is gathering dust. While we’re still fussing over the formatting of a pre-read, cultures already dropped three memes, remixed a TikTok sound, and spun the conversation into another galaxy.
Let’s not kid ourselves. No one is waiting breathlessly for your client’s campaign like it’s the season finale of Succession. Audiences are living in the moment, and if your story doesn’t move with them, they move on. Fast.
Agile storytelling isn’t a nice to have. It’s the baseline. It’s about building ideas that can breathe, shapeshift, and respond to what’s happening right now, not unveiling a perfectly polished campaign months after the moment’s passed.
And yet, the industry still idolises perfection. But here’s the thing: perfection is the enemy of relevance. If it’s taken six weeks, six decks, and six layers of sign-off to get there, you’re probably late. And worse - you’re probably forgettable.
People don’t want more polish. They want more pulse. They want work that makes them stop scrolling and say, “Wait, what was that?”
Something unexpected. Something alive.
Look at the cultural campaigns cutting through — festival pods inspired by anime and internet chaos, lo-fi launches that feel like fan fiction, brand drops that spark memes before they hit the media list. They’re not just “on brand.” They’re weird. Wild. Unforgettable.
That’s what happens when we value relevance over refinement.
The old PR playbook treated culture like a threat — something to contain, control, or carefully time. But it doesn’t wait for message sign-off. It doesn’t care about your embargo. And it definitely won’t pause for a stakeholder review.
So, stop trying to tame it. Start collaborating with it.
Co-create with creative energy. Don’t show up with a pre-packaged message. Let in the wild, the passionate, the unexpected into the conversation. Say yes before the moment passes.
Bring in the street artists. The stylists-turned-content-creators. The ones remixing culture in real time across Instagram, Spotify, and pop-ups that vanish in 48 hours.
Culture has cracked open, and it’s inviting us in, if we’re bold enough to play.
Yes, keep some structure - this isn’t a call for inbox chaos. But loosen your grip.
Ditch the beige templates. Let curiosity lead.
Make room for momentum. Replace polish with presence. Throw out the campaign museum and the 40-slide PowerPoint and start building work that actually lives in the here and now.
This isn’t a reckless free-for-all. It’s switching to pencil. Keeping the eraser close.
And daring to write the story with a great playlist and strong coffee.
Because the future of public relations isn’t quiet. It’s bold, electric, and moving fast.
Sincerely yours, showing up for the moment with a coffee in hand,
Nikki
