Public relations is simply how a company or organisation communicates to its various stakeholders, those with importance or influence on how and why it does its work.
The communication could be anything from a new product launch, updates to services, a new partnership or a thought leadership piece and anything in-between, sometimes called pro-active public relations. It is also responding to negative stories, incidents or unforeseen issues in a way that maintains the brand’s standing with its audiences, sometimes called reactive public relations.
From this wide brief it is clear that Public Relations (PR) is important to every aspect of business development and brand storytelling in growing and maintaining reputation. This is essential in 2026 for organisational success and so is worthy of a seat in the Boardroom.
PR maintains the story that the Board wishes to tell about the company they have responsibility for, examples include; Profits are Up! We’re serious about sustainability! We are a safe pair of hands! Endorsed by Jennifer Lawrence! And such like…. Brands with a clear and strong corporate message told consistently to their well-researched audience do well because they are meeting a need that their audience is looking for and have reached the correct price-point for their chosen audience.
In the past I have delivered campaigns on seasonal travel, charity and community partnerships, events, sponsorships and thought-leadership. Some have been basic more factual communications and others have been complex, elaborate long-running campaigns with a series of events, use of different platforms and a very wide range of stakeholders views to encompass and keep engaged. All were pro-active and positive brand storytelling.
A second, more reactive, aspect of PR is the management of risk. PR have the processes and mechanisms to deal with the media (both online and offline) if things go wrong and the messaging needs carefully curated and managed. A seat at the main table is essential to ensure that the organisation’s decision-makers are onboard with the scope and angle of the suggested response, as often the best course of action is for them to deliver a statement or have their name used in the statement.
For example, when Marks and Spencer had its large data hack in April 2025, their response was seen as the best example of how to manage this type of crisis. A carefully worded statement from the CEO was sent to the press, posted across all their social media and emailed to customers with accounts stating 1, that a hack had happened, 2, they were investigating and 3, that they would be in touch quickly with further updates when they knew more based on their investigation. At no point did they try and hide the scale of the hack and how long they thought it would take to fix.
They were applauded externally for their candour and their determination to let as many customers and stakeholders know as possible, as quickly as possible so they stayed in control of the narrative. There were regular updates throughout April to July when the hack was deemed concluded. Customers were given assurances around data leaks and what to expect when they were back up and running. The fact that they stayed in control of their communications narrative showed the seriousness they were taking it and also that they were in control of the situation (as far as possible).
Their PR Team will have had to have been at the decision-makers table throughout the whole process to advise on how to sculpt and shape the response. They were embedded in the team managing the crisis so they could advise on how to best communicate it out to customers.
I have also supported the delivery of crisis communications when the company I was working for also experienced a data hack. The scope of which was very small in terms of the whole organisation, this needed to be clearly and concisely communicated quickly to all senior stakeholders as well as consumers to alert them that there had been a data breach but that any data we held on them was safe and continued to be protected. A number of significant institutions were also hit at the same time, however, we were the first to issue a comprehensive statement and looking back I believe this was the reason we faced the least criticism.
During this period our full team were involved in Senior Leadership meetings and Board meetings to advise who, what and when should be communicated with. The main aim was to be honest and give reassurance to those customers we held financial or personal details for. The internal communications team fielded all calls from staff.
The third reason PR should have a place at the table is in the management of stakeholders. This can perhaps be seen as the bread and butter of PR as it is the every day communication of information. At the core of PR is shaping each message to each audience that will receive it and communicating with them in a way that works best for them. For example, certain demographical groups prefer to be communicated on particular platforms so if they are your audience where and how they like to be communicated to is important.
PR professionals can bring significant expertise into the conversation around which stakeholders may need prior warning for an announcement or which need more in depth information and extra time spent with the CEO. PR professionals can advise on societal expectations or mood from scanning the media and online contacts to determine the mood on an issue that can inform how best to communicate effectively about it in a way that supports corporate values.
PR is a specialist skill, that is built on an understanding of broader issues and perspectives much wider than the organisation. Great PR is not just about communicating messages its about building a relationship with your audience and building a clear story about who the organisation is, what they stand for and why those things benefit the customer. This centres around accountability and reputation.
Is the influence the organisation has used responsibly and with integrity or is there a disconnect between who they say they are and a customer’s experience of them? Is the Boardroom even aware of this perceived disconnect? This is where the PR professional’s skill of gathering information from stakeholders and communicating it back to those in power becomes invaluable. This is essential for the long-term viability and success of organisations.
