“PR is rubbish.”
“It’s not for us.”
You might have said it, or even believed it. Maybe your last agency overpromised and underdelivered. Maybe PR has always felt like smoke and mirrors – big retainers, little impact. Maybe you’ve never done PR before, but you’ve heard the horror stories.
We get it. We’ve heard them all. And the truth is, you’re not wrong to be sceptical.
PR, done badly, can be a waste of time and money. Sometimes it can be a costly investment with very little to show from it. But here’s where we’re different from most agencies: we do things differently from what you might have heard or previously experienced. PR, done right, is a measurable, strategic asset which can help you achieve your business goals. Let’s break down the biggest frustrations and misgivings, one by one.
1. “We’ve been burnt before – PR felt like a waste of money.”
The problem
You hired a PR agency expecting them to make a big impact. Instead, you found yourself stuck in an endless cycle of press release edits, eating up your retainer. Then halfway through the month, they hit you with: “Your hours are up.” You paid the invoice, but the results were underwhelming. This is exactly why PR has a reputation problem. Too many agencies charge exorbitant fees for time without delivering tangible business outcomes. PR should never be a glorified copywriting service. It should be a strategic, measurable function which directly supports your business objectives.
The Whiteoaks way
As the client you deserve full transparency on what you’re paying for and what it’s doing for your business. With our Performance PR model, you know exactly what you’re getting – both in terms of deliverables and measurable results. When you share your business objectives with us, we build a PR strategy designed to deliver real impact. Every campaign is built on set deliverables which achieve defined outcomes. Those deliverables could include: X press releases, Y articles or Z video interviews. And we don’t stop at execution. We measure the direct impact of our work using clear, meaningful metrics such as coverage volume, audience engagement or key message penetration. There is no wasted spend, just campaigns which deliver measurable value to your business.
2. “What exactly are we paying for?”
The problem
The PR pitch was slick. The agency sounded like they knew their stuff but when it came down to actual deliverables? Vague. No clear outputs. No defined impact. You gained no real understanding of what your investment would actually do for your business. For too long, PR agencies have relied on ambiguity when it comes to pricing. Unlike other marketing disciplines – where costs, deliverables and KPIs are clearly defined – traditional PR has operated in the shadows of unclear commitments and subjective success metrics. PR should be as transparent; if an agency can’t articulate what’s included and what success looks like, it’s a red flag. When you invest in PR, you should have absolute clarity on what you’re getting in return. That means knowing:
> What’s included in the scope: How many press releases? How many media opportunities? What kind of thought leadership content?
> How success will be measured: What KPIs will be tracked? How will PR’s impact on brand awareness, reputation or lead generation be demonstrated?
> What business outcomes PR will influence: How does media coverage contribute to your wider commercial objectives?
The Whiteoaks way
When you work with us you can expect a clear, measurable and results-driven approach – one which holds us fully accountable for delivering impact. Our Performance PR approach is built on defined metrics which prove the value of your investment. From media reach to inbound leads influenced by PR efforts, everything we do is tracked and measured. We’re committed to our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model, so you’ll always know exactly what you’re paying for, with no hidden costs or surprises. We work in close partnership with you; we set agreed targets which directly align with your business objectives, backed by a formal service level agreement. And here’s the difference – if we don’t hit those targets, you get your money back. It’s a model which provides peace of mind for you and accountability for us.
3. “PR will just create more work for us.”
The problem
Too many businesses assume that hiring a PR agency means more work, not more results – and honestly, with the wrong agency, they’re right to worry. They picture themselves drowning in drafts, rewriting press releases, providing endless quotes and getting stuck in a never-ending cycle of approvals. Instead of freeing up their time, PR starts to feel like just another task to manage. For busy teams, that’s a dealbreaker. PR should make an impact, not pile on extra work.nA well-run PR strategy should feel like an extension of your team, delivering results with minimal demand on your time. The reason PR sometimes feels like extra work? Misalignment from the start. When agencies don’t take the time to fully understand your business, messaging and positioning, they rely too heavily on you to fill in the gaps.nThat’s not how it should work.
The Whiteoaks way
Our team has deep expertise across media, content, creative, digital and social media, and we take ownership of every element, so you don’t have to. We’ve specialised in B2B tech PR for nearly 30 years, which means we already understand the complexities of your industry. We are attuned to getting to grips with technical concepts and we translate your expertise into compelling narratives to position you as a thought leader. From day one, we get under the skin of your business. We define your positioning, map out your audience and build a strategy which aligns directly with your commercial goals. We pinpoint what drives your customers, where they engage and what influences their decisions so every campaign lands in the right place, with the right people, at the right time. PR should be a growth engine, not a time drain.
4. “Our leadership team won’t sign off on PR.”
The problem
You see the value of PR. You know it can raise your brand profile, position your company as an industry leader and drive engagement. But your leadership team isn’t convinced. They don’t want vague promises about ‘raising awareness’. They want clear ROI, tangible business impact and data which proves PR is worth the investment. If they can’t see a direct link to commercial goals, they won’t sign off.
The Whiteoaks way
We know the key to securing buy-in is to make PR measurable and show how it can accelerate business objectives. Fortunately, that’s exactly how Performance PR operates. It directly supports commercial priorities like launching new products, generating leads or scaling quickly. Instead of saying, “we’ll increase awareness,” we can demonstrate how PR will deliver real, quantifiable results:
> If you’re launching a new product we say: “We’ll secure X high-profile media features to drive awareness, credibility and demand from day one.”
> If you want to drive leads into the business, we say: “We’ll create thought leadership content and media placements which fuel inbound marketing and push potential customers into the pipeline.”
> If you’re under pressure to grow fast, we say: “We’ll position the company as an industry leader, attracting customers, investors and partners to support your expansion.”
When PR is structured like this, it’s a results-driven investment which leadership can’t ignore.
If you’ve been let down by PR before or you’re sceptical about whether it’s worth the investment, let us prove that it can be done differently. Get in touch to see what Performance PR can look like in action.
