When Should I Hire a PR Agency? Earlier than you think

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

It’s one of the most popular questions I hear from founders and CEOs: When is the best time to hire a PR agency?

Usually, they’re asking because something big is approaching. A product is launching, or the company is preparing to raise capital. Suddenly, leadership realizes competitors are generating media attention while their company remains invisible.

By that point, you’re already behind any strategy.

PR requires more preparation than most executives realize. A PR team must identify the strongest story angles, develop the messaging, research the journalists covering the topic, determine which reporters are appropriate for the pitch, begin outreach, follow up, coordinate interviews and prepare executives for those conversations. That doesn’t happen overnight.

Before founding MACIAS PR, I spent years as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York. That newsroom experience taught me something that still guides our campaigns today: the best time to develop a story is before you need the coverage.

Recent industry commentary makes the same point. Entrepreneur reported in June 2026 that founders who wait until a launch or fundraising campaign is imminent lose the runway required to build familiarity with journalists and the market. Media relationships and visibility compound over time rather than appearing instantly when a company suddenly needs them.

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Client Case Study – Medicare and Medicaid Services

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Mark Macias

Case Study: Elevating a Health Care Startup’s Brand Through Strategic Media Relations

A health care services consulting firm approached MACIAS PR a few months after launching their startup. The founder— an experienced healthcare professional but new to media relations—wanted to introduce her services to social workers and prospective clients.

Challenges

Medicaid Advisory Group was only 3-Months Old when we launched their branding campaign.
The CEO and founder had no previous media experience.
The small leadership team was deeply focused on operations, leaving limited bandwidth for branding or PR.
Medicare and Medicaid as news topics are frequently ignored and overlooked.

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What Happens After You Get Media Coverage?

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Many companies celebrate when they earn media coverage.

The article gets published. TV interview airs. The founder shares the story on LinkedIn. Employees congratulate one another, and the marketing team moves on to the next campaign.

That’s a mistake.

The most valuable part of public relations begins after the story appears.

Having spent years approving stories as an Executive Producer with NBC News before founding MACIAS PR, I’ve seen companies treat media coverage like a finish line. In reality, a great story should become one of your most valuable business assets. The companies that generate the greatest return from earned media continue building on that credibility long after the reporter publishes the story.

A single media placement can create opportunities for months—or even years—if you know how to maximize its value.

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Client Case Study – Family-Owned Asset Management Firm

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Mark Macias

Industry: Asset Management | Wealth Management | Financial Services

The Challenge

When Sag Harbor Advisors hired MACIAS PR, the boutique startup firm faced a challenge common among emerging asset managers. It had a strong investment philosophy but virtually no public brand.

The company had no established messaging, limited marketing infrastructure and little public visibility. Its CEO had never worked with the media, making executive positioning another obstacle. Competing against Wall Street firms managing billions of dollars meant the company would need to earn credibility—not buy it.

The objective wasn’t simply to secure media interviews. It was to transform a little-known family-owned advisory firm into a trusted voice on investing, financial planning and market trends.

Our Strategy

Rather than pitching Sag Harbor Advisors as another investment firm, MACIAS PR positioned the CEO as an independent Wall Street voice willing to challenge conventional thinking. Our strategy focused on three pillars:

Executive Thought Leadership

We developed a consistent media platform that positioned the firm’s CEO as an expert investors could trust—not someone promoting products, but someone explaining markets.

News-Driven Commentary

Our team monitored breaking financial news every day, identifying opportunities where the CEO could provide timely insight into market volatility, investing strategies, retirement planning and wealth management.

Instead of reacting after stories broke, we proactively integrated the news cycle into our outreach, making Sag Harbor Advisors relevant to conversations already dominating the financial media.

Original Editorial Campaigns

One of the campaign’s signature initiatives became “Confessions From a Financial Advisor.”

The editorial challenged common assumptions about the financial advisory industry while educating investors on what they should look for before hiring an advisor. The honesty of the message immediately differentiated the firm from competitors and generated widespread national media attention.

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How Do Investors Research Startups Before Writing a Check?

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Startup founders spends months preparing for their investor meeting but before their presentation even begins, most investors have already made up their minds.

Long before investors meet with you – or write a check, they’ve already researched your company online. News stories, executive backgrounds, LinkedIn profiles will influence their decisions before you even say a word. And what’s the common denominator between that research? The Media.

As an Executive Producer with NBC before founding MACIAS PR, I’ve seen firsthand how earned media shapes public perception. Journalists decide which companies deserve attention based on newsworthiness. Investors take the same approach to validate whether a company is gaining traction.

Public Relations Begins Before any Fundraising Campaign

Many startups wait until they’re raising capital before investing in public relations. That’s often too late. Credibility develops over time – not three weeks before your important VC meeting.

The strongest fundraising campaigns are supported by months of thoughtful media outreach, executive positioning and strategic storytelling. By the time investors begin researching the company, they’ve already encountered interviews, industry commentary and third-party news coverage that reinforces the startup’s market position.

Public relations doesn’t replace fundraising. It strengthens the environment in which fundraising happens.

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What Journalists Actually Look For in a Startup Story

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

“How do I get reporters interested in my company?”

It’s a popular question from all startups. Our conversation usually begins around a product launch, funding announcement or new partnership. These milestones are exciting for founders, but journalists rarely care about those topics.

Before founding MACIAS PR, I spent years approving story ideas as Executive Producer with NBC and CBS. Every day, we evaluated hundreds of pitches competing for a limited number of broadcast segments. The overwhelming majority never made it to air—not because the companies lacked innovation, but because they lacked a compelling story.

Understanding how journalists evaluate news is one of the biggest advantages a startup can have. Once founders begin thinking like reporters instead of marketers, media coverage becomes much more attainable.

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10 Things I Learned Approving Stories at NBC and CBS

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Before I launched MACIAS PR in 2009, I spent years approving stories as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York. Every day I reviewed dozens of story ideas from reporters, producers and publicists. Most never made it on the air.

What surprised me most wasn’t that publicists lacked media contacts. It was that many never understood how journalists actually decide what becomes news. The technology has changed since my newsroom days.

AI, social media and digital publishing have transformed journalism. But the fundamentals of what makes a story worthy of coverage haven’t changed. Here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from sitting on the other side of the pitch.

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Should I Hire an In-House PR Person or a PR Agency?

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

One of the biggest decisions growing companies face is whether to hire an in-house public relations professional or work with a PR agency. The answer isn’t always obvious.

At first glance, bringing PR in-house may seem like the logical choice. An employee understands the business, sits in meetings and becomes immersed in the company’s culture. An agency, on the other hand, works from the outside.

That comparison overlooks one important reality. The most valuable part of public relations isn’t writing a press release. It’s everything that happens before and after the press release.

Having spent years as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York – before founding MACIAS PR – I’ve learned that successful media campaigns depend on strategy, timing, persistence and execution. Those responsibilities require far more time than most executives realize.

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How Do Startups Get on CNBC?

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

For many startup founders, appearing on CNBC represents more than media exposure.

A CNBC interview can introduce a company to investors, customers, strategic partners and prospective employees in a single day. The network reaches millions of business decision-makers, making it one of the most influential business news organizations in the world.

That visibility explains why founders often ask the same question: How can I get my business on CNBC?

As a former Executive Producer with NBC and contributor with CNBC, I can tell you the bar is much higher for CNBC. The potential stakes for every interview are heavy based on the potential to move the markets. This is why subjective angles aren’t even looked at while objective stories have to be substantiated across several levels.

Those editorial decisions continually shape how our agency develops media campaigns for startups today. Click here to see our case studies. CNBC producers think like journalists, not marketers, and understanding that difference dramatically improves a company’s chances of earning coverage.

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Healthcare PR for Startups: What Actually Gets Covered

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Healthcare startups often ask, “How do we get media coverage?” The better question is, “What do healthcare reporters actually want to cover?”

The difference usually has very little to do with the quality of the product.

Healthcare PR is one of the most exciting industries for innovation, but it’s also one of the hardest sectors in which to earn media coverage. Every week, startups announce new medical technologies, artificial intelligence platforms, digital therapeutics, telehealth solutions and healthcare apps. Only a small percentage of those companies receive meaningful press attention.

Successful healthcare public relations campaigns typically begin with understanding how reporters think. Before founding MACIAS PR, I spent years approving story ideas as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York. That newsroom experience continues to shape how our agency develops healthcare PR campaigns because journalists evaluate stories much differently than entrepreneurs.

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