Tag: best pr agencies for healthcare groups nyc

There Is No Template for Great PR: Why Every Strategy is Different

Posted on by Mark Macias

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

There is a recurring mistake in public relations that rarely gets discussed: companies often buy a PR process when they should be buying a strategy.

The PR process sounds reasonable. Develop messaging, write a press release, build a media list, pitch reporters, follow up and repeat. Those steps can organize a campaign, but they don’t explain why a journalist would cover one company instead of another.

After working inside newsrooms at NBC and CBS and later founding MACIAS PR, I’ve seen the same principle from both sides of the editorial equation. The path to coverage changes with the company, the story, the audience and the moment in the news cycle.

There is no template for great PR because there is no template for a great story.

Why One PR Strategy Doesn’t Work for Every Company

A healthcare startup, hedge fund, drone manufacturer and consumer brand might all want national media coverage. That doesn’t mean they should pursue it the same way.

Healthcare reporters frequently need evidence, patient relevance, clinical expertise or data that demonstrates why a development matters. Financial journalists are looking for market implications, investment insight, economic trends and credible analysis. A technology company may have an opportunity when its product illustrates a much larger change taking place across an industry.

Consumer PR introduces another set of considerations. Culture, behavior, visual elements and trends can become more important than technical expertise. The mistake is assuming the media outlet is the strategy.

“We want to be in the Wall Street Journal” is a goal. It doesn’t tell you what story the Wall Street Journal has a reason to pursue.

A stronger PR strategy works backward from the editorial opportunity: What is happening in the world right now, where does this company intersect with it, and what can it contribute that a journalist cannot easily get somewhere else?

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Don’t Fight the News Cycle: Why Your PR Strategy Must Pivot in Today’s Media Environment

Posted on by Mark Macias

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

You’ve heard the old Wall Street line: Don’t fight the Fed. In today’s climate, businesses need a new mantra: Don’t fight the news cycle if you want media coverage.

Right now, the headlines are moving faster than most newsrooms can keep up. Between election-year politics, layoffs across major media companies, inflation updates, corporate restructurings, and global trade disputes, reporters are working with smaller teams and tighter deadlines.

When the national conversation is dominated by a handful of hard news topics, it’s not the time to push creative or feel-good angles. It’s the time to align your message with what the public—and the press—are already talking about.

2026 Will be another Hard News Cycle

We’ve seen this shift accelerate over the last few months. Major networks—including NBC, CBS, and others—have gone through structural changes and consolidation. Digital outlets have cut staff.

During cycles like this, journalists gravitate toward stories that connect directly to national headlines. They know editors are more likely to green-light ideas that sync with what viewers, readers, and algorithms are consuming in real time.

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