Laura Wilson - The Quarterly PR Pivot

At the Digital PR Summit, Laura will show how to rescue underperforming PR campaigns. With newsroom resources shrinking and more PRs competing for attention, traditional tactics don’t always land anymore.

Transcript

2. The Digital PR Summit 2026 The Quarterly PR Pivot How To Know When A Strategy Is Dying, And What To Do Next. 2
3. This talk exists, so you don’ t have to make them too. I’ve just been in the industry for nearly 11 years and I’ve made a lot of mistakes The Digital PR Summit 2026 3
4. Agenda The Digital PR Summit 2026 How to spot when your strategy is broken ​ How to turn it around quickly Long- term results The PR pivot framework Red-flags Audit techniques Quick pivots Breathing space Sustainable Strategy KPIs Your take-home toolkit 01 02 03 04 4
5. Maple • • • • • • Loves Tennis balls Toys Swimming Hates Sharing food Having fun without her Being left without her brother The Digital PR Summit 2026 5
6. How to identify an underperforming strategy The Digital PR Summit 2026 6
7. Deliverability Deliverability The Digital PR Summit 2026 7
8. If you’ re getting zero responses, not even a ‘ no thanks’ , it’ s probably not your idea. It ’ s your deliverability The Digital PR Summit 2026 8
9. Deliverability Score (mailreach) How far apart are your emails being sent? How many from one email in a day? Are your emails exactly the same? What to Check The Digital PR Summit 2026 9
10. What We Do Multiple email accounts Weekly deliverability checks Outreach on Instantly Warm up emails Deliverability expert Verify email addresses The Digital PR Summit 2026 10
11. If you have more questions on this, feel free to drop me a message on LinkedIn. I’ d be happy to share! The Digital PR Summit 2026 11
12. Deliverability The Red Flags The Digital PR Summit 2026 12
13. 01 03 02 04 05 A lack of pick up Coverage only on low- quality sites Same publications every time More emails for the same results Opens but no one replies​ Pitching consistently but coverage has slowed to a trickle or stopped entirely Coverage coming in, but only from low-DR sites that don't move the needle for the client Links clustering in the same few outlets, no new domains, no reach beyond your usual contacts Volume creeping up just to maintain coverage, a sign of diminishing returns, not growing reach Journalists are opening your pitch in your outreach tool, but not responding. The idea isn't landing The Digital PR Summit 2026 13
14. Deliverability How to give yourself some breathing space The Digital PR Summit 2026 14
15. Pivot for quick results Reangle ​ Niche Down Expert Comments Reactive Opportunities Same data, fresh angle. One data point can unlock a new story for a different journalist. Shrink the audience, grow the relevance. A tight angle lands better than a broad one every time. Use your client's voice. Reactive quotes on trending news stories are low-effort, high- quality wins. Build around the news cycle. Topical hooks give journalists the "why now" they always need. 01 02 03 04 The Digital PR Summit 2026 15
16. Train Etiquette Survey Big Campaign Investment. No Pickup. The Digital PR Summit 2026 16
17. A campaign we thought would land ​ Big dataset Strong idea (on paper) High expectations Setup So much data and no clear story​ Large general angle No topical hook Journalists asking “why now” Problem VS The Digital PR Summit 2026 17
18. We changed one thing Niche angle Focussed on the data point The Fix The Digital PR Summit 2026 18
19. The Result Same data, completely different results. The Digital PR Summit 2026 19
20. From short- term wins, to long - term results The Digital PR Summit 2026 20
21. Deliverability Things To Ask Yourself The Digital PR Summit 2026 21
22. What is the problem the client is trying to solve? The Digital PR Summit 2026 22
23. The Follow - Up What was originally sold in to the client ​ What are the KPIs and are they clear Is it just PR, or are other teams involved? Go back to the original pitch, what outputs were promised. Links, coverage, brand mentions, and are you measuring the right thing SEO, Social, Paid, are they succeeding where PR isn't. 01 02 03 The Digital PR Summit 2026 23
24. How to create your long term strategy Analyse what competitors are doing ​ Research what works in their industry Identify in- house experts Align all departments Where are competitors getting links? What angles are landing? Where are they getting covered but your client isn’t? Study successful campaigns in the client's sector, what formats, topics and hooks get consistent pick-up Does your client have spokespeople, data, or niche knowledge journalists would actually want to quote Work together, not in silos. Shared goals mean each team amplifies the others' results 🔎 🧐 👩🏽‍💻 ⭐️ The Digital PR Summit 2026 24
25. The New Strategy Holiday Hygiene Study The Digital PR Summit 2026 25
27. The Problem Client needed international links (especially US) New client we wanted to impress Last campaign was syndications The Digital PR Summit 2026 27
28. The Idea A petri-dish swab study Microbiologist Travel items Lots of bacteria The Digital PR Summit 2026 28
29. And then three weeks went by. The Digital PR Summit 2026 29
30. The Result 18 links and 15 brand mentions The Digital PR Summit 2026 30
31. YOUR PASSPORT IS SEVEN TIMES DIRTIER THAN YOUR SHOES The Digital PR Summit 2026 31
33. Deliverability The PR Pivot Framework The Digital PR Summit 2026 33
34. Diagnose​ Stabilise Re- anchor Rebuild Deliverability Red Flags Journalist Signals Re-angle Niche Down Reactive / Experts Client Problem KPIs Original Sell-in What Works Align Teams Try something new 🔎 📈 ⚓️ 🫆 The Digital PR Summit 2026 34
35. Deliverability Thank You Laura Wilson Head of Outreach Strategy laura@ barringtonseo.co.uk The Digital PR Summit 2026 35