The burgeoning consumer PR market of the last 20 years

We probably don’t talk about it enough but we’ve all benefited from the increased depth and breadth of public relations which has developed over the past 20 odd years. 

This change has probably been most vividly illustrated in consumer public relations. Which is why it's going to be so interesting to talk to today's guests: Charlotte Brooks MD, Mischief and Dan Deeks-Osbourn, head of strategy, Mischief as we compare consumer PR now, to 20 years ago, when Mischief was born.

Mischief is one of a small band of consumer PR shops in London that have surfed the wave of creative and cultural relevance for the last 20 years. Current clients include Samsung, Just Eat, Eon, Ocado and Coca Cola. Currently 35 people work at Mischief and it is part of the MHP Group. 

On the show this week we talk about the evolution of consumer public relations and strategies for sustained agency success.

Before we start, do check out our next PR Masterclass: AI in PR. Here are the themes:

Is AI making PR more efficient, but less effective?
What are the AI implementation traps
Which media titles control ChatGPT
Why AI is winning the copyright war
What is PR’s Missed AI Opportunity
Why AI means that you will need to redesign your PR team's workflow
How newsrooms are using AI
How are in-house PR and comms teams using AI?

Check out the full speaker line-up on  https://www.prmasterclasses.com/masterclass/pr-masterclasses-ai-in-pr

Here is a summary of what Charlotte, Dan and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed on the show:

What was consumer PR like 20 years ago? And how does that compare with consumer PR today?

Is what made a consumer PR firm great 20 years ago, still the same today?

Is consumer PR more powerful now than in 2006?

Why are PR budgets not increasing in line with the increased depth and breadth of work?

Why PR makes marketing distinctive.

Why is most consumer PR bought by CMOs? What happened to the in-house PR managers/directors? 

How has Mischief managed to keep itself relevant as a consumer PR for 20 years?

What's the secret of client retention for PR firms?

What will consumer PR look like in 20 years time?

Evolution of PR landscape
Modern public relations requires integrated multi-channel strategies rather than legacy media coverage focus. Effectiveness is now proven through sales impact rather than outdated metrics.

Strategy in AI era
Algorithms and Large Language Models demand clear messaging and constant, always-on creativity. Teams must balance generalist account management with specialized expertise in content and data analysis.

Agency growth and retention
Long-term client retention relies on consistent impact and transparent partnerships. Agencies must reject complacency to maintain creative standards while expanding influence within broader marketing departments.

Transcript

• Introduction and Opening Remarks: Ben Smith introduced guests Charlotte Brooks, MD, and Dan Deeks-Osburn, Head of Strategy at Mischief, to discuss the evolution of consumer public relations over the past 20 years, coinciding with Mischief’s anniversary. Smith also briefly promoted an upcoming PR masterclass focused on AI in PR.
• Evolution of Consumer PR and Media Landscape: Charlotte Brooks noted that 20 years ago, the primary goal of consumer PR was securing media coverage, but the current landscape is significantly more complex and integrated. Contemporary PR ideas must work effectively across multiple channels, including earned media, social platforms, influencer engagements, content creation, and a brand’s own channels, with consideration for new technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Changes in Demonstrating PR Value: A key difference between PR 20 years ago and today is how value is proven, moving beyond calculating Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) using coverage measurements. Today, PR's effectiveness is measured by whether it shifts perceptions, drives bookings, or increases sales, necessitating clear demonstrations of worth to maintain client budgets.
• Consistency in Earning Attention and Talent Retention: Despite many changes, Charlotte Brooks asserted that the fundamental difficulty of earning attention remains, whether from journalists in the past or a TikTok audience today. A continuous challenge in the industry is attracting and retaining the best talent, as the quality of work—and thus the agency's success—is directly dependent on the team delivering it and the supporting culture.
• Foundational Elements of a Great PR Firm: Dan Deeks-Osburn agreed that a great PR firm must be "absolutely obsessive about the creative," ensuring every detail is carefully handled from strategic insight to execution. They emphasized the need for sharp, real-world insight to ground the creative work and the "magical feeling" required to identify what makes a story truly interesting.
• Increased Competition and the Value of Earned Media: The competition faced by PR agencies has intensified, extending beyond other PR firms to include corporate PR, creators, and various creative and advertising agencies. Dan Deeks-Osburn noted that working in consumer communications now positions practitioners within the broader brand marketing space, where "earned is the kind of magic that kind of flows through all the most awarded, most successful, most effective campaigns".
• Shift in Media Relations Tactics: The method of interacting with the media has changed significantly, with traditional phone calls being replaced by direct messaging (DMs) as the primary way to land coverage. Charlotte Brooks explained that building these relationships and trust starts with a compelling story to open the door, followed by frequent media meets to maintain friendships and secure coverage.
• Importance of Algorithms and Data-Driven Strategy: The influence of algorithms is now critical in consumer PR strategy, requiring analysis of trends and the use of various tools to understand popular narratives. Strategic planning, which now often involves SEO and GEO analysis, aims to find "white space" for stories that the "machines will pull" for AI responses, fundamentally changing content creation.
• Speed of the Feed and Always-On Creativity: Due to the rapid pace of culture and instantaneous online feedback, PR requires a much faster, "always-on creativity" approach compared to 20 years ago. Brands are now expected to respond in real-time, necessitating constant pivoting and engagement with conversations to ensure the brand remains culturally connected and relevant.
• The Unexpected Importance of Words in the AI Era: Dan Deeks-Osburn observed that words have become more crucial than expected, as AI tools like ChatGPT process words rather than visual stories. This shift places a premium on absolute clarity of message, consistency of language, and the credibility of publishing platforms, making it an exciting time for "a words person in the PR world".
• Increased Scope of Work and Need for Specialization: Today's clients expect a single idea to work across numerous channels, including print, broadcast, social media, and influencer channels, meaning PR teams must do substantially more work. This demand has necessitated a shift away from the "generalist" model of 20 years ago toward bringing in specialists to understand areas like content creation and algorithms, while account handlers often remain more generalized.
• Creative Strategy and the PR Agency Structure: Dan Deeks-Osburn highlighted that the specialization/generalist balance is crucial in the creative and strategy functions, where team members must possess both broad knowledge and deep specialization in areas like digital, social, and culture strategy. The nimbleness and fluidity required by the PR world is a massive skill set, differing significantly from the slower pace of advertising agencies.
• Budget Pressures and PR's Increased Influence: While budgets are generally harder to grow due to the difficult economic landscape, the discipline of PR has gained more respect and influence. PR agencies are now increasingly seated at the marketing table early in the briefing process, rather than being asked late in the process to merely "PR the ad," which has led to increased budgets for some clients.
• PR's Role in Driving Marketing Distinctiveness: Dan Deeks-Osburn discussed how PR makes marketing distinctive by contributing to a brand's assets beyond traditional visuals like logos and jingles. This distinctiveness now includes the consistency of the brand’s language and how the business acts to create newsworthy stories that "feed the machine".
• The CMO Challenge: Alignment and Short-Termism: The conversation acknowledged the tension between PR and marketing; though the disciplines are not the same, they require alignment in campaigning. CMOs often like PR in principle but are pressured to deliver short-term results, which is challenging because brand PR campaigns typically yield their biggest gains through long-term, multi-level effort. Mischief prioritizes long relationships with clients to showcase the full impact of their long-term, strategic work.
• Mischief's Strategy for Maintaining Relevance: Mischief has remained relevant over 20 years by continuously prioritizing the quality of their work and maintaining a "restless high standard mindset," rejecting complacency based on legacy or reputation. They have also evolved their offerings, such as the launch of "clickbait," a Gen Z audience offer, to adapt to changing client needs and briefs.
• Secrets to Long-Term Client Retention: The secrets to retaining major clients are consistent delivery of impact, honesty, and transparency. Long-standing relationships thrive on mutual trust and the feeling of partnership, where the agency is an extension of the client's team. Charlotte Brooks characterized this retention as feeling like an "exclusive club" that clients don't want to leave.
• Predictions for Consumer PR in 20 Years: Charlotte Brooks hopes that PR will become even more central to capturing consumer attention, anticipating new platforms and tools that will make earning attention even harder. Dan Deeks-Osburn predicted that consumer PR will be recognized as more valuable than paid advertising, and that consumer PR professionals might evolve into "creative PR people" who consult on a variety of corporate challenges.