In a world where attention span is short and audiences scroll at lightning speed, the goal of good Consumer PR isn’t just standout media coverage (although that ‘s a huge part of it)—it ‘s generating conversation. True “buzz” is created when a brand goes beyond a product announcement and becomes culturally relevant, emotionally resonant, and impossible to ignore. Here are our top tactics for turning brands into buzz:
Help the spark catch fire
Not every buzz-worthy moment starts as a PR campaign. Sometimes it ignites with a trending TikTok video, an unexpected use of product, or a unique customer reaction. A smart PR practitioner is constantly keeping a pulse on cultural conversation, can spot the spark early on, and will use it as an opportunity to pitch media, expand it into content, and turn it into a larger narrative. A great recent example of this was GoodPop’s response to a viral superfan. Their quick and playful action and deeper collaboration allowed them to not only achieve cultural relevancy, but a huge increase in demand for their product. Or when the “Summerween” craze started to bubble up, we quickly worked to help position our client Michaels as a leading trend driver, highlighting their early-to-market strategy, offering expert commentary and data that illustrated early customer demand for their viral collection. This approach led to an incredibly high volume of mainstream and trade media and contributed to one of their most successful seasons.
Tap into your audience
When real people talk about your brand it feels authentic vs. curated. As you’re thinking about your PR strategy, build in genuine creator partnerships, amplify strong user generated content, leverage customer testimonials and unique stories coming from your community. The more these voices work together, it will create a groundswell of conversation that will quickly turn to buzz.
Create experiential moments that matter
It’s not just about the story you tell – it’s how you tell it. Immersive experiences that offer a deeper level of brand engagement and create that “you had to be there” moment are powerful buzz-builders that can also foster brand loyalty. It can be hosting an ownable brand event, executing a stunty pop-up activation to drive viral attention, or showing up at relevant cultural tentpole moments with built-in captivated audiences (industry trade shows, festivals, sporting events etc.).
For brands looking to cut through the noise with product assortments, PR mailers are also a tangible, personal and genuinely exciting experience to offer media and influencers. They drive short-term social chatter and build long-term relationships, and they’re completely scalable and highly impactful when done right. We’ve executed dozens of PR mailers and what we’ve seen is that quality beats quantity, and creativity is key. One recent example, and our strongest performing yet, was for Welch’s launch of their Crisp Apple Sparkling beverage. The elevated box design was shaped like a big apple (yes, you heard that right!). And what was on the inside went far beyond just product, integrating glassware that was having a viral TikTok moment and other trendy branded swag to encourage on-the-spot taste tests and long-term use.
Collaborate with an unexpected brand
When a good brand collaboration happens, it is everywhere—across media, in your social feed, in every “did you see this?!” conversation. Remember Dove x Crumbl or Burts Bees x Hidden Valley Ranch? Brand collabs feel special because they are unique and often unexpected, offer limited quantity and are only available for a short amount of time, so they truly drive next level consumer excitement. They are also a win-win for brands because it allows them to tap into new audiences, leads to faster innovation and can often be more cost effective as they share the marketing, production and distribution expenses making that cool, totally out-of-the-box idea that much more feasible.
We’ll leave you with this:
Brands that create buzz don’t go with the safe choice. They are willing to take creative risks and react quickly before the moment passes by. They are willing to try something new, take a stance, and create can’t miss experiences. And they jump headfirst into the choice that will spark conversation and make them relevant.
Are you ready for your buzzworthy moment? Let’s talk.