PR Readiness Ladder
Build media capability through expectations, practice, and small wins
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The ladder treats public relations as capability building rather than a hunt for one prestigious article. First, leaders are told that neither a named publication nor a company-centered story can be promised. Next, the company accepts its supporting role in a journalist's broader trend or narrative. Spokespeople then practice the core message and remove damaging communication habits in lower-risk settings. The team celebrates small placements that matter to a defined audience, including niche and regional publications, rather than evaluating success by spectacle or traffic volume. Only after executives demonstrate message discipline should they face high-stakes or investigative interviews. The resulting output is a repeatable media muscle that improves speaking, internal communication, crisis response, and reputation protection as well as coverage.
Origin
Katie Burke presented this progression while explaining how she would set CEO expectations and define early PR success at HubSpot.
Core principles
- 01Coverage can never be guaranteed
- 02Companies usually support a broader story rather than star in it
- 03Media performance is a trained organizational muscle
- 04Small relevant wins should precede high-stakes exposure
How to run it
- 1
Reset executive expectations
Explain that PR cannot guarantee a specific publication, favorable framing, or story centered on the company.
Pro tip Clarify the difference between editorial coverage and owned promotional content.
Watch out Never promise a named outlet to leadership.
- 2
Accept the supporting role
Prepare leaders to contribute evidence and perspective to a broader trend instead of demanding a profile.
Pro tip Define the one useful role the company can play in the story.
Watch out Trying to become the entire story can make the pitch unappealing.
- 3
Train the message
Practice a small set of core messages and correct the spokesperson's most harmful recurring behavior.
Pro tip Use realistic questions rather than rehearsing a speech.
Watch out Do not overload executives with long message documents.
- 4
Earn small relevant wins
Begin with niche, trade, or regional opportunities that matter to a strategic audience and provide lower-risk practice.
Pro tip Celebrate relevance and message accuracy, not headline size.
Watch out Skipping directly to investigative media magnifies uncorrected weaknesses.
- 5
Raise the stakes gradually
Move prepared spokespeople into larger and more challenging interviews as they demonstrate consistent performance.
Pro tip Debrief each appearance and update future preparation.
Watch out Do not treat one successful interview as permanent readiness.
In the wild
HubSpot treated strong regional-market coverage as meaningful because it supported international growth and gave local teams practice and credibility. Those placements mattered even when they did not produce a large volume of referral traffic.
→ The company strengthened market access and media capability without waiting for a national headline.
Common mistakes
Promising the Wall Street Journal
Editorial decisions are outside the PR team's control, so promising a named publication creates false expectations.
Expecting a flattering profile
Journalists generally explain a broader issue rather than publishing a company's preferred advertisement.
Starting with the biggest interview
An untrained executive can cause more reputational harm than the placement is worth.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for organizations beginning media relations or preparing executives for increasingly consequential interviews.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for leaders who insist on guaranteed flattering profiles or refuse message preparation.
From the transcript
“never promise a publication, ever, ever, ever.”
“you are never the bride, always the bridesmaid.”
“starting building blocks of success are setting reasonable expectations, building that muscle of understanding how to engage with media, and then getting a few critical…”
From the episode
Live from INBOUND: Does PR Still Matter? With Katie Burke and Kipp Bodnar
Katie Burke