Insights | Blog Post | Mar 13, 2026 10:00am

How do you know when it’s time to bring on a PR agency?

The time to invest in bringing on a public relations (PR) agency ultimately depends on your brand’s specific business objectives. At Be-cause, we’ve put together several key criteria that can help you gauge if your brand is ready (and whether PR is the right strategy for your needs). The first is to ensure that we’re on the same page about what PR actually is.

What is PR?

We define PR as any communications activity that involves managing a brand’s engagement with target audiences – with the goal of including public perception. This can include traditional media outreach (writing and disseminating press releases to secure coverage), digital media (i.e. creating and sharing content for social platforms), events, industry reports etc.

When is it time to hire a PR agency?

Your brand is ready for PR if you are:

• Changing an entrenched narrative: If your brand is trying to change the way people think and talk about a specific topic or the way an industry has traditionally worked, an intentional PR strategy will be instrumental in helping you reach more of the right people and driving conversations. Whether through securing coverage in top tier publications popular with your target audience, or creating social content that educates stakeholders, this is where PR shines.
• Approaching major milestones: For example, you’re launching a new product, rebranding, expanding, or entering new markets – your brand can leverage PR to generate buzz for these big milestones and drive awareness with the right audience.
• Struggling with inconsistent brand messaging: Your brand voice and story need to be cohesive across all touchpoints with potential customers and stakeholders. A PR agency can help you by offering an objective lens through which to develop key messaging and refine your brand narrative in a way that resonates with audiences.
• Ready for a long-term investment (and have internal buy-in): PR is a slow burn – it doesn’t deliver results overnight. If your management team and leadership understand this, and are prepared to invest the time and provide real support to the agency, then you’re ready to get started.
• Offering a quality product or service: PR only works when your product does. Once your name is out there and people are interacting with it, it must live up to the hype – otherwise you risk backlash from dissatisfied consumers. PR can’t make a success of something that isn’t already high quality.

Be-cause is a South African PR, brand strategy, and communications agency based in Cape Town – we work with innovators, disruptors, and changemakers across the healthcare, renewable energy, technology, education, property and development sectors. If you meet the above criteria, send us an email at connect@be-cause.co.za and together, we can start planning your PR campaign.