In our PR agency, we talk about strength a lot.
What does strength look like in PR? Strong coverage. Strong campaigns. Strong results.
But after more than two decades running a PR agency and recently speaking to Fujifilm Sonosite’s Women in Sonosite group, I’ve realised this:
The way we define strength in PR is overdue a rethink.
When I founded Rose Media Group back in 2004, strength looked like saying yes before I had all the answers. Taking risks without a safety net. Building a business in industries where women of colour were rarely in the room, let alone leading it. Like many founders, I wore resilience as a badge of honour.
And in a fast-paced B2B PR agency environment, that resilience quickly turns into always being available, always pushing, always absorbing pressure… for clients, for teams, for the brand.
PR doesn’t often talk about the emotional load it carries. We manage reputations. We handle crises. We translate complexity into clarity. We’re expected to be calm when others are panicking and confident when things feel uncertain. Strength becomes synonymous with endurance.
Until it starts to cost too much.
What I shared in my talk and what I see echoed across our industry is that I didn’t need to become stronger. I needed to become different.
So, what does strength look like in PR now? Well, it looks quieter than it used to.
- It looks like boundaries. Saying no to briefs that don’t align or timelines that don’t serve anyone well.
- It looks like judgement. Advising clients honestly, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
- It looks like stillness. Creating space to think strategically rather than reacting to every demand.
- And it looks like self-awareness. Knowing when a reset is needed before burnout makes the decision for you.
At Rose Media Group, this shift has reshaped how we operate as a PR agency. We focus on thoughtful, results-driven PR rather than noise for noise’s sake. We protect our team’s energy because sustainable PR delivers better outcomes. And as a B2B PR agency, we work best when we’re clear, focused, and aligned not stretched thin.
Strength isn’t fixed. The strength that builds a PR agency isn’t the same strength that keeps it going.
Recognising when it’s time to progress isn’t weakness.
In PR, that awareness is the strongest strategy of all.
