How Results-Based PR Pricing Wins Earned Media
Pay-for-performance public relations flips the usual PR retainer model on its head: instead of paying for hours, activity, or vague “awareness,” clients pay for outcomes like earned media coverage. In our conversation with Dick Grove, a longtime media relations leader, the core argument is simple: results-based PR is self-disciplining. When compensation depends on placements, a publicist cannot spray pitches and hope something sticks. They must listen to what journalists want, shape the angle fast, and target outlets with a realistic chance of interest. For startups and smaller firms, this PR pricing model can reduce wasted spend and force clarity on what success looks like, from the first week of work.
A major enabler is talent, especially hiring people directly out of the media. Former reporters and producers understand editorial standards, story structure, and the internal pitching process inside a newsroom. Grove also ties this to remote work: to recruit experienced journalists, you often need flexibility. A remote PR team can attract higher-caliber people who would not commute into a high-rise office, and it can lower agency overhead at the same time. But commission-based PR staffing only works when the team is confident, competitive, and seasoned. Paying a higher commission while keeping retainers low aligns incentives for both the agency and the practitioners, and it pushes everyone toward measurable media outcomes.
Remote does not mean disconnected. The episode emphasizes the management mechanics that keep a distributed media relations team productive: an in-person orientation or launch meeting so the team can touch the product, meet the client, and understand the personalities behind the story; regular team calls to share leads; and periodic gatherings that build camaraderie. Even independent contractors want to feel like part of something real, and that sense of team improves follow-through on pitches. The result, when executed well, is a network that consistently finds news hooks, refines story angles, and increases the pitch-to-placement ratio. The operational goal is not volume, it is relevance.
Client expectations are the make-or-break factor in earned media. The conversation draws a sharp line between getting coverage and getting business results. A big placement in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, or a marquee broadcast show is a platform, not a guarantee that phones will ring. That is why the upfront process matters: learning marketing goals, sales goals, audiences, and then building a media target list that fits the stage of the company. Earned media also has a long tail in modern content marketing. A credible third-party story can be repurposed through social media, newsletters, and sales enablement, creating lasting PR value beyond the day it runs. The hard truth remains: “relationships” do not replace a strong story. Journalists protect their reputations, especially in a lean media environment, so the pitch has to make them a hero with their editor.
