As workplaces and businesses adjust to post-pandemic realities, it’s clear that the flexibility, ingenuity, and expertise that hybrid PR teams bring to businesses can make a difference.
At B2 Communications, we deliver results for our clients by combining seasoned industry veterans as employees with a group of skilled independent PR pros who partner with us for client work. The result - a strikingly effective use of resources.
Highly Skilled PR Pros
Every single one of our PR partners has walked an incredible career path, from an award-winning journalist to a Fortune 100 communications veteran to a PR pro for the Warrior Games. They’ve chosen to partner with us, which translates into innovative strategies for our clients.
Public relations at heart means constantly learning about industries, communities and best practices. Our clients often trust us to help with truly complex problems. While we’re proud of our agile generalists, we know that experienced insiders can see opportunities we might not have known to look for. That’s why we cultivate relationships with people like Brandon Shuler, whose background in local environmental causes and sustainability is only matched by his prolific body of writing.
Brandon’s deep understanding of nonprofits like the Ocean Conservancy, his own fishing business and an ecotourism company opened up a connection only he could have spotted. He arranged for a speaking opportunity for Sean Sullivan, executive director at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, at a recent stopover by a high-level officials. Sullivan was able to talk directly to stakeholders and policymakers about sea-level rise and resiliency in Tampa Bay and to represent how the Regional Planning Council has been leading the way on solutions and initiatives.
Deep Industry Knowledge
We also believe in investing early in a hybrid PR partnership. Noelle Fox, APR of True Blue Communications started her business about six months after we did at B2. We immediately brought her in as a partner, and she began to learn the commercial real estate world alongside principal Kyle Parks.
For 12 years, we’ve watched Noelle become one of the best real estate PR professionals in Central Florida (maybe even in Florida overall, if we say so ourselves). Her level of experience, the breadth of her knowledge, and her teamwork with Kyle would be almost impossible to replicate — as clear an example as any that these relationships pay off.
Add Marketing Expertise
The hybrid PR team model also works incredibly well for our projects with marketing and advertising agencies. Our Rolodex is full of professionals we can rely on for everything from a fully integrated campaign to a straightforward web design.
It’s like choosing from a curated list: If B2 knows what you’re looking for and your metrics for success, we can recommend a trusted partner that suits your needs to a T, whether that’s SEO development, HubSpot integration, cost-effectiveness or creative brilliance. We can then stay involved through the end result, unifying your client experience — and the final product — with PR expertise and perfectly tailored outputs.
Gambling on a provider because of one really good RFP response can be risky. We’ve found that consulting with vetted experts who bring seasoned insider perspectives and fresh ideas can ignite a client’s PR strategy.
Hybrid PR Teams Work
The hybrid model for effective public relations has been part of B2’s DNA since we got into the business, and we’re glad to see hybrid PR teams become more common in the industry. We expect it to become more mainstream in practice across the public relations industry, as more and more firms and individuals looking for flexibility combined with deep specialization.
In the Great Resignation, highly skilled professionals are taking stock of their careers and looking for new ways to apply their skills. This presents an excellent opportunity for our clients, who can tap into this rich vein of expertise without the risk of hiring someone full-time.