Article 12: How Do I Get My PR Budget Approved?

If you’ve spoken to an external agency PR partner, provided a brief, reviewed the proposal submitted, and discussed the fees internally with colleagues, your next step is likely to seek formal PR budget approval.

I don’t profess to know your specific internal approval processes, but I would suggest that identifying the “burning platform” is likely to be an essential component.

By this, I mean if you’ve never executed a PR campaign before, why now? Why should the CFO or Board release funds today?  After all, the company has presumably survived until now without it. Or, if you are looking to increase or simply renew the fee, again, why now? 

Here are a few things to consider:

• What is your company’s awareness in the market you’re trying to target? If you’re a startup, your awareness is probably non-existent outside of the investor community and so easy to quantify. If you are a scaleup competing in a busy marketplace, does your awareness match—or exceed—that of your competitors? Demonstrating low market awareness through market research could be the key to unlocking your budget.

• Can you claim decent awareness, but ‘drop the ball’ on reputation and perception? Have you shifted messaging, made acquisitions, or just made a few mistakes over the years (it happens) that could leave your audiences slightly confused? Your audience(s) perception may not be what you intend. A perception or reputation audit can help benchmark your starting point—and may provide the quantifiable data the Board needs to move forward faster.

• Deals get done through people. People buy from people. How visible, trusted, and connected are your spokespeople? Are they thought leaders—or hidden from view?

In the LATAM region personal connections are really important. Pedro Cadina, founder and CEO of our agency partner in the LATAM region, Vianews, mentioned recently in this interview: “Relationships are key in Latin America. If you have the right connections, half the work is done. In the UK or US, logic and information may matter more. Here, relationships can make or break the deal.” 

• What is Google or ChatGPT saying about you? I challenge you to ask it: What do you know about [insert your company name]? The information ChatGPT sources comes from across the internet, journalists, third-party websites, and historical content. There may be no faster way to secure budget approval today than by presenting the response given to you by ChatGPT!

In this conversation, Cara Corbett from SUSO Digital, an affiliate of Collectivist, says: “Google’s new AI Overviews and other AI-powered search features are surfacing answers with citations from trusted sources. LLMs (like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini) frequently reference top-tier media outlets.”

And, here in this article, Simon Simon Schnieders, CEO and Founder of SEO agency, Blue Array, suggests tech companies need to look at the quality of their content to drive their Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): “AI systems seem to be deprioritising generic AI-generated content. They’re looking for high-quality, authoritative material—ideally content that reflects the lived human experience.”

• A phased approach may unlock the budget faster. If you are really struggling to secure budget approval, Louay Al Samarrai, co-founder and joint Managing Director of our Middle East agency, Active DMC, suggests a gradual approach can help:

“Start with a small idea. Take a phased approach—build it out slowly and see if you can open budgets and approvals step by step. As a partner, we’ll deliver those smaller campaigns flawlessly and that gives us the opportunity to go bigger next time.”

Secure PR budget approval 

Securing PR budget approval isn’t just about presenting a number—it’s about making a compelling case for strategic investment. Whether you’re facing low market awareness, shifting perceptions, launching a new product, or simply need your spokespeople to be seen and heard, PR can be a powerful driver of business growth.

The key is to align your request with clear business needs, data-driven insights, and tangible outcomes. If your leadership team understands the risks of inaction—and the opportunities of getting it right—you’re far more likely to get the green light.

Ultimately, PR isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. In today’s noisy, reputation-driven world, it’s a competitive advantage. Make the case clearly, and your budget conversation will be much easier.