Earned Media – The Huge Value Of Independent Endorsement
Ed Frater from Purplex believes that ‘Earned Media’ – independently endorsed coverage of your company – is far more valuable than do it yourself social media posts.
And you need a good public relations company behind you who can put you in front of real journalists whose vies and opinions matter to the trade.
Public relations has been around long before the internet, social media or digital marketing existed. For decades, it meant press releases, phone calls to journalists and selling the concept of a full-length feature into trade magazines. If you got a story placed, you felt privileged.
PR still involves all those things. But it’s become something much broader and much more important than it used to be. The right PR agency can shape how your business is perceived, build genuine authority in your market and create coverage that no amount of paid advertising can replicate.
The wrong one will send out press releases nobody reads and charge you over the odds for what is a poor service.
This is a guide to understanding what good PR looks like, why it matters particularly in the glass, glazing and built environment sectors. And how to find an agency that will paint your story.
Why earned media matters more than ever
There’s an interesting paradox in modern marketing. Businesses have never had more tools available to get their message out. Social media, paid advertising, email campaigns and many more – all easily accessible.
Yet that accessibility, at times, creates the inverse effect. When everyone can push their message out to the world, the noise level rises and trust falls.
Earned media carries a completely different weight. When a journalist writes about your business, when you appear on a podcast as a guest expert, when an industry publication runs your opinion piece, that’s not you talking about yourself. That’s someone else deciding you’re worth talking about. It holds more weight and instantly commands trust.
In a world of paid ads and AI-generated material, genuine media coverage and reputation management have never been more valuable. A strong public image built through earned media takes time to achieve – but it’s durable.
PR in glass & glazing & the built environment
The trade sectors have their own dynamics when it comes to PR. It’s an industry with multiple distinct audiences, each requiring a different approach.
Building authority with installers, fabricators, merchants and suppliers requires a specific kind of credibility. These are experienced professionals who can spot hollow marketing from a mile away. Trade PR is about demonstrating genuine expertise, sharing insight that’s useful and positioning your business as one worth dealing with.
This might mean technical articles in trade publications, commentary on industry trends or coverage of product innovations. When someone in the supply chain is deciding who to work with, your name should already mean something to them.
Consumer influence
For businesses that sell to homeowners, PR plays a different role. Here it’s about trust signals and brand awareness. A homeowner spending thousands of pounds on new windows or doors wants reassurance. Seeing your business featured in a regional newspaper, a home improvement magazine or a respected online publication does something that an ad can’t.
Commercial & architectural
At the specification end of the market, credibility and technical authority are everything. Architects, developers and project managers are looking for suppliers they can trust to deliver on complex projects. PR that demonstrates technical innovation, highlights successful project case studies, and positions your leadership team as genuine experts is essential for competing at this level.
What good pr actually looks like
PR isn’t just press releases.Press releases are one tool in a much larger kit. Good PR involves leadership positioning – getting your senior team in front of the right audiences as credible voices in the industry. It means brand building through consistent, well-crafted media relations over time. It means shaping opinion in your market and establishing the kind of authority that opens doors.
In practice, this might look like expert features in national trade press, high-impact video interviews, appearances on industry podcasts, contributions to panel debates at sector events or a well-executed award entry strategy. Award wins in particular deliver significant visibility and media coverage. A skilled PR firm will identify the right opportunities and write entries that stand a genuine chance of winning.
The range of services a good public relations firm offers should span all these areas, supported by a team of experts who understand both the craft of communications and the industry they’re working in.
When you’re looking for a PR agency, industry knowledge matters more than most businesses realise. A generalist agency might produce competent work, however they’ll spend months getting up to speed on your market, your audience and the publications that influence decisions in your sector.
Look for an agency with genuine writing skills, established media contacts in your industry, and a track record of delivering real coverage for clients like you.
The right PR partner won’t just send out press releases. They’ll help you shape your story and make sure the right people are hearing about your business consistently over time.
Our team includes experienced journalists, media specialists and industry experts who understand how to get your story told and heard.
Picture: The Purplex PR team.
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