With just two and a half months until HIVEMCR 25, we are continuing to take a look back at last year’s event. Lou Ali’s take on How To Never Be Irrelevant when it comes to Digital PR campaigns was without doubt one of the highlights of our very first event.
You can see the talk in full via the video below and read on for a summary of a candid assessment of why so many PR campaigns fail due to lack of relevancy.
Quick Navigation
- How to Never Be Irrelevant with Your Digital PR Campaigns
- Relevancy is More Than Just a Buzzword
- The Spiderweb of Relevance: How to Keep Campaigns Aligned
- Branching Out: What Your Audience Cares About
- Beyond Products: Lifestyle and Brand Fame
- The Epidemic of Irrelevant Digital PR
- The Real PR KPIs That Matter
- The Future of Digital PR: SEO & Content Collaboration
- Final Thought: PR Is Not Just About Links
- Join Us at HIVEMCR ’25
How to Never Be Irrelevant with Your Digital PR Campaigns
Digital PR is in crisis. We’ve all seen the scattergun approach, random campaigns with zero relevance to the brand they represent, the kind that make you question, “How is this relevant?”
A great example of how not to do PR is the 2017 Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad.
It was a case study in tone-deaf marketing. The ad attempted to capitalise on the Black Lives Matter movement, but instead of showing genuine support, it suggested that racial tensions could be solved with a can of Pepsi. The backlash was instant, the damage long-lasting.
“Pepsi disagreed,” Lou explained. “So, Kendall Jenner, world-renowned civil rights activist, grabs a can, hands it to a police officer, and just like that – hallelujah! Racism is over.”
This blunder exemplified what happens when brands hijack conversations they have no business being in.
“They were trying to commercialise a social movement they had no connection to whatsoever. It was a mistake.”
But this isn’t just a problem for major brands, it’s happening in digital PR campaigns every day.
Relevancy is More Than Just a Buzzword
Lou made it clear, relevance in PR campaigns isn’t just about getting a brand name in the press, it’s about making an impact on organic performance.
“If you’re doing campaigns that have nothing to do with your brand, don’t be surprised when it does nothing for your SEO.”
Google wants brands to show Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T). If your PR campaigns don’t align with what your brand actually does, then you’re wasting time, budget, and valuable SEO potential.
So, how do you avoid irrelevance?
The Spiderweb of Relevance – How to Keep Campaigns Aligned
The easiest way to ensure relevance is to tie your campaigns directly to what you sell. Keep your products and services front and centre, but don’t be overly salesy.
“If you sell flowers, create campaigns about flowers. It’s really not that deep.”
One example was campaign for eFlorist on floral-themed baby names. It tied perfectly to their product, aligned with search intent, and resulted in valuable backlinks.
But being relevant doesn’t mean being boring.
“If you sell bathroom supplies, do something wild like ‘When will public toilets become extinct?’”
Branching Out – What Your Audience Cares About
A legendary example? Michelin Guides.
Michelin sells tyres. Tyres help people drive. People drive to restaurants. So Michelin started ranking restaurants.
“Pierre, we need to sell more tyres.” Lou joked. “People who have tyres have cars. People who have cars drive. Let’s make restaurant guides to encourage them to drive more.”
Unexpected? Yes. Irrelevant? No.
The best campaigns find these unexpected but logical connections between a brand and the topics people care about.
Beyond Products – Lifestyle and Brand Fame
Some of the most effective PR campaigns focus on brand values and identity.
Take Red Bull. They don’t just talk about energy drinks, they associate themselves with extreme sports and high energy lifestyles.
Lou’s dream brand to work with? Timpsons.
“They’re famous for hiring ex-convicts, so they could do incredible campaigns around prisoner rehabilitation.”
This type of storytelling builds trust, strengthens brand identity and makes campaigns naturally PR-able.
The Epidemic of Irrelevant Digital PR
Now, let’s talk about the wild campaigns that completely miss the mark.
Lou played a game with the HIVEMCR audience: “How the f* is this relevant?”**
A campaign about lawn care tips. Audience guess: Fertiliser company. Reality? An AI investment firm.
A campaign about the best sleep hygiene habits. Audience guess: Mattress brand. Reality? A vaping company.
“I f****** hate this campaign,” Lou admitted. “One, because the CEO of the vaping brand was pretending to be a sleep expert. Two, because it’s ethically dodgy to imply that vaping helps you sleep better.”
The lesson? When brands stray too far from their expertise, they lose credibility.
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
The Real PR KPIs That Matter
Why is this happening? Lou believes the issue starts with KPIs.
For too long, PR agencies have been judged purely on link volume.
“The problem is, link volume doesn’t equal quality, and it definitely doesn’t equal SEO impact.”
Instead, she argued, brands should focus on high-quality links that drive actual organic performance.
Her advice?
❌ Forget arbitrary link targets.
✅ Measure success in rankings, traffic, and brand visibility, not just backlinks.
✅ Focus on getting into the right publications, where your audience actually is.
“If you sell cars, don’t just aim for Top Gear, aim for Marie Claire, The Guardian, or Buzzfeed, because real people read those.”
The Future of Digital PR- SEO & Content Collaboration
To make real impact, digital PR teams need to work closely with SEO and content teams.
Lou’s top three recommendations for collaboration:
📊 SEO teams should share keyword research & site insights – so PR campaigns align with search intent.
✍️ Content teams should craft PR-able content – making sure campaigns match brand messaging.
⛓️💥 Internal linking should be maximised – so all that juicy link equity benefits the whole site.
“We’re all part of the same relay race. If we don’t work together, we won’t win.”
Final Thought: PR Is Not Just About Links
Lou ended with a blunt reality check:
“Too many people think digital PR is easy. They see fun campaigns and think, ‘I can do that.’ But the truth is, the people making it look easy are doing all the hard work behind the scenes.”
For digital PR teams that only chase links, the future looks bleak.
For those who focus on relevancy, search impact, and brand authority, the future is bright.
“Stay relevant, or get left behind.”
Join Us at HIVEMCR ’25
If you missed this year’s HIVE MCR ’24, you will be glad to hear we have another incredible line-up and Lou will be joining us again, talking about why Empathy is a Role Requirement.
We have a limited number of free tickets available, so snap your team’s up today.
🗓 Date: 15th May 2025
🎟 Get tickets at: hive-mcr.co.uk
