Reactive PR has become one of the fastest ways for brands to get noticed. When handled well, it can bring media coverage, links, authority and cultural relevance within hours. The challenge for larger companies is not deciding whether to use reactive PR, but how to build systems that spot opportunities, respond quickly and add real value to audiences and journalists.

This article explores the cause-and-trend method of reactive PR, showing how trend-first and cause-first strategies work. It also covers advanced tactics that turn reactive content into a structured, measurable part of a broader PR campaign.

What do cause and trend mean in reactive PR

The cause-and-trend model explains two different ways to react to events.

Trend-first starts with spotting a pattern already happening. This could be a sudden rise in Google searches, a new TikTok craze, or industry data showing a shift in behaviour. If your brand has authority in that area, you can react with expert commentary or quick data analysis. The key is speed, because once competitors join in, the opportunity can fade.

Cause-first starts with a cultural or news event. A film release, sports moment, or breaking news story can create downstream trends such as product sales, travel bookings or social media discussions. By connecting the original event (the cause) with the behaviour that follows (the trend), brands can create stories journalists want to cover.

Both approaches need three things: reliable data, credible expert commentary, and a story angle that feels fresh. Without these, reactive PR blends into the background and fails to stand out.

Proactive and reactive PR: Different roles

Proactive PR focuses on planned campaigns, scheduled press release activity, and longer-term brand positioning. It is steady and predictable.

Reactive PR responds to breaking news or trends, putting your brand into the middle of the conversation. It requires speed and adaptability but delivers results quickly.

Both approaches should work together. Proactive PR builds long-term brand reputation, while reactive PR ensures you are part of relevant conversations across fast-changing news cycles.

Building a strong reactive PR strategy

Large companies need more than luck to succeed. A clear workflow ensures you respond quickly while keeping control of tone and accuracy.

1. Define your expertise

Focus only on areas where your brand has real authority. Journalists look for subject matter experts, not general opinions. Defining lanes of expertise avoids wasted effort and strengthens credibility. This might test your patience, but it’s important not to get distracted by events outside of your expertise, no matter how interested you are in them personally or how much you see competitors jumping on those bandwagons.

2. Monitor trending news

Set up tools such as Google Alerts, journalist request feeds and social media monitoring to track relevant breaking news or trends. Combine this with in-house data to identify spikes in interest before the story peaks. If you employ any kind of marketing agency, especially a PR agency, you should inform them of your areas of interest and get them listening as well. Many of them will have unique access to journalists and publications who they can contact to get an idea of what might be coming down the line before a story breaks.

3. Prepare in advance

Gaining sign-off is what usually slows things down and means you miss the boat when the perfect opportunity does finally come around. To help speed things up, try to have the following planned out, pre-approved, and ready to go.

• Key employee bios complete with name, job title, qualifications, awards, prominent locations they’ve already been published in, experience, and a short summary. If relevant, consider including their socials as well.
• Decide what your content pillars are. These should mirror the areas of expertise you’ve decided on, and will keep you honest when deciding what to go after.
• Audit your existing content and see what can be assigned to your content pillars. This will usually uncover a goldmine of past comments, articles, data, yearly business summaries, client testimonials, blog posts, interviews, and podcasts, to name a few. Typically, because this is already published, it’s OK to reuse. However…
• …Make sure to check these are still relevant today and are not out of date.
• Consider key events throughout the year and ensure you have content for each. Or at least have time planned in to create content for them.
• Ensure you have an approved tone of voice. Most large companies will have brand guidelines that outline this. But do you know them? Have you got a copy of the document you can share with colleagues if needed? Are you confident and ready to write in this style?

You’ll never be able to plan for every eventuality – that’s not the aim here. You’re simply trying to reduce potential holdups that might cost you an opportunity because a competitor gets in there a few minutes before you.

4. Choose carefully

Not every trend deserves a response. Before acting, check whether the story is relevant, whether you have useful data, and whether the timing is right. This prevents reactive content that feels forced or off-brand.

5. Distribute fast

Send expert commentary in a format similar to a press release. Keep it short, include verified data, and write subject lines that mirror the way journalists frame headlines. The easier you make their job, the more likely they are to use your story.

6. Publish on your site

Even if media coverage is uncertain, publishing reactive content on your own blog ensures you capture search traffic and backlinks.

Using data to add credibility

Data is the backbone of a successful reactive PR campaign. First-party data is best, such as sales figures or enquiry data that no one else can access. Journalists prefer exclusive insights.

If first-party data isn’t available, support your story with third-party sources such as search trends, surveys or public statistics. The strongest examples combine both, showing unique data alongside broader context.

Managing speed, tone and risk

Timing is critical. Delays turn reactive content into background noise. Streamline sign-off processes so expert commentary can go out within hours.

Tone must also be carefully judged. Campaigns that appear opportunistic or insensitive can harm reputation. Staying within your area of expertise and testing against audience mood helps avoid mistakes.

Reactive PR should also have clear boundaries. Some breaking news stories are not appropriate for brand involvement, and having red lines set in advance protects your credibility.

Examples of cause and trend in action

• Trend-first: The surge in white Vans trainer sales after Squid Game. Agencies that spotted the pattern early and provided data gained hundreds of placements.
• Cause-first: IKEA’s “Cristiano” water bottle, launched hours after Ronaldo removed Coca-Cola bottles at a press conference. A quick and creative link to a wider health debate.
• Crisis response: KFC’s “FCK” advert apologising for its chicken shortage. A risky news event was turned into a positive PR campaign with humour and speed.

Each example worked because it combined speed, relevance and a unique angle.

Planning for unpredictable events

Even though reactive PR relies on unexpected stories, many opportunities can still be prepared for. Create a calendar of annual events such as budgets, sporting finals, or awareness days. Draft commentary and assets in advance so they can be released as soon as the story breaks.

Building strong relationships with journalists is equally important. If they know your experts can respond quickly with useful commentary, they will return to you again and again. Over time, this positions your brand as a trusted thought leader and increases the chance of being included in major stories.

Measuring the impact

Reactive PR should be tracked with both PR and digital measures:

• PR results: quality of media coverage, number of placements, share of voice.
• SEO/AI results: backlinks, keyword rankings for reactive content, referral traffic.
• Business results: changes in perception, preference, awareness.

This shows how reactive activity contributes not only to awareness but also to long-term visibility and authority.

Advanced tactics for larger companies

Bigger teams can strengthen their reactive PR strategy by:

• Scenario planning: preparing commentary packs for likely news events such as regulatory changes or industry launches.
• Aligning teams: keeping communications, legal and subject experts connected to avoid bottlenecks.
• Layering content: supporting expert commentary with digital PR assets such as interactive tools or surveys.
• Learning from feedback: tracking how journalists use your content and refining your approach over time.

These steps transform reactive PR from a one-off tactic into part of a broader PR campaign that complements proactive activity.

Conclusion

Cause-and-trend reactive PR is not about chasing every trending topic. It is about building a system that helps brands respond quickly, credibly and in a way that adds value. With preparation, data and strong journalist relationships, organisations can deliver reactive content that cuts through the noise and builds long-term authority.

When combined with proactive PR, this approach ensures visibility across both planned campaigns and breaking news or trends. The result is a balanced PR strategy that captures attention in the moment while strengthening reputation for the future. 
To see how a trend-led approach works in practice, read our Nemesis Reborn: Back with a Vengeance case study and explore how we created significant media buzz.