Tags:
Anyone working in PR or marketing knows how crucial it is to tailor messaging to your audience, whether that’s the Head of Operations, a procurement lead or the R&D team. However, what often gets overlooked is the ‘soft skill’ of empathy: remembering that behind every job title is a real person with pressures, pain points and a unique personality.
At Nielsen McAllister, I believe this is what sets us apart. It shows up in our messaging, our storytelling and our understanding of our clients’ industry challenges. We know when to use human language (unreadable jargon rarely wins hearts), and we get to the core of our clients’ customer pain points. We also respect the journalists we work with by giving them what they actually need: genuine news and meaningful insight.
It’s no secret that journalists are under pressure with tight deadlines, overflowing inboxes and constant pitches. Empathy here means respecting their time, tailoring our outreach and avoiding endless chasing. If a story doesn’t land, it’s not about pushing harder, but it’s about having a conversation to understand why and doing better next time!
I can confidently say that building real relationships with the press, rather than just transactional ones, has helped me secure better coverage. Journalists can trust that NM only sends relevant news and we trust they’ll cover it if it’s right for their publication.
I’ve even built genuine friendships with some editors over the years (shoutout to the particularly patient ones who heard me out when I was a brand-new Account Exec learning my pitching style!).
Empathy also helps you read between the lines. It’s not about second-guessing yourself, but about anticipating client concerns and understanding how they might want you to respond.
Sometimes clients don’t say what they really need… and sometimes, they might not even be sure! You might disagree on strategy, maybe it’s the angle of a story, a word in a social post or even the colour of a font used in a graphic, but leading with empathy helps you find common ground. Instead of getting frustrated or settling for something that doesn’t feel right, talk it out. Be patient. Find a happy medium where everyone feels heard and the B2B PR piece still sounds great.
Empathy isn’t just for clients and journalists; it’s just as important within our team. One of the things I love about NM is how we look out for each other. As I’ve progressed into my role as Account Manager, I’ve come to understand how vital it is to communicate openly and make sure everyone feels supported.
When things get hectic (and they do!), knowing the team around you has your back makes all the difference. These ‘soft skills’ might not be in the job description, but they’re so essential for a healthy workplace culture.
Seeing the bigger picture and making decisions for the good of the team or the account, rather than just what’s easiest for you, is a powerful way to show empathy and build a positive environment.
In B2B, lots of brands can end up sounding the same. It’s understandable – they want to talk about how great their product or service is. But this is where empathy becomes a golden key: helping you stand out, connect, and resonate.
It’s about speaking directly to your audience’s pain points and saying, “we get it.” But it’s also about the little things like visuals, tone of voice and even the types of images used.
A simple example is how we often stress to clients that ‘people images do well’ because people respond to people! Combining empathy and strategy, we know from experience that smiling faces will always engage better than heavily branded graphics or plain packaging shots.
Empathy might not be the loudest or most obvious skill in B2B PR, but for me it’s definitely one of the most powerful. Whether it’s shaping messaging, building trust with journalists or just working well as a team, it’s what turns good communication into great relationships and that’s ultimately what makes the real difference.
In her latest blog, Rhiannon discusses the five benefits of strategic outsourcing PR services.
PR is often thought of as sleek, controlled, and meticulously planned. Press releases, media events and content strategy are all carefully orchestrated. But anyone who’s spent time in this world knows the moments that stick aren’t the ones that went perfectly; they’re the ones that go completely off-script.