{"id":13899,"date":"2026-01-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=13899"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:14:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:14:40","slug":"why-the-little-wins-matter-in-pr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/26\/why-the-little-wins-matter-in-pr\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Little Wins Matter in PR\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When people think about public relations, they typically envision large-scale campaigns, high-profile clients and prestigious awards. But some of the most interesting parts of the industry come from the smaller wins. The smart campaigns, strategic hires, and creative decisions that may fly under the radar are the ones that really show how PR is changing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nike\u2019s NYC Marathon Moment <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nike is not an official sponsor of the New York City Marathon,<\/a> but that did not stop the brand from making its presence known at this year\u2019s marathon. Through a targeted approach focused on New York runners, Nike found creative ways to directly connect with the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orange billboards <\/a>with black writing were scattered around the city, featuring messages like \u201cOnly 231-Mile Runs Left\u201d and \u201cIf You Don\u2019t Hate Running a Little, You Don\u2019t Love Running Enough.\u201d The campaign centered on authenticity, using emotional storytelling and motivational ads across the city that captured the excitement of running the New York City Marathon. These billboards were placed in high-traffic, relevant locations like Whitehall Terminal<\/a> near the marathon\u2019s start, to maximize impact. By leaning into emotion and real experiences, Nike showed how powerful PR can be when it focuses on people, not products.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starbucks\u2019 \u201cBack to Starbucks\u201d Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starbucks is focusing on connecting with customers in a meaningful way through its new \u201cGetting Back to Starbucks\u201d<\/a> strategy, led by Dominic Carr, senior vice president of communications and corporate affairs. His team is focused on helping \u201cthe world understand Starbucks and Starbucks understand the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world is changing fast, but Starbucks continues to find ways to stay connected to what customers want. From introducing protein milk<\/a> and protein cold foam <\/a>to tapping into the fast-growing iced coffee trend, the company is listening closely to its audience. Starbucks is proving that modern PR is not just about public statements but about creating stories that reflect real consumer habits and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRWeek\u2019s 40 Under 40: The Next Wave of PR Leaders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRWeek recently announced its 2025 40 Under 40 class<\/a>, highlighting rising professionals who are shaping the future of the industry. While the recognition is a major milestone, it reflects steady growth and long-term development rather than a single defining moment. These honorees have built their careers through consistent effort, strengthening media relationships, adapting to new platforms, and fine-tuning campaigns over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They represent a new generation of communicators who balance traditional skills like media relations with newer areas such as digital strategy, content creation, and social media. As Steve Barrett, VP and editorial director of PRWeek, notes, \u201cThe 40 Under 40 alumni from the past decade represent a who\u2019s who of communications, and many honorees have gone on to senior positions in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This recognition shows how progress in public relations often comes from steady, intentional work rather than overnight success. It\u2019s a reminder that even the biggest achievements are built on the small, everyday wins along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small Wins Worth Noticing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they may appear in headlines, many PR successes are easy to miss, yet they reveal how the industry continues to evolve. Coca-Cola\u2019s new holiday campaign<\/a> has sparked conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in advertising, and USAA launched its \u201cHonor Through Action\u201d <\/a>initiative, which demonstrates how strategic PR can align a brand with social causes to engage audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agencies are also making moves that show the field\u2019s priorities. Actum, a Washington, D.C. based public affairs firm, hired Cecilia Prewett<\/a> from SKDK as senior managing director, bringing expertise in government communications. Hotwire Global named Grant Toups<\/a> as CEO to guide international growth, and REI brought on Tara Darrow<\/a> to lead communications, strengthening the brand\u2019s focus on community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although they can be easy to miss, these smaller wins highlight the strategy, leadership, and innovation behind PR successes and what students can learn from them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning From the Little Things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As students enter the field, it can be easy to focus on big campaigns or viral moments. But often, smaller stories say more about the direction of public relations. Watching how companies find creative ways to connect with their audiences and how new leaders are rising through the ranks gives us a real-time look at what is shaping the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public relations is not just about the spotlight moments. It is about everyday decisions that help people see, trust, and connect with brands. And sometimes, those small wins teach us more about the future of PR than any headline ever could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sophia Andriola (she\/her) is a junior at The Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Digital Media Trends and Analytics. She enjoys exploring stories in sports, entertainment, and media that highlight people and communities.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The smart campaigns, strategic hires, and creative decisions that may fly under the radar are the ones that really show how PR is changing.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":13900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3412,3551],"tags":[3932,924,2177,3934,3933,567],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13899"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13903,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13899\/revisions\/13903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}