Public relations proposal template

Prepared for [Client Company] by [Your Name], [Date].

Thank you for considering me to handle PR for [Client Company]. This proposal covers how I will find the stories inside your business, get them in front of the right journalists, and report honestly on results, including the one thing no ethical publicist will promise: guaranteed coverage.

[Client Company] wants to be known for [positioning: the expert voice on [topic], the credible challenger in [market]] among [audience: customers, investors, partners] who read [target outlets].

Today [describe: no press presence, coverage is accidental, competitors own the narrative]. Success looks like a steady rhythm of quality mentions and relationships with the journalists who cover your space.

1. Phase 1, Story and positioning. I dig into your business for the angles journalists actually want: data you sit on, contrarian takes you can defend, founder story, customer stories. We agree [2 to 3] core narratives.
2. Phase 2, Media foundation. I build a researched list of the [30 to 50] journalists, editors, and podcasts that cover your space, and prepare your press kit: bios, boilerplate, photography, and proof points.
3. Phase 3, Pitching. I pitch stories on a steady cadence: reactive (newsjacking relevant stories), proactive (your announcements and data), and evergreen (expert commentary and guest placements).
4. Phase 4, Report and refine. You get a monthly report of every pitch, response, and placement, so you always know what your retainer bought, and we refine angles based on what lands.

• [2 to 3] developed story angles with supporting proof points
• A researched media list of [number] relevant journalists and outlets, maintained monthly
• A complete press kit (boilerplate, bios, images, fact sheet)
• [Number] pitches per month plus press releases for real announcements
• Response handling and interview coordination, with briefing notes before every interview
• A monthly activity report: every pitch sent, every response, every placement

• Paid placements and sponsored content (that is advertising, not PR)
• Crisis communications (available separately at [rate], with a response-time agreement)
• Social media management

Prices are placeholders. Set your own before sending.

• Full pitch transparency: you see every email sent on your behalf, so the retainer is never a black box
• Relationships over blasts: targeted pitches to journalists I have researched, not a spray of 500 identical emails
• Honest terms: no ethical publicist guarantees coverage, and anyone who does is selling you advertising

This proposal is valid for [30] days. A deposit of [amount or %] is due to begin, with the balance due [on delivery / per the schedule]. Work outside the scope above is quoted separately before it starts.

Earned media is decided by journalists, so no specific placement, outlet, or volume of coverage is guaranteed; I commit to the activity levels above and full reporting of results. Journalist deadlines are short: interview and comment requests may need your response within hours, and missed windows are usually gone for good.

To move forward, approve this proposal in writing and I will send the agreement and the deposit invoice. We can begin as soon as the deposit is received.

Accepted by: ______________________________ Date: ____________