Katch Up on Exactly What PR is and Find The Most Effective Ways to Turn Curiosity Into Conversion

17th August, 2026 | Digital, Hospitality, Public Relations

by - Alexandra Franks

The famous saying that ‘trust can’t be bought’ is true, but the good news for brands is that it can be earned through the right PR strategies

 

If you say the word “marketing”, most minds jump straight to advertisements. And you can’t be blamed. With the extent of personalisation and optimisation tactics available today, ads remain the fastest way to put a brand directly in front of the people most likely to take interest. 

 

We’re certainly all familiar with the mild annoyance of searching for something online, and next thing you know, every single one of your social media ads is a brand telling you why theirs is best. If you’ve been looking for a new watch, now you’re being bombarded with a variety of brands speaking about their high-quality craftsmanship, premium materials, Swiss design. If they’re all saying the same thing, how is anyone supposed to decide which to go with? 

 

The missing factor here is trust. Today’s consumers are more sceptical than ever of self-made brand claims. What they do trust, however, is what other people say about a brand.  

 

The recommendations of people we know will of course always carry the most weight. But influencers, independent reviews, expert opinions, and editorial features are also trusted sources helping us differentiate which brands genuinely deliver on the promises made in their ads. The watch manufacturers that are getting their name out there beyond advertisements are the ones that capture the conversion.  

 

The Power of Third-Party Credibility 

The validation that comes from independent sources is known as third-party credibility, and it’s one of the most influential factors in consumer decision making. In fact, 92% of consumers trust earned media more than any form of paid advertising, because an unbiased outsider’s opinion is a whole lot more believable than the brand’s self-made proclamations.  

 

When a respected publication publicly endorses a brand, all the trust and credibility associated with that publication instantly extends to the brand itself. No top-tier media outlet is going to risk their reputation by posting a raving review of a brand that doesn’t live up to the claims, and that’s exactly why consumers hold the publication’s opinion in such high regard. The role of a PR agency in Saudi Arabia is to build the connections between the brand and the media outlets, publications, and influential voices that its target audience already trusts.  

 

Take our client Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh for example, whose feature in Forbes Travel Guide did more than place the 5-star hotel in front of an affluent, luxury-oriented audience. The detail with which the independent review described the exquisite dining, lavish rooms, and premium amenities would be met with scepticism if it came from the brand itself, yet from a third party, it comes across as an observed fact. Readers take the information at face value because Forbes Travel Guide has spent almost 70 years building a reputation for trustworthy, unbiased luxury travel content, one it has no intention of gambling on an exaggeration. 

 

 

Not all publications carry equal weight, however. Choosing the right titles requires careful consideration of audience demographics, content, and the values each publication holds. Securing earned media placements with the most prestigious names requires a well-connected, experienced PR agency, one that has already built personal rapport with the journalists.  

 

Why Partner with a PR Agency 

PR used to be as simple as securing media coverage across print publications, but as technology has evolved, so too have the services a PR agency offers. Many PR specialists, us included, have expanded into fully integrated marketing agencies, offering content creation, social media, event management, SEO, paid media, and influencer partnerships to amplify a brand’s message and create a consistent narrative across every touchpoint. The core offering of a PR agency now tends to include the following: 

 

Media Relations  

Building genuine rapport with journalists and editors across the region’s top publications takes years of nurturing, and the moment a brand signs on with a PR agency, it gains access to those relationships along with the credibility attached to them. Stories are more likely to be picked up, brands are more likely to earn a mention in top lists, and a dedicated review is more likely to follow.  

  

Strategic Planning and Content Creation  

A PR agency helps a brand decide what narrative is newsworthy and what the media will actually pick up, then crafts every press release, interview answer, thought leadership feature, and commentary to align with that central narrative. Each story carries a different focus, but they all need to reinforce the same message, one clear enough to resonate with the target audience.  

  

Social Media Management  

The same principle, that every story reinforces one narrative, extends into social media too, keeping every touchpoint and communication channel consistent. It also allows a brand to tactically reshare influencer and media coverage the moment it lands and use community management to shape public perception.  

  

Event Planning  

PR agencies organise promotional events, product launches, press conferences and community outreach programmes to generate newsworthy stories and create direct engagement with the public and media. By leveraging established media relationships, PR professionals secure far more coverage for a brand than it would achieve on its own.  

  

Influencer and Brand Partnerships  

PR agencies have the strategic insight and experience needed to identify and negotiate influencer collaborations and partnerships that align with the brand’s ethos and overarching narrative. They understand that audience demographic, engagement, and content quality matter far more than follower count, and know how to weigh each of these factors when selecting who to work with.  

 

  

Crisis Communications  

PR agencies trained in crisis communications can manage delicate situations that threaten a company’s reputation, such as product recalls, scandals, or legal issues. Their role is to assess the situation quickly, build a communication plan, and control the narrative to minimise damage, avoiding any statement that is speculative, blame-shifting, dismissive, false, or misleading.   

 

Arabic-first Messaging 

Global brands looking to resonate with local audiences in Saudi Arabia are only going to damage their reputation if they push the same campaigns that work in the United States or Europe onto a Saudi audience. Arabic-first messaging goes beyond simple Arabic translation, instead adapting the entire narrative to consider local culture, values, and nuances. It helps brands demonstrate relevance, respect, and understanding of the regional market. 

 

PR Is Also a Powerful Discovery Tactic 

Unlike advertisements, where visibility ends as soon as the budget runs out, the visibility generated by PR lasts for the lifetime of the post. If the SEO of the third-party publication is strong, the same article, review, or mention can continue showing up on the first page of search results for years to come, at no cost to the brand.  

 

PR as a discovery tactic works best when a brand understands the questions its audience is asking, and exactly where those people go looking for the answers. Get that right and PR becomes a far more effective form of introduction than a paid advertisement. The brand shows up at a point in the audience’s journey where they’re most receptive to recommendations, right when purchase intent is at its peak. 

 

This is a lot easier to explain with an example. Picture this, you’re tired of your usual dinner spots and looking to try somewhere new. You open Google and type something along the lines of ‘best restaurants in Riyadh’. The first post that pops up is Condé Nast Traveller Middle East’s article on exactly that. Start scrolling through the list and at number two, you’ll come across Katch client Nomas, and you’ll read all about their contemporary take on classic Saudi dishes, salivating almost immediately.  

 

Now ask yourself, what’s more likely to convince you to suggest Nomas in your friend group chat? Seeing an ad for Nomas on Instagram, or seeing it listed second in a reputable guide to Riyadh’s top dining destinations? 

 

 

Advertising or PR? 

The brands building a loyal customer base at speed are not the ones choosing whether to invest in advertising or PR. A successful marketing strategy involves both. Advertisements help people find your brand at any stage of the consumer journey, whether it’s initial curiosity or actual intent. But it’s PR that gives people a reason to trust the claims you make.  

 

For brands looking to establish themselves in the local market, or simply gain more control over their own reputation, partnering with an integrated marketing agency in Saudi Arabia that can manage both PR and paid media across every channel ensures you reach the right people, with the right cultural nuance. 

 

For more related updates and to Katch us covering similar topics, watch this space!

Katch our game-changing PR and Communications, Social Media, Branding and Design, Brand Consultancy, ESG, and Global Communications services to help your brand make noise. Get in touch with our 360-Marketing Consultancy in Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and London, and let’s get the conversation started!