What You’ll Learn About PR Strategy in This Episode
Jennifer Kaplan, founder of Evolve PR and Marketing, pulls back the curtain on what public relations actually does for entrepreneurs. In this episode, she breaks down how small business owners can use earned media, crisis planning, and brand positioning to grow without burning their credibility.
- The real difference between PR and marketing, and why it matters for your business strategy
- Why “get rich in your niche” is the single best piece of advice for service business owners
- What a crisis communications plan looks like for a small business, and why you need one before you need it
- How to separate your personal brand from your company brand when planning for an exit
- The PR calendar approach that keeps seasonal and event-driven businesses ahead of the news cycle
- Why culture is a PR strategy, not just an HR one
PR vs. Marketing: What Entrepreneurs Actually Need to Know
The Earned Media Advantage for Small Business Owners (00:02:00)
“PR is earned opportunities, earned media. Our clients pay us, and then we in turn get them opportunities on different platforms: TV, radio, print, online, podcasts.” – Jennifer Kaplan
Unlike paid advertising, earned media positions business owners as thought leaders rather than advertisers. Jennifer explains how a well-placed interview or expert segment on a news station carries far more weight than a display ad, because audiences know you didn’t pay for the editorial slot. PR has a three-and-a-half times greater impact than an ad because the audience knows you earned that placement.
Why Niche Focus Is the Foundation of a Scalable PR Strategy (00:00:40)
“Get rich in your niche.” – Jennifer Kaplan’s mother, and the guiding principle behind Evolve PR’s 20-year run
Jennifer grew Evolve PR from three to 28 employees over 15 years by staying laser-focused on what they do best. When prospects know exactly what you stand for, you stop competing on price and start being the obvious call when someone needs what you offer.
Crisis Communications: What Every Entrepreneur Needs Before Something Goes Wrong
How to Build a Basic Crisis PR Plan for Your Business (00:12:30)
“Crisis is always part of our agenda to at least have the conversation and have a plan. I do believe there is such a thing as bad PR.” – Jennifer Kaplan
Jennifer walks through what a bare-bones crisis plan looks like: who gets called first, who speaks to media, and what the protocol is before anyone posts anything publicly. The key takeaway for entrepreneurs is this: do not react instantly. A day to craft a measured response is almost always better than a reflexive statement that creates a second story.
The Astronomer Case Study: When a PR Crisis Becomes a Brand Opportunity (00:14:00)
Jennifer points to the viral Coldplay-concert CEO story as a masterclass in crisis recovery. Astronomer, a company most people had never heard of, fired the executive, kept the focus on him rather than the organization, and even leaned into the cultural moment with a Gwyneth Paltrow cameo. The result was a brand-awareness windfall for a B2B software company that had no business being a household name.
“They couldn’t have nailed it any better. They took that situation, it was isolated, they got rid of the individual, and then they even had some fun with it.” – Jennifer Kaplan
Why “No Comment” Is One of the Worst Things a Company Can Say (00:16:10)
When organizations go silent during a crisis, audiences fill the vacuum with their own assumptions. Jennifer’s advice is blunt: silence reads as guilt. Even a brief holding statement that acknowledges a situation is being reviewed does more reputational work than stonewalling.
Brand Strategy and Business Exit Planning Through PR
How to Start Separating Your Personal Brand from Your Company Before a Business Exit (00:21:10)
“Start taking some of those layers off. Maybe you have other spokespeople. Maybe you rebrand. Don’t let your ego get in the way, because a lot of times we want to lead with ourselves because we’ve been doing it for so long.” – Jennifer Kaplan
Jennifer worked with a law firm whose name was literally the founder’s last name. They rebranded ahead of his exit, transferred media relationships to other team members, and communicated the transition proactively. The goal is making sure the audience’s trust travels with the brand, not just the individual.
What the Cracker Barrel Rebrand Teaches Entrepreneurs About Audience Research (00:23:20)
Jennifer and host Scherrie L. Prince break down the Cracker Barrel mascot controversy as a live case study in what happens when companies skip market research. The brand reversed course after the stock responded, which Jennifer reads as proof that audience research is not optional when you’re touching legacy brand equity.
“They did the market survey in advance by listening after the fact. If they had done it in advance, they wouldn’t have made the change to begin with.” – Jennifer Kaplan
PR Planning for Entrepreneurs: Calendars, Seasons, and Lead Times
How Far in Advance Should Entrepreneurs Plan Their PR? (00:33:40)
“At least three months. With most of our clients, if they have something that is greatly and positively impactful to their business, three months at a minimum from a PR standpoint.” – Jennifer Kaplan
For seasonal businesses, Jennifer recommends mapping out the entire year in Q4 of the prior year. The example she gives: if your business spikes between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you should be pitching holiday story angles in August. Publications and broadcast segments book weeks and months ahead of air dates.
Culture, Reviews, and the Internal Side of PR
Why Workplace Culture Is a PR Strategy (00:35:00)
Jennifer is direct about this: the internal experience employees have translates directly to external brand perception. Organizations that ignore culture lose people to competitors even when compensation is comparable, and that churn becomes its own reputational story. She points to “best places to work” features in local media as a tangible PR asset that also drives recruiting.
How to Recover from Bad Reviews Without Making It Worse (00:37:10)
“Don’t harp on what the negatives were. Get rid of those things, and focus on other aspects of the business. Use social media as an opportunity for people to see a little bit of who you are.” – Jennifer Kaplan
The playbook Jennifer recommends: pivot toward positive storytelling through social media. A “day in the life” video series, team spotlights, and behind-the-scenes content all give audiences a reason to update their perception without you ever having to address the bad review directly.
About Our Guest: Jennifer Kaplan, Founder of Evolve PR and Marketing
Jennifer Kaplan is the founder and CEO of Evolve PR and Marketing, a public relations firm based in Arizona that has grown from three to 28 employees over 20 years. Evolve PR specializes in earned media, thought leadership positioning, crisis communications, and awards and rankings strategy for entrepreneurs, professional services firms, restaurants, and consumer brands. The firm works with clients across the United States.
Jennifer is a specialist in niche PR strategy and brand protection for small and medium enterprises, with deep relationships across TV, radio, print, and digital media outlets.
Key Takeaways: PR Strategy for Entrepreneurs
- Niche down before you scale up. Being the obvious choice in one lane beats being a maybe in five. Clients remember you when they need exactly what you do.
- Have a crisis plan before you need it. Even a one-page document that outlines your response chain and communication protocols can save you from a reactive statement that creates a second news cycle.
- Earned media outlasts paid ads. A TV segment or podcast feature continues to work for you on your website, in your sales process, and on social media long after the original air date.
- Plan your PR calendar three to eight months out. Most business owners think in weeks. The ones who win media placement think in quarters.
- Authenticity is not a soft concept. “Be real and authentic to who you are and allow that to help develop your brand. People will gravitate to that.” – Jennifer Kaplan
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