Broadcast PR: The Marketing Channel You’re Overlooking

Why Relationships Still Matter

“Getting coverage on broadcast is really easy. Getting good coverage that makes an impact? Whole different kettle of fish.”

Phil and his team had nearly 300 media meetings last year. Not because they enjoy awkward coffees that much, but because broadcast PR depends on knowing what producers, presenters and journalists actually want.

It’s about understanding the show, the audience and the format.

Phil shares a brilliant example from a former colleague at Radio 1 Newsbeat, who once received a pitch about a church concert. Lovely? Yes. Right for a young Newsbeat audience? Probably not.

That’s the lesson. You need to know where your audience is, what that outlet cares about, and how your story fits into their world.

Because volume alone doesn’t equal value. A hundred pieces of weak coverage won’t necessarily move the dial. But one perfectly planned, perfectly placed broadcast moment? That can be huge.

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The Tom Daley Example: One Piece of Coverage, Big Impact

“One piece of the right coverage can do more than hundreds of the wrong ones.”

Phil shares a campaign Broadcast Revolution worked on for Malibu, alongside Pangolin, involving Tom Daley and the brand’s Drink and Dive campaign.

They spent four months working towards one piece of coverage on This Morning.

One.

But that one appearance included three segments, landed the messaging properly, and gave the campaign the kind of visibility and credibility that scattered, low-impact coverage just couldn’t deliver.

That’s the difference between chasing numbers and planning for impact.

It’s not always about being everywhere. Sometimes it’s about being exactly where you need to be.

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How Do You Measure Broadcast PR?

“Do something for a purpose.”

Broadcast PR has historically been tricky to measure. For years, measurement was often based on estimated reach, station figures and rough timings.

Phil explains that Broadcast Revolution now uses its own planning and evaluation tool called Impact, created with evaluation experts Richard Bagnall and Paul Hender.

The tool benchmarks a campaign before it goes live, looking at things like the campaign objectives, business goals, spokesperson strength, flexibility, timing and story quality.

Then, once the campaign has run, they can measure performance against that original benchmark and compare it to other campaigns.

In other words, it’s not just “we got you on the radio, hooray.”

It’s about asking: did this campaign actually do what it was supposed to do?

And that’s where broadcast PR becomes much more strategic.

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Does Broadcast PR Drive Sales?

“It builds awareness. It builds credibility. It allows third parties to endorse you.”

Phil is clear that PR isn’t the same as a direct response marketing channel. You can’t always say, “Spend £1 here and get £5 back.”

But that doesn’t mean it can’t drive commercial results.

He shares examples of broadcast PR helping a pub chain increase Six Nations booking enquiries and a CEO appearance on national TV helping drive tens of millions of pounds in investment.

Not bad for “just PR”, eh?

The point is that broadcast PR sits in that powerful space between awareness, trust and influence. It might not always be the final click, but it can absolutely shape whether someone believes in your brand.

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Broadcast PR and Social Media: The Second Wave

“Broadcast is more than just the five-minute interview that you land.”

One of the most interesting parts of the episode is Phil’s explanation of the “many waves” of broadcast.

The first wave is the actual TV or radio appearance.

The second wave is social. Clips get shared, discussed, reacted to and repurposed.

The third wave is longevity. Search, playlists, feeds, follow-up stories and evergreen content all keep that original broadcast moment alive.

And that’s why broadcast and social shouldn’t be seen as separate channels fighting for budget. They can work beautifully together.

A TV interview can become TikTok content. A radio appearance can become a LinkedIn clip. A podcast appearance can feed into blogs, emails, reels and thought leadership.

Broadcast gives the credibility. Social gives it legs.

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Why Trust Still Matters

“When your voice is on the Today programme or BBC Five Live, by definition people think you’re an expert.”

In a world where anyone can post anything online, trusted media still carries weight.

Phil talks about how people may see news on TikTok, but still look to TV and radio to verify whether something is actually true.

That trust is a huge part of why broadcast PR still matters. Being featured on a respected platform gives brands and spokespeople a level of credibility that is very hard to replicate elsewhere.

Anyone can post on Instagram. But not everyone gets invited onto BBC Breakfast.

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Where Do Podcasts Fit In?

“Podcast is radio.”

As podcast hosts ourselves, we obviously loved this bit.

Phil sees podcasts as a brilliant part of the broadcast PR mix because they allow brands and experts to speak directly to highly relevant audiences.

The audience might be smaller than national radio, but it can be incredibly specific and engaged. That’s gold.

But Phil also makes an important distinction. Being a guest on someone else’s podcast and creating your own podcast are two very different things.

Guest appearances can give you access to an existing audience.

Creating your own podcast means building an audience from scratch, which takes time, consistency and a proper plan.

So if your brand is thinking, “Should we launch a podcast?” the answer is not automatically yes. The better question is: why?

Phil goes into much more detail in the full episode. If you’re thinking of launching a podcast, listen now.

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The Peppa Pig Campaign That Broke the Internet

“We broke the Internet.”

Yes, really! Phil shares the story of the Peppa Pig campaign where Mummy Pig appeared on Good Morning Britain to announce she was pregnant.

Working with PrettyGreen and Hasbro, Broadcast Revolution helped create a moment that went far beyond one TV interview.

Around 800,000 people watched the original appearance. But within three days, the clip had generated around 70 million views.

That’s the power of the second wave.

The moment became social content, reaction content, parenting chat, meme material and global conversation. Then came the long tail: gender reveals, naming moments, cinema content, stage shows and more.

It wasn’t just a broadcast hit. It became an ongoing story world.

And if your campaign gets discussed in playgrounds and the House of Lords, you’re probably doing alright.

Hear more about this internet-breaking campaign in the full episode:

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How AI Is Changing Broadcast PR

“It’s saving my team time and making them much smarter.”

Of course, we had to ask about AI.

Phil explains that Broadcast Revolution is going through its own AI transformation, using it to help the team access insights faster, plan campaigns more efficiently and draw on knowledge from previous work.

Instead of relying only on what someone remembers, AI can help surface data, journalist insight and campaign learnings in seconds.

But when it comes to AI replacing real broadcast guests? Phil isn’t convinced. And honestly, same.

Authenticity still matters. A journalist doesn’t want to interview a polished AI avatar pretending to be an expert. They want a real person, with real experience, saying something useful.

So yes, AI can support the work. But the human bit? Still very much needed!

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Is Broadcast PR Expensive?

“You can do a lot with not very much and make a huge impact.”

One of the big myths around broadcast PR is that it’s only for huge brands with huge budgets.

Phil says campaigns can start from around £5,000.

Of course, some campaigns cost more depending on what’s involved, but his point is clear: broadcast PR is more accessible than many brands think.

And when you consider the credibility, reach, social potential and long-term value of the right broadcast opportunity, it can be a very smart investment.

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The Quick-Fire Round

We wrapped up the episode with our usual quick-fire round, and, honestly, Phil’s answers probably summed up the reality of broadcast PR better than anything else in the conversation.

From the importance of authenticity to why local radio is still hugely underrated, the round gave a brilliant snapshot into how the broadcast world really works behind the scenes - and how much strategy, timing and relationship-building goes into landing the right coverage.

A few standout moments from the quick-fire questions included:

• TV or radio? Radio.

• Hardest show to land coverage on? Channel 4 News.

• Best time of year for broadcast PR wins? Broadcast never sleeps.

• Most underrated broadcast opportunity? Local radio.

• Biggest myth about PR? That coverage can be guaranteed.

• One piece of advice for marketing directors not using PR yet? “Why not try it? You might like it.”

It’s a short section in the episode, but one of our favourites as there’s loads of insights - especially for brands still unsure where broadcast PR fits into their wider marketing strategy.

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The Good Stuff, Summed Up

There was a lot packed into this episode, but one thing came through clearly throughout the conversation with Phil: broadcast PR is far more strategic, accessible and impactful than many brands realise.

From national TV appearances to niche podcasts with highly engaged audiences, the right broadcast opportunity can help brands build trust, credibility and visibility in a way that few channels can replicate. And, when it’s paired with social media and strong storytelling, the impact can stretch far beyond the original interview itself.

Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the episode:

• Broadcast PR is about landing earned coverage across TV, radio and podcasts.

• It needs its own strategy, not just a last-minute add-on to a wider campaign.

• Good broadcast PR is about impact, not volume.

• TV and radio still carry huge credibility because audiences trust them.

• Podcasts can be powerful when the audience is niche, relevant and engaged.

• Social media can amplify broadcast coverage far beyond the original appearance.

• AI can support planning and insight, but authenticity still matters.

• Broadcast PR may be more accessible than many brands think, with campaigns starting from around £5,000.

And perhaps the biggest reminder from Phil? Don’t overlook broadcast just because it feels out of reach. With the right story, the right strategy and the right support behind it, broadcast PR can become one of the most valuable parts of your marketing mix.

Before You Go…

If broadcast PR has been sitting in your “maybe one day” pile, this episode is well worth a listen and Phil is well worth a follow.

Phil brings loads of practical insight into how TV, radio and podcasts really work, why relationships matter, and how brands can use broadcast to build trust, credibility and proper impact.

And if you want more honest conversations about marketing, SEO, content, AI and the slightly chaotic world we’re all working in, make sure you follow Marketing vs The World and connect with Abbie and Monday Clicks on LinkedIn too.