FAQ
Questions about PR packages, pricing, and publicists
People usually ask what a public relations package includes, what it costs, and whether an independent publicist or an agency fits them better.
Below are 49 answers from Susan von Seggern, a Los Angeles publicist, grouped by topic. Each answer starts with the direct answer, then adds supporting facts. Where a detail depends on your situation, the answer says how to confirm it.
Last updated:
What do people ask before hiring a publicist?
New to this? Start with the guide to what a public relations package includes.
What a public relations package is
What is a public relations package?
A public relations package is a defined bundle of PR services sold for a set scope and period. With Susan von Seggern, a package is built around four tactics: sustained media outreach, press releasing, lead service monitoring, and events. Each campaign is individualized, so the mix depends on the client’s news, goals, and budget rather than a fixed tier.
What does a PR package mean?
The phrase has two common meanings. In marketing services, a PR package is a bundle of publicity work, such as media pitching and press releases, sold as one engagement. In influencer culture, a PR package is a box of free products a brand sends to creators. This site mainly covers the first meaning and explains the second on the PR packages LA page.
What does a public relations package sample look like?
A useful public relations package sample lists the tactics, the deliverables, and the time frame. For an event, that could include a target media list, pitching, a pre-brief or exclusive release, email servicing to press, optional Business Wire distribution, and media check-in on the day. Ask Susan for a scope outline built around your own event or announcement.
What is a public relations retainer package?
A public relations retainer package pays for ongoing PR work month to month instead of a single launch. Retainers suit companies with a steady flow of news, because sustained media outreach and daily lead service monitoring work best over time. Project packages suit one event or one announcement. Susan von Seggern scopes either type to the client’s needs.
What is included in a press release package?
A press release package usually covers writing, media list building, and distribution. Susan announces milestones through either an exclusive or a pre-brief model, then services the release to press by email, and posts it to a newswire if budgeted. She recommends Business Wire for its respectability and holds an annual deal that saves clients money compared with one off releases.
What does a PR agency actually do?
A PR agency earns media coverage for clients rather than buying ad space. Typical work includes identifying target outlets, pitching journalists and podcasts, writing and distributing press releases, answering reporter requests, and running press events. Susan von Seggern does all of these as an independent Los Angeles publicist, drawing on more than two decades of PR experience.
Pricing
How much do PR packages cost?
Susan von Seggern does not publish fixed prices, because every campaign is individualized. Cost depends on how many of the four tactics you need, how long the campaign runs, whether a newswire release is budgeted, and the size of any event. The quickest way to get a figure is to send your event or announcement details through the contact page.
What is public relations package pricing based on?
Public relations package pricing is mostly driven by scope and time. Key factors are the length of sustained media outreach, the number of press releases, whether releases go out on a paid newswire, how many events need press support, and how tight the deadline is. A single announcement usually needs less work than a season of festivals or a product launch.
How much does a PR agent cost?
Fees for a PR agent vary widely by market, scope, and seniority, and this site does not quote a standard figure. Susan von Seggern prices each campaign after learning the goals, timeline, and budget. One concrete saving she offers: her annual Business Wire deal lowers wire costs for clients compared with buying one off releases directly.
Can a newswire release save money?
It can, depending on how it is bought. Susan recommends Business Wire because of its respectability, and she holds an annual deal with the service that significantly saves her clients money compared with one off releases bought from Business Wire or other wires. Wire distribution is optional and is only added when it fits the budget.
Is a retainer or a project package better value?
Neither is better in every case. A project package fits a single event, launch, or book release with a clear end date. A retainer fits companies with regular news, because relationships and lead service responses build over months. If you are unsure, describe your calendar for the next year and Susan can suggest which structure fits.
Do I need a large budget to hire a publicist?
Not necessarily. Because Susan’s campaigns are individualized, scope can match budget: lead service monitoring and targeted outreach can run without costly events or wire distribution. Larger budgets add tactics such as media events, sponsorships, conference exhibits, or Business Wire releases. Share your range early so the plan is realistic from the start.
How Susan’s PR works
What is Susan von Seggern’s media relations framework?
It is a four part framework for generating media coverage in the current media landscape. The pillars are sustained media outreach, including podcast pitching; press releasing through an exclusive or pre-brief model; lead service monitoring of five feeds daily plus journalist emails and Substacks; and events, from media luncheons to large celebrity events.
What is sustained media outreach?
Sustained media outreach means identifying the right outlets and contacts for a client and pitching them steadily for coverage, rather than sending one blast and stopping. Susan includes podcast pitching in this work, since podcasts reach engaged niche audiences. The approach depends on relationships, and Susan has spent more than 20 years building a broad media network.
What is lead service monitoring?
Lead service monitoring means watching services where journalists post requests for sources, then pitching those whose topics match a client. Susan monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists seeking leads directly. She has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life, and many other outlets.
What is the difference between an exclusive and a pre-brief release?
With an exclusive, one outlet gets the news first in exchange for featuring it. With a pre-brief, selected journalists get the news early under embargo so stories can run when the announcement goes public. Susan uses one of these models for significant milestones, then follows with email servicing and, if budgeted, newswire posting.
Why does Susan pitch podcasts?
Podcast pitching places clients in long form conversations with audiences who chose the topic. Susan treats it as one of the latest PR tactics, used alongside established methods like events, press releasing, and sustained media outreach. It suits founders, authors, experts, and event organizers who can speak well about their subject.
What is hyper-local coverage?
Hyper-local coverage targets neighborhood and community outlets close to where a client operates or an event happens. For an LA event, local listings and community press can drive attendance more directly than a national mention. Susan pairs hyper-local coverage with broader outreach so that a campaign reaches both nearby audiences and wider media.
How long does a PR campaign take to show results?
Timing varies by tactic. Lead service responses can produce coverage quickly when a journalist’s request matches a client. Event PR runs on the event calendar, often starting weeks ahead with listings and pitching. Sustained media outreach builds over months. Ask Susan for a timeline tied to your specific dates during the first conversation.
Can a publicist guarantee media coverage?
No honest publicist can guarantee coverage, because editors and producers decide what runs. What a publicist controls is the strategy, the targeting, the quality of pitches, and persistence. Susan describes her style as honest, positive, and tenacious, and she uses four complementary tactics so that a campaign has several routes to coverage.
Event PR
What is event PR?
Event PR is publicity built around a live moment: announcing it, filling it, getting press there, and earning coverage afterward. Susan von Seggern has worked hundreds of events, including festivals, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, author events, and premieres, and has developed an events PR framework from that experience.
What kinds of events does Susan publicize?
Susan’s events work has included festivals, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, author events, and premieres. Press materials on her main website include CONTACT in the DESERT in Joshua Tree, the Hollywood Carnival parade and festival on Hollywood Boulevard, SewDown during LA Fashion Week, and the DIY Convention in Hollywood.
Can PR include producing a media event?
Yes. In Susan’s framework, events can serve as the PR tactic itself. Options include producing large scale celebrity and media events, small media introduction events like cocktail hours or luncheons, event sponsorships, exhibiting or speaking at conferences, exhibiting at gifting events, and gift bag inclusions. The right format depends on the story and budget.
When should I hire a publicist for an event?
Earlier is better. Long lead outlets plan well ahead, listings need confirmed details, and journalists need time to schedule attendance. Bringing a publicist in before speakers or performers are announced lets each announcement become its own news moment. If your date is close, contact Susan anyway and ask what is still realistic.
Does Susan handle conferences and festivals?
Yes. Conferences and festivals are among the event types in Susan’s events framework. Press releases on her main website cover CONTACT in the DESERT, described in its release as the largest UFO conference in the US, and the Hollywood Carnival, which took over Hollywood Boulevard for a parade and festival.
Is event PR useful for nonprofits and fundraisers?
It can be. Fundraisers are one of the event types Susan has supported, and cause clients are part of her practice. Press releases on her main website include a book launch for nonprofit leaders and a children’s charity campaign. Event PR gives a cause a dated news hook, which helps reporters justify covering it.
Corporate PR
What does corporate PR include?
Corporate PR covers announcements such as launches, partnerships, new services, and milestones, plus the ongoing work of keeping a company in the news. Susan’s corporate work uses press releasing with exclusive or pre-brief models, sustained media outreach, lead service monitoring that positions executives as expert sources, and events such as conference speaking or exhibiting.
What corporate clients has Susan worked with?
Press releases and case studies on Susan’s main website include Remotesome, an AI driven tech talent company; IceWind, a wind power startup, including a pre-product buzz campaign; Bitcoin Association; the streaming service KOCOWA; Geoship’s equity crowdfunding campaign; and the Rock Row green home development. Her background also includes globe-trotting corporate PR work.
Can PR help a startup before launch?
Yes, pre-launch PR can build awareness before a product ships. Susan’s portfolio includes IceWind’s pre-product buzz campaign and crowdfunding campaigns for Geoship and the documentary Mantra. Pre-launch work usually leans on founder stories, lead service responses, and a well timed exclusive or pre-brief for the launch itself.
How can executives become media sources?
Executives become sources by answering journalists’ requests with useful expertise. Susan monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus journalist emails and Substacks, and pitches when a request matches a client’s expertise. This has produced placements in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, and Best Life, among other outlets.
Does Susan work with clients outside Los Angeles?
Susan is based in Los Angeles, and press materials on her main website show clients in many places, including Miami, Tiburon, San Jose, Cambridge in England, and Iceland. Media outreach, release distribution, and lead service work can be done remotely. Contact Susan with your location and target outlets to confirm fit.
Compared to alternatives
Should I hire a PR agency or an independent publicist?
Choose a large agency if you need many staff across several markets and disciplines at once. Choose an independent publicist like Susan von Seggern if you want a senior person doing the work directly, with individualized campaigns and an established network. Susan has seen both sides: she was CEO of a boutique PR agency before returning to consulting.
What are the top 10 PR agencies?
Rankings vary by publisher and method. Newsweek, for example, publishes an annual list of America’s best public relations agencies. This site does not rank agencies. It explains how an independent Los Angeles publicist compares with agency and do it yourself options, so you can choose the model that fits your event or company.
What is the difference between PR and advertising?
Advertising is paid space you control. PR earns coverage that an editor or producer chooses to run. Susan’s main website quotes Richard Branson’s view that a good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad. PR results are less predictable than ads, so strategy and persistence matter.
Can I do PR myself instead of hiring someone?
You can, especially for simple local news. DIY PR suits small budgets and founders with time to build media lists and follow up. A publicist adds existing relationships, pitch judgment, daily lead service monitoring, and, in Susan’s case, discounted wire access. Many organizations start with DIY, then hire help for a launch, event, or campaign that needs more reach.
How do LA PR agencies differ from publicists elsewhere?
LA PR agencies and publicists tend to work closely with entertainment, culture, and event media, because so much of that industry is based here. Susan’s LA background includes work as a major label publicist and on festivals, premieres, concerts, and fashion events. She pairs that with corporate and political PR experience outside entertainment.
What is a public relations specialist?
A public relations specialist plans and carries out communication that earns media attention for a person, brand, or organization. Duties include writing releases, pitching reporters, handling press requests, and running press events. Susan von Seggern works as a publicist and PR consultant, applying these skills for event, corporate, cause, and cultural clients from Los Angeles.
PR packages and gifting in LA
Can I buy a PR package?
If you mean PR services, yes: you can hire a publicist for a project or retainer package, and Susan von Seggern scopes each campaign individually. If you mean an influencer gift box, those are usually sent free by brands rather than sold, though some people resell items they receive. The PR packages LA page explains both.
How can I get a PR package?
Creators usually receive influencer PR packages by building an engaged audience, then contacting brand PR teams or joining brand creator lists. Brands decide who receives products. On the business side, getting a PR services package means contacting a publicist with your goals; for Susan von Seggern, that starts on her contact page.
How do you get a PR package for free?
Brands send free PR packages to people they believe can reach their audience, usually creators, journalists, and stylists. Common routes include signing up for brand creator programs, attending gifting events, and building a following in a clear niche. Free product is always the brand’s decision, so there is no guaranteed method.
Do influencers get PR packages?
Yes, influencers are among the most common recipients of brand PR packages. Brands also send products to journalists, stylists, and celebrities. In Los Angeles, gifting events and gift bag inclusions are another route: brands exhibit or place products where influencers, press, and VIPs gather. Susan’s events framework includes both of those options.
Can I get PR packages without being an influencer?
Sometimes. Brands send products to journalists, stylists, podcasters, and event guests as well as influencers. Event gift bags put products in the hands of guests at fashion shows, premieres, and conferences. For example, the SewDown 2024 release noted that hair, makeup, and gift bag inclusion are handled for runway lines.
What brands send PR for free?
Many consumer brands, especially in beauty, fashion, food, and wellness, send free products to creators and press, but programs change often and this site does not keep a list. Check a brand’s website for a creator or press program. For brands that want to be the sender, gifting events and gift bag inclusions are part of Susan’s events framework.
Is it illegal to sell PR packages?
Reselling gifted items you own is generally legal in the US, though it can end your relationship with the brand, and some products carry their own resale limits. Check any agreement you signed with the brand. If you are unsure about your situation, ask a lawyer, since this site does not give legal advice.
How does a brand get into LA gift bags and gifting events?
A brand usually gets into LA gift bags by working with event producers or gifting event organizers, supplying product and sometimes paying a fee. Susan’s events pillar includes exhibiting at gifting events and gift bag inclusions, so this can be planned as part of a wider public relations package with media outreach around it.
Getting started
How do I start working with Susan von Seggern?
Use the contact page on susanvonseggern.com and share the essentials: who you are, what you are announcing or hosting, your dates, and your budget range. Event and corporate inquiries are especially welcome. Susan can then suggest which of her four tactics fit and how the campaign could be structured.
What should I prepare before contacting a publicist?
Prepare a short description of your news, your key dates, any existing press coverage, spokespeople available for interviews, photos or video, and your budget range. Note the outlets or audiences you most want to reach. Having this ready lets a publicist judge newsworthiness quickly and suggest a realistic public relations package.
What makes a client a good fit for Susan?
Susan focuses on clients who are interesting, newsworthy, and active, because those qualities give media something to cover. Her practice serves event, corporate, cause, and cultural clients, with event and corporate work a current priority. If you have a real milestone, event, or expert story, you are likely a good fit for a conversation.
How experienced is Susan von Seggern?
Susan has more than 20 years of PR experience in Los Angeles. Her career includes work as a major label publicist, CEO of a boutique PR agency, political PR, and globe-trotting corporate PR, followed by a return to consulting for event, corporate, cause, and cultural clients. Career details are on her LinkedIn profile.
Planning an event or a company announcement?
Send Susan von Seggern your dates, your news, and your budget range. Event and corporate inquiries are a current priority, and every campaign is scoped individually.