How do you know when your beauty PR strategy needs something…more?

I find that there’s a point that marketing leaders at beauty brands reach. The beauty company has been around for awhile but media coverage is…stalled. Or even worse – it’s there, but it’s lackluster.

Commonly, these beauty brands will have an in-house team, influencers posting, and some media coverage coming in at various points.

While visibility is great, all of the above isn’t leading to momentum.

Times like these often require a shake-up of your beauty PR strategy – look at what you’re doing, what you’re hoping to get from your activities, and how you can properly position yourself in the market.

When should you up-level your Fashion or Beauty PR strategy?

1. Your PR approach hasn’t changed in…ever

When you launch a product or collection, your go-to might be a press release, editor mailer, and broad influencer gifting. That’s all fine, but not enough to cut through in 2026. Media is evolving, and your strategy should be too. What does this mean? We’re seeing a lot more strategic partnerships – building true loyalty and community by niching down. Think: Instagram Lives with a trusted influencer, robust LinkedIn content, and partnerships with like-minded brands.

2. Your competitors are scoring big brand features – and you’re not

If you’re noticing hot up-and-comers landing those sexy interviews in prime outlets like Vogue and WWD, while your coverage is mostly roundups, it’s probably time for a reset. Your PR team should have a track record of scoring placements that not only drive traffic but also build your brand identity. These are crucial for credibility and reputation building.

3. Your beauty PR strategy doesn’t connect to your brand’s larger business goals

Being in front of your target audience is great. But it’s only one part of what PR can and should do. You also want to consider things like positioning, market leadership, investor confidence, and founder visibility. Product coverage is crucial, and will bump visibility, traffic, and sales. But for longer-term loyalty, it’s not enough.

4. You’ve outgrown “vendor relationships”

Meaningful brands deserve PR partners who think like CMOs – not order-takers. Your PR team should be leading the strategy, using their senior-level expertise and insights to take your brand to new levels of growth. You’ll be confident that your PR plan is top-notch – leaving you with time to do your job vs. supervising your PR outreach. Junior teams cycling through your account will never let you build momentum.

5. You’re ready to evolve beyond product launches into building a place in today’s culture

I’ll say it again and again – the best PR builds more than sales, but actual brand authority. In 2026, that’s crucial. As performance dips and consumers are warier than ever with their dollars, brands that are leading the conversation and building trust are the ones getting ahead.