By: Jess Harris, Director
When I first started out in public relations, my work was all about building visibility—getting clients into the media, driving public awareness, and pushing messages out as widely as possible. For many of the clients I worked with at the time, especially those looking to raise their public profile, that was just what they needed.
But over time, I started to notice something. Some of those clients weren’t just looking to boost brand awareness, they were trying to change policy, secure government support, or advocate for their industry. In those cases, pure public promotion wasn’t enough. It was only half the picture.
Sometimes, the client actually had a government relations team working for them in parallel, advocating directly with officials. But the PR side often didn’t know what the GR side was doing, and vice versa. Without coordination, we were sometimes sending mixed messages, or missing opportunities to reinforce each other’s work.
Enter PR for GR, or public relations in support of government relations, a strategic approach we use at TSA to ensure external communications align with advocacy outreach to make both more effective.
Seeing It In Action
In my role at TSA, I’ve seen firsthand how much stronger the strategy becomes when PR and GR work together from the start. An example of a time when we put this approach into action was when I was working with a client advocating for stronger federal support for net-zero economy initiatives. We had a clear sense of their policy goals, and I was working closely with the GR team, hearing in real time what was resonating in meetings with government ministers and officials.
That intel helped me tailor messaging for op-eds, interviews and digital content that echoed what was landing behind closed doors. It meant we weren’t guessing. Instead, we were aligning our PR strategy with what was resonating with the government, in the language they were already responding to. This made our advocacy stronger, more credible and more coherent.
Of course, there are times when it makes more strategic sense to focus solely on GR and not use PR. But when the goal is to reach government audiences through as many channels as possible, or to build public support to influence government policy, integrating communications can be a highly effective way to boost impact.
What Integration Looks Like
When a new client comes to TSA with a goal of changing government policy, our PR and GR teams meet them together to define the objective, identify the decision-makers and shape a strategy that connects the dots. The GR team maps the political landscape, including what’s realistic, timely and matters to the government. Then my team layers in a communications strategy that echoes and reinforces that advocacy.
This could mean pitching a story to run in an MP’s local paper, having a guest on a Minister’s local radio show, or securing an op-ed in the Hill Times to lay groundwork ahead of a policy window. Sometimes, it’s not about reaching everyone. Instead, it’s about reaching the right few people with the right message at the right time.
We’ve seen this work across sectors. For an Indigenous-led organization, an integrated PR–GR approach used real-world examples and storytelling to frame how their work supported broader government priorities. For a cancer research network, combining earned media with direct advocacy helped inform policy considerations during government meetings. For several clean energy clients, PR for GR has helped build public and government understanding and momentum ahead of key budget and regulatory announcements.
Why This Matters Now
Government decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. Public perception shapes political risk, and political risk shapes what gets prioritized. A well-timed, well-placed story in a trusted outlet can give policymakers the cover—or the confidence—they need to take action.
Whether you’re trying to get something into the fall Budget, secure a champion in government for your cause or shift the conversation around an emerging issue, a strong public-facing narrative can help move things forward behind the scenes. However, this only works when your communications and advocacy strategies are pulling in the same direction.
Getting Started
If you’re already working with either a PR team or GR consultants, consider what would happen if you had the two teams working together. Or, if you already have both, consider if they are aligned on your goals. Are they reinforcing each other, or competing for airtime?
If you’re only investing in one side of this equation, or if your teams aren’t aligned, you could miss critical opportunities. PR for GR doesn’t just add another layer—it brings your whole strategy into alignment. Whether you’re trying to shape policy, secure investment, or simply build government awareness, taking a PR for GR approach can help you tell your story in a way that gets heard and moves your issue forward.
