Telling Stories That Shape Culture

In Jamaica, culture isn’t just a backdrop; it’s the main stage. Whether it’s the infectious energy of our music, the camaraderie of sports, the spectacle of large-scale events such as Carnival Road March, Racers Grand Prix and Reggae Sumfest, or the way entertainment and cultural figures intersect with political debates, our national conversations are shaped by the rhythms and rituals of our people. And behind the compelling headlines and captioned hashtags that add to making moments and messages go viral, PR plays a quiet but critical role in shaping how those stories are told. 

This year’s World PR Day theme, ‘The Power of PR to Shape Culture, Build Brands, and Inspire Action’, could not be more fitting. At Breakthrough Communications, that’s exactly how we approach our work, that is, with a clear purpose to do more than generate buzz. 

In different contexts, PR has different meanings – and that’s the beauty of the craft. Whether you’re shaping a brand, creating or managing a moment, or attempting to amplify a message, PR (or its practitioners), flexes the designated muscles to meet the moment. 

Sometimes it’s ‘Powerful Reporting’, where truth-telling and framing the facts with context take centre stage. Other times, it’s ‘Persuasive Representation’, advocating for voices that deserve to be heard, and protecting cultural nuances from being lost in translation. It may be about ‘Purposeful Reach’, where the right message meets the right audience in the right way. Or it’s understanding the delicate dance between clients, the boards, stakeholders, media and the public…let’s call this ‘Perceiving Relationships’. And in a world that is constantly evolving, it’s often about ‘Profile Reimagination’ (one of my personal favourites), helping individuals, institutions, and entire industries reshape how they are heard, seen, and understood. 

Powerful Reporting

Don’t get it twisted. PR is not just about putting out content, or “fluff” as many like to mislabel it. It is about understanding the content and sharing it in a way that resonates with the intended audience or multiple audiences.

As a journalist turned Public Relations Account Executive, I have witnessed firsthand how storytelling transforms perception. Writing about cultural icons, recording artistes, and the entire team behind a creative product – from the producers to the runners getting water for the assistants to the main assistants of the stars – taught me early on that a well-told story can do more than entertain. It can educate, connect, inspire, and even shift national identity. But getting that story right, with intention, cultural sensitivity, and strategic awareness, is where public relations steps in. 

So often in Jamaica – and beyond – event coverage is reduced to simple post-show summaries: who performed, who spoke, what the sponsor did, but when all is said and done, the real power lies in going deeper. Picking up on the message behind the moment. Whether it’s an entertainer weaving a social commentary into their set or a speaker offering insight not found in the media kit, powerful reporting requires a curious mind and an editorial ear. It’s about selecting angles that create lasting impressions – not just a play-by-play recap, but layered stories that live long after the last trussing is packed away.  

And sometimes, the best way to report or PR with purpose is to participate. Being in the heart of the experience – like dancing through the streets at Carnival (and in costume) – gives you a panoramic view. You see the crowd, the energy, the unity, the messaging, and the moments that move people. That 360-degree lens allows you to craft narratives not just from observation and a client’s voice, but from immersion. Participating in initiatives like a tree-planting exercise or Read Across Jamaica Day school visits with a client provides that same level of immersion – allowing you to witness the impact on young minds and shape stories with authenticity. And when you’re building stories or PR strategy for a brand, that kind of insight is invaluable. 

Stephanie Lyew lends a hand while working with her client, JP Farms.

Persuasive Representation and Purposeful Reach

This is where the magic of a publicist’s pen comes to life and not in isolation. Writing a press release is not just about flair or formatting. It requires a full understanding of the subject, coordination with media colleagues, and being present and proactive in the moment. 

We have all experienced the frustration of someone requesting the service of a publicist or an agency to assist with coverage or garnering exposure without a clear story or angle – persuasive representation is the opposite of that. It’s intentional. It’s thoughtful. It brings value to the audience and to the selected media platform. 

A good PR professional does not force a story, instead they find it, shape it and then champion it with clarity and care. 

Now, representation means little without reach. Getting a story placed about the next big product or the appointment of a new and experienced CEO, is one thing. Making it matter is another. We must always ask ourselves, ‘Who cares?’  And if no one has not set off the bells in your head, ‘How can I make them care?’ 

True PR reaches further than the newsroom – it touches readers, especially your target audience and encourages action. Imagine a traveller flipping through a newspaper in an airport departure lounge of one of the international airports, discovering a feature on a Jamaican creative initiative, and walking away inspired to invest in our island. That’s purposeful reach. It is about shaping messages that not only land but linger. Messages that make new generations see themselves in their culture’s evolution and growth, that bring clarity to outsiders trying to comprehend the island’s pulse,  and that moves readers to action even if they never meet the subject of the story. 

From entertainment and sports to CSR and corporate launches, it is important for the world to understand that PR is not just about writing press releases and getting them placed in legacy media and on digital media platforms. It is cultural stewardship in action. We have seen this in action through projects like JP Farms’ Grow Smart, Eat Smart national campaign, as well as its tours and donations to the farming community and schools, the FHC Foundation PEP and Sports Education scholarships, supporting over 100 students and, Salada’s involvement in Jamaica Coffee Festival and collaboration with the organisers of Earth Hour, where music, environmental awareness were blended into culturally rich, one-of-a-kind curated experiences. These projects did not only generate headlines, they inspired action, built brand loyalty, and also reflected who we are as a people and what we stand for. That’s the sweet spot where culture, brand-building, and community impact meet.

Perceiving Relationships

PR connects the dots. It puts the pieces of the puzzle together across sectors, audiences, and at times, even conflicting perspectives. Depending on the situation, it  can also reveal where connections are fragile or fractured. It is recognising that an event is never just about a sponsor or performer but the relationships formed before, during and after. Relationships between organisers and sponsors. Between performers, communities, government, media. Even the relationship with the message itself. 

At its core, PR is about sensing where trust exists – or does not – and crafting communications that honour those unseen threads. In my own experience, when a relationship cannot be established, shaping a meaningful story becomes much harder. I am constantly reminded that compelling stories are written beyond the immediate, and in hindsight, compelling PR, sees the picturesque landscape, the potential challenges, and the possibilities, not just the next move but the path forward.

Working with business leaders has reinforced this understanding – none more so than the late Honourable Lascelles Chin, Jamaican stalwart and philanthropist who led the LASCO Affiliated Companies and LASCO Chin Foundation. His approach to business and communication shaped Breakthrough’s “way we do things” – particularly in managing client expectations, and setting realistic, purposeful goals. In an interview with The Gleaner, he once said, “Problems are everywhere, and if you focus on them, they will distract you from your goals and there will be no solutions.” 

Many Jamaicans might say, “Relationships equal problems”; whether speaking about the relationship between people and communities, or the relationship with one individual and his/her bank account (not throwing any shade). But PR exists to help navigate those very problems, to manage perceptions, and present relationships, no matter how complex, in a way that maintains dignity, trust and possibility.

Profile Reimagination

Perhaps one of the most creative and fulfilling aspects of PR is helping individuals and organisations reimagine how they are seen and to realise the true potential of their brand, campaign, platform or product. This is not reinvention for reinvention’s sake, but a strategic realignment of image and impact. 

At Breakthrough Communications, we eat, sleep, breathe and live this. Our own relaunch in November of last year, was not so much of a rebrand but a reflection of who we have become: a more evolved, more intentional, more culturally rooted agency with panoptic vision. We weren’t just updating a logo. We were repositioning ourselves to better serve our clients, our community, and our country. As a team, every now and again, we remind ourselves to take two steps back but with the vision that propels us four steps forward. That is what profile reimagination looks like – a transformation rooted in truth and driven by purpose. 

It is important to work to shift narratives, elevate voices, and ensure that the stories told shape national identity while also delivering real-world results. 

On this World PR Day we challenge the community to: -

1. Tell deeper, more intentional stories that reflect who you and your audience are as a people.

2. Build strategies that prioritise culture respect over viral reach.

3. Collaborate with creatives and communities as partners, not just platforms.

4. Use the power of PR not just to promote, but to preserve, provoke thoughts and stimulate change.

Let’s not just shape headlines - let’s shape the future and achieve ‘breakthroughs’.