The PR Behind the Scenes: What People Don’t See

With a PR campaign, what people see is a good, polished headline, a viral moment, the seamless launch or event that looks like everything snapped into place. Let’s be realistic – nothing is ever picture perfect. What they don’t see is the mountain of work that requires a full on juggling act: it’s the strategy meeting after meeting, convincing ten stakeholders that one message is the right one, rewriting countless drafts before the pitch until it finally lands, the early morning calls with clients to ease their anxiety, prepping (then over-prepping) and going over the same details in five different site visits so the “effortless” moment actually is seamless. 

PR is not just about telling a story – it’s about managing relationships, anticipating challenges, and crafting narratives that resonate. And while the end results often get the applause, it’s important to celebrate the process and the unsung heroes who thrive behind the curtain so others can shine in the spotlight.

Sure, the profession doesn’t come with capes or blockbuster movie deals (yet), but the work does take preparation and superpowers – strategy, stamina, and for some a whole lot of coffee. Here’s what our daily grind looks like when you cast it in superhero style. Follow us and take a peek behind the proverbial curtain.

Research and Strategy

In PR, curiosity isn’t just a trait, it is a must-have skill. A PR professional digs into industries, competitors, and trends with the determination of a detective, always chasing  the next story or opportunity for exposure. It’s about asking the uncomfortable questions, sifting through the historical data, and getting down to the nitty-gritty in pursuit of what really matters. Think Jessica Jones with her private investigator instincts -  demonstrating remarkable strength, immunity to distractions or “mind control”. Because in PR, no stone gets left unturned, as the smallest detail can change the entire trajectory.

Media Relations

Journalists - and more recently, influencers - are a major link in getting the word out to the public. Building trust with these groups takes more than sending them a press release – it requires honesty, consistency and persistence to ensure a client or campaign message can stand on its own anywhere.  Making a strong connection is not as simple as tying the lace on a sneaker. A PR pro brings clarity and deflects negativity, much like Wonder Woman wielding her Lasso of Truth to cut through the noise and address misconceptions head-on. 

Yet beyond the spotlight, media relations is powered by the small, often invisible moves: the callbacks to confirm a single detail, fielding media requests at odd hours, rewriting countless story angles so they actually serve the journalist’s beat, and yes, sometimes even drafting the story that never carries our byline. These are the shields and lassos PR pros use everyday. At Breakthrough Communications, we’ve seen this strength in many women across the PR community, using their own “superpowers” to break down complex proposals and issues alike, dispel illusions, explain the difference between things such as paid versus earned media, and bridge cultural or language barriers, so audiences can confront their apprehensions with a person, brand or product, and also connect with the message. 

Carlette DeLeon captures key content for the client General Accident.

Content Creation

From press releases to visuals, strong content is what drives a campaign or key message forward – but in today’s crowded digital space, it takes more strategy than it would have five or even two years ago.  With so many platforms in play, PR content must be carefully distinguished from social media output, then shaped to meet differing standards of legacy media –newspapers, radio and television. This is possible with the meticulous preparation and unique creativity known of  Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Wakandan princess Shuri because a PR pro is both innovator and builder, creating tools, dashboards, and digital-first ideas that keep campaigns ahead of the curve. Every successful PR plan needs its Shuri – the strategist who turns challenges into opportunities, transforms viral moments into brand wins, and develops stories that legacy media, social platforms and audiences alike can’t ignore. It’s the ability to take a viral moment like the “Absolutely No Edges” debate and flip it into a PR win – positioning a hair care brand manager to weigh in with authority, turning trending posts into legacy media headlines and real brand relevance.

Outreach and Pitching

Every pitch is different, and that’s where the “Rogue effect” comes in. Professionals must borrow the right voice, tone, and angle for each journalist or community, adapting seamlessly to make a message land. Like Rogue’s power of adaptation, they absorb aspects of a brand’s personality and the emotional pulse of its audience – then channel those powers into a pitch or speech that resonates. This is not an easy skill. The “PR Rogue” often has to juggle multiple “powers” at once - switching gears between clients, correcting missteps, and at times, stepping in to defend her or his team when a hard-to-please client pushes back. But when done with precision, that adaptability transforms a simple pitch into a superpowered connection, and turns that speech into a standing ovation. 

Carlette DeLeon coordinates the perfect photo op for her client, LASCO.

Coordination, Monitoring and Response

Preparedness means staying tuned in to every shift in media and public sentiment, and ready to act before things spiral. With Spider-Senses tingling, a PR pro spots trouble before it strikes. That’s media monitoring and response – knowing when a building is on fire before the smoke signal. The Spider Man of public relations has enhanced vision, extraordinary balance, and agility – knowing the ins and out of media coordination, managing photo opportunities, and swinging between challenges with ease. Always watching from a distance but ready to leap in, they spin protective webs around clients,  turning potential pitfalls into moments of strength.

Crisis Management vs Mind Control

Believe it or not, staying calm under pressure is a true superpower. Guiding clients through chaos requires training, foresight and the ability to see a crisis before it erupts. In PR, that often means disintegrating issues before they escalate or creating a “black hole” that swallows the crisis so it feels like it never existed.  The PR professional has the intuition to sense what others are thinking (telepathy), move things quietly in the background (telekinesis), and reshape narratives accurately. Sounds a lot like X-Men’s Jean Grey, doesn’t it? The calm on the outside while under fire, is only possible because of the strategy and strength working beneath the surface. 

Measurement and Evaluation

These are what prove the impact of all the behind-the-scenes work. It’s how PR professionals show what hit, what missed, the lessons learnt, and how to build stronger strategies for the next project. Without it, much of PR would remain invisible to the very people who need convincing. That’s where the Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) comparison comes in. Like Invisible Woman, PR uses “force fields” or in this case, data and reporting to protect a brand’s reputation and demonstrate value. The ability to make the “invisible”, mirror PR teams revealing the proof behind a campaign’s success, while using shields to defend against criticism, with evidence. Measurement isn’t just about the numbers – number of exposures or the PR value – it’s about creating clarity and ensuring the work doesn’t go unseen. 

Event Management

A career in PR doesn’t necessarily call for a degree in events planning or project management, but when it’s time to launch, it has to land with impact. And PR pros can’t help it, but they always want to have some control over the situation. Whether it’s a new campaign, product or even new music, introductions to the public are often anchored by a launch period and a main event. And those launches that people marvel at? They’re usually the result of weeks (sometimes months…and sometimes just two weeks or two days) of detailed planning and preparation behind the scenes. 

Still, there’s always that one microphone that dies the moment the chairman steps up to the lectern, or that one client who forgets protocol and rushes to hug a high-level public official. That’s when PR pros tap into their Captain Marvel cosmic-level reflexes – sprinting to swap in a working mic before anyone notices the glitch, or creating the perfect distraction to keep things on the PR track with the meet and greet segment.

PR isn’t glamorous because it’s easy – it’s powerful because it’s prepared. Every day in the field is like stepping into a superhero comic book: a mix of high stakes, unexpected villains (hello…dead microphone), and big wins when preparation meets timing. The real action happens in the rewrites, the pivoting, and quick reflexes when something goes sideways. That’s where PR pros show their true superpowers. 

But like any superhero, we have our kryptonite. It’s last-minute changes that undo weeks of planning, stakeholders who vanish when approvals are needed most, or those dreaded “we just want it to go viral” hidden requests. Even Superman stumbles without the sun – and even the strongest PR pro falters without preparation and necessary tools.

We may not wear capes, and we may never get an action figure line, but we do create something just as lasting – impact, connection, and stories that stick – all from behind the curtain.