If you’re looking at Digital PR examples for your own business, it is easy to focus on the publications a campaign appeared in. I find the more useful part is understanding why the story gave those publications a reason to cover the business.
The examples below come from public agency case studies about Australian campaigns. I didn’t run them, and the results are the agencies’ reported figures rather than numbers I have independently verified. What I want to explain is what we can learn from the ideas, without assuming the same approach would produce the same results for you.
Budget Direct used motoring questions its audience could relate to
Paper + Spark’s Budget Direct case study describes using customer data and surveys about motoring issues to create website content, infographics and material for the media. The agency reports 17 earned placements in under six months, with backlinks in more than 14 digital articles.
I can see why subjects such as safety, parking and motoring technology fit an insurer. A reader could be interested in those questions even when they aren’t shopping for insurance, so the company has a way to contribute without making every story about buying a policy.
There was also production work behind the idea. The findings were turned into material that people could read and reference, rather than remaining a set of numbers sent to a journalist.
For your business, I would look at whether there are questions your customers already care about that you can help explain. That doesn’t mean you need to copy an insurer’s research budget, and the placement figures alone don’t tell us how many policies this campaign sold.
Astor Legal gave local publications a reason to use the research
Prosperity Media’s Astor Legal case study describes campaigns using official crime data for New South Wales and Victoria, presented through interactive tables, graphs and maps. The agency developed local angles from the findings, so different areas had a reason to take an interest in the research.
It also describes a separate opportunity to contribute legal commentary about Christmas lights attached to cars. That starts from a question already attracting attention, rather than producing a new set of research findings.
I like the difference between those approaches because it shows why the format doesn’t have to be fixed. The crime data gave the agency material for local stories, while the commentary drew on a lawyer’s knowledge to explain a topical question.
If you’re considering a similar approach, I would focus on why your business is qualified to discuss the subject. Copying the map or the headline would not create that connection on its own. This is a discussion of the historical campaign, not current legal advice about vehicle decorations.
Morella Grove made a food story relevant to different cities
Fusion Digital’s Morella Grove case study describes ranking foodie suburbs using counts of restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor. The agency created material for individual cities and reports more than ten backlinks, including coverage from Time Out, 9Kitchen and 7News.
A publication could focus on suburbs its own readers knew, which gave a broader food story a local angle. It also gave a food brand a reason to join the conversation without asking the publication to write an advertisement for its products.
I would be careful about what the ranking claims, though. Counting highly rated restaurant listings tells you something specific about those listings. It doesn’t settle which suburb has the best food, because the size of the area and what the platform covers can affect the count.
That explanation belongs beside the result so readers can understand what they’re comparing. The story can still be interesting without presenting one measure as a complete answer.
What would make an idea useful for your business?
These campaigns used different material, from customer surveys to official records and restaurant listings. I wouldn’t take that to mean your business needs to produce all three. I would look for a subject you can credibly explain and an audience that has a reason to care about it.
A food ranking may suit a food brand but make little sense for a business in another industry, even if the original campaign earned good links. Likewise, a national insurer’s campaign budget would not be a sensible starting point for every small business.
There is also a limit to what these case studies tell us. The agencies report coverage and backlinks, but judging whether the campaigns paid for themselves would require costs and commercial results that these summaries don’t fully provide. So I would not use their figures to forecast what you will receive.
When we discuss an idea for your Digital PR campaign, I want to understand why it fits your business and who would find it useful. That is a stronger starting point than choosing a format because it worked for someone else.
Related Digital PR guides
How much does Digital PR cost in Australia? Start with the scope · Digital PR vs link building: which does your business need? · How to measure Digital PR results beyond backlinks · When is a small business ready for Digital PR?
