Demystifying Performance PR: A Comprehensive Guide to Elevate Your Brand's Success

March 19, 2025
8 min read
Collage of consumer products showcasing "Performance PR" concept with beauty items, food, supplements, and wellness products arranged in a grid with purple typography on a yellow highlight.
Glossary

Performance PR: A strategic fusion of metrics-driven public relations and affiliate marketing, amplifying brand impact with measurable outcomes.

Performance PR: quick overview

Performance PR is a data-driven strategy that merges traditional public relations with affiliate marketing to deliver measurable, revenue-driving results. Dreamday, founded by Lauren Kleinman in 2019, is a pioneer in this space, combining media relationships with performance metrics to create campaigns that not only secure press but also boost your bottom line.

Key Takeaways:

  • Synergistic Approach: Combines full-service, traditional PR with full-funnel affiliate marketing.
  • Data-Driven: Uses performance metrics like Share of Voice, site traffic, ROAS, and conversion rates.
  • Unified Strategy: Eliminates the need for two separate agencies.
Lauren Kleinman, Founder and CEO with Lauren Sprung, EVP of Operations

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR goes beyond traditional public relations by integrating measurable performance metrics into every campaign.

How it works?

  • Data Integration: Incorporates analytics to quantify traffic, conversions, and revenue.
  • Unified Messaging: Aligns PR efforts with marketing goals to tell a cohesive brand story.
  • Results-Focused: Ensures every press hit contributes to your ROI.
Key Takeaway

Dreamday’s innovative methodology combines traditional media expertise with affiliate-backed strategies to create campaigns that deliver both exposure and measurable results, ensuring brands show up where consumers make decisions.

The Dreamday Difference:

The most valuable customers—the ones with the highest LTV, repeat purchase rates, and brand loyalty—don’t just buy a product. They buy into a brand they trust.

At Dreamday, we build that trust by securing third-party credibility across both top-tier traditional media and new-age platforms—ensuring brands show up where consumers are making decisions.

The most valuable customers—the ones with the highest LTV, repeat purchase rates, and brand loyalty—don’t just buy a product. They buy into a brand they trust.

Innovative Methodology

Lauren Kleinman’s 360° expertise (being in-house at a brand and experiencing those pain points) has driven Dreamday’s vision to blend publishing, content, and commerce insights to drive the highest quality and quantity of press.

Enhanced Media Relationships

Uses multi-touch customer journey data to optimize pitching and secure high-quality coverage across multiple mediums.

  • Legacy Media: The New York Times, Vogue, WSJ, Broadcast
  • Emerging Trust Channels: TikTok, Substack, Meta, Podcasts
  • Affiliate-Backed Recommendations: Ensuring media coverage also drives measurable outcomes through what we call Performance PR
USA Today article featuring Dreamday's founder Lauren Kleinman working on a laptop in a bright office, highlighting her "Performance PR" method that delivers measurable, data-driven results.
An animation showing different brands like Ilia, Quince, Set, Ring Conceirge, and Hydroviv featured in press releases.

Continuous Improvement

Campaign results improve over time—both in press volume and affiliate revenue–through robust post-campaign analysis and optimization.

Why Brands Utilize Performance PR

Benefits of Performance PR

  • Integrated Efforts: One agency handles both PR and affiliate marketing, eliminating competition and fostering cross-functional optimizations.
  • Measurable Results: Clearly defined KPIs such as media mentions, conversion rates, and revenue.
  • Sustained Growth: Consistent, year-over-year improvement in both press hits and revenue generation.

Real World Success Examples

  • Food & Beverage Brand: Achieved a 145% increase in press hits over three years.
  • Cult-Favorite Brands: Quince and Dieux saw significant revenue and exposure gains.
  • High-Impact Placements: Secured features in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Wall Street Journal, WireCutter, Inc., CNN, and more.
Media coverage examples from Forbes, Vogue, and Wirecutter featuring articles about Brightland olive oil, cookware, and performance leggings.
Dreamday's press coverage and affiliate channel optimization examples
Key Takeaway

Performance PR integrates metrics and optimization, diverging from conventional PR. It aligns storytelling with measurable outcomes, merging PR and affiliate marketing for impactful campaigns. Understanding this synergy unlocks growth avenues amidst evolving publishing landscapes.

The Synergy Between Affiliate Marketing & PR

Performance PR bridges the gap between two traditionally siloed functions:

  • Optimized Communication: Leverages affiliate data to inform PR strategies.
  • Extended Reach: Media outlets now look for brands that offer both compelling stories and measurable performance.
  • Credibility Boost: The data-backed approach lends extra credibility to press coverage.

Why it works

Key Factors Contributing to Success

  • Targeted Outreach: Access to curated media lists and robust publisher relationships.
  • Data-Driven Insights: Every placement is analyzed for its impact on omnichannel traffic and revenue.
  • Dual Expertise: Combines creative storytelling with affiliate and partnership marketing.

Long-Term Benefits

Turbocharge Your Content Marketing

  • Increased Visibility: Earned media boosts brand exposure.
  • SEO Benefits: Quality backlinks and high-intent referral traffic from authoritative sites.
  • Content Repurposing: Use press coverage for blogs, social posts, and newsletters. Leverage brand and product awards for retailer opportunities.

Bolster Your Paid Media Strategy

  • Integrated Campaigns: Combine paid promotions with organic press for enhanced reach.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Earned media frequently outperforms paid advertising in 1:1 ROI.
Hand holding smartphone displaying "Our Place Perfect Pot Review" article on "The Quality Edit" website with cooking pot image.
Key Takeaway

Performance PR cultivates lasting brand visibility and trust through consistent press coverage, thought leadership, and positive associations, fostering long-term engagement and community building.

Is Performance PR a Good Fit?

Newsworthy Content

For Performance PR to work, three keys to success:

  • Timeliness: Relevant to current trends.
  • Significance: Has a notable impact or unique angle.
  • Visual Appeal: Compelling images and multimedia elements.

Target Audience & Media Experience

  • Audience: Business leaders, investors, media outlets, and consumers.
  • Tailored Messaging: Customized to each stakeholder group.
  • Leveraging Media Relationships: Secure exclusive, high-impact placements.

Building Trust Through Performance PR

  • Consistent Communication: Transparency builds long-term credibility.
  • Authentic Storytelling: Genuine narratives resonate with audiences.
  • Thought Leadership: Positioning your brand as an industry expert.
Authentic storytelling and consistent communication are the cornerstones of trust-building, ensuring your brand resonates with audiences and stands out in a crowded market.

What Does a Performance PR Contract Look Like?

A typical Performance PR contract outlines:

  • Scope of Work: Detailed services covering PR and affiliate marketing.
  • Payment Terms: Clear financial arrangements and schedules.
  • Performance Metrics: Well-defined KPIs to measure success.
  • Confidentiality & Termination Clauses: Protecting both parties.
  • Deliverables & Timeline: Milestones to ensure timely execution.
Key Takeaway

Dreamday’s approach to Performance PR ensures consistent improvement over time in press volume and affiliate revenue through robust post-campaign analysis and optimization efforts.

Dreamday’s Performance PR Solutions

Dreamday’s unique approach merges decades of traditional media expertise with innovative affiliate marketing strategies to craft campaigns that deliver both media exposure and measurable results.

Professional grid displaying Dreamday's media coverage in publications like Fast Company, Forbes, and USA Today, alongside industry awards and recognitions at the bottom.

FAQ: Performance PR at a Glance

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR integrates traditional PR with affiliate marketing, using data-driven metrics to achieve measurable results.

How long does Performance PR take to work?

Timelines vary by campaign, but Dreamday customizes bespoke strategies to balance efficiency with long-term effectiveness.

What kind of results can I expect?

Increased media coverage, enhanced brand visibility, higher traffic, improved affiliate revenue, and stronger credibility.

How does Dreamday measure the impact of PR?

By tracking key metrics such as press hits, website traffic, conversion rates, and revenue generated through affiliate channels.

In Conclusion

Performance PR is transforming the way brands communicate and grow. By blending storytelling with performance metrics, Dreamday not only redefines traditional PR but also creates a measurable impact on your bottom line. If you’re looking to boost brand visibility, enhance affiliate revenue, and build long-lasting trust, Dreamday’s innovative approach to Performance PR is your ultimate solution.

Dreamday builds credibility and reshapes how brands drive growth, trust, and long-term value to consumers.

Ready to elevate your brand? Discover how Dreamday can turn your brand’s narrative into measurable success.

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