Public relations and paid media may sit on different sides of the marketing umbrella, but they both shape how visitors, donors, and stakeholders perceive your institution.

In this episode, we bring in Sharon Dewar, Senior Vice President of Wild Care and Conservation at Public Communications Inc. (PCI), to break down how PR actually works inside zoos, aquariums, gardens, and museums - and when it makes sense to bring in outside help.

We talk about:

• How PR influences long-term reputation, donor confidence, and public trust
• Why earned media matters more than ever in an AI-driven search world
• What internal teams should evaluate before hiring an external PR partner
• How to measure PR impact when success isn’t tied to ticket sales
• Classic newsroom “news values” and how to identify stories that land
• How in-house PR teams can proactively uncover stories - not wait for submissions
• Why owned and earned media must balance social to protect institutional reputation

If your team has ever wondered what outside PR support can bring to your cultural attraction, this episode offers a clear, grounded look at how strategic communications can strengthen both mission and marketing.

This podcast is produced by Attend Media.

Attend helps nonprofit attractions drive visitation through paid media. Download our free guide to media planning for nonprofit attractions at our site - attend.media

Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit the podcast's website - MarketingAttractionsPodcast.com