PR Isn’t Just About Your Brand—It’s About Advocacy

Madeleine Parkin
10/20/2025

For most people, the phrase “public relations” tends to bring to mind images of corporate press releases and celebrity publicists à la Samantha Jones. Those who work in the field can be known as “spin doctors” or other unflattering nicknames—all based on a thorough misunderstanding of what PR is. Though press releases and media relations are certainly part of public relations, I always like to say that we’re in the business of storytelling.

The truth is that the strength of PR is about deciding what story you want your business or public persona to tell and getting it in front of the right people. The tricky part? We’re often not the ones telling the story. Instead, our job is to prepare the spark and hand the flame over to journalists to get it roaring.

That story captures people’s imaginations and changes minds. That’s why PR is so important in a sector like vacation rentals that is breaking the status quo, and especially in a sector that’s often blamed for problems that are widely out of its control. It’s not just about promoting our businesses (though that’s a benefit); it’s also about advocacy, educating the public, and building relationships.

As the short-term rental (STR) industry is under fire in many parts of the world and scapegoated for tourist crowds, rising house prices, and seemingly everything else, it’s more important than ever that we take control of the narrative and tell the true story of our industry. Telling our true story is also a key part of advocacy.

Redefining PR: Beyond Branding

PR is about relationships more than any words on a page. And the “public” involves many different groups, from guests to local communities, policymakers to property owners, and even potential investors. Each of these groups, or stakeholders, has different needs and concerns, and your communications need to be tailored to each of them in the ways that they can listen and understand. You wouldn’t write the same text to your best friend as your grandma, right?

While traditional media like newspapers are still a great outlet for reliable, fact-checked information, today’s PR has to look beyond just the traditional media. That means social media, podcasts, and even owned channels—and what story you tell in your own words directly to your audience, on your blog, newsletter, or social media accounts. This brave new world of media means we must be even more careful about what we say and how we avoid disinformation and even “fake news.”

The Power of Storytelling

Telling the story of our industry in our own words helps to humanize vacation rentals, turning us away from some scary, unknown force into real people, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Economic reports showing the impact of our guests on local businesses are great, but the owner of a family-run restaurant down the street telling local news that their business is thriving thanks to a partnership with your vacation rentals is far more powerful.

As an industry, we’re often good at this when it comes to individual owners—stories of couples who were able to quit their corporate jobs and spend more time with their families thanks to a pair of cabins abound—but we struggle to tell the same positive stories for larger property managers.

It’s time to shake the stereotype of the “out-of-towner” or corporate landlord and show how property management companies give back to the community, providing jobs and bringing in tourist dollars through taxes and spending in local businesses.

The Power of Evidence

Journalists and lawmakers have at least one thing in common: they need evidence. Stories can be compelling, but data anchors them in reality. That means quantifiable proof that what you’re saying is true. It could be an independent economic study showing the impact of our industry on local economies through job creation, taxes, or guest spending. Or it could be evidence from a noise-monitoring device that your guests aren’t disrupting neighbors. It could even be a simple survey of your guests to find out where they went during their stay and how much they spent there.

There will always be those who doubt advocates of our industry, and data is the best way to prove that we’re telling the truth.

Building Relationships That Matter

At their heart, both PR and advocacy are about relationships. We’re asking the public, lawmakers, and other groups to trust us, and trust is largely based on gut feeling and human connections.

That means it’s not just about what we say but who’s saying it. Real people are far more believable than faceless brands. A little public speaking training can go a long way to helping your spokespeople come across on camera as empathetic as they do in person. But beyond just media training, building relationships is about putting in the legwork. It’s attending neighborhood events, meeting with stakeholders, and showing up for difficult conversations. It’s even about visiting neighbors and giving them your number so that if there’s an issue at your property, they’ll call you first, not the police.

By building these relationships, we become part of communities rather than the faceless monster they’ve always been told our industry is.

There’s a nasty stereotype that PR is all about spin, but in reality, it’s about reaching the audiences we need to reach and never treating them as disposable or manipulable. Manipulating people never works out well in the long run.

Coming Together

Advocacy is most effective when it’s a united effort. Learning from public relations, we must align on messaging and keep repeating the same essential points until they enter public consciousness.

On the advocacy front, operators, technology companies, OTAs, and everyone else involved must collaborate to amplify our shared voice. This alignment will ensure our advocacy resonates with policymakers, the public, and the media.

Local and national alliances are the best way to collaborate. If you haven’t joined one already, research your local one today and sign up. Besides providing helpful resources for your own advocacy efforts, alliance leaders have already built relationships with important policymakers and will lobby for you on the political stage.

The Bigger Story

Advocacy is essential to the survival of our industry, and above all, that means consistency. In PR, we often call it the flywheel effect: the more you put in the work, the greater the impact is, and the easier it becomes to get your message across. While the specifics of our messaging may evolve and vary, our overarching narrative—that STRs are a force for good—must remain unbreakable. By redefining PR as advocacy, we can reshape perceptions, foster stronger relationships, and advocate for the future of our industry.
 

As a VRMA member, staying informed on local industry issues is crucial. Our toolkit provides case studies, sample outreach, best practices, and more to help you engage with policymakers and navigate regulatory changes. Stay ahead of restrictive laws—explore our resources today.

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