Wolf&Grayson EditorialRelevance, not visibility, is the real battleground for market positioning today. Nowhere is that more evident than in media relations. With audiences scattered across countless channels and formats, the brands that win aren’t the loudest. The brands that break through the noise are the most precisely tuned.
“Twenty years ago, you could talk to a handful of publications and trust you were reaching your market. Today, it’s about understanding where you actually hold influence — where your audience is consuming media and how they prefer to engage,” says Dave S. Faupel, Chief Marketing Officer at Priority.
Over two decades shaping strategies for Fortune 500 giants and early-stage disruptors, Faupel has observed the media landscape transformation and shares one clear takeaway: Volume no longer drives impact. “Strong market positioning means meeting your audience exactly where they are, at the moment they’re ready to buy or be influenced to buy,” he explains. “I’d rather knock down a hundred hills than chase one big mountain.”
The Power of Authenticity in an Overcrowded Space
Fragmented media presents both obstacles and opportunities for marketers. For Faupel, navigating that fragmentation successfully means balancing precision targeting with authenticity in tone; both elements work in harmony to create meaningful impact. When a company truly understands where and how its audience engages, it can craft messages that feel personal and credible, the kind that strengthen long-term relationships instead of chasing short-term visibility. “Creativity within your authentic voice is what really connects. A viral moment should happen organically because you’re telling an authentic brand story,” he says.
Marketers, Faupel says, must resist the common urge to chase those viral moments. While the promise of rapid exposure can be tempting, focusing too heavily on a current trend or pop culture moment often pulls brands away from their true voice. Quick, catchy phrases or visuals may boost visibility in the short term, but they can just as easily distort a brand’s identity and distract from authentic, long-term engagement with audiences.
Media Relations as a Mirror of Value
While some may argue the discipline has changed dramatically, Faupel sees its core as unchanged: it’s about communicating value clearly and consistently, ensuring every message reflects how a company helps customers and solves real problems. “Media relations still plays an important role,” he says. “But outreach needs to loop back to solving customer problems. Why is your product or service critical, unique, or different? What’s the value to the customer?”
Too often, companies focus on their growth metrics rather than meaningful stories that genuinely resonate with their audience. In media outreach, it’s common to see self-promotion take priority over relationship building rather than genuine relationship development. To counter these tendencies, brands should weave purpose into every message, aligning their communications with genuine customer needs and demonstrating how their work delivers value.
Three Pillars of Effective Media Strategy
For Faupel, a successful media strategy relies on three key pillars:
- Consistency: Brands with a steady presence show customers they can rely on them. Faupel emphasizes the need for a long-term plan that sustains engagement even during challenging times.
- Authenticity: Knowing your brand’s voice and purpose makes it easy to focus on serving their customers and positioning their products in the marketplace rather than chasing trends
- Generosity: Contribute to the conversation even when it’s not about the brand. Faupel encourages working with journalists and influencers to create content that helps them do their jobs building stronger, more meaningful relationships in the process.
The Human Voice in a Data-Driven World
Amid the rise of AI-generated content and increasingly automated marketing practices, Faupel stresses the importance of maintaining a human touch. “AI should help with basic tasks but it shouldn’t replace the strategic or creative process,” he explains. “If the content isn’t better, you’re just adding to the flood of poor content.”
Where he sees real opportunity is in the intelligent use of data, which becomes a powerful tool when elevated with human brain power. “Data-driven marketing requires analysis, interpretation, and translation,” Faupel explains. “In the hands of skilled and strategic marketers, it can create something meaningful for your customers and the market. That’s where impact happens.” True market positioning, he adds, only comes when marketing, communications, and product teams operate as one. “They have to work together. That’s not optional,” he emphasizes. “Each team brings unique insight from customers, trends, and real-world feedback. Without that shared perspective, you can’t tell a consistent, credible story.”
Connect with Dave S. Faupel on LinkedIn or visit his company website.
