The press release used to be the golden ticket.

By Isabella Maldonado

The press release used to be the golden ticket.

Polished. Controlled. Perfectly timed.

But today?

Audiences don’t want polish.
They want process.

We’ve entered the era of building in public.

• Instead of waiting for media coverage, brands now gain credibility by sharing their journey online.
• Instead of chasing an audience, the real work is building a strong identity—because communities already exist. They’ll gather around you if they see something real.
• And instead of one-way messaging, identity becomes a two-way conversation—shaped by how people interact with the brand in real time.
• The ripple effects are massive:

Hiring: People want to work with companies whose identity feels transparent and purposeful. Build in public, and talent self-selects in.

Credibility: Communities reward consistency. If your identity holds up under scrutiny, trust follows.

Power dynamics: Old PR pushed narratives outward. BR centers the brand’s identity—so it can’t be hijacked by uncontrolled stories.

The first rule of PR was: never lose control of the narrative.

The first rule of BR is: make your identity so clear it doesn’t matter who’s telling it.

• In a world where perception shifts overnight, what matters more: managing the narrative—or owning the identity?