What’s Your Defining Moment of 2026?
And how can PR help…
As we step into a new year, most leaders are considering what moments in 2026 could really change the shape of the business. Those points in time are what we call “defining moments,” and they are some of the best opportunities you will have all year to earn meaningful visibility.
Charting a Path
Every business has tentpole events on the calendar, whether they are planned by the quarter or part of the one year vision: A new location opening. A major anniversary date. A senior leader joining the team. A product launch you have been inching toward for 18 months. A new round closing. These tentpole moments are not just internal milestones. They are natural points in time to step forward, be seen and show what makes your brand different.
When you start the year by naming those moments and defining how you want the business to leverage them, you can be much more intentional about how PR and visibility support the plan - instead of scrambling a few weeks (or days!) before and missing an opportunity to tell your story that you can’t get back.
Your news is not “the news” - and that’s fine
Here is the nuance that matters. Your big announcement is rarely “the news” to a reporter. But it can be the moment in time when you and your product, service, or expertise are especially useful to the media.
Opening a new location may not be front page material on its own. Pair it with a clear point of view on how your category is changing, or how your clinic is providing access to underserved communities, and suddenly you are part of a larger story. A new COO joining the team is not breaking news. But if that person represents a shift in how you are building the company, who you are serving, or how you are meeting demand, that can anchor a strong leadership and growth story.
The goal is not to force your news to be bigger than it is. The goal is to see each defining moment as a chance to say, “Right now, we have something especially relevant to add to the conversation, and here is how it can be of service to your audience.” That is a much more useful frame for both you and the press.
When PR actually moves the needle
PR tends to move the needle when you are clear on what these defining moments mean for your business and you are willing to show up around them.
It works when you know what you want this kind of visibility to change over the next year or so. Maybe it’s attracting a new kind of patient to that new location. Maybe it’s building trust in a new senior team so bigger partners feel comfortable betting on you. Maybe it’s establishing your expertise in an industry ripe for disruption.
When you approach PR by asking, “How can we be of service to the media at this moment,” instead of, “How do we get attention for this announcement,” you give reporters something they can say yes to. You help them tell stronger stories, and in return your business earns more credible, brand‑building visibility.
What does not help is treating PR like a last minute Band‑Aid. If you only think about visibility after everything is already in motion, you will always feel like you are chasing it.
Why timing your story matters
There is never going to be one perfect moment to decide to invest in PR. There will always be one more thing you wish you had in place. A cleaner website. One more hire. A slightly bigger budget.
What you can do is get honest about the tentpole events already on your 2026 horizon and decide which of them deserve real visibility behind them. The sooner you make that decision with some strategy and clarity, the better you can time your campaigns so they support the business at those specific moments, not months after the fact.