As brands and agencies face tighter budgets and shifting priorities, the traditional PR model is getting a rethink. Enter fractional PR—a flexible, cost-effective approach that offers access to senior-level strategy and hands-on execution without the commitment of a full-time hire or large agency retainer. From early-stage startups to lean in-house teams, more organizations are turning to fractional experts to get results that scale. We spoke with a range of seasoned PR leaders working in this capacity to understand why the model is gaining momentum—and how it’s delivering real results for the brands and teams that embrace it.
Lindsay Silverberg, Founder and PR Consultant, LPR Consulting
Fractional PR is definitely becoming a more popular choice for companies looking for sound PR support, and for good reason! I truly believe this is the beginning of a bigger shift across industries, giving senior-level professionals more flexibility while also giving growing companies access to high-impact expertise.
Startups, scale-ups, nonprofits, and even enterprises are rethinking how they build out their teams, especially when it comes to PR. PR is no longer about having someone in-house full-time. Today, it’s about bringing in the right talent at the right time in a way that makes both financial and strategic sense.
For early to mid stage companies, fractional PR gives founders access to senior-level strategy and execution without the overhead of an entire team or a big-agency retainer. In industries like healthtech, femtech, and social impact where funding and priorities can shift quickly, the fractional PR model provides much-needed flexibility and scrappiness. That’s exactly what I provide for my clients with LPR Consulting, partnering with companies to build and execute communications strategies, without adding headcount or breaking the bank.
For PR agencies, fractional support is just as valuable. Fractional PR lets agencies tap into niche expertise when needed, without hiring a full-time team member. Whether it’s leading an account, helping a client launch a product, or managing media strategy around a funding round, fractional PR professionals like me can act as a plug and play PR member with minimal onboarding. It’s a smart, scalable model that fits the realities of today’s agency landscape.
Ina Subramanian, Fractional CMO
From my experience leading marketing at both emerging and established brands, I’ve seen the power of fractional PR partners to drive impact when it matters most, especially during inflection points like: brand repositioning, narrative shifts, or at high-stakes moments. These transformative times require seasoned storytelling and trusted media relationships. Fractional PR talent brings exactly that without the exhaustive long runway or high overhead of traditional agency retainers, or with in-house full-time hires.
The landscape is moving faster than ever and budgets are under pressure which I’m certain lends to the rise of fractional based expertise. Marketing leaders overseeing Press are turning to fractional PR experts as a flexible, high-impact solution. Whether it's launching into a new category, refreshing brand voice, or creating buzz around a funding milestone, fractional PR pros can plug in quickly, deliver desired results and scale down after the sprint. It’s a model that gives growing brands access to a premium strategy while keeping operations lean.
My personal advice if considering a fractional PR partner is to treat them as embedded strategists and not just external vendors. Pull them into conversations and calendars early on. Integrate them with marketing’s overall 360º strategy for alignment. When there is clarity around overarching goals and real collaboration with internal teams, fractional PR can really unlock visibility to drive business growth.
Melissa Welch, Marketing Communications Consultant
Fractional talent isn’t a trend — it’s a reflection of how modern brands are building agility into the fabric of their communications. The rise of the fractional model mirrors a shift I’ve seen firsthand: brands, especially in the luxury space, are no longer looking for just more support — they’re seeking smarter support. They're craving sophisticated counsel that moves with the pace of culture and commerce.
In a world where timing is everything, fractional leaders bring strategy without the drag of a traditional hiring cycle, offering the ability to plug in with strategic vision and emotional intelligence, yet move with the agility of an insider. It's a model that honors both business realities and brand ambition, an invaluable combination.
I work with both brands and agencies in deeply transitional moments — mid-reorg, mid-launch, pre-investment — where full-time hires aren’t realistic but the stakes are still high. In those moments, fractional leadership can be transformative. You get the benefit of seasoned perspective without the lag time. Fractional leadership can bring clarity to chaos, momentum to stalled initiatives, and elegance to execution — especially when internal teams are overextended but still aiming for excellence. When it’s done right, it feels less like a consultant and more like a co-pilot.
The best fractional partnerships are built on trust, tempo, and a shared ambition to raise the bar. Be clear about goals, be open to fresh perspectives, and most importantly — choose someone who not only understands your category, but your cadence and culture. For me, this work is about more than deliverables. It’s about bringing clarity, elevating the work, and building trust — quickly. When that happens, the results are not only strategic, they’re deeply felt.
Meredith Klein, Media Expert and Substack Journalist, "Meredith & The Media"
More and more brands and agencies are turning to fractional PR experts as the pressure for strategic effectiveness is challenged by the pressure for cost efficiency. With fractional PR, you can have a media or crisis expert with 25 years of experience as a specialist on your team driving new ideas and strong results without the overhead. Fractional PR experts bring expertise to a specific challenge or need and are singularly focused on solving that problem or need. Fractional PR experts are often less biased and don't have the same emotional connection to the team or brand as their scope is to come in, solve a problem and effectively complete the project.
As a former agency leader, we'd experience the typical "two-year turn," where clients would get antsy after two years and fire off yet another RFP. Knowing this cycle, agencies are tapping fractional PR experts to come in as media snippers—securing a big feature or executive profile—or crisis counselors, for example, to guide companies through unchartered waters and unprecedented experiences in today's tumultuous economy. This targeted use of fractional PR experts can sustain the lifecycle of a client, regain lost trust and even upsell clients for additional services and support. Additionally, agencies are adding fractional PR experts to their pitch decks as part of the extended team or agency network. This shows prospective clients a resourceful and innovative approach to communications and the access to a well-regarded industry expert is attractive and intriguing.
The saying "all good things come to an end" shouldn't be dismissed when working, or considering working, with fractional PR experts. Some experts are doing fractional work temporarily until they find a permanent job; some out-cost a full-time hire depending on their seniority, rate and the time duration you need their support. When hiring fractional talent, brand and agency leaders should have a transparent conversation on their end goal, availability and future interests. For example, you wouldn't want to over-commit to a prospect the access to a fractional talent without ensuring you've contracted that talent for a respectable timeframe. Further, brands and agencies should do a client-by-client assessment, looking at client spend, client results, client upsell potential and client flight risk and see where fractional support can support, turn around or propel clients, boosting revenue and results across the board.
Amanda Coffee, Founder, Coffee Communications
I launched Coffee Communications six months ago in response to a clear market demand for nimble, strategic communications consultants. Most of my clients are emerging AI companies working to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. As a result, my offerings are simple but high-impact: messaging and external communications plans designed to drive relevance and increase reputation capital.
The solo communications consultant model is resonating as many AI-first companies, including those with multi-billion-dollar market caps, operate with lean, technical teams. For them, working with a senior communications partner or small firm is often more effective than engaging a mid- or large-size agency.
The media and PR landscape is evolving faster than ever, and clients increasingly expect partners who can stay agile and bring fresh tools to the table. For instance, I recently issued a press release and coordinated a photo shoot at Nasdaq for a seed funding round—not just for press coverage, but to improve the company’s visibility in large language models. Tools like Stacker, which turns owned content into syndicated media placements, are now part of my toolkit—many of which weren’t even on my radar two months ago.
For one B2B client, we’ve focused on elevating the LinkedIn presence of ten executives, including a paid campaign that boosts their personal channels to reach specific retail decision-makers.
Generative AI has played a major role in helping me scale. I now outsource tasks like media list creation, tracking, and reporting to LLM-powered tools, freeing up time for client strategy and relationship-building. Being based in New York City has also been a major advantage, as more clients value in-person access to media—and increasingly, reporters themselves are concentrated in NYC.
If you’re looking to grow a fractional communications business, my advice is to embrace how PR, media, marketing, and social are converging. Offer services that blur those lines. For example, I’ve begun writing and contributing to media outlets myself, giving me valuable insight into how editorial decisions are made—learnings I bring directly back to my clients.
And most importantly: protect your time. Outsource the tasks that pull you away from clients and stakeholders. For me, that meant hiring an accountant early on (who happens to be my husband) to manage billing and finances so I could stay focused on growing the business.
