Why Pet Brands Can’t Rely on Earned Media Alone Anymore
The news industry is changing. Here’s how smart pet brands are adjusting.
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times reported what many of us in the Pet PR world already know: local TV news is shrinking, consolidating, and fighting for survival.
Pet Brands, Listen Up!
The Media Landscape Has Changed
Shrinking newsrooms: Fewer outlets means less opportunities for earned coverage
Breaking news takes priority: Click-worthy and breaking stories push brand coverage aside. Newsrooms often do not have staff for feature coverage.
Local TV is shifting to paid: Local stations are shifting to paid and sponsored placement models.
Content planned months ahead: Feature stories lock in early. Last-minute pitches rarely land. Four weeks lead time is essential for consideration.
Affiliate links are essential! Most publishers won't feature products without affiliate links. Sponsored content is increasingly required.
Why Revolutionary Pet Products Don’t Guarantee Coverage
When we started out in Pet PR many years ago, earned media was the core of our business. Brand and nonprofits hired us because we had a track record of securing top-tier coverage no matter what the product or angle was. We always found a creative way in to score coverage for our clients.
That’s no longer possible.
Today:
Editors seek out “clickworthy” headlines
If you pet product does not have an affilate link via Amazon, Chewy , Target or one of the other big retailers, editors won’t consider reviewing or writing about your product.
Smart brands take our advice and develop a paid media model designed to amplify the earned coverage we secure
The Rise of Pay-to-Play Visibility
In today’s environment, brands need to rethink what “PR” actually means.
Media Relations is no longer:
Pitching media
Crossing your paws for coverage
It is now about:
Controlling your narrative for that one shot you have to tell your story
Guaranteeing exposure
Showing up where your audience already is
And that often requires paid visibility as part of the mix.
The smartest brands are not asking us:
“How many articles and tv interviews can you get us?”
They are asking us:
“Where should we invest to drive awareness and sales?”
The pet brands that will win in 2026 are the ones who understand that they need media for AI to fuel Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to establish authoritative credibility.
Why Television Still Matters. More Than Ever
Television builds trust faster than any other medium.
It offers:
Visual storytelling and product demonstration
Credibility and mass reach
Content that drives AI visibility for brands
But here’s the truth:
Getting on TV through earned media alone is harder than ever.
We pitch our pet product and animal welfare clients to media every day. While we still secure coverage for our clients who have great stories to tell, we’re also hearing this from editors and producers:
“I love this story, but we don’t have a reporter to cover - can you write a 500 word article and send photos?”
“We don’t cover seasonal safety tips for pets but I can connect you with our ad sales team.”
“I don’t have a TV crew this weekend to cover this event.”
And our favorite….no response! :) Even our good contacts in media will ghost us. We don’t take it personally. We know most reporters and editors are bombarbed by pitches from PR people.
Paws PR TV: Designed for the New Media Reality
Paws PR TV was created to solve this problem.
As earned opportunities shrink, we give pet brands something the industry no longer guarantees:
✔ Guaranteed television exposure
✔ Professionally produced segments w
✔ Story-driven product integration
✔ Distribution across major U.S. markets
This is not traditional advertising.
And it’s not traditional PR.
It’s a hybrid model built for how media actually works today.
The Brands That Win Will Adapt Faster
The takeaway from the Los Angeles Times article is clear:
Media is not disappearing, but the model is changing.
The brands that will break through in 2026 and beyond are the ones that:
Understand the limits of what a publicist can do to generate earned media
Embrace the recommendation to invest in paid content to amplify earned coverage
Paid media guarantees presence
And platforms like PawsPR.TV bring it all together