A few quarters ago, we met the communications head of a multi decade manufacturing brand. Their brief was simple.

“We only reach out when something needs fixing.”

The business had grown steadily, profitably, and with very little media presence. But with global supply partners, rising ESG expectations, and a younger workforce entering the picture, leadership was beginning to realise that silence was no longer strength.

This is a familiar turning point for legacy companies. The communication landscape has shifted, but internal systems have not. PR is still treated as a last mile response, not a strategic function.

Here is how communications needs to evolve for brands that have been around longer than their youngest consumers.

If you only communicate when you have to, it is already too late

Most legacy organizations enjoy deep operational trust. But trust without visibility creates perception gaps.

We have seen companies with strong cultures struggle to hire simply because the outside world has no idea who they are. And when challenges emerge, product delays, regulatory scrutiny, public pressure, brands that have stayed silent find themselves reacting to narratives they did not shape.

Proactive communications is not about promotion.
It is about presence.

Start inside before you go outside

Employees, vendors, and partners are already talking. The real question is whether they are aligned with what leadership wants the market to understand.

We help legacy brands establish simple internal communication rhythms. Monthly leadership notes. Short video updates. Curated town halls. These are not flashy initiatives, but they create clarity.
That internal confidence naturally travels outward, into media conversations, investor interactions, and even informal LinkedIn posts from leaders across the organization.

Legacy does not mean stuck

A common belief we hear is that certain categories are not exciting enough for PR. That is rarely true.

We have helped infrastructure focused B2B brands place thought leadership in national publications. We have supported auto component manufacturers in securing podcast features on future mobility and supply chain transformation.

The story is rarely the product itself.
It is what the product enables.

If your brand has lasted decades through market cycles, regulation, and disruption, that is not dull. That is authority. PR simply gives it structure and reach.

From silence to strategy

If PR still exists in your organization only as a response function, it is time to change that model.

Build a point of view. Make leadership visible. Highlight the impact you are already delivering through ESG initiatives, workforce development, governance, and community engagement.

These are not side stories. They are core to how the business is understood.
You have earned credibility over time. Now it needs to be articulated.