Media Relations
We don’t just pitch stories. We place them where they resonate.
Amplifying your voice in today’s crowded media landscape demands more than presence. It calls for strategic insight, deep industry expertise, and a sharp, forward-looking approach. When done effectively, media relations strengthens your reputation and elevates the visibility of your brand across paid, earned, and owned channels, ensuring your story reaches the right audience with credibility and impact.
At Syntax we know first-hand how newsrooms operate. Our team of experts in strategic communications, media, policy, and advocacy know how to anticipate the news cycle and help our clients find the right time to insert their voice.
We can help you with:
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Media outreach: We craft timely, compelling story angles that speak directly to your audience and then strategically pitch to the right journalists, outlets, and platforms to ensure your story lands exactly where it counts, when it counts.
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Reputation management: We help shape and safeguard your reputation, ensuring every story reinforces your values, strengthens public perception, and drives lasting credibility.
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Press release writing & distribution: We disseminate well-written and compelling press releases through targeted distribution channels.
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Interview preparation: A media interview is more than a conversation – it’s your moment to stand out. With expert coaching, you gain the clarity, confidence, and strategy to turn every question into a step toward your bigger mission.
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Crisis communications planning: Through customized situational exercises, we can provide a thorough review of your existing crisis communications plan and test your crisis communications preparedness.
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One-day media training: Our seasoned media professionals equip participants with essential skills in media relations, crisis communication, message development, and interview techniques, providing a comprehensive understanding of today’s dynamic media landscape.
Our Work
Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada
Challenge
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ottawa
Our Role
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea engaged Syntax to support their media relations efforts over the course of six months.
Impact
Our team helped the embassy build relationships with key national reporters, secured interviews, and pitched opinion articles written by the Embassy team.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Challenge
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) required media relations support as they worked to build up their internal team.
Our Role
Syntax was engaged to act as an extension of the FCM team, providing media monitoring and analysis, media planning, and outreach.
Feb, 2018
Innovative Medicines Canada
Challenge
Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) engaged Syntax to implement a media relations plan to raise awareness about some of the key challenges facing the sector including time-to-patient challenges and investments.
Our Role
Syntax developed a comprehensive media relations strategy for IMC that aligned strategically with advocacy priorities to ensure media efforts also positively impacted advocacy initiatives. Syntax supports the execution of this plan, inclusive of policy monitoring, earned media relations and strategic communications messaging.
Impact
Through Syntax, IMC has engaged media for background briefings, created avenues for direct exchanges between the media and IMC, published op-eds, and received timely transcripts from and analyses of ministers, committees and deliberations involving the pharmaceutical industry.
Liver Canada
Challenge
Liver Canada is Canadians’ go-to source for liver health. Liver Canada promotes liver health, improves public awareness of liver disease, raises research funds, and supports individuals affected by liver disease. For Liver Health Month 2023, Liver Canada engaged Syntax to promote a media campaign that shared key messaging and educational resources with the Canadian public.
Our Role
Syntax’s media and health practice teams joined forces to develop a strategy that shared critical and relevant liver health information during the month of March. We provided media relations support to Liver Canada through impactful writing, attention-grabbing news releases, and targeted media outreach. We also delivered training and support to Liver Canada’s communications staff to share best practices and ensure continuity of knowledge.
Impact
Liver Canada’s messaging was shared widely, with nearly a dozen earned local and national broadcast media hits throughout the month of March. This was more coverage than Liver Canada received in the previous 12 months combined.
How We Work
Syntax acts as an extension of our clients’ teams, helping to increase capacity where it is needed most.
Engagements always begin with a kickoff meeting to understand communications objectives and deliverables. We won’t walk in the room and tell you what to do without taking the time to understand your goals, corporate strategies, and the context within which we will be working.
We believe every successful engagement starts with a plan, but that flexibility is important – especially when we are dealing with media relations.