In a business environment where trust is often harder to earn than attention, many companies are revisiting a fundamental question: what is earned media and why does it continue to matter?
Earned media refers to coverage a company secures through merit—typically in the form of press mentions, analyst reports or expert commentary—rather than through paid placement. In industries where reputation is closely tied to purchase decisions, such as enterprise tech, fintech and healthcare, earned media has become a critical lever for shaping perception and accelerating deals.
More than visibility, earned media offers validation. When a third-party covers your company, it signals market relevance, builds credibility with decision-makers and creates the kind of long-tail impact that advertising dollars rarely achieve alone.
Read More: The Differences Between PR and Marketing
In this article, we’ll define what earned media is, how it compares to paid and owned media, and where it fits within the marketing funnel. We’ll also share examples of how leading companies use it to move business forward.
What is Earned Media?
Earned media is media coverage a company, organization or person receives through press, analysts or industry influencers without paying for placement.
Read More: What is Public Relations
Specifically, earned media is publicity you don’t pay for or directly control, but earn through newsworthiness, relevance and, oftentimes, strategic public relations. It signals to customers, investors and industry peers that your company is consequential and creates awareness for the company in a meaningful way when done correctly.
Earned, Owned and Paid Media: Definitions
Before diving deeper into how to secure earned media, it’s important to understand how it fits into the modern media mix.
What is Paid Media:
Paid media is exactly what it sounds like: exposure or coverage you pay for. This includes advertising campaigns, sponsored content, paid influencer placements and promotional media buys. Paid media gives you full control over the messaging and where it appears but lacks the third-party credibility of earned media coverage.
Types of Paid Media
- Google Ads and Sponsored LinkedIn Posts
- Sponsored articles in trade publications
- Display ads or paid podcast placements
- Out of home advertising (billboards and digital signage)
What Is Owned Media:
Owned media refers to the channels your company controls. These are the platforms where you publish your own content, tell your own story and manage your brand narrative.
See More: Take Advantage of Social Media
Types of Owned Media
- Your company website
- Blog posts
- Social media accounts
- Newsletters and email campaigns
- White papers, eBooks and internal research
- Content marketing such as B2B video and B2B podcasts
Read More: Top 40 B2B Podcasts to Listen to in 2025
Types of Earned Media
- Media coverage on company news (financial news, product news, new hires, partnership announcements and client success stories)
- Earned speaking engagements at events
- Spokesperson commentary in news articles on current events or industry news
- Guest appearances on podcasts
- Product mentions in analyst reports
- Inclusion in market trend stories
The Difference Between Earned, Owned and Paid Media
Unlike paid or owned media, earned media carries an implicit endorsement. It’s someone else—usually a trusted third party—saying your company is worth paying attention to. This, however, does not mean that one creates more value than the other. All three forms of media are essential within communications — they do, however, play different roles within both a traditional and digital marketing strategy.
Read More: How to Create a Marketing Communications Plan
Below highlights were owned, paid and earned media fall within the different stages of the marketing funnel:
In short,
- Paid = you control the message
- Owned = you own the platform
- Earned = someone else spreads your companies message
Examples of Earned Media
At Channel V Media, we plan, prepare and execute earned media strategies that align directly with business outcomes—whether that’s market entry, funding announcements, executive visibility or even full brand repositioning. Below are examples of how we helped clients earn media coverage that drove long term impact.
Bluecore: Transforming a Vendor into a Visionary
When Bluecore needed to reposition itself from a retail tech tool to a broader e-commerce intelligence platform, Channel V Media built a media strategy around emerging retail trends and the company’s unique approach to personalization.
This led to earned coverage in outlets like Fobes, Retail TouchPoints and WWD, and gave Bluecore a platform to lead industry conversations during a key growth period.
Read the full Bluecore case study →
Bold Commerce: Delivering a Bold PR Campaign
Bold Commerce wanted to establish category leadership in checkout optimization, a space that, at the time, was primarily dominated by legacy providers. Channel V Media developed a thought leadership strategy centered around “headless checkout” and future-of-commerce topics.
As a result, Bold earned top-tier media coverage in TechCrunch, Retail Brew, PYMNTS and many more national and trade publications to solidify its position in the market and create sales enablement content with long-term utility.
Read the full Bold Commerce case study →
How to Secure Earned Media
If you’re wondering how to get media coverage, it begins with one this: strategy.
Earned media doesn’t come by sending our a press release and hoping for the best. It arrives by identifying the narratives your company can own and then positioning those stores where they have the most business impact.
Strategic Planning Comes First
The most effective earned media campaigns are rooted in a clear understanding of what you want to be known for and who needs to know it. This starts with several rounds of strategic planning where PR efforts are developed around and in conjunction with greater business goals, such as launching into a new market, building credibility with prospective investors or supporting pipeline growth.
Not sure what your PR investment should look like? Check out our recent blog to learn more about PR Agency Pricing.
Earned Media Tools and Tactics
Awards and Rankings
Secure placement in credible industry awards or editorially driven “top company” lists, which often lead to secondary coverage.
See More: Top MarTech/AdTech Awards You Should Apply For
Data-Led Storytelling
Share proprietary data, survey results or customer insights that support a bigger narrative. Reporters are more likely to cover a story if you’re backing it with original information.
Executive Thought Leadership
Earned media isn’t just about company announcements—it’s about expertise. By developing strong points of view through contributed thought leadership articles, quotes, and commentary, your leadership becomes part of the industry conversation.
Read More: What Is Thought Leadership?
Product or Partnership Announcements
Use press releases to spotlight meaningful launches, funding rounds, strategic hires, or partnerships—then amplify them with targeted outreach.
Need a press release? Download our free 30 Press Release Examples and Templates.
Media Previews and Briefings
Offer embargoed access or one-on-one briefings to key reporters before a major announcement. This can lead to deeper, more thoughtful coverage.
Newsjacking
Timing is everything. Newsjacking involves inserting your company into trending conversations—whether it’s new regulations, market shifts or breaking news. It positions your executives as relevant voices and helps build media momentum quickly.
Still Wondering How to Get Earned Media?
If you’re ready to build an earned media program that supports your business goals—whether that’s breaking into a new market, repositioning your brand, or accelerating sales—contact our team. We’ll show you how we approach media strategy, share relevant case studies and build a plan tailored to your company’s objectives.