The channel the client does not remember

• Amelia Reyes Mora reflects on how the press builds credibility before the client arrives through social media or a recommendation, even if they do not remember that first contact.

Amelia Reyes Mora

In many meetings with clients the same phrase comes up when we talk about where their prospects come from: “They rarely tell me they saw the ad in the newspaper or in a magazine; clients arrive through social media or by recommendation.” And in part, that seems true.

We remember where we clicked, where we wrote or which number we called. That is the visible channel. But before that direct message or that recommendation, there were almost always other impacts: a piece in the press, a mention in a media outlet, a steady presence that was building credibility. In decision-making, the channel the consumer remembers is not always the one that really shaped their preference.

When a media outlet publishes a story it does not only grant visibility, it transfers part of its reputation.

It is a third party backing your story with its name and its credibility. That endorsement has a multiplying effect: it makes sales easier, strengthens commercial presentations and builds confidence among investors. It also boosts content on social media, opens doors to partnerships and attracts talent.

So the question arises: why does the client not “attribute” that impact and yet it exists all the same? Because influence is not always conscious. There is evidence that advertising and brand stimuli can have an influence even when they are not explicitly remembered. Part of the impact of communication is processed with low attention, which means that traditional recall metrics tend to underestimate the real effect.

Various studies have shown that, after exposure with undirected attention, people do not remember having seen an advertisement and yet develop a greater preference for the brand. The most effective advertising does not only seek to be remembered, it seeks to create familiarity in the consumer’s mind at the moment of purchase.

Something similar happens when we ask: “where did you hear about us?” Memory does not always keep an accurate record of where messages came from. That a client does not mention the press does not mean the press had no influence.

In contexts of high exposure and media noise, people retain the general idea but lose the source.

Media relations and public relations do not compete with social media or word of mouth; they strengthen them. That is why traditional media remain strategic in building reputation, because they:

• Build high-value trust. On sensitive subjects such as health, finance, education or corporate reputation, editorial backing brings a credibility that is hard to replace.

• Give the story order. A well-structured story becomes an asset that can be reused on social media, in commercial presentations and in internal communication.

• Create a record. Press coverage leaves a public, verifiable trace. When investors, partners or clients look into you, they find references with substance.

• Strengthen other channels. Social media amplifies; editorial validation legitimises.

It is important to be clear, however: editorial visibility is a journalistic decision. The odds can be improved with relevant stories, solid data, well-prepared spokespeople and the right timing, but it cannot be guaranteed as if it were paid advertising. When a specific format or presence has to be secured, sponsored content is a valid alternative within a comprehensive strategy.

Public relations and a presence in traditional media are not an expense; they are an investment in credibility. In saturated markets, trust is the real differentiator: it speeds up decisions, shields the company in a crisis and makes the whole marketing ecosystem more efficient.

In an environment where information travels fast and distrust can take hold easily, external validation remains one of the most valuable assets a brand can build. Reputation may not always generate an immediate sale, but it does create the conditions for that sale to be more likely, faster and more sustainable.

The author is president of AF Comunicación Estratégica

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