What is a PR package and how do you get on brands' PR lists?

Last updated · by Ela Diker

A PR package is free product that a brand or its PR agency sends to creators and journalists in the hope of coverage, with no payment and no obligation to post. Brands build PR lists from creators with a clear niche, steady posting and an engaged audience. You get on one by being easy to find, pitch and trust.

What is a PR package?

A PR package is a parcel of free product that a brand, or the PR agency working for it, sends to creators and journalists in the hope they will try it and talk about it. There is no fee and, in a true PR send, no obligation to post. You will also hear it called a PR box, a mailer or a gifting send.

Brands send them around launches, seasonal drops and rebrands, because early content from people an audience already trusts builds awareness cheaply. Sends are also a low-risk way to test a creator before offering paid work. Gifting has fallen down brands' ROI rankings, though. In CreatorIQ's 2025–2026 survey, only 20% of brands picked gifting and seeding as a top ROI driver, which put it last of nine strategies, so brands now choose who gets a send more carefully. If you post about a package, label the post as an ad (see the disclosure section below).

Launch mailer

The most common send: a new product, often before it reaches shops, with a note explaining what it is and when it launches. Launch mailers go to the widest part of a brand's list, so they are usually the first contact between a brand and a smaller creator.

Seasonal or themed PR box

Bigger, designed boxes built around a collection, holiday or campaign, sometimes with props or custom packaging made to be filmed. Each one costs more to make and ship, so brands usually keep them for creators who have already posted about earlier sends.

Product seeding

Smaller, repeated sends of an existing product to many creators at once. The goal is lots of organic mentions rather than one big reveal. Seeding often starts with a short form asking for your address and your shade, size or skin type.

Targeted gift

A one-off send picked for you, usually after a brand has noticed your content or you have pitched it. These are the most likely to lead to a paid brief, because the brand chose you on fit rather than reach.

What is influencer gifting / product seeding and how do you run a gifting campaign

What does 'PR' mean in creator and affiliate slang?

In creator slang, 'PR' means free product from a brand, not public relations as a job. 'I got PR from…' means a package arrived. A 'PR haul' or 'PR unboxing' is a video opening several sends. Being 'on PR' or 'on the PR list' means a brand sends you new launches by default.

In affiliate circles, 'PR' usually means gifted product that arrives before or alongside an affiliate link or discount code, so a creator can try what they are about to promote on commission. 'Influencer PR' is the brand-side name for the same work: PR teams managing creator lists, sends and relationships the way they once managed journalists. None of these words counts as a disclosure in a caption.

PR list

A brand's or agency's database of creators who receive launches. Most lists have tiers: a core group gets every send, a wider group gets selected launches, and new names are tested with a single product before they move up.

PR haul or unboxing

Content that opens several packages in one go. Followers enjoy it, but brands tend to value it less than a dedicated post, because each product gets a few seconds on screen and very little honest opinion.

PR plus affiliate

Product sent with a tracked link or code, so you earn commission on sales. The free item is still an incentive, and the link makes the content advertising. Both mean the post needs an ad label upfront (see the disclosure section).

How do you get on brands' PR lists?

To get on PR lists, make it obvious within a few seconds of opening your profile what you cover, who watches and how you show products. PR teams screen quickly. In CreatorIQ's 2025–2026 survey, 22% of brands named creator fit as the top factor when choosing new creators, while follower count came last at 8%. A tight niche beats a bigger, scattered following. Expect this to take months of steady posting, not one pitch. These steps take you from unknown to listed.

1. Pick a lane and stay in it

Post consistently in one or two categories, such as skincare for sensitive skin or budget gym wear. A PR manager should see products like theirs already fitting naturally into your grid. Tag brands you really use: tags show up in their mentions, which is where many teams look for new names.

2. Show you can sell a product

Make unsponsored reviews, routines or try-ons of products you bought yourself. They double as a portfolio: they prove you film clearly, explain why something works and get comments from people asking where to buy it.

3. Build a one-page media kit

Include your niche, platforms, follower count, average views or reach, engagement, audience age, gender and location, two or three content examples and a contact email. Update it every month and keep it as a PDF or link you can paste anywhere.

4. Pitch with a short template

Email the brand's PR or influencer address with who you are, your niche and audience in one line, why the product fits, one content idea and your media kit link. For example: 'Hi, I'm Amy, a UK skincare creator (12k, mostly UK women 18-34). Your new SPF fits my sensitive-skin series and I'd love to test it for a two-week review. Media kit: [link].'

5. Follow up once, then move on

If you hear nothing after two weeks, send one polite follow-up. Then keep posting. Brands often add a creator after spotting a second or third organic mention, not after a single cold email.

How do you get brand deals and sponsorships as a creator

Where can you apply for PR packages?

You can apply for PR packages through brands' own creator pages and PR inboxes, through the agencies that run their lists, and through creator marketplaces where brands post gifting and paid briefs. No single sign-up covers every brand, so apply where the brands in your niche already recruit. Some publish the address openly: Revolution Beauty's contact page lists an influencer email for creators next to its press inbox.

On #Collabz, a London-based creator marketplace, vetted creators apply to briefs from DTC beauty, skincare, supplement and fashion brands, and briefs and usage rights are handled in the platform.

Brand application forms

Look in the website footer for links such as 'Become an ambassador', 'Creators', 'Affiliates' or 'Work with us'. Many DTC brands run these through tools like Shopify Collabs or an affiliate network, and free product is often the first perk once you are accepted.

PR and influencer inboxes

Check the contact or press page for a PR, press or influencer email. Use the influencer address, not customer service. If you can find the PR or influencer manager on LinkedIn, address them by name, and keep the email under 150 words.

Influencer PR agencies

Many beauty and fashion brands hand gifting to PR agencies that hold creator lists for several clients. The best agency for you is the one that represents brands you already post about. Find it through the brand's press page or the sender of your last package, then send one introduction with your media kit.

Creator marketplaces

Platforms where brands post briefs and creators apply. Read what each brief expects in return. A product-only brief may still ask for a post, which makes it a gifted collaboration rather than a no-strings PR send, and that post needs an ad label.

How do you become a brand ambassador (and which programs accept small creators)

What brands look for

  • 20% of brands named gifting and seeding a top ROI driver, ranking it last of nine strategies.
  • 22% of brands say creator fit is the most important factor when choosing new creators.
  • 8% of brands put follower count first, the least-chosen of eight selection factors.
  • 17% of creators say a lack of consistent brand deals is their biggest barrier to growth.

Source: CreatorIQ, The State of Creator Marketing 2025–2026, 2025

Which brands send PR to small creators?

The brands most likely to send PR to small creators are DTC and mass-market beauty, skincare, supplement and fashion labels that launch often and recruit through open application pages. They need lots of content, not one big name. Be careful with lists of 'brands that send PR to anyone': every brand screens creators, and lists change with budgets. The safest sign is an official page that states the entry bar. Here are two UK examples with published routes in:

Revolution Beauty (makeup and skincare, UK)

According to its Revolution Generation page, the ambassador scheme takes UK-based applicants over 18 with more than 1k followers on Instagram or TikTok. Members complete content and social tasks to move up tiers, earning free product vouchers, commission and a chance of early access to new products. This is the closest fit for makeup creators looking for small-creator PR.

Myprotein (supplements and activewear, UK)

Myprotein's influencer and affiliate page invites creators to apply as an ambassador or affiliate, with commission of up to 8% and a 30-day cookie window. It pays on commission rather than working as a pure PR list, but accepted partners get exclusive promotions and support from an in-house affiliate team.

How to spot others

Search a brand's site footer for 'ambassador', 'creator' or 'affiliate', then check its tagged posts. If accounts your size post unboxings labelled 'Ad', the brand gifts at your tier. Makeup, skincare and supplement start-ups launching on TikTok tend to be open to newer creators.

How do you become a brand ambassador (and which programs accept small creators)

What should you write when a PR package arrives?

When a PR package arrives, write three things: a short thank-you to the sender, an honest caption if you choose to post, and brief feedback that helps the brand decide whether to send again. Read the brand's note first. It usually names the product, the launch date, any embargo and the PR contact, and sometimes gives a hashtag or handle to use. Respect embargo dates even though nothing is contractually required.

The thank-you message

Email or DM within a few days, for example: 'Hi Sarah, the new serum arrived today, thank you. I'm testing it for two weeks and will share honest thoughts in a Reel around the 20th.' A short, specific message with a date shows you are reliable without promising more than you mean.

The caption

Put the label first, then your experience: 'Ad | Gifted by @brand. Two weeks in, here's what changed…' Cover who it suits, texture or fit, price and one downside. For US audiences, the FTC's Disclosures 101 says free or discounted products create a 'material connection', so start with '#ad'.

The follow-up report

A week after posting, send views, saves, link clicks and two or three audience comments or questions. Few small creators do this, and it is exactly the data a PR manager needs to justify moving you from a trial send to the core list.

Do you have to disclose a PR package?

Yes. In the UK, a PR package counts as payment even when the brand asked for nothing in return, so any post that features it must make clear it is an ad. According to the ASA and CMA's influencers' guide, free products count 'whether requested or unsolicited', and having no obligation to post does not change that. The guide advises against labels such as 'gifted', 'PR', 'PR haul' or 'collab'. It expects a label like 'Ad' upfront, before people see the rest of the content, and expects you to keep disclosing in relevant content for 12 months after a relationship ends. The guide is being updated for the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, but its publisher says the advice remains broadly correct.

Labels that work

'Ad', 'Advert', 'Advertising' or 'Advertisement', placed at the very start of the caption, on the image or in the opening frame of a video. You don't need a hashtag, as long as the label is prominent and clearly separate from the rest of the text.

Labels to avoid

'Gifted', 'PR', 'PR haul', 'sponsored', 'in partnership with', 'thanks to @brand' or a bare brand tag on its own. You can add 'gifted' after 'Ad' to explain what kind of ad it is, but never use it instead of 'Ad'.

Platform tools

Instagram's 'Paid partnership' label and similar tools may be enough if the label is upfront, clear and prominent. If the background hides it or it is easy to miss, add your own 'Ad' label as well.

What are the FTC and ASA rules for sponsored content and #ad disclosure

What is good PR package etiquette?

Good PR etiquette means treating a send as the start of a working relationship: no demands, honest content, and quick, professional replies. You never have to post about an unsolicited package, but a short thank-you costs nothing and keeps you on the list. These habits separate creators who get the next launch from those who only ever get one send.

Do

Read the note and respect embargo dates. Post honest reviews, including what did not work for you. Tag the brand correctly, label ads upfront and send results afterwards. Tell the PR contact if you move house or change niche.

Don't

Don't ask for full ranges or specific shades in a first email, chase for more products after one send, or resell PR items. Never post fake '#gifted' content for products you bought yourself just to look in demand.

When to say no

Decline politely if a product clashes with your values, your skin, your diet or your audience. A reply like 'Thank you, but this isn't a fit for my audience' protects your credibility and the brand's budget, and PR teams remember creators who are selective.

When PR should become paid

If a brand asks for set deliverables, posting dates, approval or usage rights, it is a paid brief, not PR. Quote a fee or negotiate terms instead of accepting product alone, because product rarely covers the time and licence involved.

How do you get brand deals and sponsorships as a creator

Sources and further reading

Frequently asked questions

What is a PR package note?

A PR package note is the card or letter inside the box from the brand or its PR agency. It usually names the product and its benefits, gives the launch date and any embargo, and lists the PR contact and social handles. The note does not create any obligation to post.

What is a makeup PR package?

A makeup PR package is a box of new cosmetics, often a full collection or a set of shades, sent to creators and press before or at launch. Makeup boxes usually include products that swatch well in several shades so creators can show the range. Posting about one in the UK still needs an 'Ad' label.

What is the difference between influencer marketing and PR?

PR aims for earned coverage: a brand sends product or news and hopes journalists or creators choose to talk about it, with no control over what they say. Influencer marketing usually means paid partnerships with agreed deliverables, dates and approval. A PR package that comes with requirements has become influencer marketing.

Do you ever have to pay for PR packages?

No. Genuine PR packages are free, shipping included, and brands do not charge creators to join a PR list. Be wary of anyone who charges for 'guaranteed' PR or asks you to pay customs or fees before a parcel ships, because this is a common scam pattern.

Which brands send PR to anyone?

No reputable brand sends PR to anyone who asks: every PR team screens for fit, content quality and audience. The closest thing is a brand with an open creator application page, like many DTC beauty and supplement labels, because it publishes its entry bar instead of relying on invitations.

How do you receive PR boxes once a brand says yes?

Brands usually ask for your shipping address, a phone number for the courier and sometimes your shade, size or skin type through a short form. Give a safe delivery address, such as a parcel locker or PO box, rather than posting your home address anywhere public. Boxes often arrive before launch, so check the note for embargo dates.