How to Create PR Packages for Influencers

Let’s get real.

Have you ever thought about being an influencer? Well, I have — even though I barely post on social media.

But when I started imagining it, I also asked myself: What would my “I made it” moment be?

In my case (and probably for other aspiring creators too), my “I made it” moments would be:

1. Getting invited to a brand partnership 
2. Receiving PR packages from my favorite brands like Sephora or Lululemon.

Because honestly, who doesn’t love a gift and the feeling of being recognized by a brand you use every day of your life? I think the creators below would agree with me!

As a brand, sending a PR package is your opportunity to connect with influencers or media contacts to make a lasting impression, generate buzz, build long-term relationships with lifestyle, beauty, fashion, or food influencers, sparking user-generated content (UGC), and increase visibility across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

• What a PR package is, what it’s for, and what it typically includes
• When to use and send PR packages
• How to create memorable PR packages that resonate with your audience and deliver results
• What not to do when sending PR packages
• Examples of brands that successfully use PR packages — like Hellmann’s, Rhode, and Amazon

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What is a PR Package

A PR package — sometimes called a press kit or influencer gift — is a curated selection of products that brands send out to influencers, creators, celebrities, or media professionals.

These packages are typically gifted, meaning there’s no contract involved and no required posts. However, they’re strategically designed to impress the recipient and its followers, as they’re presented in a creative, branded, and Instagram-worthy way to encourage voluntary promotion on social media. 

Why PR Packages Matter in Influencer Marketing

PR packages are a popular strategy in influencer marketing and public relations because they help brands:

• Build long-term relationships with key stakeholders
• Generate word-of-mouth and make people remember you, stay top-of-mind
• Create fun, shareable unboxing moments
• Reach new and targeted audiences through trusted voices
• Get unboxing content, product reviews, or organic social media posts 

Ultimately, PR packages can help achieve your business and campaign goals, whether that’s driving sales, building brand awareness, increasing website traffic, or boosting social media engagement. 

What Does a PR Package Typically Include

A well-thought-out PR package often contains:

• Products: New launches, bestsellers, limited editions, or seasonal drops
• Personalized note or card: Handwritten or printed, ideally with the recipient’s name. It’s a small but thoughtful and human touch, as the person opening the box isn’t just “an influencer,” they’re someone’s daughter or son, friend, or parent. 
• Branded eye-catching packaging: Custom boxes, tissue paper, inserts, and other visually engaging details
• Extras: Stickers, snacks, or surprises tied into the theme or campaign
• Campaign elements: QR codes, discount codes, or branded hashtags

And yes — everything in your box can be made sustainable with eco-friendly materials and reusable components! We can save the planet while delivering a good unboxing experience.

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When to Send PR Packages to Influencers

PR packages work best when they’re aligned with a clear campaign goal and strategic timing, but they can also be sent at any time to nurture relationships.

Below are the most common and impactful scenarios for using PR packages in influencer marketing:

1. Product Launches

Sending PR packages to announce product launches helps build anticipation and buzz before they’re released in physical and online stores. Influencers can also showcase the product in real-life scenarios and generate organic content that introduces it to a wider audience.

2. Seasonal Campaigns

Tying PR packages to seasonal events — like holidays, back-to-school, or summer travel — makes the content feel timely and relevant. It also increases the chances that influencers will engage with the package and share it organically.

It’s a win-win for everyone involved:

• The brand gets exposure and high-quality content.
• The creator gets fresh material for their feed and thoughtful gifts they can share with loved ones.
• The audience gets introduced to helpful products that solve real-life seasonal questions, like: “What can I get my dad for Father’s Day?” — Try this new smart BBQ tool; “How can I keep my kids learning over summer?” — This educational tablet could be the answer.

3. Special Events or Brand Milestones

Using PR packages to celebrate anniversaries, brand collaborations, rebrands, or upcoming events (virtual or in-person) helps strengthen brand relationships and often encourages coverage or mentions. 

In PR, there’s a term for this kind of attention: publicity, which refers to gaining coverage on social media or in traditional media and public attention to your brand, product, or campaign. 

4. Gifted Campaigns

In gifted collaborations, brands typically send individual products or small bundles in exchange for potential exposure, sometimes with or without a prior agreement that the influencer will post. 

However, many brands still present these products in a PR package format to create a memorable unboxing experience. This approach aims to boost the chances of organic sharing, especially in industries like beauty, fashion, food, and lifestyle, where visually appealing or “aesthetic” — as everyone says nowadays — unboxings and product reveals tend to perform well on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

5. Paid Campaigns

Yes, PR packages are also used in paid collaborations. Since there are defined deliverables, brands use PR packages to ensure the influencer receives a product experience that aligns with the overall campaign vision. 

These packages often include premium packaging, exclusive items, detailed briefs, usage instructions, or content inspiration to help guide execution and maintain consistency.

Additionally, if the product’s total value is significant — or closely matches the value of the deliverables — it can enhance perceived value and serve as a meaningful part of the overall compensation. This can also be a helpful negotiation tool, particularly when working with influencers who are open to partial gifting models within paid campaigns.

6. Campaign Support (Pre- or Post-Launch)

PR packages can be used as a teaser to build excitement before a campaign goes live or as a follow-up to thank creators for their participation. Build momentum, right? 

They're also great for recognizing milestones — such as hitting referral targets, driving sales, or achieving strong engagement — while reinforcing the brand message and encouraging continued collaboration.

7. Relationship Building

No new product release or specific campaign? No problem! Sending a thoughtful, branded package to a promising or loyal influencer partner can also help build goodwill, strengthen the relationship, and increase the chances of future collaborations.

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How to Design a Perfect PR Package

Here are some key tips to help you create a memorable and effective PR package that resonates with influencers and maximizes your chances of organic promotion:

1. Select the Right Influencers

Look for influencers who align with your brand. Ideal candidates are those who actively create relevant content (especially high-quality unboxings or UGC-style content), already tag or mention similar products, and have engaged audiences — even if they're nano (fewer than 10,000 followers) or micro-influencers (10,000–100,000 followers), who can drive meaningful results. 

Additionally, take time to understand your influencers. The package should reflect their interests, lifestyle, values, and audience. For example, if an influencer supports sustainability, they’d be a great fit for a new PR box featuring eco-friendly or reusable packaging. 

These kinds of thoughtful, personalized touches increase the chances of genuine engagement and make the influencer more likely to share your brand with enthusiasm.

Tip: Tools like Influencer Hero make it easy to filter by niche, location, engagement rate, followers, recent posts, and more!

2. Tell a Story

Design the package around a theme, product story, or campaign message (e.g., “Self-Care Sunday,” “Summer Essentials,” “Back-to-School Reset”). Structure the items in a specific order that builds anticipation, and use storytelling to guide the experience, from opening the box to trying out the product. You can even include written info describing each item, its features, and the story behind it. 

A cohesive narrative makes the unboxing more memorable and helps influencers share your brand’s identity and message more naturally with their audience.

3. Focus on Presentation

Use high-quality and Instagrammable packaging that reflects your brand identity and makes your box stand out. Consider adding custom tissue paper, stickers, or fun inserts to elevate the experience, and avoid unattractive or hard-to-open packaging (especially when considering inclusiveness)

One strategy that creates a big impact is literal packaging — bringing your concept to life visually and physically with unusual materials and bold shapes. It’s creative, fun, a bit unexpected, and highly shareable, making people want to show it off. 

4. Include Personalization

Add the influencer’s name in a handwritten or custom-printed note, thanking them and explaining why you chose them. You can also reference their content, and personalize the packaging or even the products themselves (when possible).

Additionally, tailor the product selection to their specific needs and interests. For example, in beauty, you wouldn’t send the same set of blush shades to everyone — different tones suit different skin tones. This kind of thoughtful customization shows genuine care and significantly increases the likelihood of an organic post.

5. Curate Thoughtfully

Include a balanced mix of products that offer value, such as bestsellers, new launches, or limited-edition items. You can also add small extras like samples, props, or snacks that tie into your brand story. Be mindful not to overwhelm the recipient — too many items can shift the focus of your message or feel impersonal.

6. Add Content Prompts

Make it easy for influencers to share their content. Include usage instructions, campaign guidelines, suggested hashtags, or photo inspiration in your brief to help influencers create on-brand content without confusion. That said, many creators value creative freedom, so consider offering prompts while also encouraging them to post in their own authentic style.

7. Consider Timing and Exclusivity

Timing is everything. Send your PR packages before key dates to create exclusivity and give influencers time to engage naturally. Avoid sending during busy seasons unless your product is seasonally relevant.

8. Track Results

While posting isn’t guaranteed, you should still monitor mentions, tags, hashtags, and user-generated content (UGC). If you want to track ROI more directly, include affiliate links, discount codes, or trackable QR codes to measure engagement and conversions.

Also, keep track of which types of PR packages have the best results in terms of how many influencers decide to post about them organically. And optimize future marketing efforts!  

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What NOT to Do When Sending PR Packages

Here’s a list of common mistakes brands make and you should avoid:

1. Don’t use excessive and difficult-to-open packaging

Don’t overlook sustainability and accessibility for people with disabilities. Use eco-friendly materials whenever possible, and make sure to highlight this in the package! Unnecessary or non-recyclable packaging can turn off eco-conscious influencers, creators with disabilities, and their followers, and may hurt your brand’s reputation.

2. Don’t send generic, irrelevant, or low-quality products just to maximize reach

Be intentional. 

Sending products that don’t align with the influencer can make your brand look out of touch and potentially damage your reputation. Also, overloading the package could overwhelm the influencer or dilute your campaign message. 

Tip: Relevance > reach. A smaller creator who genuinely loves your brand is better than a bigger one who doesn’t, especially if they receive a lot of PR packages and are harder to impress. 

3. Don’t forget to include key details

Provide product information, usage instructions, campaign hashtags, or disclosure reminders to assist influencers, avoid confusion, and help them stay compliant with FTC guidelines. Also, be sure to tell a story so influencers can better connect with and engage your package.

4. Don’t skip personalization

A generic, mass-produced box with no thoughtful touches or personal note feels impersonal and forgettable. Use the influencer’s name, reference past content, and tailor the product selection to show you did your homework!

5. Don’t pressure influencers to post if there hasn’t been a prior agreement

Unless you’ve agreed in advance, PR packages are gifts. Don’t expect guaranteed deliverables. Pressuring influencers can damage relationships. Focus on creating the most memorable unboxing experience. If your product and presentation are strong, content will often follow naturally.

6. Don’t send PR packages without a strategy

Sending PR packages just because “it’s nice” and “everyone else is doing it” leads to wasted budget and missed opportunities. Tie your package to a specific campaign goal. After sending, follow up with a friendly check-in, thank-you note, or suggestion to share if they loved it.

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Influencer PR Package Examples

Here are a few creative and successful examples from different brands for your inspiration:

Tell a Cohesive Story Through Packaging

As part of Hellmann’s #MakeTasteNotWaste initiative, the brand has launched multiple themed campaigns over the years, all centered around reducing food waste. 

One campaign targeted thrifted fashion influencers, who received a pair of “1352 refreshed” sneakers. The name “1352” refers to the average amount ($1,352) that US households waste on food each year. To bring the message to life, the shoes were made in part from actual food waste. 

Another campaign focused on the Super Bowl, one of the biggest food-waste days of the year. Influencers were encouraged to turn leftovers into delicious meals using one simple ingredient: Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Each package included a recipe playbook and materials to create a “snack stadium” fun photo. Influencers could also reuse the stadium setup for future game-day celebrations.

Lastly, Hellmann’s sent a sandwich-themed box — yes, literally. It included a cutting board, spreading knife, napkins, sandwich bags, and several varieties of mayonnaise, along with recipes to inspire elevated leftover sandwich creations.

This is a strong example of storytelling through packaging.
Every element of the box supported a cohesive narrative: with just Hellmann’s mayonnaise and two slices of bread, you can transform “boring” leftovers into something yummy. 

Rather than simply delivering a product, the package created an immersive experience, guiding the influencer to imagine (and share) themselves preparing a delicious, waste-reducing sandwich.

Design for Virality and Sensory Impact

Influencer marketing played a major role in Rhode’s $1 billion acquisition by E.L.F. Beauty.

The brand is well known for putting thoughtful strategy behind each new product launch and campaign, often leveraging PR packages with innovative and practical concepts that frequently go viral on social media to engage influencers and generate buzz.

One standout example was the dissolving packaging used to promote Rhode’s cleanser. The product came wrapped in a biodegradable material that completely dissolved when wet. It showcased the brand’s commitment to reducing plastic waste while delivering a memorable, “wow factor” experience for eco-conscious consumers and skincare enthusiasts.

Another example of Rhode’s creativity was its phone cases built to hold its iconic lip balms. This patented accessory quickly went viral for its practicality and became a brand signature included in many PR mailers.

Additionally, to promote its Glazing Milk, the brand took the “milk” concept literally, creating a sensorial and thematic experience that made skincare feel “tasty.”

For its most recent product launch — a face mist — Rhode designed a portable holder that suctions onto windows or mirrors, similar to the popular “octopus phone holder”, and spread the “on-the-go hydration” message. 

To complement the launch, Rhode partnered with actor Harris Dickinson and included printed posters of him in the packages, creating a nostalgic memory of bedroom wall posters in the early 2000s. This touch showed a deep understanding of its Gen Z and millennial audience. Talk about building momentum and knowing exactly how to speak your audience’s language!

Personalize at Scale and Gamify the Experience

As part of Amazon’s Influencer Program, the brand cleverly leverages different seasons and themes — like Christmas, Summer, Back to School, Spring, and more — to send curated packages of must-haves from brands sold on Amazon. These often include essentials tied to the campaign theme as well as tools to support the influencer’s content creation journey. 

It’s a win-win for everyone:

• Amazon reaches creators who haven’t joined the program yet and encourages more sign-ups, while also strengthening relationships with existing influencers.
• Influencers feel appreciated and receive products that elevate their content creation.
• Brands get featured in the packages and the influencers’ storefronts, gaining visibility and driving more sales.
• Followers discover new, useful products that help solve real-life needs.

Amazon is also known for its next-level personalization and wow factor. Their most recent boxes — literal luggage — featured the recipients’ initials and even included a gamified touch: in the suitcase was a scratch-off sheet with a number that the influencer had to uncover and use to open a padlock on the luggage. Very memorable!

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How to Choose the Right Influencers to Send PR Packages To

Sending PR packages to the right influencers can make all the difference. Here's how to ensure your product lands in the right hands:

1. Look Beyond Follower Count

Followers are often the first thing we notice when reviewing influencers. But you know what’s more important? Engagement and content quality. A smaller creator with a highly engaged audience can deliver more meaningful exposure than a large account with low interaction. Prioritize metrics like engagement rate, consistency of posting, and content quality and originality.

2. Use Influencer Discovery Tools 

With tools like Influencer Hero’s Influencer Finder, you can filter by past brand partnerships, brand affinity (to find creators who support similar products), engagement rate, location, last time they posted, and more!

This helps you identify influencers who are a strong fit for your PR & influencer marketing strategy and avoid sending packages to creators who are unlikely to engage or represent your brand authentically.

3. Ensure Value, Messaging, and Aesthetic Alignment

An influencer’s content style, values, and tone should align with your brand. For example, if you're a sustainable skincare company, you’ll want to collaborate with creators who talk about eco-friendly living and reflect a clean, conscious aesthetic.

Before sending a PR package: Scroll through their recent posts and ask: Would my product fit naturally into this feed?

When your aesthetic and values align, it’s far more likely that the influencer will post enthusiastically and authentically.

4. Check Past PR Package Behavior

Some influencers are known for frequently receiving PR but rarely sharing it or only showing unboxings with no follow-up. Use tools or look at their content history to evaluate:

• Do they regularly feature PR thoughtfully?
• Do they tag and engage with brands (not only in paid partnerships)?
• Do they show results or usage?

This ensures your PR budget isn’t wasted on deliveries with minimal return.

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Final Insights on How to Create PR Packages for Influencers

A PR package is more than just a box of products. It’s an experience, a story, a feeling you want to deliver when that box is opened. It’s the moment that makes people stop scrolling. 

Also, creating an impactful PR package isn’t about having a big budget. It’s about intentionality, creativity, and thoughtful presentation and personalization. 

The goal is to make it share-worthy — something that sparks genuine excitement, inspires organic content, builds deeper relationships, and leaves a lasting impression. And don’t be afraid to experiment. Testing different types of packages and approaches can help you learn what truly resonates with your audience.