SHOWTIME's Couples Therapy Season Four
Public Relations Plan
In Spring 2024, I worked with a team of peers in my Public Relations Portfolio course to develop a strategic PR plan for SHOWTIME’s Couples Therapy Season 4, which premiered on May 31, 2024. Our goal was to increase awareness, destigmatize therapy through authentic storytelling, and drive viewership on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
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As part of a collaborative team, I contributed to crafting messaging consistency across press materials, developing social media activation ideas, and tailoring pitch angles to diverse outlets. My focus was on ensuring our campaign highlighted both the show’s intimacy and its relevance to broader cultural conversations.
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By Season 4, Couples Therapy had earned critical acclaim but faced several challenges: limited SHOWTIME promotion compared to the flagship series, low brand awareness due to minimal social presence, and the repetitive perception of a returning format. The PR challenge was to refresh the narrative, expand the audience (including men and younger viewers), and position the show as a leader in destigmatizing therapy.
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Our strategy began with a comprehensive situational analysis that identified strengths (authenticity, diverse representation, and Dr. Orna Guralnik’s credibility) and weaknesses (low visibility and minimal marketing). From there, we built a multi-pronged campaign:
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Media Relations – We pitched exclusive interviews and features with Dr. Orna and executive producers to outlets like Variety, The New York Times, and BuzzFeed. Angles focused on timely issues such as intimacy, polyamory, immigration, men’s mental health, and parenting.
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Press Kits – Reporters received branded kits including an hourglass, journal, and flash drive of press assets, symbolizing the show’s themes of time, reflection, and healing.
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Broadcast & Podcasts – We identified opportunities for Dr. Orna to appear on national TV shows (Today Show, GMA, Kelly Clarkson Show) and podcasts (The Man Enough Podcast, We Can Do Hard Things) to broaden reach and connect the show to everyday audiences.
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Social Media Activations – Proposed tactics included live-tweeting episodes, Instagram “Ask Orna” sessions, TikTok clips highlighting therapy breakthroughs, and fan takeovers to create authentic engagement.
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Target Audience Segmentation – We built detailed personas to ensure our tactics resonated with young professionals, LGBTQ+ audiences, and college students.
This integrated approach ensured alignment between press outreach, digital content, and SHOWTIME’s broader brand identity.
The final deliverable was a comprehensive PR campaign proposal that SHOWTIME could implement around the premiere. The plan included a timeline of press outreach, curated pitch angles tied to social issues, a social media content calendar, and evaluation metrics. By tying real-world events and cultural conversations to the show’s storylines, we provided SHOWTIME with fresh ways to connect with both loyal fans and new viewers.
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The campaign plan projected increased visibility for Season 4 through diversified media placements, improved social engagement via platform-specific tactics, and expanded audience demographics. Although this was a class project, our evaluation framework outlined clear KPIs such as media impressions, social engagement, streaming viewership, and audience perception. The emphasis on destigmatizing therapy positioned Couples Therapy as both entertainment and social commentary.
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This project underscored the importance of storytelling in PR—not just promoting a show, but framing it as part of larger conversations on mental health, identity, and intimacy. If revisiting the plan, I would further refine influencer strategies and allocate more creative assets for TikTok to maximize resonance with Gen Z audiences.