What is the PESO model?
The PESO model divides all media where your brand can be visible into four types: paid (bought attention), earned (attention earned in others' channels), shared (social media), and owned (your own channels). The model helps communication professionals combine channels deliberately instead of leaning on a single type.
Written by Timon Hendriks · Last updated on 12 July 2026
How it works in practice
The power of PESO is in the combination. An earned newspaper article gets shared on your own site and newsletter (owned), colleagues and customers pass it on (shared), and a small ad budget extends the reach of that publication (paid). Each type reinforces the other three.
The model also works as a mirror for your strategy. Lean entirely on ads and your brand lacks credibility; run only owned channels and you preach to the choir. PR concentrates on the earned side, because independent editorial attention builds the most trust and is hardest for competitors to copy.
Example
A Raleigh provider of company bicycles publishes a study on employee commuting. The study lands on a national news site (earned), appears as an article on its own site and newsletter (owned), and colleagues and customers share it on LinkedIn (shared). With a modest campaign budget the company then promotes the publication for two more weeks (paid).
Common mistake
Reading the model as a menu to pick one channel from. PESO exists to combine the four types; an earned publication you never retell in your own channels evaporates within a day.
Frequently asked questions
What does PESO stand for?
Paid, earned, shared, and owned media: bought attention, earned editorial attention, shared attention on social platforms, and your own channels such as website and newsletter.
Which part of the PESO model is PR?
PR lives mostly in the earned corner: editorial attention you earn with news and good press contacts. Modern PR uses the other three types to amplify that earned attention.