Public Relations in Marketing

Guess what? Not all journalists WANT to have a relationship with PR people. 😩 Some writers participate in networking events, willingly share their email addresses for pitch purposes and engage with publicists on a regular basis. Others refuse to publish their email addresses, and/or only accept pitches via services such as HARO or Qwoted. A recent discussion in a private PR group that I’m a part of revealed that many journalists simply don’t want to or WON’T work with publicists. They are going out on social media to find their own stories. While this is a sad state of affairs, it doesn’t entirely surprise me. Journalists are dealing with inboxes full of irrelevant, spammy, Chat GPT-generated pitches. And it’s beyond overwhelming. Advice for PR people: 💡 We need to do a better job of earning the media’s trust. That means creating well-targeted, relevant, thoughtful and original pitches. 💡 Respect the reporter’s boundaries and pitch guidelines when given. (And reporters: we love it when you clarify how/when/where you like to be pitched! Help us help you!) 💡Introduce yourself on social media first. A lot of reporters are more likely to trust you and be receptive to your email pitches if they have gotten to know you or seen your name on social. Advice for clients/brands: 💡Respect the fact that your PR person might “tread lightly” with certain reporters…there’s a reason for that. Don’t force them to push a certain storyline or follow up endlessly if they don’t think it is going to work. Trust us, trust our expertise here. 💡 If you want reporters to consider you as an expert resource, be more visible on places like LinkedIn and Twitter. That’s where many reporters hang out and look for story ideas, so share your expertise there too. Don’t just rely on your PR person…make it easier for the media to discover you and your smart POV. Got other advice or opinions? Drop it below! 👇 --- Want more #PR tips or help with your PR strategy? Hit the 🔔 or connect with me 👆

Reflecting on my dialogue with Arnold Kwizera during a CNBC segment on the transforming Public Relations arena in Africa: 1. The necessity for brands to invest in managing their reputations and staying abreast with cutting-edge crisis management strategies has become increasingly apparent. 2. In today's market, success hinges on data-driven and insight-oriented communication. Establishing trust and forging connections is achievable when you demonstrate empathy and communicate from the perspective of others. This requires a deep understanding of your audience. 3. With the democratization of media, everyone has the potential to be a "journalist" and a creator of news. It's essential for brands to adapt to this reality, recognizing that they are no longer the sole architects of their narratives. Instead, they must engage in open dialogues, valuing consumer feedback more than ever, even over expensive advertising initiatives. 4. The advent of AI challenges PR professionals to redefine their value proposition. Our role should not solely be defined by our tasks but rather by the quality of our strategic thinking. In an era where AI can draft a press release, the most astute strategist becomes invaluable. Our focus should shift towards enhancing our strategic acumen, rather than merely executing tasks. The conversation is ongoing! #Africa #PublicRelations #Careers #EvolvingLandscape #CNBC #Interview

In countries where trust takes longer to build (as is the case of most Asian markets), the most effective approach I’ve found is to bring real business to the table without expecting anything in return. If someone seems valuable, introduce them to a client, a partner, or an investor. Don’t ask for a favor or a cut. Just deliver. If they choose to reciprocate, that’s a green flag. If they don’t, that’s fine too because the point isn’t immediate return. It’s accelerating trust. All other forms of relationship-building, e.g., dinners, drinks, small talk, are way less valuable in comparison to this. Nothing builds goodwill like showing you can make people money while operating with integrity.

Day 2 at Cannes Lions: Tension & Trust With escalating wars, tariff turmoil and fears of a recession, the ad market is a bellwether of future economic performance. How are brands navigating this uncertainty? Here are my 3 takeaways: 1. Trust Drives Returns 📊 Michael Ramlet and Morning Consult’s Brand Report made it clear: brand trust isn’t just a feel-good metric—it correlates directly with financial performance. → Trust is built in everyday choices, not one-off campaigns. → And when it falters? Duolingo’s CMO Emmanuel Orssaud reminds us: “Time is on your side.” 2. Keep Investing—Even in the Dark 🏦 Downturns test conviction. But brands that continue to invest wisely during turbulence rebound stronger—and at a lower long-term cost. → SEPHORA’s SVP Anne Montgomery Cambria shared how they navigated COVID and DEI backlash by staying true to brand values, not worrying about the noise. 3. Make a Promise—And Keep It 🎁 LinkedIn’s Mimi Turner nailed it. From your company to product messaging: “make a promise to the customer.” → Yet 70% of B2B campaigns fail to do this. Jackie Jantos shared how Hinge fulfills its promise — its entire product is “designed to be deleted.” #CannesLions2025 #BrandTrust #CustomerPromise #MarketingInTurbulence #MarketingLeadership #Advertising #CMOInsights

In an era where only 63% of consumers trust brands to do what is right, here’s how companies can crack the code by becoming true guardians of societal good! Consumers are increasingly skeptical of brands that appear self-serving in their marketing. I found this particularly relevant when reading a fascinating 2024 study examining more than 150 award-winning Cannes Lions campaigns from 2018-2023. Here's what stood out to me about brands that successfully built trust and drove real impact: 1️⃣ They identified authentic societal challenges where their involvement could make a tangible difference. Take Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign. The company encouraged consumers to think twice before making purchases and choose quality over quantity, emphasizing environmental sustainability. 2️⃣ They demonstrated unwavering commitment beyond quick publicity stunts. Consider Domino's "Paving for Pizza" initiative: in 2018, the brand filled potholes in towns across America and earned one billion media impressions in just eight months. 3️⃣ They prioritized education and mentorship. For instance, K-Lynn, a multi-brand lingerie retailer, creatively used its catalog poses to demonstrate breast self-exam techniques. This led to greater awareness of mammogram benefits and an increase in local mammogram screenings. In my view, the most impactful brand initiatives emerge when companies identify problems where their expertise and resources can create meaningful change. The focus shifts from "getting attention" to "driving impact." I'm curious to hear your thoughts—what examples have you seen of brands successfully balancing business goals with genuine societal impact? #BuildingTrust #SustainableMarketing #SocialGood

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲. We once had to shut down four city blocks in downtown Phoenix for a private Macklemore concert. On the surface, it sounds like logistics. In reality, it was about trust. It took a month meeting with city departments, knocking on doors, and listening to city employees who mostly wanted to help the public, get a paycheck and benefits, plus not lose their job. Each had their own concerns: safety, traffic, liability or what would their boss do to them. Instead of pushing my agenda, I focused on their pain points and showed that I understood what mattered to them.  After the month of planning, we started at 2:15 the morning of the concert, to set up - they would not let us close the roads, then I convinced them it was okay, after the bars closed. That’s how you move big, complicated projects forward. Not with pressure. Not with shortcuts, instead - by giving people confidence that you see them, hear them, and will protect their interests (if nothing else, that they won’t get fired, their kids will be okay and life will be good). The principle is simple. 𝐈𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬. 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. Whether you’re closing a deal, running a campaign, or trying to get four blocks of a city to shut down, the foundation is the same: trust built through listening. What’s one way you’ve built trust in a tough negotiation? #Trust #Negotiation #DealMaking #TILTTheRoom #MediaLaw #Macklemore Christopher Voss Kwame Christian, Esq., M.A. Alexandra Carter Dr. Robert Cialdini Scott Tillema

We’re heading into a trust crisis. (Not quite the cinematic kind with explosions and ominous music. But still... worrying.) As everything about how we consume and create shifts, scepticism isn’t just healthy. It’s survival. Like hand sanitiser in 2020. The numbers back it up. PwC’s 2024 Trust Survey shows a 60-point gap between what execs 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 customers trust and what customers 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 trust. Sixty points. That’s less of a gap and more of a yawning existential canyon. And it’s only getting wider. Which means that five years from now, being the “obvious choice” won’t be obvious at all. It won’t be about features or clever slogans. It’ll be about 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵. The kind that feels safe when everything else feels... suspicious. (Like a two-for-one crypto course on Instagram.) So what 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 trust look like in this increasingly paranoid future? Two things. Simple to say. Nightmarish to nail: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆. Show up as you really are. Not as the LinkedIn version of you. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Do that every day. Not just on launch day or when the big boss is watching. This is why we built Continuous Positioning. Not as a glossy marketing gimmick. But as a strategic learning system. Because real positioning isn’t a one-and-done PowerPoint slide. It’s something you 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. You test it. You tweak it. You teach it to everyone from the CEO to the intern who still doesn’t know where the mugs go. The companies that will thrive in this trust-scarce world? They’re the ones where Marketing doesn’t overpromise, Sales doesn’t improvise, and Service doesn’t vanish into a ticketing system void. They align everything around their authentic essence. And miraculously, the experience matches the expectation. Repeatedly. Because how we see the future shapes what we do now. And Continuous Positioning is a way to start today. A system to earn trust before your customers start assuming you're an AI chatbot named 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘨. If scepticism is the default setting, what's your plan for becoming genuinely trustworthy?

I’ve spent more 10+ years helping behavioral health and SUD leaders protect their reputations—and sometimes rebuild them. I’ve seen some stuff folks: The well-meaning provider who didn’t vet their marketing agency. The investor who overlooked a shady lead-gen funnel and lax compliance protocols during due diligence. The care team delivering great outcomes overshadowed by bad actors in the space. So when I saw the FTC’s latest lawsuit (nice reporting by Chris Larson) against a network accused of deceptive marketing, it wasn’t surprising. But it was still frustrating. Because every time a case like this breaks, it harms the trust that good providers and care navigators work so hard to earn. If you work in treatment, recovery, marketing, investing, or care navigation—here’s what matters now: 1. This isn’t just about ads. It’s about trust. What patients and families see online shapes what they believe about your care. If your ads are misleading or your call center buries disclosures, you’re not just risking a lawsuit—you’re undermining credibility with everyone who matters: regulators, referral sources, and the people you serve. 2. Accreditation is more than a badge—it’s a backbone. LegitScript, CARF, Joint Commission—these standards are critical. They are not just marketing talking points; they reflect deep work around clinical excellence, transparency, and compliance. If your partners aren’t aligned with them, that’s a red flag. 3. Investors: due diligence isn’t just financial, it’s reputational. The FTC named specific individuals in this case. If you’re looking at a treatment business, your diligence should go beyond spreadsheets. Understand the marketing footprint. Know the leadership team’s history. And yes, loop in experienced PR pros before the deal closes, not just before or (wince), after the headlines hit. 4. Storytelling starts with truth-telling. Your strongest narrative doesn’t come from a flashy campaign; it comes from your patients, your staff, your clinical data, your ethics. Consistency across intake, treatment, discharge, and follow-up builds a brand that lasts. 5. The referral industry has made real progress, but it’s still vulnerable. I work with care navigators and digital health partners who follow the highest legal and ethical standards. These are the folks we should be lifting up. The entire sector benefits when we spotlight ethical options—and push out the shady players who risk it all for short-term wins. 6. Your brand is only as strong as your weakest link. One deceptive ad, one misaligned vendor, one misleading landing page can do immense damage. If you’re growing fast, be even more cautious. Protect the reputation you’re building. TL/DR: ➡️ If you’re serious about helping people recover, your business model should reflect it at every level. ➡️ Be transparent. Stay compliant. Lead with integrity. ➡️ Build a story your stakeholders will be proud to stand behind.

Why do 95% or more of PR pitches fail? When I was a reporter at The Wall Street Journal (2001-2011), founder of a nonprofit news outlet and, more recently, a senior editor at CNN Business, I deleted 95% to 98% of all PR pitches that came to my inbox, often within 10 seconds of review. In my view, here's why so many PR pitches to journalists fail: 1. The PR person didn't know or research the journalists and outlets they were pitching very well. 2. The PR person didn't pitch the story well because of point 1 and / or because they didn't understand their client, the story idea or the way journalists and outlets operate. 3. The PR person did a lousy job following up the pitch, sending too many emails and sounding agitated. Increasingly, poor follow up gets email addresses blocked -- a negative to a company reputation -- no matter if the PR person is in-house or outside agency. 4. Using various bots or AI tools to blast out pitches, which potentially make points 1-3 even more problematic and increases odds to get blocked. Stay tuned for a future post on what the small percent of effective PR folks do to make their batting averages go up on pitches. #PublicRelations #MediaRelations #EarnedMedia #PR

12 Ways to Build Trust When Nobody Believes You Trust isn't won by being perfect. It's won by being real. Here's how smart leaders build it: 1. Never pretend to know everything. Say "we don't know yet" instead of faking certainty. Smart leaders admit gaps in knowledge and share updates as they learn. "We're still learning" builds more trust than "the science is settled." 2. Show your work, not just conclusions. Don't just announce decisions. Share the debate, data, and trade-offs that led there. "Transparency isn't weakness — it's leadership." 3. Drop the corporate robot speak. Nobody trusts a press release. Speak like a human who cares. Say "we messed up" not "inconsistencies were identified." "If lawyers love your message, the public won't." 4. Embrace emotion, don't dismiss it. Validated feelings build bridges. Start with "We hear you" before jumping to facts. "Empathy isn't soft — it's strategic." 5. Own changes before rumors do. Don't hide policy shifts. Explain them fast and loud. Context kills conspiracy theories. "People don't hate changes. They hate being confused." 6. Make risks relatable. "0.000043% chance" means nothing. "100x safer than aspirin" clicks instantly. "Data without context is just noise." 7. Face the public heat. Town halls forge credibility. Let people vent. Answer honestly. "Trust is earned in sunlight, not shadow." 8. Open your books. Share sources, math, and methods. Let people fact-check you. Transparency beats PR every time. "If you're not willing to be audited, you can't be trusted." 9. Admit failures first. Beat the watchdogs to it. Own mistakes before they own you. "People forgive errors. They punish coverups." 10. Bring critics inside. Include opposing views early. Prevention beats damage control. "Diversity isn't politics — it's protection against blindness." 11. Explain the 'no' pile. Show what you rejected and why. Make people part of the process. "Explaining 'why not' matters as much as 'why.'" 12. Teach bullshit detection. Don't just fact-check. Show how to spot lies. Give people your tools. "The best defense against lies is teaching truth." Smart leaders know: Trust is earned through radical honesty. Even when it hurts. Which of these would rebuild your trust? Share your thoughts 👇 ♻️ Repost if this resonated with you!