Maura Wall Hernandez

Great insights from Jack Murphy on Waystar's S-1 filing! As the IPO market heats up with Waystar following #Rurik, #Reddit, and #AsteraLabs, it's essential for comms teams to understand the strategic elements in these filings. Check out how Waystar uses various levers like customer testimonials, AI integration, and its diverse client base to help build investor confidence. A must-read for anyone navigating the path to public markets. If you have an IPO on the horizon, check out our IPO Playbook: https://lnkd.in/gc-VvN5h ....or get in touch with the Brands2Life team. #IPO #CommsStrategy #Waystar #AI #CustomerSuccess #InvestorRelations

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An evolving digital landscape has led to some new stategies for how communicators can most successfully manage the reputation of the brands they represent -- Ronn Torossian, 5WPR Chairman and Founder, 5WPR https://odwpr.us/44DT29H

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Fellow Chicago communicators! I'll be speaking at the upcoming ALI Conferences later this month. If you haven't already secured your spot, make sure to do so. You won't want to miss it 💡 My panel will be focused on #changemanagement and fostering adoption with your internal audience. They say change is the only constant in life.... so join us for examples and tips on how to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, build trust, belief and excitement with your employees, and how to plan for the unexpected. ⚡ #ALIcomms #internalcommunications #digitalcommunications #corporateculture #corporatecommunications

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A new Nielsen report sheds light on the fastest-growing consumer demographic in the U.S. According to Jackie Liu of The Pollack Group, Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander audiences are a diverse powerhouse influencing culture and commerce. The report reinforces that understanding AANHPI communities requires nuanced insights beyond surface-level generalizations through data-backed trends and unique media habits. Jackie shares top takeaways on communicating authentically to diverse Asian audiences. Discover proven strategies for success by exploring the full report at the link below. 👇

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Retail is not just about "experiences" in 2024—it's about connected experiences, says #RetailMediaSummit keynote Jessica Hendrix, EVP and CMO of Hy-Vee, Inc.. And that's where #retailmedia comes in—expanding the relationship between shopper and retailer to also include brand advertisers. As a regional chain, Hy-Vee has always been deeply integrated into communities, offering regional insights beyond national chains. Demonstrating the evolution of experiences, Hy-Vee has installed food courts in stores (inspired by Eataly)—Chinese, Italian, and American fare. Shoppers have shown time and again they will spend more money at a location if they connect to the experience. Capturing shopper attention is harder than ever, but delivering relevancy is about diving deeper into the shopper data—beyond demos to psychographics and behaviors. Also, kid influence is much stronger now with parent shoppers than in the past. But there are challenges in measuring relevance—what did the shopper communicate all the way to the register? Biggest trends for the next 12 months: • In-store media will become more important. • Brands/agencies will build centers of excellence to maximize their retail media spend/campaigns. • Value of 1st-party data will continue to evolve. And the big question going forward: how will AI fit more specifically into #retailmedia? How will it become integrated into our needs? Path to Purchase Institute

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Don't just be a headline reader on this one. 📰 The TikTok bill passed, but the app's not going away immediately and might still survive under different ownership. This article clears it all up and offers guidance on how to move forward through the lingering uncertainty. #tiktok #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing

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Excited to share highlights from Walker Sands' latest media panel featuring Natasha Mascarenhas at The Information, Kristen Aiken at HuffPost and Emily Stewart at Business Insider. The conversation had many takeaways and insights. Some of my favorites include: 📣 A good subject line can make or break whether a reporter actually reads a pitch. This means cutting the jargon and buzzwords. 👊 A mix of personalization and directness is essential in pitches. The more human the pitch is written, the better. We’re all just people. 💡 PR is most valuable in providing intros to strong sources, not story ideas. Intros to good sources often turn into compelling stories. Read more about how to pitch reporters effectively and what makes a story stand out here: https://bit.ly/3RY9gFy #PRtips #PR #mediainsights

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When a marketing effort strikes a chord with consumers, it's because it resonates with a trend or "microtrend" in culture. That was Stagwell's Mark Penn speaking at the ANA/Association of National Advertisers IQ conference. Today's consumers live in a world driven by two macro trends: infinite personalization and technology. They are older, more health-driven, more diverse, and more divided into microtrends than ever before. Penn defines microtrends as small, counterintuitive, under-the-radar forces that can have a significant impact on society and the economy. He argues that experts and mainstream observers often overlook or dismiss these microtrends, but they have the power to shape the future in unexpected ways. All of this fundamentally impacts what consumers expect and how they learn about it. Social millionaires are a microtrend. Getting views on social media has never been easier. Over 39,000 TikTok accounts have at least 1 million followers, but few break through to the wider culture. There is a countertrend for every microtrend. For example, the information economy has created record misinformation, including, more recently, AI abuse. The microtrend he labels the “footloose and fancy-free” are people marrying 8 years later than they did in 1980, giving people a half-decade more on their own. This microtrend has significant implications for various aspects of society, from the housing market and consumer spending patterns to the development of new products and services catering to single adults. And for every marketplace, there is a counter-marketplace. Think Facebook & Instagram vs. Reddit & Discord. Think Safeway vs. Blue Apron. So, how can businesses and organizations take advantage of these microtrends? Data is, of course, king, and if you don't have a personal profile of all your constituents in your CRM, you will lose out. Penn paints a metaphor: our society is like an impressionist painting. There are hundreds of microtrends shaping society. It is your job to find them, explain them, and make them real. By examining the many microtrends that together form the larger picture of contemporary society, he suggests that we can develop a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the complex, ever-shifting landscape in which we live and work. By focusing on the granular, ground-level details of social change rather than just the broad strokes of macro-level trends, we can position ourselves to anticipate and respond to the challenges and opportunities of the future.

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Grateful to Agility PR Solutions for featuring my brand new book, 𝐁2𝐁 𝐏𝐑 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬! "New Book from Influential PR Vet Michelle Garrett, B2B PR That Gets Results, Just Released" "I felt there was a need for this type of book that explains—in a straightforward fashion—the work of PR professionals and the challenges they face so that companies can get the most out of engaging with a PR consultant or agency and achieve their public relations goals." #B2BPRbook #newauthor #publicrelations

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It didn't happen this year, but Google's phase-out of 3rd party cookies is inevitable. EMARKETER's Field Guide explores the varied identifiers available to marketers. The white paper examines: - Why marketers will need identifiers - How identity solutions can help - A full breakdown of Universal ID solutions and non-ID options. Hats off to Arielle Feger for the research and analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf for advising. A special thanks to LiveIntent, Inc. for making the guide possible. Get it here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e7YJm6vN?

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SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨 I don't think TikTok is going anywhere. But, the debate happening among policymakers makes for pretty good conversation. In my latest thought piece for H/Advisors Abernathy, I examined the newscycle to see how a potential #TikToK ban could play a big role in the 2024 election cycle, rankle #BigTech data collection and lay the groundwork for more #dataprivacy advocacy. https://bit.ly/T1kT0kban

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Build trust with your audiences using concrete data to amplify the reach and impact of your press releases. Learn more from Business Wire: how to enrich your content and fortify its influence and trustworthiness across all audiences. Learn more about how #data can enhance your #pressrelease, #communications, and #publicrelations strategies. Boost your #engagement and #askmehow https://lnkd.in/ehD3fgVY

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#TheARF Members can access a good cross-section of the attention metrics industry from this recently updated report. It covers what tools providers use, whether they evaluate ad creative or the media environment, what they report and more. Phase II's findings will be released at the #Attention 2024 event this May. This report is a good primer. #attentionmetrics #adcreative #adplacement #advertising #advertisingresearch #attentioneconomy

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The onslaught of political ads will push brands out of some traditional channels. Here’s how to help your brand campaign break through.

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Food for thought - AI WILL impact your brand reputation. "To protect and strengthen brand reputation in an AI world, corporate and brand communications leaders need to start monitoring and influencing AI-powered answer engines and the large language models that underpin them." My colleague Brian Snyder authored this piece discussing AI reputation management and what brands should consider in the new AI era. Give it a read - you won't be disappointed. If you have questions or would like to discuss further, DM me! #AI #technology #brand #reputation

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DE&I expert, Kai Deveraux Lawson, dissects the many continuing challenges to leadership diversity in the advertising industry, as it pertains to the drastic evolution in thought leadership around the intersection of corporate values and employee work life balance. Social content powered by Ubiquita Worldwide Full episode linked in bio! #DEI #DiversityinLeadership #worklifebalance #corporatevalues #personalvalues #advertisng #equity #inclusion

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Arc was the most-awarded commerce agency at this year’s REGGIE Awards. 9 times. Reality: When you choose a life in marketing, you don’t always get to market things (brands, services, ideas) that directly align with your personal values. This year’s award-winning work created in partnership by Arc and Unilever: - Amplifies multicultural voices - Eschews perfection - Promotes family connection and positive self-worth in young women - Provides affordable, healthy meal options to families Do these align with my personal values? Yes. Yes. Yes. And…Yes. It thrills me to see this work connect with people, build businesses, perpetuate good in the world, and receive recognition for all of it. #IrresistibleCommerce #REGGIE #award #Unilever #ClientPartner #arcww

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Friday Idea Day. Today, on #WorldPressFreedomDay, The Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal came together again to "shine a light on the missing and detained journalists across the globe." "The need for factual and reliable information has never been greater but threats to journalists around the world are more prevalent then ever." I grew up in the Public Relations and Communications Industry, where I learned the power of a good story and the power of good trusting relationships with journalists and reporters. While the industry has evolved greatly, the need for "earned" stories hasn't diminished (debate me here if you disagree). The Idea: The Power of a Free Press To... While not the most lyrical title, what if the world's best public relations/communications agencies teamed up to promote the need for greater objective, fair and honest reporting and elevate the journalist profession? In a world where every agency and company is chasing AI (rightly so), we can't forget about the human intelligence (and smarts, fortitude, persistence) of reporters, editors, photographers who can present the truth in our world. For those who grew up in this century, in which a term like "fake news" became a norm, I believe the industry has a responsibility to take on a campaign like this to demonstrate the need for a free press, and the power it brings. Any takers? I'd love to join.

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Recently, Omeda launched its State of Audience Report. The good news is media brands are investing in audience to the tune of 81% of brands. But 2/3rds said they don't have a documented audience plan! If you need help getting your audience strategy some life, let me know. I've worked wit a number of brands on defining audience strategy. Feel free to connect at rkeenan@keenandigitalconsult.com or DM me. Keenan Media LLC #audience #btob #publishing

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