Sarah Schmidt

Why do we do PR? Well, I would answer it's because trust and confidence among all audiences is at historic lows—an avg of 28%. With low/no trust, there is no commerce, there are no deals and business GRINDS to a halt. So, THAT is why we do PR. https://lnkd.in/g9M-_JQ4 #publicrelations, #pr, #trust, #credibility

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Are the tools of journalism applicable to #corporate communications? Without a doubt. I recently had the opportunity to discuss three of those tools, and how to apply them, at a gathering of comms professionals from @Method Communications, @Sling&Stone, @Harvard and other teams from our @VCCP family. I’d love to hear about other skills from #journalism you think are applicable to helping companies tell their best stories in authentic, media-genic ways. Comment below!

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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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Sixty years ago Marshall McLuhan made the bold suggestion that the Medium is the Message. I wonder what he'd say about today's media-fragmented society? To simplify McLuhan's theory: He argued the way we communicate a message (the channel) has a direct impact on how that message is received. In The Wall Street Journal this morning Suzanne Vranica writes about how brands are moving away from television advertising and redirecting those dollars to mediums that are more relevant to targeted audiences like TikTok. It's clear that Prime Time television in the U.S. is no longer "must see TV" but when advertisers leave it then decline is inevitable. The same thing happened to another medium - newspapers. In a mass media world, should the medium be dictated by what entertains the masses most? I worry that if we continue to go down that road the result will be little more than dumb show and noise. It all makes me think about this Edward Albee quote from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf": "Dashed hopes and good intentions. Good, better, best, bested” In this instance, prime time TV was once good, then cable came along and was better, eventually we had streaming and social media and some thought that was best. In the end maybe all it has amounted too is the message (and maybe truth) getting bested. If you want to be part of the conversation on attaining Relevance with key stakeholders subscribe to The Relevance Report. Subscribe on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/dqccYc9z #BeRelevant #PublicRelations

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Check out my thoughts on agency Rolodexes, diversity in the industry, underdog agencies, AI, and more in this Q&A with AdForum.

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Worth reading from TimelyCare VP Katie Neal: 13 Leadership Lessons for PR Pros (Taylor’s Version). Let’s face it. Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated album, The Tortured Poets Department (out April 19), sounds like it should be about a corporate communications team. While most PR professionals will never win any Grammys, we share more in common with the megastar than you might think. We are creators, storytellers and writers. We find inspiration in life, work and relationships. And we are influential to our teams, across our organizations and in our communities — demonstrating daily how smart, strategic communications can advance your brand, even in times of crisis. In addition to Swift’s mastery of public relations, have you noticed that her catalog of leadership lessons is almost as extensive as her collection of songs? I curated 13 key Tay-keaways for comms pros — each paired with an album or song — to inspire your leadership style as well as your playlist. Are you ready for it?

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The latest edition of our Compass for the Chaos newsletter discusses challenges presented by the unsteady and complicated election-year environment for brand marketers and corporate communicators alike. #webershandwick #compassforthechaos #brandsafety #corporatecommunications 

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🚨 Scholars interested in working with the media: In a survey of 1,000+ journalists on the state of journalism in 2024 by Muck Rack ... 83% of journalists prefer to be pitched 1:1 via email. 🔑 Make sure you personalize the message with specific mentions of their work, including their name, etc. Making sure the journalist covers your topic is also v important. 65% prefer pitches less than 200 words. 🔑 Keep it simple and succinct by just stating the most interesting part of the research - more than likely this is the findings! Lean into active language and cut the filler words. 46% receive 6 or more pitches daily. 🔑 Write a killer email subject line that is less than 60-80 characters, then get right to the point in your email body. Journalists consider subject matter experts (82%) and researchers (77%) to be the most credible sources. 🔑 That means you! Shoot your shot! 💫 #ResearchEngagement #PublicEngagement #SciComm #ScienceCommunication #AcademicWriting #Research #MediaRelations #HowToPitchToTheMedia

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PRWeek’s Agency Business Report rankings dropped yesterday. It’s the publication’s annual breakdown + analysis of PR firms based on self-reported numbers. A few themes emerged in Diana Bradley’s deep dive from the client POV that mirror what I’m seeing brands prioritize in their agency partners: ✅ BROAD PERSPECTIVE: How much should an agency niche when it comes to industry expertise? Is it better to have a partner that serves multiple industries? There’s nuance to this debate, but at the very least, agencies need to bring to the table cross-industry visibility, insights, and best practices. ✅ WILLINGNESS TO PUSH BACK: This comes up a LOT in my searches. Yes, clients are busy and want their agencies to be an extra set of arms and legs. But what they’re really looking for is a partner who pushes them to deliver more impactful results. Sometimes, that means engaging in a little healthy debate. ✅ TEAM ALIGNMENT: I could go on ad nauseum about how the most successful client-agency partnerships boil down to great relationships. But it’s no longer enough to have a strong “core team.” As brands’ needs evolve, agencies need to be open to dynamic team structures, bringing in the right external experts or partner agencies to support their core expertise. ✅ ABILITY TO PIVOT: Being accountable when things don’t go as planned is crucial. Equally important is an agency’s ability to listen to the client and to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the business. ✅ EXPERT AT NAVIGATING ISSUES: Businesses are facing potential reputational risks from all sides. That’s why companies of all sizes and industries are increasingly looking for partners who understand the regulatory and political environments in which they operate and who can provide counsel at the drop of a hat. Would love to hear your thoughts... Clients: What qualities do you value most in an agency partner? Agencies: Where are you seeing potential clients dig in most?

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PRWeek's great 2024 Business Report highlights the key challenge facing our industry. Communications is more important than ever. Comms and policy leaders are being asked to play far larger roles as business partners supporting ever more stakeholders. So why did the industry suffer so much in 2023 after many years of growth? As an sector, we are not adapting fast enough to the needs. Organizations are desperate for help but also under tremendous financial strain. They now need both senior level counsel and advisory support as well as deep domain expertise to actually produce. By and large, our industry is still split by this chasm - between strategic and tactical. Clients cannot afford to separate these, either in time or money. At Bully Pulpit International our goal is to bridge this divide, building a team that can both 'think and do' at the highest levels. It's not always easy. Last year was a challenge. But if you share this vision for the future, please check out some of our open roles: https://lnkd.in/dGQwJUSG

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The tension needs your attention. A lot of times in the PR world companies choose to ignore problems. Don’t we all do it? When we ignore the reality, we let it take control of the narrative. But when we choose to look at the ugly things, we get the power to control the narrative. We’re in charge.   It’s never easy to face challenges, resistance, pain, but you can’t run away forever. At some point it will catch up with you. The result? What you’ve been avoiding and could’ve addressed early on is so much heavier … it’s hard to carry.   Have authority over your life. Engage with the mess. #mindset #motivation #personaldevelopment #new

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Thank you to PRNEWS for publishing my piece on lessons brands and communications leaders can learn from the recent fallout at NBC News and the pitfalls of binary thinking. "This debacle is one of many scenarios that remind us of why deliberate, well-coordinated and consistent internal communications are even more important in today’s climate where sensitive information leaks are becoming commonplace." If you're so inclined, you can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eSjSG26d

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Navigating the complexities of technology markets can feel like wandering through a maze. Without the right guide, it’s easy to get lost. Many PR agencies might lead you in circles, trying to learn your industry as they go. You need a partner who knows the way, with a deep understanding of your sector and established media relationships. This knowledge can turn a daunting maze into a clear path forward. Seek out the experts who can guide you straight to your goals. Looking for direction? See what that might look like: https://lnkd.in/ejvu8yQE #PRStrategy #B2B #IndustryExpertise #RankinPR #TechPR

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🚀Check out our Day of Service Playbook, a comprehensive resource designed to ensure impactful service experiences. From seamless event planning and day-of execution to compelling post-event storytelling, this playbook has everything you need to create meaningful and lasting impact. 💫

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Winning with Culture! Group Black is your key to unlocking measurable brand growth. Let’s discuss how we can do it for you.

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Election turbulence is a threat to marketers during these perilous and polarized times. Here are nine ways brand managers and communicators can protect budgets, avoid scams and reach customers in a noisy and cluttered market.

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For more than 15 years, I’ve worked agency-side serving large, international brands to up-and-coming start-ups. I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients who were wicked smart and fun to work with, as well as some not-so-pleasant clients who saw me as a vendor, not a partner. Recently, one of our clients asked me: “How can I be a better client for you?” (green flag!). After giving it some thought, I boiled it down to a few key points. Here they are: Make time and space for onboarding and discovery. At Slide Nine, we always build in time for onboarding and discovery so we can ensure the team has a full understanding of the company’s complexities and the broader market context in which it operates. This usually involves conversations with key executives/spokespeople, competitor analysis, market research, etc. If you are looking to bring on a new agency, investing that time and brainpower at the beginning will help your agency team understand your company’s business objectives and devise a communications strategy that will truly move the needle. ‍Be transparent about budget. Every corporate communications and marketing team has a set annual budget. It’s understandable that a client may not want to share the exact amount with their agency because they think the agency will attempt to line their pockets. Here’s the truth: a good agency partner will manage your budget as if it were their own. Without any sense of what budget constraints may exist, you could put your agency in a position of over or under-estimating what’s financially possible and delivering a proposed communications plan that misses the mark. Financial transparency will allow you and your agency to align on a strategic creative approach more efficiently. ‍Give specific, direct, and constructive feedback. I’m a big fan of the book Radical Candor by Kim Scott. She talks about the importance of giving feedback that’s kind and clear, specific and sincere. There have been many times when I wanted to give a copy of this book to a client after a particularly brutal “feedback” session where phrases like, “I don’t like it,” “I’m just not feeling it,” and “This isn’t what I’m looking for” were thrown around. At the end of the day, we want to deliver exceptional work that you are excited about. Just remember, we can’t read your mind. Help us help you. Provide your agency team with all the necessary information needed to do our jobs (and keep us informed when things shift). Join our scheduled meetings so we can have open dialogue and share timely updates to move things forward. Provide reasonably quick feedback and approvals on content our team develops. It’s our job to make you look like a rock star within your organization. Help us do that effectively and efficiently. Agency friends, what did I miss? #Communications #Agency #PR #ClientEngagement

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“I just need a few key messages that I should hit.” It’s a common request that every communications pro has encountered many times ahead of a media interview. And if you’re anything like me, you roll your eyes. Why? Because key messages are fine and good, but only if they are used to form a broader narrative. More often than not, they’re seen as a license to be repetitive, robotic and focused only on your own outcome. Brute-forcing key messages down a reporter’s throat doesn’t help them do their job. Media opportunities are a two way street - you give value, share expertise and contextualize whatever you’re talking about in exchange for the profile the media outlet can give you and your business. The best and only way to respect this duality is to shape a simple and memorable story which contains the messages you want to hit, and which shows instead of telling why what you’re discussing is important and meaningful. I used to keep a folder of video clips that could’ve been titled “when key messages go wrong” - often depicting some hapless executive or politician stumbling through a repeated response straight from the message sheet he or she was handed. They universally looked silly and unprepared, and the interview did nothing but undermine trust and damage the speaker’s reputation. Next time, before the camera starts rolling, think about a story instead of a key message. Your brand will thank you.

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