Agencies of the Future

What’s the secret sauce to M Booth’s many national recognitions, including being named by PRovoke as one of their North American Agencies of the Decade? According to Founder and Chairman Margi Booth and CEO Dale Bornstein, it’s equal part huge hearts and lots of smarts. For our podcast, this dynamic duo shares their philosophy that an agency is only as good as its people and that means demonstrating humanity in business and always putting people first. Listen in as they describe the importance of corporate and personal value alignment when it comes to finding the right firm – as an employee or a client.

Be inspired as Dwayna Haley shares how she has created a career path for herself and others. A beacon of leadership, Haley mentors young Black colleagues and steers Porter Novelli clients to focus on DE&I initiatives as a business and moral imperative. Haley values individual bravery: refusing to shy away from discomfort, asking the tough questions and demanding change. Her “North Star” of humanity and treating all lives well enables her to show up as her full self, every single day.

Allies take note: Young PR Pros – especially ambitious Black talent -- need your guidance and support. In this business of relationships, building them with mentors is critical. Equally inspiring to those who are new to the industry and seasoned professionals who want more diversity in the industry, Shelton and Braham share how mentors helped them learn and grow in the fast-paced agency world. 

Founder and CEO of travel and lifestyle agency LDPR, Davidson has stayed true to her mantra of only working with good people and good clients. For 25+ years, her firm has stretched the boundaries of PR, embracing new digital solutions and innovating services for its roster of international clients. Listen in as she discusses the key to organic growth, the value of networking, and her commitment to helping others, personally and professionally.

In a world where client counselors are facing unique circumstances every day, J.J. Carter, Global COO and President, Americas at FleishmanHillard, shares how the agency is coalescing expertise to successfully guide clients through the COVID-19 crisis. From quickly applying lessons learned by colleagues in Asia, to hosting daily office hours with the firm’s experts across all relevant areas – crisis and issues management, reputation management, labor relations, employee engagement, and others -- FH is bringing clients solutions for recovery, renewal and resurgence.

No proms, no graduations and no jobs - COVID-19 has rocked the world of the GenZ consumer but Devries Global’s survey of this cohort reveals opportunities for brands to earn their long-term commitment.  Jessica O’Callaghan, Regional MD for North America, and Loretta Markevics, Chief Strategy & Creative Officer, share why earned and influencer engagement are key vehicles to do it. Their data shows that as we move into recovery, digital will be less important and human interaction will become the priority.

Harnessing digital and data capabilities is critical to nurturing relationships in what Sells calls the “next normal.”  WE leveraged their heritage in technology and the opportunity to learn and plan as the pandemic first hit their China operations to guide the agency’s decision-making for the business and employees, as well as their counsel to clients on how to protect their brands. Learn more about how WE is helping client brands reaffirm their purpose and lead through this crisis. 

Al Golin built his firm on the conviction that public relations is an essential business function. In fact, McDonald’s, the agency’s first and still current client, didn’t make a move without checking with Golin first. Last year, the firm refocused on PR and Mardiks says the timing couldn’t have been better. Hear more about how this crisis is an opportunity for our industry to showcase how earned-first attention is at the center of everything we do.

Reinventing your agency has become a necessity during these difficult times.  Find inspiration and ideas in this pre-COVID-19 crisis discussion with Kathy Tunheim, CEO and Principal of Minneapolis-based Tunheim Partners.  With the agency marking its 30th anniversary, Tunheim shares several evolutions of the agency and how today she and her colleagues often take a unique approach of identifying a problem and then finding the clients to support the solution. It’s an exciting way to look at the power of discipline to solve the world’s biggest problems.

After a radical re-org created one Ogilvy, everyone is eager to hear how PR and earned-first ideas are functioning in this new world order. Melissa Smith, Managing Director at Ogilvy, shares how creative PR talent is working with capital “C” creatives who are more accustomed to the ad world. While colleagues who grew up in different disciplines have to learn each other’s languages, it’s more about walking halls and earning trust to ensure PR gets brought in early and often. Sound familiar? Tune in and learn more.