PR Explored: The Podcast for Public Relations and Communications Pros

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes Crystal Borde, a vice president at Vanguard Communications and past president of PRSA’s National Capital Chapter, about her PRSA ICON session on crisis communications.

Borde explains how social media has accelerated crises and misinformation, and describes the post-2020 “statement era,” when organizations felt pressure to issue public statements on external events, now complicated by polarization and increased risk.

She outlines preparation steps like creating a crisis communications plan, defining a response team, and using holding statements, emphasizing that “silence is a statement” and can erode trust.

Borde offers four decision questions—mission/values alignment, stakeholder impact, credibility, and ability to back words with action—and stresses authenticity, clarity, and collaboration with legal.

Examples include Disney’s mismatch between statements and employee experience, Cornell’s perceived insufficient stakeholder communication, and World Central Kitchen’s transparent response after volunteer deaths.

They preview her ICON talk in Orlando.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:59 Crystal Borde Background
04:22 Why Crisis Comms Changed
06:47 Defining Statement Era
10:48 Prep and Stay in Lane
14:59 Four Questions Framework
19:05 Silence as Strategy
26:32 Cornell Case Study
30:59 Answering Sensitive Questions
33:03 Confidentiality Boundaries
33:48 Silence Sends Signals
34:28 Buying Time With Reporters
35:52 Holding Statement Basics
38:05 Authentic Statement Framework
40:24 Legal and Comms Alignment
41:35 Clarity Honesty and Testing
45:22 Keepers of the Why
48:00 Crisis Severity Scale
49:04 World Central Kitchen Case
53:57 Fear Versus Strategy
56:17 Build and Practice Playbooks
59:56 Strategic Plan as Foundation
01:00:49 Conference Wrap Up

Show notes:

Crystal Borde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalborde

PRSA ICON registration (use code MICHELLE10 to save 10%): https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes Jen Elting, senior manager of strategic partnerships and media relations at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, to discuss her upcoming PRSA ICON session, “Stop Feeding the Zombies: A Strategic Triage for Communicators Drowning in Noise.” 

Elting describes how communicators shifted from periodic outreach to constant engagement across expanding channels, where complaints can escalate on platforms like Nextdoor and outrage-driven algorithms reward engagement. 

She argues volume is not significance, especially for government agencies serving large publics, and recommends communicating less but more strategically. 

Using Diana Kander’s “zombie hunting” framework, she explains evaluating work by time required versus value delivered, killing outdated tasks, setting boundaries, and protecting credibility through responsive but sustainable practices. 

Elting shares examples of high-effort community engagement for stormwater projects and streamlining education outreach through partner organizations. 

The episode previews ICON details and networking opportunities.

 00:00 Welcome to PR Explored

01:29 Meet Jen Elting

03:12 PRSA ICON Preview

04:32 Noise and Channel Overload

07:53 Outrage Economy Explained

12:14 Government and Nonprofit Impact

15:23 Zombie Hunting Theory

21:27 Protect Time and Credibility

25:44 Real World Triage Examples

31:08 Public Facing Comms Priorities

37:42 ICON Invitation and Wrap Up

Show notes:

Follow Jenn Elting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennelting/

Jenn Elting's PRSA ICON session: https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026#speakers

Register for PRSA ICON - use code MICHELLE10 to save 10%: https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026#registration

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews Wikipedia consultant and ghostwriter Jonathan Rick about how Wikipedia works and why it matters for PR. 

Rick explains that Wikipedia reflects what reliable mainstream media has reported, not “truth,” and editors enforce a neutral point of view, rejecting promotional language. 

He says the biggest misconception is confusing being accomplished with being “notable,” noting about 80% of prospective clients don’t meet criteria; you can’t buy a page, and the only real path is substantial independent media coverage. 

He outlines why Wikipedia is increasingly influential through Google rankings, reuse by platforms like YouTube and voice assistants via Wikidata, and heavy citation by ChatGPT, meaning Wikipedia content can shape AI narratives. 

They discuss risks of premature submissions (deletions, public records, and “salting”), weak sources like Forbes contributor content, Authority Magazine and TechCrunch, limited value of most trade media, red flags in service providers (guarantees, claimed editor connections, low fees, whitewashing, non-disclosure), timelines, and the need for ongoing monitoring and COI-compliant proposed edits.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
00:56 Jonathan’s Wikipedia Work
02:13 Freelance Life and Family
04:05 Why This Wikipedia Episode
05:49 Wikipedia Basics Explained
10:04 Notability Misconceptions
12:07 You Can’t Buy Pages
13:19 Why Wikipedia Matters Now
19:10 How Pages Get Created
23:44 When to Wait and Avoid Deletion
25:59 The Only Path Is Press
28:01 Sources That Don’t Count
33:09 Do Trade Pubs Help
37:08 Audience Q&A Begins
37:29 LLMs and Source Credibility
39:47 Why Weak Press Hurts Wikipedia
41:16 Trade Pub Reliability Signals
47:23 How Many Links Are Enough
49:36 Vetting Wikipedia Consultants
52:46 No Guarantees in Wikipedia
54:33 Cost and Timeline Expectations
58:31 Maintaining Pages and Editing Rules
01:02:11 Disclosure Pitfalls and Scandals
01:06:02 Final Takeaways and Resources

Show notes:

Learn more Jonathan Rick's Wikipedia services: www.jonathanrick.com/wikipedia

Daily Mail article about North Face editing Wikipedia pages to boost search results: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-7095213/North-Face-issue-grovelling-apology-caught-editing-Wikipedia-pages-boost-search-results.html

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes conversion rate optimization specialist and website consultant/copywriter Gill Andrews, who shares her work helping service providers and SaaS optimize websites and teaching through content, books, and Udemy courses. 

They discuss why websites are often neglected (overwhelm, unclear starting point, long service-provider sales cycles, and lack of immediate ROI) and argue that content still matters as the hub of owned media supporting PR and credibility. 

Gill emphasizes a “decent” website built on clarity, relevance, value, and trust, using customer language and specificity rather than vague, “fancy” positioning. 

Key content includes homepage, service/offer pages, about and contact pages, plus testimonials/case studies where possible; blogs can support trust and search/AI visibility but may be less effective than before. 

They also highlight design-copy alignment, avoiding friction, and keeping pages current amid changing buyer expectations and AI.

00:00 Welcome to PR Explored
00:49 Meet Gill Andrews
02:53 Where to Follow Gill
05:44 Does Website Content Matter
06:33 Why Websites Get Neglected
10:50 Clarity Relevance Trust
12:16 Stop the Buzzword Copy
17:28 Use Customer Language
19:34 What Content to Publish
24:10 Building Trust Without Proof
25:25 Specificity Builds Credibility
27:47 Website Confidence and Fit
29:43 Why Websites Matter
30:16 Design And Usability
30:59 Friction Speed Bumps
34:49 Brand Trust Alignment
37:14 When Ugly Works
39:16 Buyer Research Reality
44:42 Content Quantity Strategy
45:06 Blogging And AI Visibility
50:10 AI Copywriting Limits
52:51 Learning And Creativity
55:14 Wrap Up And Connect

Show notes:

Gill Andrews on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gill-andrews/

Gill Andrews website: https://gillandrews.com/

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews guest Gina Rau about B2B PR and comms from an in-house perspective. 

Rau recounts her “bowl of spaghetti” career across B2C and B2B, agency and in-house roles, and argues that broad experience helps partnership across marketing. 

She contrasts in-house work—deeper company knowledge, broader responsibilities (internal/executive comms, thought leadership, organic social), heavy meetings, and greater accountability for consequences—with agency context-switching across accounts and the discipline agencies teach. 

They discuss cross-team alignment challenges (stakeholder “word salad”), the accelerated pace in tech/AI, and PR’s growing importance as content shapes LLM/GEO visibility. 

Rau emphasizes measuring business impact (pipeline influence, executive visibility, meaningful product coverage) and shares a McDonald’s campaign that used an economic impact study to change local perceptions. 

They close on agency selection criteria, executive thought leadership on LinkedIn, and career advice to assess role and environment fit.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:24 Gina's Career Journey
02:55 Generalist Versus Specialist
04:47 In-House Versus Agency
10:50 Agency Skills and Rigor
15:03 Cross Team Alignment
17:28 AI Pace and Comms
19:46 PR Role in AI Era
25:51 Proving PR Impact
29:20 Reputation and Day One List
31:24 Internal Alignment Challenges
33:50 Scaling Internal Alignment
34:44 Messaging Changes Overdrive
35:41 Choosing Great Partners
38:17 Chemistry And Collaboration
40:51 Agency Partner Pushback Story
43:33 Meet The Real Team
45:13 McDonald's Perception Turnaround
52:25 Listening Before Influence
53:18 Authentic Executive Thought Leadership
58:46 Career Advice And Closing

Show notes:

Follow Gina Rau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginarau/

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer interviews her guest B2B growth strategist Gina Tobasso about why manufacturers and other B2B companies should treat marketing as a continuous process, especially amid ongoing uncertainty (COVID, supply chain disruptions, tariffs, reshoring). 

Tobasso says many B2B companies underinvest in marketing, recommending 3–5% of revenue, and warns that cutting spend dries up the funnel, slows sales, and triggers panic “lead gen” efforts that ignore long sales cycles (often 18 months) and the need to nurture the 97% not ready to buy. 

They discuss foundational priorities like updating websites, implementing an affordable CRM to track ROI, and focusing on organic tactics (content, SEO/AEO/GEO, PR backlinks, reviews, YouTube) over ineffective low-budget ads. 

Tobasso also explains buyer-journey stages including loyalty/advocacy, shares a customer-feedback/NPS example, and describes her holistic approach aligning sales, marketing, and operations and bringing in trusted partners for sales coaching, strategic planning, or M&A.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:57 Gina's Career Journey

03:08 Why Manufacturers Delay Marketing

04:47 Uncertainty Is the New Normal

07:15 Budgets and Funnel Basics

10:44 B2B Reality and Marketing Ops

14:44 Lean Six Sigma for Marketers

18:42 Buyer Journey and Loyalty Loop

22:58 How Much to Spend on Marketing

26:17 When to Adjust the Budget

27:15 Invest Through Downturns

29:07 Price Versus Value

30:43 When Marketing Stops

33:41 Consistency Beats Cycles

36:13 Organic Budget Priorities

41:43 Sales Assessment And VOC

43:51 Strategic Partners For Growth

47:41 Networking And Wrap Up

Show notes:

Gina Tabasso’s LinkedIn newsletter that this episode is based on: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/most-expensive-customer-acquisition-strategy-waiting-gina-tabasso-ugzyc/?trackingId=gZ900l9q2nGXZCr481cA5Q%3D%3D

Gina Tabasso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginatabasso/

Gina’s company, Barracuda B2B Marketing: https://barracudab2b.com/

Manufacturing Resource Group: https://mfgresourcegroup.com/

Barracuda B2B Marketing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barracudab2b

The Manufacturers’ Efficiency Webinar Series: https://webinar.barracudab2b.com/manufacturers-efficiency-webinar-series

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer interviews her guest Sword and Script founder Frank Strong about trends and 2026 research. 

They discuss pricing reputation via balance-sheet “goodwill,” the limits of click-based optimization versus long-term brand value, and why in-person trade shows are resurging, with PR pros better used networking, creating content, and meeting media than sitting in booths. 

A study finding 62 touches and about 192 days to close B2B deals underscores sustained visibility and differentiation amid a “sea of sameness.” 

They cover AI’s mixed impact—82% of B2B marketers say AI skills haven’t boosted pay, AI content tends to average out and underperform, and many AI customer-service replacements are being rolled back—while emphasizing AI for research, brainstorming, and critique. 

Strong argues thought leadership is highly trusted and requires access to real experts, notes declining B2B marketing budget share versus four years ago, highlights hidden buyer influence from finance/legal/procurement, and explains why selling to existing customers is rising but warns against overusing in-app upsell prompts.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:00 Frank Strong Background
01:55 Military Service and Pets
02:58 Data Driven PR Mindset
04:25 2026 Stats Overview
05:06 Pricing Reputation Value
08:08 Measuring Beyond Clicks
10:53 Events Comeback Strategy
13:17 Trade Show PR Hustle
17:35 Human Connection Craving
18:57 62 Touches to Close
23:20 Sea of Sameness
24:39 Budget for Experiments
26:04 AI Skills and Reality
29:19 AI Content Pitfalls
30:46 Using AI the Right Way
32:21 Dotcom Parallels
34:20 Thought Leadership Trust
35:05 Why Thought Leadership Works
36:50 Ghostwriting and Long Game
38:10 Access Makes It Real
41:08 Interviews Beat Email
43:52 Journalism vs Click Culture
46:08 Budgets and Compounding Returns
52:10 Educating Executives
55:30 Authority and Failing Fast
56:43 Hidden Buyers in Deals
59:46 Marketing to Existing Customers
01:03:49 Newsletter and Staying Sharp
01:07:13 AI Monitoring and Humility
01:09:30 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Show notes: 

The Sword and the Script blog post this episode is based on: https://www.swordandthescript.com/2026/07/pr-and-b2b-marketing-statistics-2026/

Learn more about Frank's agency, the Sword and the Script: https://www.swordandthescript.com/

Frank's newsletter on Substack: https://monthlymarcom.substack.com/

Read Frank's blog or contact Frank: https://www.swordandthescript.com/contact/

Follow Frank Strong on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankstrong/

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest Matisse Hamel-Nelis, PR consultant, trainer, professor, and speaker, to discuss her new co-authored book with Lisa Riemers on accessible communications in PR, created to help practitioners “create impact, avoid missteps, and build trust.” 

Hamel-Nelis shares how a Twitter hashtag mistake at CNIB introduced her to digital accessibility and revealed a gap in PR education despite accessibility laws and WCAG standards. 

The conversation covers practical starting points like plain language, PascalCase/camelCase hashtags, alt text, captions, accessible Word styles, and the complexities of PDFs and reading order, plus vendor support. 

They emphasize progress over perfection, leadership buy-in using audience and revenue impact, building accessibility into projects early to save costs, and examples from Microsoft, Apple, and NASA.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:42 Book Launch Journey
04:00 Teaching and Consulting Updates
05:04 Why Write the Book
05:41 Hashtag Accessibility Wakeup
09:43 Acronyms and Screen Readers
12:18 DEI Acronyms and PDFs
15:24 Start Small Progress Over Perfect
22:51 Emojis and Alt Text Pitfalls
25:58 Accessibility Laws and WCAG Basics
28:01 PDF Standards and Structure
30:06 Word Styles and Tagging
31:54 Social Media Accessibility Rules
33:37 Prioritizing Fixes and New Content
37:02 Captions Done Right on YouTube
39:41 Winning Leadership Buy-In
44:15 Designing Accessible Video Audio
47:47 Accessibility Helps Everyone
49:58 Brands Doing It Well
55:55 Start Now and Keep Learning

Show notes: 

Learn more about Matisse Hamel-Nelis: https://matissenelis.com/

Get Matisse's book, Accessible Communications: Create Impact, Avoid Missteps and Build Trust: https://matissenelis.com/accessible-communications-by-lisa-riemers-and-matisse-hamel-nelis/

Follow Matisse Hamel-Nelis  on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matissenelis/

Follow Matisse Hamel-Nelis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matissenelis/

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest, Nicole Schuman, managing editor of PRNews, who describes her role planning editorial content, newsletters (including Friday Five and her weekly PR Roundup), podcasts, events, and social strategy. 

They discuss industry trends, including major agency mergers and acquisitions leading to layoffs, while smaller independent and specialized agencies benefit from available talent and strong profits, and consultants help lean marketing teams. 

Schuman notes PRNews readership increasingly includes marketers as comms responsibilities expand, prompting new e-learning modules. 

They note that Schuman is receiving fewer AI-written pitches but that there remains a sameness in AI-driven contributed content, emphasizing the importance of specificity, relationships, and unique storytelling. 

They review Morning Consult’s 2026 Most Trusted Brands report (Dawn, Band-Aid, Google) and note that trust gains are driven by nostalgia, including Mr. Pibb’s campaign, and that Tylenol remains the most trusted in medicine despite controversy. 

They also discuss World Cup and Toy Story 5 brand tie-ins and using LinkedIn for sourcing and visibility.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:06 Nicole Schumann Background

04:51 Life in DC and New York

08:10 Setting Up PR Trends

09:17 Agency Mergers and Talent Shifts

13:58 Going Independent and Niching Down

16:53 PR and Marketing Converge

22:04 AI Pitches and Inbox Fatigue

25:23 Thought Leadership Needs Specifics

28:39 Writing Voice Over Automation

30:51 AI Tool Overload and Reality Check

31:48 AI Jobs Rebound

32:45 Hiring Struggles Today

33:36 Brand Newsroom Boom

36:32 Trust Brands Report

38:58 Nostalgia Trust Wins

39:55 Tylenol Trust Case

44:02 Comfort Brand Consistency

45:35 World Cup Brand Plays

47:54 Lego Breakthrough Campaign

51:32 Toy Story Tie Ins

54:10 Long Game Marketing

56:11 LinkedIn Sourcing Tips

59:11 Wrap Up And Links

Show notes:

Follow Nicole Schuman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschuman/

Visit PRNEWS online: https://www.prnewsonline.com/

Sign up for PRNEWS newsletters, including the Friday 5: https://www.prnewsonline.com/subscribe-newsletters/

Articles we discussed: 

https://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-tylenol-tops-trust-rankings-local-journalism-hits-a-new-low-and-allbirds-becomes-smartbird

https://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-when-culture-moves-brands-follow-lessons-from-kalshi-the-world-cup-and-toy-story-5

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

Book a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. 

About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest, Kelly Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods (BNP Media), to explain what trade media is and why it matters for B2B PR.

Rodriguez contrasts trade and mainstream coverage, emphasizing trade media’s highly engaged niche audiences, subject-matter expertise, and industry-specific language, using food and beverage examples.

She advises PR pros to know each publication’s coverage area, tailor pitches, include the basics (who/what/when/where/why/how), and offer strong hooks, timeliness, and access (plant tours, trade-show meetings, and knowledgeable spokespeople like C-suite and R&D).

They discuss relationship-building, noting it shouldn’t determine coverage but can improve relevance and responsiveness.

Rodriguez also addresses editorial independence versus paid opportunities, and highlights growing importance of being cited in AI-driven search (GEO/AEO). Both stress providing high-quality, permissioned visuals and captions.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:35 What Trade Media Is

03:36 Trade Media vs Mainstream

07:32 Why Niche Coverage Matters

12:56 Inside the Cold Chain World

16:28 Pitching Trade Editors

20:06 Passing Pitches to Peers

22:43 What Makes Pitches Pop

27:06 Trade Shows and Relationships

30:39 Long Timelines in B2B

31:18 PR Editor Partnerships

32:16 Offer Real Experts

33:15 Does Relationship Matter

36:33 Fairness And Fit

37:44 Editorial Versus Paid

43:08 Ads Influence Coverage

48:46 GEO AEO Trade Media

54:19 Visuals That Get Used

56:41 Photo Delivery Rights

59:01 Wrap Up And Thanks

Show notes:

Follow Kelley Rodriguez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleyrodriguez/

Visit Refrigerated & Frozen Foods online: https://www.refrigeratedfrozenfood.com/

Follow Refrigerated & Frozen Foods on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/refrigerated-frozen-foods-magazine/posts/?feedView=all

Follow the host: 

Website: www.michellegarrett.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUs

X/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUs

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergal

Michelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available now

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About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.