PR's Top Pros Talk

Charlie Tansill, President of PR, Social and Influence at Ogilvy North America, emphasizes the significance of engaging consumers in brand experiences. She discusses the immersive communications strategy behind the Grand Prix award-winning "Michael CeraVe" campaign. Charlie also talks about the CMO's evolving role and the power of TikTok.

John Seigenthaler and Katie Seigenthaler, Managing Partners at FINN Partners, share insights on the current state of local and national news. Katie highlights how local news can spark and sustain growth. John discusses how PR professionals can support shrinking newsrooms. They stress the importance of sharing truthful and honest stories to combat disinformation.

Leah Dergachev, Founder and Chief Storyteller of Austley, shares how she applies her 3D framework to help clients stand out. She emphasizes the importance of creating strong emotional bonds between brands and their audiences. Leah also shares how case studies can be used to demonstrate the value of your offerings while providing data points that support PR opportunities.

Gizem Ozcelik, Founder and CEO of GO PR, discusses trends in the PR space, including digital media, the rise of sustainable tourism and creative programming. She shares examples of how she collaborates with brands and clients to bring out of the box ideas to life. All of this to help clients break through the noise in a competitive landscape.

Bruno Solari, Founder of SolComms, describes the key strategies he uses when working with startups and scale-ups. He discusses the changing editorial landscape and the growth of affiliate marketing. Bruno also shares the importance of being reactive to increase brand awareness for clients.

Read PRWeek’s feature on SolComms: https://www.prweek.com/article/1871432/agency-business-report-2024-solcomms

Tiffany Rafii, CEO of UpSpring, highlights the pivotal role of a thought leadership strategy in driving success and fostering creativity. Tiffany discusses the importance of selecting the right spokesperson to align with the company's business goals. Additionally, shares key strategies for effectively training spokespeople.

What do communicators need to know about AI? Tomás Puig, Founder and CEO of Alembic, breaks down common myths about generative AI. He highlights the impact of earned media in reaching a broader audience. Curtis Sparrer, Principal of Bospar PR, shares his experience discussing the impact of AI with colleagues and clients. Tomás and Curtis stress the significance of gaining insights from experts before implementing AI.

Annie Dunleavy, Senior VP & U.S. Head of Content Strategy for Edelman Business Marketing, and Tusar Barik, Senior Director of Marketing for LinkedIn, discuss the essentials of thought leadership. Tusar emphasizes leveraging LinkedIn for posting and sharing insightful content. Annie shares how to elevate a thought leadership strategy to make the most impact. They also explain the role of thought leadership in adapting to shrinking newsrooms.

Download the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report: https://www.edelman.com/expertise/Business-Marketing/2024-b2b-thought-leadership-report

Johnny Smith, Vice President of Communications for Roche Diagnostics North America, shares how to create a strategic prioritization framework that meets communications and business objectives. He describes how his team uses a confidence-level scoring system to ensure they focus on projects that deliver the most impact. In our discussion, Johnny also talked in detail about the value of discipline in leadership.

Knight Stivender, Partner at MP&F, highlights the value of trusting your instincts during a generational transition. Knight explains how she integrates her journalism background into her agency role. Additionally, she shares how she took her clients' feedback and successfully expanded the agency’s service portfolio.