Advertise on podcast: 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 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Kander’s “zombie hunting” framework, she explains evaluating work by time required versus value delivered, killing outdated tasks, setting boundaries, and protecting credibility through responsive but sustainable practices.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 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, Fred Cook, director of the Annenberg Center for Public Relations at USC and chair emeritus of Golin, about USC’s 2026 Global Communication Report, “A Quiet Shift,” on how political and social polarization is reshaping communications.  Based on a survey of about 800 PR professionals worldwide and CCO interviews, the report finds polarization is seen as harmful to the country and mental health yet beneficial to PR’s value; corporate advocacy support has dropped 38% since 2023 as companies say less about DEI, sustainability, and purpose.  Government/regulators have become the top stakeholder focus, resources are shifting toward crisis communications and government relations, silence is increasingly used as a strategy, departments anticipate restructuring, and most PR pros still expect positive growth while needing stronger political, crisis, and financial skills. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:37 Fred Cook Background 02:02 USC PR Program Highlights 03:37 Report Theme Quiet Shift 05:55 Key Findings on Polarization 08:14 Generational Views and Public 09:50 Stakeholders and Government Focus 13:39 Corporate Advocacy Pullback 14:54 CEO Silence and Defensive Comms 18:51 Budget Shifts and New Skills 23:24 Restructuring and AI Readiness 27:11 Future Outlook and Apocaloptimists 32:05 Industry Risk and Brand Examples 34:51 Wrap Up and Final Thoughts Show notes:  Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredhcook/ View USC's 2026 Global Communication Report, “A Quiet Shift": https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report 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 talks with her guest Andy Lambert, co-founder of ContentCal (acquired by Adobe) and author of Spheres of Influence, to discuss how B2B companies should approach social media and PR, especially on LinkedIn and YouTube. Lambert highlights LinkedIn’s algorithm shift toward personal profiles and subject-matter expertise, advises prioritizing original content over reshares, and notes strong performance from carousels and polls when used thoughtfully. He explains LinkedIn’s crackdown on automated AI comment tools while distinguishing useful AI assistance from low-quality AI-generated posts. The conversation emphasizes consistency, content pillars, and quality over “hacks,” plus the growing importance of LinkedIn and YouTube for AI-driven search, including the value of long-form YouTube and LinkedIn articles/newsletters. Lambert also shares practical AI search wins like creating a Wikipedia page and aligning messaging across profiles and review sites. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:54 Andy Lambert Background 02:55 Being Everywhere to Audience 04:56 LinkedIn Trends and Algorithm 06:54 Formats Video Carousels Polls 09:56 Reshares Versus Original Posts 11:34 AI Comments and Content 19:40 Posting Frequency and Timing 23:21 Quality Over Hacks 26:21 Hashtags on LinkedIn 27:05 Why LinkedIn and YouTube 29:51 AI Search Proof Point 33:14 Think Like Media 34:00 Search Is Audience 36:50 Long Form and Articles 38:48 Newsletters and Repurposing 41:42 Do You Need YouTube 44:07 Budget and Authenticity 46:21 Trust and Human Stories 49:24 Algorithm Proof Strategy 50:18 Three AI Search Wins 53:19 Wrap Up and Thanks Show notes: Subscribe to Andy Lambert’s Substack: https://spheresofinfluence.substack.com Follow Andy Lambert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyrlambert/ Andy Lambert’s latest book, Spheres of Influence: https://spheresofinfluence.co/ 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 talks with her guest crisis communications expert Shawna Bruce, who shares her 40-year communications background, including 25+ years in military public affairs, work at Dow Chemical, and her current focus (since 2018) on training organizations to prepare for crises. They discuss why crisis communications is now operational infrastructure, how to anticipate risks by studying incidents in your sector, and the importance of preparation, practice, reviews, succession planning, and internal coordination. Bruce emphasizes message maps, fast approvals (including pre-approved holding statements), using owned media as a crisis hub, and having backups/shadows and realistic exercises ranging from lunch-and-learns to multi-day shift-based drills. They address AI-driven misinformation, the need for trusted official channels, careful use of AI for planning (not unsupervised response), and how trust is tested and reinforced during crises rather than built from scratch. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:57 Shauna’s Crisis Background 04:46 Preparation Over Parachuting 06:01 Why Crisis Comms Matters Now 09:33 Anticipating Risks by Sector 14:07 Comms as Part of Response 17:04 Air Canada Language Lesson 21:34 How to Practice Crisis Drills 29:09 Small Business Crisis Basics 33:23 Preapproved Holding Statements 35:35 Trust and Cadence in Crisis 38:02 Internal Comms Ripple Effects 40:20 Track Issues Before Crisis 41:20 AI Misinformation Reality 43:36 Own Your Channels 50:59 Build Trust With Humanity 52:36 AI For Planning Not Response 57:10 When Everything Feels Crisis 58:57 Educate Leaders And Triage 01:05:18 Preparedness Resources Wrap Show notes: Follow Shawna Bruce on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnabruce/ Visit Shawna Bruce’s site: https://www.mdbruceandassociates.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 talks with her guest Katie Suiters of Brighton Media to discuss modernizing media training for executives.  Suiters contrasts outdated, scripted talking-point memorization with a hyper-custom approach that builds authentic, teachable communication skills across scenarios, including media interviews, internal all-hands, social video, panels, and crisis moments.  She recommends starting with intention-setting: defining the business objective of an opportunity and how the spokesperson and organization should be perceived, then measuring success against those goals.  They address misconceptions that journalists are “out to get you,” the importance of taking pauses, and avoiding jargon because it erodes trust and loses audiences.  Suiters advocates ongoing monthly or quarterly prep instead of one-time sessions, explains how to deliver constructive feedback, warns that “internal” remarks can leak, and notes AI increases demand for human, credible delivery and voice-aligned messaging; outside trainers can provide candid third-party coaching. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:02 Rethinking Media Training 02:05 Beyond Broadcast Scenarios 03:33 Effort and Practice Payoff 05:20 Evolving Past Talking Points 06:14 Set Goals and Perception 08:45 Debrief and Say No 11:50 Misconceptions About Training 14:46 Journalists Are Not Enemies 19:40 Pause and Speak Clearly 22:29 Avoid Jargon and Acronyms 28:38 Ongoing Prep Sessions 29:26 Always Be Ready 30:53 PR As Insurance 31:51 Short Tailored Sessions 33:59 Handling Training Resistance 36:14 Introverts And Authenticity 37:46 Giving Executive Feedback 41:56 One On One Vs Group 43:31 Assume Everything Leaks 47:14 Difficult Questions And Bridging 50:03 AI And The Human Premium 53:42 When To Hire A Trainer 56:59 Media Training Wrap Up Show notes:  Follow Katie Suiters on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiesuiters/ 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 talks with her guest Katie Robbert, CEO of Trust Insights, about how SEO and GEO (generative AI engine optimization) affect PR work. Robbert explains GEO as serving a new “business to machine” audience—LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—which summarize information from sources such as listicles and quoted articles, making PR placements and strong SEO fundamentals still essential. Rather than throwing out playbooks, she recommends reverse-engineering AI results by asking for sources, targeting high-quality publications (including trade media), and measuring impact via analytics segments and “how did you hear about us” form fields. They discuss EEAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness), avoiding low-quality AI content, and making “machine-readable” content more detailed across owned and Google properties. Robbert also notes using constrained-source tools like NotebookLM and improving accessibility to help machine readability. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:16 Why GEO Matters Now 02:00 Defining GEO vs SEO 03:29 Trust Insights GEO Course 06:46 SEO Not Dead Explained 11:05 No Need to Overhaul PR 13:19 Paid Placement and Authority 16:18 Measuring LLM Discovery 20:01 Are LLM Leads Better 24:30 PR Priorities for SEO GEO 27:07 Avoiding AI Content Slop 29:21 Google AI Mode Question 29:42 Critical Thinking vs AI 30:27 Sniff Test and Skepticism 33:27 Ask for Sources 34:07 Control the Inputs 35:10 Notebook LM Workflows 37:11 Trade Media Strategy 40:49 Press Releases for Machines 43:24 Wire Services and GEO 46:16 Start Your Own Publication 47:42 Be Everywhere for LLMs 50:50 Accessibility as SEO 52:14 Final Optimization Takeaways Show notes: Katie Robbert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katierobbert/ Trust Insights GEO 101 course: https://academy.trustinsights.ai/courses/geo-101-for-marketers Trust Insights site: https://www.trustinsights.ai/ 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.

PR scams are EVERYWHERE these days. We also see a rise in the number of agencies selling “fake PR” placements.  My guest, Bill Byrne, co-founder of Remedy PR, and I delve into this topic on this episode of PR Explored.  What should you watch out for? How can you tell when someone is trying to sell you something that's too good to be true? And how should you vet a PR provider to ensure you're hiring a credible consultant or agency?  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.