"Creativity cannot be forced; it must be invited to the party."

Amanda Hill, CEO of Three Box, shares her insights on fostering a creative environment within a PR firm. She explains why leaders must prioritize creating the time and space necessary for creativity to flourish, as she discovered through her own experiences during the pandemic.

By taking intentional breaks and embracing new environments, Amanda found that inspiration often strikes when least expected. She also discusses how to involve team members in the creative process, ensuring that they feel ownership and enthusiasm for new ideas, ultimately transforming both internal dynamics and client interactions.

Key Takeaways

• Creativity is not something that can be forced but should be invited and nurtured through intentional practices and environment settings.
• Creating a space for creativity involves not only physical environments but also a cultural mindset that encourages exploration and innovation.
• Leadership plays a critical role in fostering creativity by modeling behavior, taking sabbaticals, and encouraging the team to engage in new experiences.
• The integration of creativity can lead to strategic breakthroughs not only for internal teams but also in delivering exceptional client experiences.

About the Guest

Amanda Hill, MBA, APR, is passionate about leveraging marketing communications to drive impact for brands. As CEO of Texas-based Three Box, she and her team serve as strategic advisors to regional and national brands across the U.S. Amanda has been recognized for her industry expertise and millennial leadership in regional, national and global forums. Aside from her husband and their two sons, she's most proud of building an award-winning team at Three Box, named one of Forbes' Top PR Firms in America.

About the Host

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

PRGN Presents is brought to you by Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local public relations agency. Our executive producer is Adrian McIntyre.

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As the United States gears up for a significant presidential election, the political climate has become an omnipresent factor influencing journalism and PR strategies.

David Fuscus, CEO of Xenophon Strategies and founder of Précis AI, shares some insights on navigating the complex landscape of political communications in an increasingly polarized environment.

David emphasizes the need for public relations professionals to be strategic in their approach, understanding the risks and ramifications of engaging in political discussions. He highlights the importance of being intentional in decision-making, using case studies like Tractor Supply's misstep with their ESG policy to illustrate the potential pitfalls of being tone-deaf to the current political climate.

David, Abbie, and Adrian also discuss the evolving media landscape, where the traditional boundaries between old and new media are blurring, and advise on leveraging niche publications and trade press for more effective outreach. They emphasize the necessity of staying informed and adaptable in a fast-changing world.

Key Takeaways

• PR professionals must counsel clients on the importance of strategic and tactical decisions, especially in politically charged times.
• Companies should be aware of the political landscape, especially during election cycles, to avoid unintended controversies.
• The media environment has evolved significantly, necessitating a nuanced understanding of both traditional and new media.
• The PR industry’s focus has shifted from purely earned media to include a significant portion of social media and niche publications.
• Businesses must be prepared for unintended political entanglements and understand how to manage crises effectively.

About the Guest

David Fuscus is CEO of Xenophon Strategies, a Washington, DC based public relations agency that he founded in 2000. Xenophon works with clients from around the world such as Airbus, The Virgin Group, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Coast Guard and NEC Corporation. Fuscus wrote his first press release for his parents restaurant when he was 19 and he’s been a PR professional ever since. In 2023, he was one of two inductees into the PRSA Hall of Fame and was the President of the Public Relations Global Network that same year. Fuscus is also the CEO/Founder of Précis AI which recently launched Précis Public Relations, a generative AI platform highly specialized for PR and marketing.

About the Host

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

PRGN Presents is brought to you by Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local public relations agency. Our executive producer is Adrian McIntyre.

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In the dynamic world of brand marketing, integrating the voices of consumers is not just a best practice — it's a necessity.

In this episode, Jen Belcastro and Bill Southard explain why listening to the consumer is crucial for brand success. They discuss how understanding consumer behavior, preferences, and emotional connections can lead to more effective marketing campaigns and business strategies.

Consumer research is an investment that can save companies from costly missteps and ensure they remain responsive to market changes and consumer needs.

This ongoing and adaptive process is not a one-time effort but a continual practice that sustains brand relevance and drives continuous improvement.

Jen advocates for starting small to win stakeholder buy-in for consumer research. This could involve initial stakeholder interviews to identify gaps and build a case for wider research, demonstrating the value through incremental insights.

Key Takeaways

• Putting people at the heart of marketing strategies helps to build strong emotional connections with the brand.
• Identifying the correct target audience is crucial; often, companies have assumptions that may not be accurate.
• Consumer research, even on a small scale, can reveal vital insights that lead to better product and marketing decisions.
• Tracking brand performance and consumer behavior year-round is essential for ongoing success and adjustment in strategies.

About the Guests

Jen Belcastro is Founder & President of Escalate Strategies. She has spent over 20 years as a Consumer Insights & Brand Strategist at mid to large corporate agencies, serving clients from multiple verticals (B2C and B2B). She has a depth of experience in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies with a particular passion around helping clients grow winning brands that truly make the world a better place. After witnessing how typical big company challenges — high overhead, politics, bureaucracy, complex staffing models, and employee burnout — were to the direct detriment of the clients they claim to serve, she founded Escalate Strategies to offer clients direct access to her senior-level experience, entrepreneurial creativity, and laser focus on strategically impactful results.

Bill Southard is founder and CEO of Southard Communications, a firm he founded in 1994. Under his leadership, Southard Communications has shown significant growth across a number of market segments. Headquartered in New York City, the firm has executed successful public relations, digital marketing and communications and social media campaigns for a wide range of B2B and B2C companies, for several of which the agency has been recognized with industry awards. Southard has four decades of experience in the public relations industry. Prior to founding his current firm, he was executive vice president/general manager of Dorf & Stanton Communications, an agency that was sold in 1989 to Shandwick. The agency has worked on a number of iconic brands in the toy and game space including Etch a Sketch, LeapFrog, The Elf on the Shelf, Pound Puppies and Slinky, to name a few.

About the Host

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing...