Agencies of the Future

President & CEO of Double Forte Lee Caraher shares how simplicity and transparency have built love and loyalty for her agency amongst clients and employees alike. The agency is built to solve business problems through communications and they make sure every assignment stays true to that. After George Floyd's murder last summer, she and her colleagues brought the same focus and tenacity to tackling their DE&I problem.  Listen and learn how they worked together to tackle this business problem.

In this episode, Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of RuderFinn, shares her passion for serving clients and the constant learning that entails. Staunchly optimistic, Kathy has adopted a mantra of “What's Next?” for the business.  She keeps the entire RF team focused on learning versus languishing and has committed to initiatives like Tech Lab and weekly reports to the leadership team to remain future-focused. Listen and learn more about how Ruder Finn will remain one of the world's most successful agencies.

H&S is a small agency that delivers for big clients. Founder and CEO Elizabeth Harrison attributes some of this success to long-term efforts to ensure their staff represents their clients' diverse audiences. Today, the firm boasts a leadership team that is 70% diverse and has attracted and retained diverse talent at all levels. In this podcast, Elizabeth shares keys to success, which include being intentional about creating positive experiences for diverse employees.

Founder and CEO of Imre, Dave Imre says his idea of a successful agency is one where you are happy to see your colleagues every single day. But COVID and the racial justice movement forced this agency to rethink everything to take care of their employees. Listen and learn how Imre reengineered employee processes and offerings to continue an aggressive growth path and keep everyone smiling when they see each other -- be it in the office or over Zoom. 

Challenging times often expedite innovation and that’s what’s happened with IPG’s PR firms and the industry overall, according to Andy Polansky, Chairman and Chief Executive at the newly branded IPG DXTRA and Executive Chairman at Weber Shandwick. The organization he helms is built to provide clients with the expertise they need, when and where they need it. Culture and diversity are required to make it all work and that’s long been a focus at IPG, according to Andy. Listen in to learn more.

This time last year, who could have known how appropriate and necessary Teneshia’s new book would be? Published in November 2019, The Big Stretch provides step-by-step guidance for dreaming big and converting those thoughts and ideas into successes.  In this episode, Teneshia shares how she and her team put the principles in her book to work to drive winning outcomes for the agency and its clients through COVID-19, the economic downfall and the racial justice movement.

After his agency’s successful first decade in business, Kim Hunter celebrated by launching The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) to provide financial support, mentorship, professional development workshops and employment opportunities to ethnic minority students entering the fields of advertising, PR and marketing. Twenty years later (Happy 30th LAGRANT Communications!), Kim and TLF have helped hundreds of students enter the field of communications. Through the agency, TLF, and his recruiting firm, which specializes in placing minorities in senior communications roles, Kim shares his insights into how the industry can be more successful in attracting and retaining diverse talent. 

As 2020 comes to a close, winners are becoming clear. AnnaMaria DeSalva, Chairman and CEO of H+K Strategies, isn’t going to claim victory but she does acknowledge that 2020 events accelerated the strategy she put in place upon taking the reins in 2019. Learn more about how her team leveraged their global network and heritage in issues and reputation management to deliver for employees, clients and their holding company. AnnaMaria also shares future bets she’s placing, including a strong focus on global DE&I.

A social awakening has put diverse audiences and diverse agencies in the spotlight. “It’s about time,” says Natalie Boden, founder and CEO of the Boden Agency. “The future is going to be about culturally rich communications.” Learn more about communications that speak to cultural truths of diverse communities 365 days a year – not just during special recognition months – as well as hear some truth spoken about how this super successful mother of three tries to be good to herself.

According to Melissa Waggener Zorkin, global CEO and founder of WE Communications, moving people to positive action has long been the global firm’s mission and the decades-long tenure of many employees and clients is proof positive.  Continuous reinvention and a laser-sharp focus on people and purpose over profit have been guiding principles for Waggener Zorkin and took her from a simple conviction that technology would change the world to becoming one of the world’s largest communications agencies.

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.  

The best solutions require a balance of data married with brilliant creative, according to Dominic Leung, Group Strategy Officer at Cognito. Understanding the patterns (which are revealed by data) provides the platform for the experimentation and innovation that leads to great jazz music and great creativity that clients need and expect. This combination – and a deep sector focus – has given Cognito permission to work with clients across the value chain – from consulting to execution, all with an eye on unlocking business growth.

A ‘nothing is impossible’ mantra is the underpinning of our fun and collaborative culture,” according to Jim Brodsky, CEO and Founder of Sharp Think.  Brodsky took a north to south approach to building the agency instead of east to west and now has a growing team in West Palm Beach in addition to his 50-person HQ in New York. One perk is a Winter Term for NYC staff to warm up and work in the Florida sunshine. Learn more, including how Jim’s early years in large advertising agencies influenced his agency’s development.

With a strong legacy as a corporate advisory firm, APCO is seeing its traditionally public affairs approach to stakeholder engagement in demand for companies and their brands across all audiences. With consumers much more aware of all aspects of brands, products and services, a fully integrated, outside-in approach makes sense for a wide range of organizations.  Evan shares more about the talent and special offerings required to deliver on this in today’s environment.

In this episode, we sat down with Barri Rafferty, CEO of Ketchum, to discuss the firm’s strategic evolution from a traditional agency model. She shares how Ketchum is leveraging deep industry expertise and an overlay of broad skillsets to go places they’ve never been before. A World Economic Forum regular, Rafferty shares the topics from this year’s event that are relevant to our industry.

To kick off season 2 of Agencies of the Future, we sat down with Jim Joseph, Global President of BCW and the PR Council’s new Board Chair. Jim honors the huge legacy of Harold Burson and discusses how we can better attract young talent by focusing on what makes PR an exciting career choice. “As we’re transforming our industry, the less we think about the needs of PR agencies being so specialized and different, the more we will be able to find the talent we need to grow,” says Jim. He also shares his ideas to build the PR Council community.

In this week’s episode, we talk with Becky Honeyman and Greg Mondshein about their unlikely partnership -- which they say is like “chalk and cheese” -- and how despite this, they came to cofound SourceCode Communications. Referring to themselves as a true yin and yang, they explain how the key to their success is keeping everything in balance: their professional relationship, their complementary skillset, and their approach to serving clients, which strives to balance humanity, technology, and data.  

In this week’s episode, Lisa Hannum of Beehive Strategic Communications takes us inside the carefully constructed "Hive" (a nickname affectionately given by her clients) of the Beehive offices and shares how her unique approach to investing in employees has inspired well-being, creativity and growth. Hannum also delves into the future of purpose and transparency for agencies, and why being a Certified B Corporation has allowed her team to stay true to their mission of “building better businesses for a better world.”

In this episode, our guest is Julie Batliner, president and managing partner of Carmichael Lynch. Julie reflects on the role of PR in an advertising agency and shares how the blurring of market disciplines can accelerate growth for clients and agencies alike. Julie delves into learning to speak the language of creatives, the rapid evolution of the market, and her own efforts to achieve work/life balance.

In this week’s episode, our guest is Andy Pray, the founder of Praytell and a PRWeek 40 under 40 award winner. Learn how Andy and his team keep delivering what he calls “Praytell Bangers” – awesome, culturally relevant, brand-building ideas.  He also dives into the highs and lows of agency life, from managing the rapid growth of his company to the daily pressures of being a ‘best place to work.’  Curious what he look for in talent? You may be surprised.

An accidental landing in PR after earning her undergrad degree has turned into a 22-year career in the field for Anne Green, principal and managing director of G&S Business Communications.  When CooperKatz, the firm she helped build and ultimately was named CEO, was acquired by G&S Business Communications, Anne applied her strategic counseling skills to her own firm.  She shares how the leadership teams of both firms decided early on that they wanted the merger process to be seen as best-in-class and keep their human capital front and center every step of the way. Anne also discusses the value of a liberal arts education, how “the grass is both green and brown on every side of the fence,” and championing diversity of every viewpoint.

Working in agencies has both ups and downs, and Todd Hansen, Principal at O'Malley Hansen Communications, believes we need to reflect more on what we love about agency life. Building a successful, long-term agency career requires a specific skillset — some constant and some constantly evolving — and a particular mindset. Todd discusses the exciting challenges and changes our talent has seen in the last five years, some that are likely to come in the next five, and the responsibilities of leaders to guide talent through them.

Andy Last, co-founder of MullenLowe salt, can easily be called a purpose specialist. Since 2000, he has advised some of the world's biggest companies and most iconic brands on integrating purpose and sustainability into their business models. The geopolitical landscape, abundant climate change crises, citizen journalism, and employee activism are forcing corporations to take a stance on sustainability and transparency. “Businesses that understand their relationship with society and manage their external impact…will grow better as businesses,” Andy says. Hear his advice for avoiding the traps of “purpose and green-washing,” thoughts on attracting and keeping young talent, and conviction that purpose work is here to stay.

After successful careers in print and broadcast news and politics, Ron Sachs decided to open an agency – this despite his mother’s concerns that he “didn’t know anything about business.”  Twenty-three years later, Ron has proven himself a masterful businessman who often flouts conventional agency wisdom. Sachs Media Group manages to serve both Democratic and Republican interests, a balancing act that’s not achieved by many. For his team, the focus is on supporting good policies, brands and services. Lately, he has been putting capable young talent in leadership positions and backing them up with seasoned pros who are happy to play supporting, collaborative roles.  “If we don’t advance young stars quickly into meaningful leadership positions, we risk losing them to other opportunities.” Learn more about how Ron zigs while others zag in this week’s podcast…

Nineteen deals in, Peter Finn, founding managing partner of Finn Partners, has learned to quickly spot M&A opportunities that are going to work. Finn says, “Having the right culture – or ability to fit in -- is key to a deal’s success.” That’s critical for this fast-growing, nine-year-old agency that is committed to having a heart and a conscience. Evidence that he’s making the right decisions is the feedback from the agencies he’s acquired, which is typically, “Best decision I ever made.”

Heather Kernahan, President of Hotwire, North America and Australia, took a break from hands-on brand-building for Hotwire from her San Francisco base to take an epic trip over the summer.  From her first stop, first-time visit to Cannes, to office visits in the UK and Australia, an all employee meeting in Dublin and a final stop in New York, Heather shares the energy and learnings that come from stepping out of your norm.  According to Heather, the way those factors contribute to world-class work -- and intensive community building -- are why Hotwire continues to invest in bringing its worldwide employee base together once a year.

What’s the protocol for vetting whether or not a prospect is right for the firm?  According to Jon Silvan, founder and CEO of Global Strategy Group, the considerations should be whether the firm’s talent will be proud to say they work on that client, the relationship can be profitable, the agency can win the pitch, and the work will have a successful outcome. “We look for clients that our talent wants to work on because recruiting and retaining great people is too difficult to risk losing them.”

Agencies of the Future need to own earned media and earn owned media, according to James Wright, CEO of Red Havas. Hear more about how he is transforming the agency through a model he calls Merged Media, which starts with the story, not the channel.  This focus on what he calls "borderless stories" reflects how people consume media today and creates a great opportunity for PR.

According to Cheryl Overton, President of Egami Group, the firm has been undergoing an evolution and a revolution over the past year. Fueling Egami’s growth are new services, capabilities and client business. Overton explains that passion for the work and a strong sense of gratitude are what sets this multicultural agency apart, and she says it flows from the top: the founder and CEO brings these qualities every single day. Listen in as she shares more about what it means to believe in your passions and make work work for you. A veteran of general market and multicultural agencies, she also offers practical advice for every professional to contribute to making our industry more diverse and inclusive.

In this episode, Michelle Strier, Chief Strategy Officer of Spectrum, shares her fascination with the science of happiness. As a mother with a big job in a demanding area of business, she has unlocked the key to making it work and work well. She likes to help colleagues think about what would make them happier at work. Flexibility is one of the answers, and Michelle shares lots of different ways to apply it. 

In the category of agency leaders who do it all and manage to make it look easy Sandra Fathi, President & Founder of Affect, reveals her tricks for balancing a successful agency life alongside a fulfilling family life. She also shares some of her favorite mantras and bets on where the PR business is headed.

“Keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other.”You’ll learn this and many other pearls of wisdom in our episode with Jennefer Witter, CEO and Founder of The Boreland Group and one of the nation’s top 10 black CEOs and entrepreneurs, according to MadameNoire. Self-care is critical — something Jennefer learned the hard way — as is self-promotion. She also shares the many benefits of authoring a book and simple ways that even introverts can network effectively.

Managing your health is an important, although often neglected, element of managing your career.  In this episode, Wendy Lund, CEO of GCI Health, shares data from the firms HealthiHER study and why the firm is expanding the campaign.  Spoiler alert: nearly 100% of the women in our industry report being stressed and anxious. Listen as she reveals more about the firm’s #BeHealthiHER movement and its multiple benefits.

Do you know what it takes to create successful influencer campaigns? In this episode, Jodi Petrie, Executive Vice President of March Communications, guides us through this phenomenon and the secret sauce that makes influencer programs successful and measurable. Listen in as we explore one of the fastest-growing areas of our business today.

Agencies need talent with new skills and competencies and the talent entering the PR field brings different goals and expectations. How can agencies keep up by creating the right initiatives to attract and retain exceptional talent? In this episode, Phil Nardone, President & CEO of PAN Communications, discusses how the industry has changed since he started his career, how he tries to prepare the next generation in his teaching at Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications, and the attributes and attitude he seeks in new graduates applying to his agency.

Have you and your team defined the attributes of good clients? In this episode, Michael Kempner, CEO of MWWPR shares how his agency builds and maintains relationships to deliver top-notch work. Since the definition might vary given where your business is, what’s the profile of a good client for your firm today and are there enough of them out there? Conversely, we discuss the incredibly high cost of bad clients.

Jason Schlossberg, Managing Director of Strategic Communications at Huge, shares how PR changes when it sits inside a digital firm and why his team’s spirit animal is a duck-billed platypus. Huge is known for UX design – actually making things – so Jason and his team work to bring this approach to every aspect of communications. It’s a different way to problem-solve that has his teams working with designers and engineers to think about how to make products more newsworthy at the onset and other “earned fuel consulting” across Huge’s client base. Download to hear more about this approach and the platypus.

Selling the business is a goal for many independent agency owners. In this episode, Alex Halbur, Managing Partner at Prosper Group, an expert consultancy for PR and marketing communications agencies, shares advice on this topic. Alex works exclusively with independent agency owners to ensure their business generates the wealth they need for what’s next. Tune in to hear what agency owners should be thinking about and doing five years before this transition, from solidifying a senior leadership team to creating a focused strategic plan for the organization, talent and clients.

With news coverage about Bayer calling into question the most basic PR practices, trust has never been more critical for an “Agency of the Future.” In this episode, we explore what trust means in business, including rapidly changing consumer expectations, with Matt Harrington, Global COO of Edelman and former Chair of the PR Council. He shares key trends from Edelman's Trust Barometer, which is in its 19th year. Listen to learn why trust is key to the future state of relationships and the most important "license to operate" issue for our agencies.

Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is an ethical and business imperative. As an industry, we have a responsibility and accountability to make this a priority. Check out our latest podcast episode featuring Soon Mee Kim, Executive Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion Leader of Porter Novelli and Helen Shelton, Senior Partner of Finn Partners. As leaders in the D&I arena, they shed light on the inherent need to take action to better our organizations.

What is the secret sauce to fostering a culture of creativity and passion for the work? Dale Bornstein, CEO of M Booth, walks the walk when it comes to balancing the needs of an agency’s talent with the needs of the business. Listen as she describes how she's helped create an environment where people show up to do their best work every single day. 

Why do leaders need empathy today more than ever? In this episode, we speak with Tricia Ewald, Managing Partner at ICF Next, as she describes how leaders can bring empathy to a team or organization, why empathy at work means a balance between compassion and objectivity, and how to recruit for empathy.