Cessie Cerrato

We're just 3 full work weeks away from the end of year and that clean slate new year feeling is just around the corner. We are helping our clients start on a strong foot by using December to: - reinvigorating visual presence on web and social platforms - examining communications practices to explore whether a pivot is necessary to drive the impact we want to see in the marketplace - dusting off goals, mission statements, and values to see where things have gotten sidetracked - leveraging AI and other new technologies to help those busy tasks get done faster, better, and in a more affordable way - auditing paid plugins and platforms to trim, enhance performance, and save Am I missing something? How is your team getting ready for 2025? Comment below!

6

1 Comment

Grateful to Agility PR Solutions for featuring my brand new book, 𝐁2𝐁 𝐏𝐑 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬! "New Book from Influential PR Vet Michelle Garrett, B2B PR That Gets Results, Just Released" "I felt there was a need for this type of book that explains—in a straightforward fashion—the work of PR professionals and the challenges they face so that companies can get the most out of engaging with a PR consultant or agency and achieve their public relations goals." #B2BPRbook #newauthor #publicrelations

30

2 Comments

How do you know you’re the OG of Public Relations leaders on LinkedIn ? When your LI profile is old enough to order a dry martini at the Tadich Grill in San Francisco 🍸 Cheers to me, I guess? LinkedIn officially launched on May 5, 2003. It was just a glorified Rolodex at that point, or so I thought. Founder Reid Hoffman disabused me of that notion face-to-face. I’ll never forget it. Or how stupid I was about this platform. I was VP marketing at SHIFT Communications back then, and I pitched LinkedIn’s PR business 2x. Came in 2nd both times. 🫠 I think it was because Reid had a vision for this platform that was far bigger than most of us were prepared to imagine. Me included. I didn’t do shit here until the pandemic tbh. That’s when I started posting my thoughts about the tech PR industry daily as I started my own PR agency, Crackle PR. People gave me a hard time about that, not gonna lie. “Don’t you have a day job?” “Do you just like to hear yourself talk?” 🙄 But it took me more than 20 years to see what Mr. Hoffman saw waaaaay back when we met. In the past few years I’ve shared everything I know about my industry. I’ve ungated my brain, for free, for anyone willing to listen, and I’ve asked for nothing in return except your attention, your conversation, your readership, your kinship. And I’ve built a bustling PR agency doing millions of dollars in ARR without doing ANY outbound marketing. None. Ever. I’ve built a killer team without ever needing a recruiter. Because all of the business, all of the revenue, all of my talented people came inbound to Crackle from LinkedIn. Because I use this incredible platform to build in public. Openly, transparently, authentically. That’s what Reid Hoffman saw back then —and a cocky young punk like me couldn’t even wrap my head around it: It’s called Social selling. 🌟 And once you finally see it, you can’t unsee it. This is the most powerful social platform on planet earth, and it’s just getting started. I’ll drink to that 🍻 This is the way ✊

119

34 Comments

How can you jazz up your publicity efforts this week? Perhaps you can tie your brand into one of these trends — or gain some inspiration for a new product or package at your hotel or travel company. It’s not even officially summer yet, but the SEASON’S OFFICIAL “IT” MEAL has already emerged in New York City — and it’s actually not as new and innovative as you would expect. This is going to be the SUMMER OF HIGHER FEES — we’re talking plenty of new tourist entry fees as well as higher hotel taxes in many cities. Even Greece is looking to tack on hotel fees which they are chalking up to “climate crisis resilience fees” to steel itself against climate disasters like last year’s wildfires. OVER-THE-TOP BURGERS are still creating a lot of media buzz and the price tag on this one is pretty hefty. LEISURE TRAVEL IS WANING, but there is some good news as other travel sectors are rebounding. And finally this is one of the weirdest trends we’ve tracked in a while: THEME PARK NANNIES who are getting paid handsomely to take rich people’s kids to the theme parks! Check it all out in our three-minute read below. https://lnkd.in/gn6tM8_T #summertravel #trends #hotelsandresorts #burgers #businesstravel #foodandbeverage #hotels

5

Anyone who has founded and run a company knows the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It was so fun to talk to Nate and Eric about their journey and also provide some insight on what PR is (and isn't). Thanks for having me! #thoughtleadership #entrepreurship

1

Looking forward to joining my super smart PR Boutiques International colleagues for this extremely valuable webinar. Start 2025 armed with tools to help plan your crisis communications, to manage them when a crisis hits, and to restore your organization's reputation afterward. Details below! #crisiscommunication #webinar #professionadevelopment

2

Smith Publicity, Inc.'s VP of Publicity, Janet Shapiro was in NYC today at Yahoo Finance with our wonderful client Jamie Woolf from Creativity Partners talking about the negative impact of having a bad boss--and how employees can help these navigate difficult personalities. “If you talk to employees, your average employee, about 75% will say that their boss is the most stressful part of their job — not deadlines, not the work — the boss," Woolf explains. "So with bad bosses, there's really high turnover, and turnover, we know, is costly." For the more information: https://lnkd.in/eRztegeA

29

1 Comment

Holiday Travel Concerns Rise: Majority of Americans See Dangerous Driving Surge, Says Leading Media Expert Michael Levine As millions gear up for holiday travel, many Americans are feeling more anxious about getting behind the wheel. According to Michael Levine, one of America’s premier media experts, a significant 78% of U.S. adults perceive cellphone distraction as a major road safety issue, with nearly half reporting that drivers today are less cautious than before the pandemic. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center echoes this sentiment, highlighting widespread concerns about road safety. An alarming 49% of respondents believe that driving behavior in their community has worsened over the past five years, with 23% indicating a steep decline in safety standards. The pandemic brought a surge in road fatalities, and while these numbers have slightly decreased, the fear persists. "The data suggests that distracted driving—particularly due to cellphone use—has become a critical concern," says Levine. "It's not just about texting; it's about the shift in attention and the risk it poses to everyone on the road." Adding to this anxiety is the surge in road rage incidents, with about one in four Americans witnessing aggressive driving regularly. As the holiday season approaches, Levine warns that the mix of heavy traffic and distracted, impatient drivers could lead to heightened risks. The message is clear: as we head into the busiest travel season of the year, it’s time to put down the phones and refocus on the road ahead. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. www.BoundlessMediaUSA.com

1

Rev your engines, folks! The F1 Miami Grand Prix returns this weekend, and if there's one thing we PR pros know, it's how to seize a golden opportunity. We like to leverage big events like these to: - Expand our clients’ reach to a wider audience - Tap into the excitement and keep brands relevant - Develop creative promotions and activations to coincide with the event - Craft compelling media pitches, such as highlighting places to get your adrenaline fix or suggesting budget-friendly ways to enjoy Miami if you can’t afford Formula 1 tickets - Generate content for social media, e-blasts, websites, and more. It's all about getting creative and utilizing every tool in our PR toolbox. #F1Miami #PRStrategies #PublicRelations #ThinkOpposite

16

2 Comments

For more than 15 years, I’ve worked agency-side serving large, international brands to up-and-coming start-ups. I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients who were wicked smart and fun to work with, as well as some not-so-pleasant clients who saw me as a vendor, not a partner. Recently, one of our clients asked me: “How can I be a better client for you?” (green flag!). After giving it some thought, I boiled it down to a few key points. Here they are: Make time and space for onboarding and discovery. At Slide Nine, we always build in time for onboarding and discovery so we can ensure the team has a full understanding of the company’s complexities and the broader market context in which it operates. This usually involves conversations with key executives/spokespeople, competitor analysis, market research, etc. If you are looking to bring on a new agency, investing that time and brainpower at the beginning will help your agency team understand your company’s business objectives and devise a communications strategy that will truly move the needle. ‍Be transparent about budget. Every corporate communications and marketing team has a set annual budget. It’s understandable that a client may not want to share the exact amount with their agency because they think the agency will attempt to line their pockets. Here’s the truth: a good agency partner will manage your budget as if it were their own. Without any sense of what budget constraints may exist, you could put your agency in a position of over or under-estimating what’s financially possible and delivering a proposed communications plan that misses the mark. Financial transparency will allow you and your agency to align on a strategic creative approach more efficiently. ‍Give specific, direct, and constructive feedback. I’m a big fan of the book Radical Candor by Kim Scott. She talks about the importance of giving feedback that’s kind and clear, specific and sincere. There have been many times when I wanted to give a copy of this book to a client after a particularly brutal “feedback” session where phrases like, “I don’t like it,” “I’m just not feeling it,” and “This isn’t what I’m looking for” were thrown around. At the end of the day, we want to deliver exceptional work that you are excited about. Just remember, we can’t read your mind. Help us help you. Provide your agency team with all the necessary information needed to do our jobs (and keep us informed when things shift). Join our scheduled meetings so we can have open dialogue and share timely updates to move things forward. Provide reasonably quick feedback and approvals on content our team develops. It’s our job to make you look like a rock star within your organization. Help us do that effectively and efficiently. Agency friends, what did I miss? #Communications #Agency #PR #ClientEngagement

40

2 Comments

Journalists are spilling the tea about what they like and don't like. Frank Strong of The Sword and the Script shared the results of a recent Cision survey. He pulled the stats that PR pros need to know about to improve their odds of success. 42% of reporters say credibility is the top challenge facing journalism. Tip: Avoid adjectives and hyperbole when you pitch. 67% of journalists use social media to source information. Tip: Keep your social feeds active and relevant. 55% of journalists want exclusives. Tip: Consider using them judiciously. #PR #publicrelationsagency #journalism

7

I kinda hate to admit it but this post makes some really great points. In an age of TL/DR, there's definitely a blurry line around length for a corporate article (or any article, for that matter.) But I don't think word count is necessarily the challenge. The recipe to good writing begins with getting to the point quickly and being able to answer a reader's "Why should I care?" question early in the article. If you can do that, you have a better chance of luring readers into the context, through the examples and supporting data points and (gasp) all the way to the kicker. (Some personality in your writing helps, too.) Some advice: Don't dwell on word count, focus on the story outline and the writing style. Keep the writing concise and tight, stay focused on the objective of the article, and organize it like a "story." If you provide readers with a compelling intro and an interesting middle, they're more likely to keep reading to the very end. #QualityOverQuantity #WordsMatter #Journalism #Storytelling #Content #WordNerd #CorporateContent

5

Dear PR folks, Please stop sending me the same budget quotes over and over again, as it just ends up confusing me and making my job harder. If you've already sent your quotes, I promise they'll get published. If there's an issue and don't see your quotes in any of the covered sectors then just reply to the original email instead of sending a new one. Also, please don’t send pre-budget quotes in bullet points – my audience doesn’t find that format useful. P.S.: We are accepting quotes for all sectors, including opinion pieces, analysis articles, video reactions, and budget reviews. I hope you understand. Best, Krishna #Budget #BudgetWithTG #UnionBudget #PR 

11

Dear PR folks, Please stop sending me the same budget quotes over and over again, as it just ends up confusing me and making my job harder. If you've already sent your quotes, I promise they'll get published. If there's an issue and don't see your quotes in any of the covered sectors then just reply to the original email instead of sending a new one. Also, please don’t send pre-budget quotes in bullet points – my audience doesn’t find that format useful. P.S.: We are accepting quotes for all sectors, including opinion pieces, analysis articles, video reactions, and budget reviews. I hope you understand. Best, Krishna #Budget #BudgetWithTG #UnionBudget #PR

20

In every interview situation, there are some phrases that spokespeople use which make their listener cringe. Here are the key phrases to avoid when you're speaking to journalists #pr #mediatraining  

1

Over the past 20+ years, Mission North has supported companies through critical milestones and communications opportunities – such as launching out of stealth, creating a category, entering the public markets, or driving catalyzing industry movements. Many of our clients come to us for support during “champagne moments,” and stick with us to differentiate as they evolve, which often requires educating skeptics and confronting challengers. Our goal: to provide clients with a guide to what’s most impactful to their business — reputation management, thought leadership, content marketing, digital marketing, and beyond — to help them navigate and operate from a position of strength. We’ve codified our approach with Brand Navigator (unveiled today on our updated website!), which crystallizes our approach to support clients through critical moments: ⚒️ Build: Rally people around an audacious vision and category-defining opportunity. 🚀 Scale: Grow from idea to IPO with an undeniable performance narrative. 🗽Lead: Own the category and become the industry standard for your peers. 🔒Protect: Defend your license to operate while managing increased risk and stakeholder complexity. 🌱 Renew: Reclaim the lead and offer new reasons to believe your best days are still ahead. This framework helps us adapt to companies’ changing comms needs over time and partner with them for the long haul. When we all have so much flying at us at once, it can be hard to prioritize where to begin. It can be grounding to lean on Brand Navigator as a framework to guide clients, and reassure them that while their situation is unique and often decisions need to be made quickly, there are tried and true approaches we can lean on to craft a communications strategy that we are confident will work. Check out our blog on Brand Navigator and try to plot your business on the map. Where does your company fit? #communications #corporatecomms #PRstrategy #brandstrategy https://lnkd.in/eZkpTqzN

13

4 Comments

When countless people cheer a CEO gunned down in midtown Manhattan, this is not a PR problem -- it's a business one and a significant one at that. What happened to United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last Wednesday was horrible and tragic. People who knew him are undoubtedly experiencing profound loss, sadness and perhaps fear. In times like these, the reflex action for many companies is to tap the PR team to thwart criticism coming from multiple corners. But it won't work. PR didn't create the problem, nor can it fix it. No amount of charitable giving, sponsorships and the like can undo this. It will take time and meaningful, measurable change to begin to overcome the negative sentiment pouring out on social media, online news story comments and dozens of editorials. And United Health isn't alone. The same frustration that led Trump to reelection is fueling this vocal outrage. Average people are tired of getting squeezed whether at the gas pump, grocery store or by insurers while watching these companies post record profits and billionaires getting wealthier. The wealth gap in the US continues to grow, with the top 10% of earners owning nearly two-thirds of the country's wealth, while the bottom 50% own only 2.5%. Last week, the wealth of the four richest people -- Musk, Ellison, Zuckerberg and Bezos -- hit $1 trillion. This editorial, likening today's have/have-nots to the Gilded Age, crystallizes this moment well. The winds of change require PR people (in-house and agency) to provide important, objective external context to internal discussions needed to salvage and rebuild reputation and ultimately build a better business. #PR #reputation #trust

34

14 Comments

Building Influence Through Thought Leadership. Thought leadership has become essential for brands to connect with today's informed consumers seeking expertise. By sharing industry insights and guidance, brands establish credibility while navigating complex markets. This article reveals how thought leadership helps brands demonstrate knowledge and commitment, building trust with customers and partners. It discusses how providing valuable content positions brands as reliable resources and positively affects purchasing decisions. Brands attain higher visibility and influence by developing authentic, expert-driven materials addressing industry challenges and trends. This approach requires a careful balance of education and branding. Are you curious about how your brand can become a respected thought leader? The Pollack Group's Leadership Now and Connect to Lead solutions provide roadmaps on cultivating an influence platform distinct from competitors. #PR #ThoughtLeadership #LeadershipNow #ConnectToLead #branding

9