Lisa Preuss

"If you don’t tell your story, someone else will." Legendary comms-focused journalist Eleanor Hawkins writes a popular newsletter for Axios, often spotlighting comms leaders and media moves. She brings chops from government, politics & nonprofit media to her journalism. 🎙️ As a recent guest on Russell Sherman’s ‘Press Profiles’ podcast, Eleanor shares hard-earned insights that show how communications can shape a business, especially when CEOs and leaders grasp its relevance. She stresses ‘smart brevity’, explains ‘astroturfing’ and tracks trends in company reputation and channel usage. Together they analyze the role of CEOs in strategic communications, looking at (rare) good examples: authentic vertical content, direct-to-camera video, being focused with no distractions, speed in responding, and crisis communications drills – especially in the airline industry. 😅 My fave aspect: she flagged VC Comms as an interesting area where comms people support firm developments and startup innovations. Happy to chat! Eleanor also connects communicators who want to learn from one another through IRL events. It’s an episode packed with tips; go have a listen and would love to hear your key takeaways, too. https://lnkd.in/eNem2sWw cc: Dan Primack, Oliver Aust, Stefano De Marzo, Dan Taylor, Freskida Goni, Rylee Mora, Julija (JJ) Jegorova, Katharina Heller, Beck Bamberger, PhD #communication #storytelling #tactics #strategy #narrative #brand #PR

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For those going to the RSA Conference, some thoughts on PR meetings for the show with press or analysts. Pros have been pitching meetings for close to 6-8 weeks now. There are meetings on your calendar. Oh, we can ask to change that meeting at the last minute because a hot customer meeting came up, but it's going to be not-easy-to-impossible; press and analysts have full schedules too. What's your Plan B? Book time to get to a meeting in a different location than your booth, where seating might be limited and the environment very noisy. Talking with a freelancer? Good, because there are lots of great press people who freelance. Buy breakfast or lunch, and you'll get quality time with them (and they are likely on their own dime). Remember, you might be meeting physically for the first time, but there will be many calls and emails and Zoom meetings to come after the show. And please try not to be late for your meeting and to wrap it up on time so the analyst/reporter/editor/content creator can get to their next meeting. Remember, any meeting missed can be done after the show. If you don't want to see it in print, don't say it. And just because the notebook is closed doesn't mean the Interview is over. See you at RSAC2025! #TechPR #CybersecurityPR #TradeShowPR

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Generative AI is driving an unprecedented expansion in bland, expected content that's passable but forgettable. I call it Sameness as a Service, and it's choking the communications industry. Here's what I think we do about it and how the future plays out. https://lnkd.in/erGvJicZ

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As you've likely heard, a new AI model called DeepSeek made waves, with headlines touting its ability to compete with ChatGPT at a fraction of the cost. But here’s the real question: Should we, as communicators, care? In this video, I break down: ✅ What DeepSeek actually is (and what it isn’t) ✅ Why localized AI models are the real future of this technology ✅ What this means (or doesn’t mean) for communications professionals Spoiler: You don’t need to cancel your ChatGPT subscription just yet. But the trend toward lighter, localized AI models is one to watch. As AI becomes more embedded in our industry, the real advantage isn’t just using AI—it’s knowing what matters and what’s just hype.

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Audiences are more likely to trust people over platforms. Seems obvious to comms pros, but it's worth reinforcing this point. In Eleanor Hawkins' most recent Axios article, she notes how audiences expect communications and outreach to be more personalized, and directly hearing from CEOs builds more trust. The study by Foretell and Echelon Insights shows: - In a crisis, the most trusted sources of information are a company's CEO (22%), then senior management (20%) and frontline employees (18%). - In general, half of the under-50s prefer to hear from business leaders and brands through social media posts, and less than 30% want to hear from them through mainstream media. - A key insight that many of us can relate to: we have to be really intentional about our target audience, where they are, and who they trust to hear from. - Silos within companies make it difficult to reach audiences and communicate effectively. Brand, comms, IR, and govt relations all need to be working in concert. I've included the link to the Axios piece in the comments.

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Internal Comms audits are the worst. Here’s why: You desperately want the intel. But there’s an All Hands tomorrow, two product announcements next week, Open Enrollment is approaching, and you just found out a reorg is in the works. There’s just no time and you have no bandwidth to conduct an audit. And yet. 😱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. They think the newsletter is propaganda and the All Hands is theater. They get their real information from Slack and the rumor mill. 😱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱. It exists somewhere, but it's buried in Slack, lost on the intranet, or locked in someone's head. Your comms infrastructure isn't built for discovery or access. 😱 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. You're sending a lot of messages, but you're not building shared understanding or trust. 😱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲. Employees tune it all out because they don’t know what actually matters. A comms audit will surface all of this. And yes, it's hard to do. It takes time. Focus groups. Interviews. Channel analysis. Message testing. Looking at what you're actually doing and comparing it to what your employees actually need. It will probably reveal some things you'd rather not know. But for comms nerds like me, that’s exciting. 🤓 It tells us what to fix first.  It shows us where to invest.  It lets us to stop wasting time on the thing no one reads and start building the channels that work.  We finally have the data to make a change. This is how we reset internal comms and make it work for the business. And if you're afraid of what you'll find out? That's exactly why you should do it. Not sure how? Let's chat.

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As I was planning for the new year with my team, we started talking about how much the communications landscape has evolved—and what it means for us moving forward. The conversation quickly turned to some of the trends we’ve been noticing and how they’re shaping our approach. Here are a few themes we kept coming back to:   🤖 AI is everywhere: One of my colleagues shared how they’ve been experimenting with AI for brainstorming, and the results have been incredible. We’re using it to help generate creative ideas faster and analyze campaign performance in ways we never could before. While these platforms don’t replace the strategic thinking of our team, this year I see AI playing an even bigger role in smarter audience segmentation and predictive analytics—helping us communicate better and anticipate what our audiences need before they even ask.   🎯 Personalization drives results: With the line blurring between B2B and B2C communications styles, personalized content isn’t just nice to have—it’s a must. After all, no one wants to read something that doesn’t feel like it’s meant for them, right? Moving forward, we’re focusing on delivering the right message to the right people at the right time. It’s not always easy, but it's one of the biggest opportunities to make a real impact.   🎥 Video is still king: Someone on the team pointed out how much video has driven engagement this year, and they’re right—whether it’s a quick explainer, behind-the-scenes footage or a heartfelt story, video is one of our most powerful tools for dynamic storytelling. As we look ahead this year, we’re focusing on how to integrate video even more seamlessly into our strategies, ensuring every piece we create has impact and purpose.   🌍 CSR showcases your mission in action: One of the most exciting parts of the discussion was about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) showcases the impact of our Mission. When we embed CSR into all stakeholder communications, it helps our storytelling align with our values, builds trust among our audience and creates stronger emotional connections. This integration is essential for meaningful engagement moving forward. That conversation left me inspired and ready for what’s ahead. As communicators, we’re at the forefront of SO much change, and this year feels like a year full of potential. What trends are you planning to focus on? #FutureOfCommunications #Trends #Communications #ContentStrategy

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Reputation management in the United States has entered a new era of complexity and volatility says Amy Binder, founder and CEO of RF|Binder, an integrated communications and consulting firm headquartered in New York City. I interviewed Amy while in New York City last week for my SenateSHJ Future of Reputation 2030 sabbatical paper. Says Amy: “The US right now probably has one of the biggest reputation management problems globally.  For businesses leaders, navigating this landscape requires an acute understanding of societal divides, shifting values and an era of profound distrust. Binder points first to the deep polarization that defines the US political and cultural climate. “A major challenge in the United States is it’s so divided and everyone is in their own echo-chamber, making it very difficult to have conversations across viewpoints.” This division, she warns, creates significant consumer and employee risks: “If you appeal to one set of consumers, you may alienate another. And the same is true for employees.” Adding to these challenges are global crises and environmental concerns. Binder predicts climate change will increasingly create reputational risks: “As the climate issues continue to grow, not doing anything to address the risks an organization faces, over time there could be negative repercussions. Companies are also vulnerable to geopolitical issues—where they manufacture, who they partner with all have the potential to create challenges. It’s much more complex today than ever before.” Against this backdrop, she sees a retreat by corporate leaders who were once more vocal. “People are looking for rational, middle-of-the-road voices,” Binder says. “CEOs used to be those voices, but now they are being very careful about taking a stand on an issue that could be controversial.” She emphasizes that many Americans no longer trust the government and instead look to CEOs, and other leaders for guidance: “Starting during Covid, there was a movement to see CEOs as the voice of reason,  Unfortunately, with CEOs retreating to a certain extent, there is a vacuum and a real need for leadership. However, Binder warns against performative commitments. “We’re working with many of our clients to move away from using the term ESG,” she notes. “Forget about the environment? Absolutely not, but it is best to talk about these issues in a way that is preferably grounded in human values which makes it more relatable to a larger group of people.” She says there are some companies that are maintaining their commitments while avoiding the political extremes: “These companies,” says Amy, “have done a very good job of standing behind their values without totally going silent.” For reputation managers, Binder’s advice is clear: resist cookie-cutter solutions. “Reputation management is very individualized and nuanced,” she says. “You really need to look at the specifics of the company, the situation, and the culture to create strategies that work.”

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Trust is in trouble. People expect leaders to lie to them more, feel more likely to be discriminated against, and are experiencing declining trust in their employers, according to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. But this trust deficit is also an opportunity. My latest Substack article "Building Strategic Audience Ecosystems" introduces a six-level maturity framework that helps organizations transform fragmented audience interactions into trusted relationships: https://lnkd.in/eyejpkqZ In a world where it takes 12 positive experiences to overcome just one negative interaction, can your organization afford disconnected audience engagement? You work hard to build audiences. Nurture those relationships by developing integrated audience ecosystems that create lasting trust and competitive advantage. Learn practical steps to assess your current state and implement a strategic roadmap for transformation. #AudienceEngagement #TrustBuilding #Communications

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