Communications & New Media Aug. 2020 I Vol. 34 No. 5

FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS & THE PANDEMIC HOW COVID-19 ACCELERATES ESG MOMENTUM BUILDING CONFIDENCE AMID A PANDEMIC FINDING THE RIGHT FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM THE COVID-19 FIN. MARKETING PLAYBOOK THOUGHT LEADERSHIP DURING THE PANDEMIC RESTORING REPUTATION IN A VIRTUAL WORLD NAVIGATING THE VIRTUAL EVENT LANDSCAPE WHY 2020 IS THE YEAR FOR BRAND ACTIVISM AUGUST 2020 | www.odwyerpr.com

Vol. 34 No. 5 August 2020

EDITORIAL COVID EDITS FINANCIAL MARKETING PLAYBOOK It took a pandemic to put the focus COVID CHANGES U.S. 6 22 on companies’ internal teams. PURCHASING HABITS People want to see companies do NAVIGATING VIRTUAL more to earn their business. 8 EVENTS PR professionals must learn to TV ADS ARE LOSING 26 transition to virtual events THEIR APPEAL ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS A 33 The influence of commercials on consumers has taken a hit. 8 CHALLENGE FOR WOMEN Communicating about resources SPEAKING OUT PAYS OFF 27 for women-owned businesses. FOR CEOs Good communicators positively PROFILES OF FINANCIAL impact a company’s bottom line. 8 PR & I.R. FIRMS SOCIAL MEDIA USERS 28 UNINFORMED RANKINGS OF FINANCIAL Those who depend on social media 9 PR & I.R. FIRMS for news know less politically. 33 BUSINESSES TAKE UP THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, NOW41 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM GOVERNMENT’S SLACK AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC Daily, up-to-the-minute PR news A new study says businesses are 9 Using thought leadership to build brand filling a leadership void. 34 and reputational capital. BUILDING REPUTATION THE METRICS THAT MATTER IN A VIRTUAL WORLD FOR EARNED MEDIA Ways to stay in close touch with Media placements can’t just look good, stakeholders—from a distance. 10 35 they need to be value-based. CHOOSING A FINANCIAL SERVICES AGENCY PROFILES OF PROFESSIONAL What to look for from an agency SERVICES FIRMS specializing in financial services. 12 36 WHY COVID IS BOOSTING RANKINGS OF PROFESSIONAL ESG MOMENTUM SERVICES FIRMS ESG is helping investors evaluate 41 non-financial risks. 14 PEOPLE IN PR BUILDING CONFIDENCE AMID THE PANDEMIC 43 How financial services firms can 16 WASHINGTON REPORT EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2020 reassure furloughed employees. January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide 2020: THE YEAR OF 44 March: Food & Beverage BRAND ACTIVISM INTERNATIONAL PR NEWS June: PR Firm Rankings How PR pros can help companies responsibly take a stand. 18 45 July: Travel, Tourism & International B2B FINTECH: IT’S THE August: Financial, I.R. & Prof Services COLUMNS October: Healthcare & Medical CONTENT, STUPID! PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Developing the kind of content Fraser Seitel November: Technology & Social Media that reaches critical audiences. 20 42 ADVERTISERS 5W Public Relations ...... 3 ICR...... 19 BackBay Communications...... 5 Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher...... 21 Bliss Integrated Communication...... 13 Kekst CNC...... 17 Edelman...... 24, 25 Peppercomm...... 23 Finn Partners...... 7 Sitrick and Company...... Back cover FTI Consulting Strategic Communications...... 11 Stanton...... Inside front cover

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EDITORIAL Companies should stand up to cancel culture f you haven’t been living under a rock these past several years, no doubt you’re privy to the debate surrounding cancel culture, the ritual of shaming people who’ve been caught saying Ior doing objectionable things online, a phenomenon that’s turned social media—particularly EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Twitter—into what writer Matt Taibbi described as “a giant finger-wagging machine.” Kevin McCauley The conversation took a sharp turn in July with the publication of Harper’s “Letter on Justice [email protected] and Open Debate,” a completely well-reasoned call-to-arms signed by 150 prominent authors, journalists and academics that decried an “intolerance of opposing views” that threatens to PUBLISHER “weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological con- John O’Dwyer formity.” [email protected] The pushback this letter received—in countless essays, in a gallimaufry of blogs and social media posts—was puzzling. Much of the criticism focused on oddly Trumpesque attempts to attack the letter for what it didn’t say, or for its timing (this has always been a favorite fallacy of SENIOR EDITOR mine: “Now isn’t the time to talk about x!” “We should be discussing y!”). Others resorted to wha- Jon Gingerich taboutism, using the forum as an opportunity to address their longstanding grievances with [email protected] the magazine, or chose to disregard the letter because of previous actions/words of a particular ASSOCIATE EDITOR signatory. Many pointed to the easy irony of elite signatories addressing the perils of censorship Steve Barnes in a prestigious publication without fear of reprisal, as though these luminaries possess only [email protected] enough imagination to write about their own self-interests, that it would never dawn on them to come to the defense of others who’ve been the targets of online mobs. More than a few said CONTRIBUTING EDITORS cancel culture is an overblown myth, merely the latest example of democracy in action. Fraser Seitel Most of these arguments aren’t very sound, but to borrow from one of them—if only to high- Richard Goldstein light its flimsiness—it’s true that cancel culture isn’t fundamentally about freedom of speech. People have a constitutional right to say whatever they want, yet there remain—and there EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS should be—consequences for our words. Horses for courses. & RESEARCH The problem with cancel culture is less an issue of strangers being mean to someone on the Jane Landers Internet than it is an acknowledgment of what are obvious flaws in a social system where the Melissa Webell private sector has been charged with adjudicating a final judgment once these cultural vigilan- tes begin demanding the offender be held accountable for his/her words. For years, brands—corporations, universities, sports franchises—have ridden social move- Advertising Sales: John O’Dwyer ments as a marketing opportunity. And under immense public pressure, they now find them- [email protected] selves effectively merchandising outrage into a series of press-release-ready gestures, acquiesc- ing to the demands of the mob and throwing employees under the bus seemingly without the good-faith considerations that all healthy internal cultures have: that maybe someone’s words O’Dwyer’s is published seven times a year were taken out of context, or they misspoke, or they need counseling, or—God forbid—they for $60.00 ($7.00 a single issue) by the made a mistake. But take solace in this: after you’ve been fired and your career has been ruined J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. and you’ve been deemed radioactive by the community, you remain free to speak your mind. 271 Madison Ave., #600 Granted, there are open-and-shut cases where people should’ve lost their jobs. But there are New York, NY 10016. others where the consequences clearly outweighed the crime. Was it necessary for soccer team (212) 679-2471 Fax: (212) 683-2750. LA Galaxy to fire player Aleksandar Katai in response to a series of tweets made by his wife © Copyright 2020 J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc. criticizing the George Floyd protesters? Should food vendors boycott a Minneapolis restaurant because racist and anti-Semitic social media posts were discovered to have been written by the OTHER PUBLICATIONS: founder’s daughter eight years prior—when she was fifteen? Why was Boeing communications chief Niel Golightly forced to resign after an employee dug up an article he wrote in 1987 ques- www.odwyerpr.com tioning women’s ability to serve in combat? What sort of social justice did a consulting firm Breaking news, commentary, useful data- have in mind when it fired a researcher for merely sharing via Twitter a peer-reviewed study bases and more. on the positive political effects of nonviolent protests? Was it really in Publicis’ best interest to O’Dwyer’s Newsletter fire one of its executives for tweeting about the coronavirus? A six-page weekly with general PR news, Companies are taking the easy way out. They’ve been inculcated to the notion that it’s better media appointments and placement PR to fire someone, reach a consensus with social media activists and get the virtue points than opportunities. it is to take a stand and demonstrate an ability to lead in cases where public opinion is wrong. It’s compliance disguised as leadership, the same performative gestures from institutions who O’Dwyer’s Directory of PR Firms love to tell you how they “think outside the box” as they reflexively mete out punishment to Listings of more than 1,250 PR firms throughout the U.S. and abroad. anyone who presents a view or opinion that runs counter to the prevailing narrative. For years, the traditional reading has been that we’ve given too much power to the crowds, but O’Dwyer’s PR Buyer’s Guide no one considers the far more dangerous implication—especially among younger people who Products and services for the PR industry claim to harbor a disdain for capitalism—that we sure are handing over a lot of undue power to in 50 categories. corporations. Businesses are increasingly being called upon to fill the gaps left by an administra- jobs.odwyerpr.com tion that has failed us (see pg. 9), and now we’re willfully ceding control for them to serve as the O’Dwyer’s online job center has help arbiters in determining what words or topics are off limits. What could go wrong? wanted ads and hosts resume postings. — Jon Gingerich

6 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

REPORT

Consumers say ads losing sway by local news (19 percent) and cable news (nine percent). Only 4.5 percent said a lo- Television commercials are beginning to lose their influence over cal newspaper is their first choice for news. Americans’ purchasing behaviors, according to a recent survey. Radio or podcasts rounded out the bottom, with only three percent of respondents By Jon Gingerich claiming they get their information from these mediums. V commercials could be losing their is good. Additionally, eight percent said On the other hand, an April Coronavi- influence over Americans. Instead, reading a positive review from a journalist rus Media Usage Study by the Television Tconsumers say online reviews or sto- convinces them to pay for a new product Bureau of Advertising found that broad- ries they discover in the news are what or service. Only three percent said celebri- cast TV still maintains the highest reach cause them to pay the most attention to new ty endorsements influence their purchasing (81 percent) among U.S. adults compared products and services, according to a recent decisions. to other platforms (cable TV, social media, survey by New York-based digital market- The findings add another dimension of radio, newspapers and news sites/apps, ing agency Macias PR. paradox during a time when news consump- among other mediums). Broadcast TV The survey, which sought to gauge con- tion has skyrocketed as millions of Ameri- news also still ranks number-one for trust, sumers’ attitudes toward advertising and cans have been forced to stay at home during according to the TVB study. how advertising and the news influence the COVID-19 crisis, and yet, global ad rev- Finally, the Macias survey polled Amer- their purchasing decisions, found that 70 enues continue contracting. Indeed, 38 per- icans regarding what they do when a TV percent of respondents said they don’t be- cent of the survey’s respondents admitted program goes to commercial break. More lieve TV commercials motivate them to buy they’re consuming more news than ever in than a third (36 percent) said they reach for new products. light of COVID-19-related quarantines. their cell phones or laptops when a com- On the other hand, more than a third (35 The survey also discovered that online mercial comes on TV, while 17 percent said percent) said positive online consumer re- news is now most respondents’ primary they fast-forward through the commercial views influence their belief that a product source for daily news (42 percent), followed and 10 percent said they leave the room to complete a task. Only 10 percent said they COVID-19 has altered buying habits actually watch the commercial.  Americans say COVID-19 has influenced their consumer purchasing do more to earn their personal business. habits and has also left them wanting the private sector to do more The initiatives respondents are most eager to earn their business. to see companies implement include help- By Jon Gingerich ing the health workers fighting COVID-19 (49 percent), helping essential workers such ike virtually every other facet of Amer- Specifically, more than a third (35 percent) as grocery employees (45 percent) and hir- ican life, the global economic crisis said the pandemic has influenced them to ing a diverse workforce (34 percent). Nearly Lbrought on by the COVID-19 outbreak buy only essential goods. Nearly a third (30 a third of respondents (30 percent) addi- has had a remarkable impact on consum- percent) said it had made them more con- tionally said they want companies to make er purchasing behaviors and will also un- cerned about price (30 percent) and has left a statement—with accompanying actions— doubtedly affect how brands connect with them being more selective about purchases supporting Black Lives Matter and 26 per- audiences henceforth. (30 percent). cent want companies to invest in corporate According to a Bospar survey, 86 per- The survey also discovered that, in light of social responsibility programs. cent of Americans report that COVID-19 the pandemic, a majority of Americans (81 More than three-quarter of those polled has changed their consumer buying habits. percent) said they now want companies to (78 percent) reported that COVID-19 has impacted them, leaving them more fearful (33 percent), working fewer hours (24 per- Speaking out pays off for CEOs cent) or unemployed (16 percent). Five per- cent of respondents said they lost a family CEOs who “consistently communicate” are seeing bottom-line member to COVID-19 and three percent benefits, according to findings from a new FTI Consulting study. said they contracted the virus personally.  By Steve Barnes peers by an average of 3.75 percent. peaking out is paying off for CEOs, shareholder value. The importance of speaking out extends according to a new study conducted In addition to resulting in increased across all market sectors, the study found. Sby FTI Consulting. overall performance, an emphasis on CEO In the two largest groups, almost nine of Out of the 100 top-performing compa- communications also made companies out ten (89 percent) of the healthcare com- nies analyzed in “The CEO Brand and Its more likely to successfully withstand the panies had vocal CEOs, and tech firms Impact on Business,” 81 percent are led by challenges posed by COVID-19. were close behind at 78 percent. CEOs who have a distinct brand and “con- This is especially true for so-called While female CEOs accounted for only sistently communicate.” Twelve of the top “stakeholder CEOs,” those who see their six of the 128 CEOs that were includ- 15 firms are headed by CEOs who place a mission as serving stakeholders as well as ed in the study, all of them fell into the premium on communications. the shareholders who own the company. more-communicative category. Those CEOs topped their less communi- The study found that stakeholder CEOs, FTI evaluated the companies with the cative peers by an average of two percent, who accounted for 39 percent of the more highest growth in their share prices be- resulting in what FTI says is $260B in added communicative CEOs, outperformed their tween Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2019. 

8 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Social media audiences uninformed Americans who get most of their political news from social media sites are more likely to get the facts wrong about current events and are also more likely to have encountered fake news and conspiracy theories, according to Pew Research Center analysis. By Jon Gingerich mericans who depend on social me- network TV, news sites and apps or local local TV (16 percent) or cable TV (16 per- dia platforms for their political news TV all revealed higher levels of attention to cent). According to Pew’s findings, news Atend to be less likely to follow major coronavirus-related news (50 percent, 50 websites and apps are now the number-one news stories and also generally possess less percent, 44 percent and 32 percent, respec- source a majority of American turn to for political knowledge than other groups, ac- tively). political news (25 percent). cording to analysis recently released by the The survey tested respondents’ political Finally, Pew’s analysis found that Ameri- Pew Research Center. knowledge and asked 29 fact-based ques- cans who use social media for political news Pew’s survey found that only eight percent tions focusing on current events ranging were less likely to express concern regarding of U.S. adults who get their political news from COVID-19, to the economy to Presi- the fake news phenomenon. While more primarily from social media platforms said dent Trump’s impeachment. Pew’s findings than half (58 percent) of those who rely on they’re currently following news about the discovered that only 17 percent of those cable TV expressed high levels of concern 2020 election “very closely,” the lowest share rely most on social media for political news regarding fake news’ potential influence on among the six media platforms analyzed. fell into the high political knowledge cat- the 2020 election, only a little more than a By comparison, levels of engagement for egory, while 45 percent of those who rely third (37 percent) of social media users re- election news was about four times higher on news websites/apps, 42 percent of radio porting being concerned about it. among those who get their political news listeners and 41 percent of print readers Despite this, social media news users were mostly from cable TV (37 percent) or print earned this designation. more likely to have been exposed to false media (33 percent). About one-in-five U.S. adults (18 per- or unproven claims than other media audi- Moreover, less than a quarter (23 percent) cent) reported that social media is cur- ences. About eight-in-ten (81 percent) have of U.S. adults who get their political news rently their main source for political news. heard the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 from social media admitted they’re follow- That’s more than the number of Americans pandemic was intentionally planned, higher ing news surrounding the COVID-19 crisis who said they get most of their political than any other media audience. Altogether, very closely. By contrast, the percentage of news from print (three percent), radio more than two-thirds of social media news Americans who rely to cable TV, national (eight percent), network TV (13 percent), users (68 percent) admitted they’ve encoun- tered coronavirus-related misinformation. Pew’s analysis was based on data drawn Business takes up government’s slack from five separate surveys conducted be- tween October 2019 and June 2020.  Employers in the private sector are getting high marks for picking up the ball when government falls short, according to a new study. of white employees said that discrimination By Steve Barnes was not tolerated in their workplace, that number drops to 64 percent for black em- usinesses are increasingly being called of those surveyed from April 15-17 to 46 ployees. upon to fill in the gap created by fall- percent for those polled from June 15-17. The increased trust in businesses creates Bing levels of trust in government insti- State governments did better, but their trust a window of opportunity, the report says. tutions, according to a new study released level still dropped from 69 percent in April One of the main tools to capitalize on that by Weber Shandwick, United Minds and to 53 percent in June. is to put communications front and center. KRC Research. Employers got higher scores. In June, 72 Companies that communicate with employ- “The Workplace as a New Town Square” percent of employees surveyed said that ees and consumers can see a noticeable up- finds that employers are taking a major role their employer’s response to the coronavi- tick in their reputation for trustworthiness. in ensuring the health and safety of their rus is exactly what it should be, with 69 per- For example, 88 percent of workers who employees during the pandemic, as well as cent agreeing that their employer is putting said their employers have communicated making progress on racial inequality. It also worker safety above profit. about recent crises said they were proud finds that many people think government, In addition, most workers said their em- to work for that employer. For those who at both the state and federal level, is coming ployers were adequately addressing racial did not receive such communications, that up short. inequality in the workplace, with 78 per- number drops to 51 percent. Only 43 percent of those surveyed said cent indicating that their employer does not As regards what issues companies should that they were confident that the U.S. has tolerate discrimination of any kind at work communicate about, the top issue is ex- the leadership to guide the nation through and 74 percent agreeing that their employer pressing zero tolerance for discrimination the hurdles presented by COVID-19, rising has created a fair work environment where and harassment (46 percent), followed by unemployment and systemic racism. they can be themselves and contribute to pledging to fight racism, discrimination and When it comes to COVID-19, confidence the company. unconscious bias (44 percent), and commit- that the federal government is taking the However, there was a sizeable gap between ting to pay equity (44 percent). right steps to stop the virus’s spread and how black and white workers view discrim- “The Workplace as a New Town Square,” bring it under control slid from 58 percent ination in the workplace. While 80 percent polled 1,004 adults between June 15-17. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 9 FEATURE Building, maintaining reputation in a virtual world The tools, technologies and processes companies are using to stretched even thinner than usual, valiant- ly filling the demand for 24/7 content while keep stakeholders engaged and informed—from a distance. dealing with in-studio capacity restrictions, By Sean Mogle guest connectivity issues and ever-shift- ing editorial priorities. Many are doing so ocial distancing has transformed breeding ground for rumor and hearsay. remotely and are less receptive to working many industries but has been especial- Companies need to deliver messages to with new guests and communications pro- Sly challenging for relationship-driven their employees before the news cycle does fessionals. In the world of live broadcast, professions like public relations. Sustaining it for them. A more frequent cadence of guests with long-standing relationships, in- a corporate reputation depends, to a large communications may be needed to reach stant name recognition and a high-quality extent, on engaging diverse tiers of stake- employees where they are, and in real-time. Zoom or in-house studio tend to have the holders, both internal and external. The The all-company e-mail is giving way to advantage. Companies seeking to tell their advent of social media and related digital faster, more interactive modes of employee story via this channel can boost their chanc- engagement platforms have prepared us outreach such as in-app and intranet-based es by having a compelling story relating di- somewhat for virtual contact with stake- communications, CEO-led podcasts and rectly to the news of the holders, but nothing could have effectively videos, webinars, employee Q&As and sur- day and by ensuring that prepared us for the sudden and complete veys that allow staff to deliver feedback and technical standards are suspension of face-to-face contact and voice concerns. Above all, these communi- up-to-par. What’s more, physical proximity. cations should feel personalized with a hu- the broadcast world is So, what are reputation managers and man voice. exceptionally wide, and communicators to do in this strange, com- Managing the media there’s an abundance of plex new world? While the media landscape has evolved opportunities beyond Keeping it in-house significantly in recent years, embracing new the major networks. When it comes to building and maintain- technologies and subscription models, the Formerly “online” out- Sean Mogle ing corporate reputation, employees remain financial and business media remain an lets like Yahoo! Finance one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle. integral forum for conveying the corporate and others have built out their live stream- Their proximity to and interest in the orga- story and elevating reputation. Like many ing platforms and have a greater ongoing nization make them especially receptive to industries, financial journalists are doing need for company news and expert insights. the company narrative. Plus, they’re active their best to remain productive while filing The stay-at-home reality has also contrib- transmitters of this narrative, be it good or from remote locations. Fielding pitches and uted to a resurgence of podcast and radio. bad. It’s no secret that employees talk, both cultivating relationships with experts while According to recent data from Nielsen, au- to each other and outsiders. Keeping staff- competing with daily deadline pressures dio engagement and light listenership rates ers apprised with communications that are has led many journalists to reconsider how are growing at a tremendous pace and ex- accurate, unfiltered and on-message, there- they gather source material. Many are rely- pected to double by 2023. This presents a fore, is the best way to ensure the story that ing more heavily on platforms like HARO valuable tactical opportunity for organi- gets told aligns with the company’s reputa- and Profnet, for example, while others are zations looking to use this medium to tell tional goals. inviting pitches via Twitter or pulling di- their story, whether via a branded, compa- This was no easy task even before the pan- rectly from published thought leadership ny-sponsored podcast or one hosted by an demic. Fast forward to today, where many content. This isn’t to say there are no longer existing media or news outlet. companies are scrambling to keep a remote opportunities to build meaningful and last- The road ahead workforce engaged and informed about cru- ing relationships with press in the current While no one could’ve predicted the extent cial details related to financial performance, environment, but storytellers must get more of this disruption on our relationship-driv- return-to-work plans, HR matters and creative in order to do so. LinkedIn and en profession, all is not lost. Te demand for other key issues. It’s easy to see how mes- other social media will need to play a great- meaningful, authoritative communication sage distortion—and ensuing reputational er part of any ongoing press campaigns. has never been greater as isolated audienc- damage—can take place when communi- Deskside briefings and in-person media es look to trusted brands for guidance and cations to frazzled, homebound employees tours may be off the table, but Zoom brief- support. For those of us on the communica- are otherwise uneven or inconsistent. Now ings and satellite media tours are still very tions side, the pandemic has forced us to get more than ever, organizations need to pay much in play. No matter the chosen tactic, creative and finally incorporate new tactics, special attention to how they communicate communications professionals need to en- tools and technologies into our arsenal. The with employees. For some companies, this sure that all journalist contact is targeted, irony is that in a world where face-to-face may involve making a leap into new tactics, strategic, and tailored to a specialized beat contact has been largely deferred, virtual technologies and channels. This may be an or area of interest. techniques promise to bring us closer to uncomfortable transition for some, but it’s a Notes on broadcast our constituents—and tell our stories more necessary one. For many organizations, TV, video and thoroughly—than ever before. Though we Communicate often, make it personal broadcast coverage remains a highly de- can’t be sure what the new normal will look There’s no shortage of information relat- sired and effective way to disseminate the like, we’ll certainly emerge from the crisis ed to this unprecedented crisis. Headlines company story and showcase the depth of as better storytellers, and more experienced stream across our screens and our news- expertise. It goes without saying that things communicators with a wider array of skills feeds are brimming with news and opin- have become a bit more complicated in light at our fingertips. ions—some accurate, some not. Added to of current circumstances. On the network Sean Mogle is Vice President in Finn Part- the vacuum of social isolation, it’s a ripe side, producers, bookers and anchors are ners’ global financial services practice. 

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FEATURE Finding the right financial services agency Key considerations for companies looking for a PR agency that these efforts be overseen by a marketing as- specializes in financial services. sociate, with minimal experience, who may By Bill Haynes be best deployed as a liaison between the agency and its senior managers, in which here are many choices for compa- many firms focus solely on distributing case the PR agency develops and deploys nies looking for a financial services press releases, while ignoring other levers a more comprehensive integrated market- Tpublic relations agency, from global that can be just as impactful in conveying ing plan? In either case, behemoths that cover a full spectrum of in- a narrative. For thought leadership articles this question is critical dustries and geographies, to specialist bou- and proactive commentary pitches, for in- in determining how to tiques immersed in the arcane language of stance, it’s important to have strong and best leverage your agen- financial services that understand the var- well-reasoned points of view on industry cy and ensure key ini- ious ecosystems of various sub-industries, trends. Your PR partner can help tease this tiatives are supported such as private equity or financial technol- out, through interviews, relevant research and amplified by robust ogy. Some PR firms focus mostly on more and content development. This will be im- marketing strategies. traditional media relations, while others of- portant for ongoing positioning in the me- Assess the cultural fit fer a continuum of connected services from dia and across distribution platforms, as For long-term success, Bill Haynes media relations to social media to content well as in media interviews on new devel- it’s essential to hire a PR creation to design. opments if the news can be tied to a mar- agency whose culture, val- What makes the search even more chal- ketplace trend and, ideally, supported by ues and approach are similar to your own. lenging for those relatively new to external data and anecdotes. Do you share your values on your website communications—a characteristic that’s Assess your news and try to live by them? How do you treat not uncommon in financial services—is What are your company’s plans over the each other and your clients/partners? How that the marketing and PR field has its own next several months that are newsworthy? often and by which means do you like to industry jargon that can make it difficult to New hires, office openings, new products communicate? Would you characterize compare one agency against another. So, or services, new funds, studies or research yourself and your colleagues generally as how do you wade through the websites and reports, award wins and strategic alliances “decisive, no BS, straight shooters,” who directories to find the right firm for your are some of the things that would warrant want to make decisions quickly, or do you company? a press release. Milestone announcements, prefer to deliberate and discuss issues be- Several key considerations can help orga- such as an anniversary, present an oppor- fore taking a measured approach? These nizations refine their search and help en- tunity to discuss the firm’s strategy and cultural questions aren’t just important in sure they’re focusing on the agencies that approach and outline how you were able selecting an agency, but in also determin- best fit their current needs and can quickly to achieve these milestones. All of these ing how an agency will staff your account. adapt as demands evolve. things, plus conference speaking, can also Define success/implement measurement Gauge your goals and timeline be shared via LinkedIn and Twitter as well How do you define success for your PR First, a company should be clear about as through email blasts and quarterly elec- program? Have this discussion early in the its goals. Are you looking for greater brand tronic newsletters. process with PR agencies you’re consider- recognition or to drive new business leads? Identify your spokespeople ing. What KPIs can the agency implement Or are both equally important? Are you All firms need knowledgeable, articulate to show progress toward your goals, and launching a new product or raising a new and responsive spokespeople to convey what metrics can capture increased aware- fund, and what are the relevant time con- their news and perspectives. Spokespeople ness and new business the agency helped straints? For instance, should the PR pro- could include the CEO or President, but generate? A baseline measurement of web- gram include a rollout plan? Is there time to can also feature regional leaders, product site traffic via Google Analytics, social me- raise awareness prior to the launch or will or services experts or anyone passionate dia involvement, media coverage for the the new product be the catalyst for an on- about the market and the role the company last 6-12 months, and competitor share of going program? Organizations should have serves. Don’t worry if they haven’t spoken voice are useful ways to establish an initial in mind the top three things they hope to with the media before. Your PR firm can baseline. The company can also help by accomplish in the next three, six and 12 train them, discussing the rules of engage- establishing a baseline that measures new months. ment for media interviews, and help them business inquiries, RFPs received, usage of Identify your themes and perspectives gain comfort through practice interviews. articles to spur prospect communications What insights and news do you have to It’s helpful to build a spokesperson matrix or new business won. And companies and offer to the marketplace? How will people with the individuals and the topics they can their agency partners should track these benefit and why should they care? These address. metrics over time to assess performance questions are critical in articulating a val- Evaluate your capabilities and also course correct as new efforts yield ue proposition to the broader market. Your So, now that you’ve identified your goals, new results. company and product messaging should be news and perspectives and spokespeople, Determine your budget clear and compelling. A PR firm should be you should determine the internal resourc- Budgets will range widely based on the able to help shape your messages through es available to help you achieve your goals. comprehensiveness of your program, fre- discussions with key executives, research Do you have an experienced marketing quency of tactics deployed, and geographic and, if needed, interviews with your cli- team in place that can implement an inte- reach. For mid-sized companies to imple- ents and partners. In the financial services grated plan, in which case the agency can segment, in particular, it’s surprising how be tasked with execution? Alternatively, will _ Continued on page 15

12 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE Why COVID-19 is accelerating ESG momentum

Why ESG programs are becoming increasingly more important in place, including relevant corporate policies aimed at reducing user and corporate risk. helping investors evaluate non-financial risks. As a consequence, incremental personal and proprietary data remain at risk to hack- By Bryan Armstrong, Zaineb Bokhari, Geoff Serednesky and Ben Herskowitz ers looking to exploit these opportunities. In fact, according to the FBI, COVID-19 he economic dislocation brought on current environment. related cybersecurity threats reported to by the COVID-19 pandemic has rip- This adoption curve is also being aided its Internet Crime Complaint Center were Tpled through the global economy. In by a growing body of evidence linking ESG trending as high as spite of this period of economic instability, to favorable stock performance. For exam- 20,000 daily through momentum behind Environmental, Social ple, a recent study administered by Fidel- early June of this year, and Governance is strengthening, particu- ity International showed that during the with the year to date larly with respect to the social dimension of COVID-19-driven market sell-off between volume already exceed- ESG. February 19 and March 26, shares of com- What’s the fuss about ‘S’? ing what the IC3 had panies that received better ratings (A or B) seen across all threats in According to a recent investor study con- on their sustainability rating system outper- 2019. ducted by FTI Consulting, 57 percent of formed the S&P 500 by 380 basis points, Failure to implement respondents believe corporate ESG pro- while those with lower ratings (C to E) sufficient oversight of Bryan Armstrong grams are more important today and going underperformed by 740 basis points. This employee and customer forward compared to before the pandemic. stock performance disparity supported Fi- privacy and data secu- Investors are paying close attention to the delity’s view that management teams mak- rity can have an adverse health and safety of employees as well as ing strong commitments to sustainability material impact on a the resilience and governance of companies tend to be high-quality and their businesses company’s performance they invest in, all of which are key pillars of more resilient during market dislocations and valuation. Data se- a traditional ESG program. and crises. curity issues can be quite While many companies have taken deci- FTI’s recent investor study corroborates costly, as was the case sive steps to safeguard their employees and these findings, as 58 percent of investors be- when Verizon lowered implement business continuity measures, a lieve those companies with above-average its purchase price of Ya- shockingly high number of companies hav- ESG practices have been more effective at hoo by $350 million Zaineb Bokhari en’t. According to Just Capital’s COVID-19 managing business risks associated with the after security breaches Corporate Response Tracker, 30 percent of COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we found exposed sensitive user information of more America’s 301 largest publicly traded com- that 64 percent of investors also believe that than a billion Yahoo users. panies as of June 9, 2020 still hadn’t imple- companies with above-average ESG practic- On a more acute—and hopefully, tempo- mented remote work policies or modified es are better prepared for future pandemics, rary—basis, private-sector companies are work schedules, and 37 percent hadn’t yet crises, and other black swan events. now using various forms of technology to Spotlight: potential ‘social’ risks implemented health and safety measures. identify, track and monitor the spread of While concerning in its own right, this in- While the pandemic is serving as a cat- COVID-19. According to a June McKinsey dicates a potentially longer-term issue with alyst for major changes in how companies survey, checking employee temperatures companies’ risk mitigation strategies, which and investors evaluate and manage risk, the is currently the most common tactic used will continue to directly affect their ability underlying importance of non-financial to identify and isolate employees showing to navigate COVID-19 and future crises risks has been increasing for some time. COVID-19 symptoms. Of the respondents successfully. The significant increase and higher propor- whose companies are checking tempera- For investors, ESG is becoming a more tion of intangible assets over the past three tures or plan to, more than half say daily important tool in helping them evaluate decades has created a divergence between temperature checks would be mandatory. these non-financial risks. In fact, 62 percent market values and book values, which has Gathering and securely storing information of investors in our recent survey said they made conventional financial measures less such as this, among many others, presents expect to use ESG strategies and related meaningful, particularly in evaluating the a new set of risks that companies may not tools to a greater extent over the next 12-18 resilience of companies during times of have fully contemplated yet. months to manage their own portfolios. Re- market dislocation. For investors, data security remains at spondents indicated they’re increasingly us- As we look ahead, there are several top- the forefront of social risks they care most ing ESG in their investment decision-mak- of-mind risks for investors that fall within about. While companies can’t completely ing process, primarily in two areas: first, to the social dimension of ESG that compa- eliminate the risk inherent in data collec- pick stocks—either screening out undesir- nies should be prepared for as they navigate tion and storage, they do have the power to able companies (44 percent) or identifying through the pandemic. strategically identify and manage the asso- Issue #1: privacy and data security high-quality companies (40 percent) and ciated risks and communicate proactively second, to evaluate risk (39 percent). Increases in remote work and digitization to stakeholders their actions and mitigation As adoption of ESG continues to acceler- as a result of COVID-19 directly increase plans. ate in the investment community, we expect companies’ exposure to data privacy and se- Issue #2: human capital management pressure on corporates to increase disclo- curity risks. As is the case currently, privacy As companies implement cost-reduction sure and transparency related to risk man- and security risks are amplified when new initiatives, including staff reductions and agement will follow suit. This is particularly processes such as videoconferencing are furloughs, regulators have seen a material true given the inability of many companies implemented and scaled quickly within or- to reliably forecast business trends in the ganizations without the proper controls in _ Continued on next page

14 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM COVID accelerates ESG momentum workforce may face a backlash if that senti- tio for BICS-classified Utilities and Energy _ Continued from page 14 ment is not shared among employees. companies cap out around 300-to-1, Con- To ensure employees feel protected—and sumer Discretionary and Consumer Sta- increase in whistleblowers who no longer thus protect against value-destroying law- ples companies exhibit a larger disparity in fear employer retaliation. Per a Washington suits and/or public complaints—companies pay, with the top CEO pay ratios upwards Post article on April 16, thousands of Occu- must establish a culture of safety in which of 750-to-one. Companies that anticipate a pational Safety and Health Administration employees see, hear and experience a sus- meaningful increase in this ratio should ex- complaints have been filed against com- tained effort to keep them safe and well. pect heightened scrutiny, especially if fur- panies for workplace safety concerns. The Communications alone may help them to loughed employees are not fully reinstated article indirectly highlights investors’ in- understand policies, but the effort must as ‘normal’ business activity resumes. ability to make informed go further to define the behaviors that are Risks are also high for companies that investment decisions expected, train leaders to be positive role receive taxpayer-funded aid—a point of without accurate, reli- models, and incentivize teams to hold one view that came across quite strongly in our able, and material ESG another accountable. Safety must be seen as Shifting Expectations survey. Respondents disclosures, stating, a shared responsibility with regular remind- indicated that Americans are not willing to “collectively, the records ers of what is expected. bail out most industries and therefore orga- depict the desperation Issue #3: widening executive pay gap nizations that receive aid will be expected to of the employees as well In addition to workforce reductions and both retain staff levels, pay, and benefits and as their frustrations furloughs, some companies also reduced provide considerable transparency on exec- with employers who in executive compensation to help rein in utive pay and corporate expenditures. Geoff Serednesky their view were at best costs. According to executive compensation Preparing for the next black swan event simply unprepared for experts, Semler Brossy, nearly 20 percent of As we look beyond the current pandem- a pandemic and at worst Russell 3000 companies had made explicit ic, investors will undoubtedly amp up the callously unconcerned announcements regarding executive and pressure on companies to provide greater with worker safety.” director pay actions in their SEC filings transparency and disclosure around materi- Beyond OSHA com- through the month of May. al risk factors in their industry and business plaints, per a May 26 However, as the process of reopening and as well as the governance and controls they Reuters article, Steven resuming economic activity begins, compa- have put in place to manage them. When Peikin, the agency’s co- nies must take special care as they contem- done well, an effective ESG program pro- head of enforcement, plate returning executive compensation to vides a natural platform from which to or- noted that the Securities pre-crisis levels. This is particularly true if ganize, align, and implement enhancements Ben Herskowitz and Exchange Commis- employee pay and benefits do not recover to a company’s enterprise risk management, sion fielded about 4,000 in parity or as quickly as the executive suite. while at the same time ensuring “full credit” complaints from mid-March to mid-May, For publicly traded companies, this will be is received for their efforts from key stake- representing a year-over-year increase of 35 highly visible in their corporate disclosures holders. percent. regarding CEO pay ratio, which has been Bryan Armstrong is Senior Managing Although whistleblower policies have mandated since 2018. Director & Head of Capital Markets in the been around for many years, this level of While to date, CEO pay ratios have not Americas at FTI Consulting. Zaineb Bokhari activity is unprecedented and has embold- evoked widespread concern from share- is Managing Director, Capital Markets, FTI ened the workforce to more readily take holders or other stakeholders, there are ad- Consulting. Geoff Serednesky is Managing action as and when they deem appropriate. mittedly wide variations in the data across Director, Research, FTI Consulting. Ben Her- Accordingly, companies that have been out- industries. For example, a 2018 Equilar skowitz is Senior Director, Capital Markets, spoken about how well they’re treating their study indicated that while the CEO pay ra- FTI Consulting. 

Finding the right fin. services agency Find a PR agency/references you have relationships with any financial _ Continued from page 14 Even if you’ve answered all of these ques- journalists? If so, ask them who they like tions, it can be hard to differentiate between to work with. Finally, do you feel like you ment an integrated communications pro- the agencies left to choose from. Cost is im- and the agency have the right chemistry? gram, expect the fees to be between $10,000 portant, but it shouldn’t be the determining Even if you can’t meet in person these days, and $30,000 per month. If you can’t afford factor, especially as agencies are often will- you can get a pretty good sense of a firm an annual retainer, some agencies will en- ing to work with prospective clients to find a and their team on a Zoom call. Ultimately, gage in project work and may have a rate way to meet their budgets. Check out agen- you want to be confident before you make card that reflects the most common initia- cies’ websites and see if their services, cli- a decision that the agency you choose will tives such as press releases, media tours and ent base and approach are in line with your care as much about your success as you do. thought leadership development. Annual objectives. Do they do their own research Selecting a PR agency is an important de- retainers are the preferred option if budgets and write whitepapers and blogs on com- cision, and asking the right questions up- permit, as they enable the company and munications issues in your field? Do they front is essential to long-term success. At agency to form a strong partnership and employ former financial services journalists the end of the day, the ability of your com- allow the agency to be proactive in field- in house to write and pitch articles? Do they pany and your agency to help build your ing requests for commentary, identifying have a creative director who understands brand and drive new business comes down conference speaking roles, submitting for the importance of a consistent and power- to collective strategy, teamwork, compe- awards and capitalizing on other ways firms ful brand identity? Reach out to them, have tence, desire and trust. can demonstrate their expertise and value a discussion and ask for references. Do the Bill Haynes is Founder and CEO of Back- proposition. references give them glowing reviews? Do Bay Communications. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 15 FEATURE Building confidence amid the pandemic dates and collecting feedback so you under- Why financial services firms should pay careful attention to the stand and can address key concerns. needs of furloughed employees. Though social media may feel like a natu- By Alex Stanton ral avenue to employ to maintain these con- nections, it also comes with pitfalls. By de- ith COVID-19 causing unprece- moment. Transparency should stay within sign, social media is open and shareable and dented disruption to the U.S. and limits, of course, and absolutes should be thus open to greater scrutiny. It’s important Wworld economies, many financial avoided at all costs. Remember: during a to create a secure space where conversation services firms have had to make the difficult crisis, the stakes are amplified and leader- can happen and messages are less likely to decision to lay off or furlough workers. In ship is in the spotlight. The most valuable be misconstrued. the case of furloughs, employers have often asset you have in this environment is your For the retained communicated that they hope and expect to credibility, so you can’t afford to put it at workforce, virtual hap- hire employees back as soon as they’re able. risk. py hours over video- In this situation, maintaining clear and con- With furloughed workers, maintain open conferencing platforms sistent communication is crucial not just avenues of two-way communication and of- have become popular. to build internal confidence but to manage fer good news when possible to keep them Team-wide and com- reputation more broadly. interested in returning to the workforce and pany-wide video chats In a media environment rife with re- staying engaged with the company. When allow you not only to porters focused on how financial firms are sharing positive news, be particularly con- inform but maintain a responding to the crisis—and hungry to scious of tone and context. This is a very collaborative, support- Alex Stanton expose anyone taking unfair advantage of difficult time for many and you don’t want ive culture by address- government stimulus programs or profiting to appear celebratory when employees are ing non-work-related matters. For more while employees are negatively impacted— struggling and the path forward remains sensitive topics such as team or compensa- thoughtful and strategic communication is uncertain. tion changes, one-on-one engagement is the more critical than ever. Finding an authentic voice right approach even though it requires more Retaining employees you’ve trained and If the company had to undergo more than coordination and investment of time. cultivated is in a firm’s best interest. Re- one round of furloughs, and you’re bringing Are you ready for the ‘new normal?’ search suggests direct replacement costs people back in phases, it’s important to be While there’s hope we may soon be on the can reach as high as 50-60 percent of an sensitive to how different groups may feel decline curve of this pandemic, now’s the employee’s annual salary, with total costs as- about their value and place in the compa- time to plan what “normal” will look like sociated with turnover ranging from 90-200 ny. Clearly explain and reiterate why actions for your workplace and how communica- percent of annual salary. However, keeping need to be taken. Be the encouraging, in- tions practices need to evolve. You shouldn’t employees aboard can be a challenge today spiring and empathetic leader you’d want to assume that once there’s a green light to as attitudes have surely shifted, loyalty is hear from in this environment. return to the workplace that communica- fleeting and customers and the revenue they The approach isn’t much different for re- tion can be de-prioritized or become less provide have been significantly impacted. tained employees. Knowing that your fur- frequent. Leadership must clearly articulate Accelerate pace of communication loughed team members are likely in touch how you’re thinking about the issue, and A key step is to increase communica- with colleagues and friends who’ve re- reiterate that employee health and peace of tions frequency with both retained and mained on the job, it’s critical that the mes- mind is your top priority. Employees need furloughed employees. All employees hold saging remain consistent. to know you’ve done everything you can to a direct stake in the success of the firm and Businesses usually confront legal re- make their physical space as safe as possible. are often the front line of communication strictions in formal communications with For many businesses, the right move will with customers, business partners and other furloughed employees, and their access to be to put forth a plan but also to seek em- stakeholders. They can be your greatest ad- channels like Slack or Teams will be simi- ployee input so you can respond to con- vocates through these turbulent times—but larly restricted. Creating a dedicated and cerns and make the necessary adjustments. only if they feel the company is being trans- up-to-date virtual space these workers can Employees know the situation changes day- parent and keeping them informed. easily access to stay informed is an import- to-day and can react negatively to a policy This means more frequent communi- ant step in this process. dictated to them without input. Furloughed cation—even when circumstances hav- Putting a human face on your commu- employees will have many of the same issues en’t changed—and being prepared to field nications is vital. Consider, for example, a plus an additional layer of concern about tough questions about uncomfortable is- bi-weekly video recording or fireside pod- go-forward job security, so it will be import- sues. While your communications strategy cast. It’s one thing to read about managing ant to reinforce messaging about the stabili- needs a certain amount of flexibility, it’s through difficult business conditions in a ty of the company, speaking confidently but unwise to play it by ear. Build a reasonable pandemic, and quite another to see and avoiding guarantees. schedule and stick to it so employees know hear leadership explain it with conviction. The pandemic is unprecedented and when they’ll hear from you. This also forces Cultivating employee ambassadors there’s no one right approach. Howev- management to prioritize this activity and Leadership should also identify and con- er, smart financial firms are rethinking to really think about the important issues nect with employee ambassadors to deter- how they engage with employees and how and get aligned on messaging. mine the optimal way to reach all segments communications can create and maintain Thoughtful messaging is vital, and a good of the workforce, including those on fur- strong, lasting bonds. We’re truly all in this guidepost is to be as transparent as possi- lough. The goal is to create a reliable process together. ble regarding what’s happening at any given and vehicles for providing continual up- Alex Stanton is CEO of Stanton. 

16 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE 2020: the year of brand activism Brands hold the power to affect societal change, by taking a stance and backing up their values through measurable action. As recent events have forced corporate leaders to self-reflect, however, some well-intentioned brands have resorted to “performative activism”—showing that empty words can risk brand credibility. How can PR pros help companies responsibly take a stand? By Julia Bloch Mellon rom a global pandemic to widespread up these statements by listening, learning professionals can clearly evaluate how a outcries for racial justice, 2020 has and taking steps to support the cause. These brand fits within the competitive landscape. Fforced companies to listen better, re- brands understood that corporate activism With brands across industries wading into flect on their values and decide what steps is hollow when unaccompanied by con- political discourse, there will be ample mis- they’re willing to take to improve the state crete, measurable action. In fact, new re- steps to learn from. On a personal and pro- of our world. search found that 73 percent of consumers fessional level, humility, self-education and In a capitalist economy, corporations have expect BLM-related statements they receive openness to feedback has never been more extraordinary power to shape society, espe- from brands to be not only empathetic, but important. cially when government falls short. As the also be followed by measurable action. Train your CEOs to know their power. maxim teaches us, “with great power comes As marketers, we love words. Words can Recent events have cod- great responsibility.” tell a story, shape a narrative, craft an iden- ified the principle that Brand activism around issues from sus- tity. But words without actions aren’t only CEO actions can and tainability to women’s financial empower- meaningless—they’re expensive. They can will impact brand rep- ment has been championed for years. cost a brand its credibility. utation. Many modern The events of the past six months made So, how can PR professionals and market- customers are unwilling clear that brand activism must extend ers—the fierce protectors of company rep- to divorce the values of across societal issues, casting company ac- utation—ensure they are providing mean- leaders from the brands tions and inaction into stark relief. Many ingful guidance to brands during this time? they lead. In this set- companies have been called out for “perfor- Understand your customer ethos. In ting, a CEO can be an Julia Bloch Mellon mative activism,” or professions of support, the current climate, many issues, even asset and a liability. PR driven by marketing messaging without the those seemingly in support of the common professionals accustomed to working with underlying values and actions to match. good—consider, for example, mask wear- chief executives know that provocative lead- COVID-19, racial unrest raise the stakes ing—have become charged with polarized ers who say what they think can preserve During the early days of COVID, the mes- politics. The reality is that as much as to- a brand’s leadership position. Conversely, sages that engendered goodwill were exam- day’s consumers expect brands to take ac- controversial and politically charged stanc- ples of brands taking swift action to fill the tion on important societal issues, customers es can lead to boycotts. desperate need for cash, PPE and supplies are also prepared to walk away from brands Advocate for action with company lead- in virus hotspots. Think of the local distill- that don’t reflect an ethos they can stand ership. Ultimately, marketers can’t force a eries that pivoted from making vodka to behind. As marketers and PR professionals, brand to take action. However, marketing donating hand sanitizer; the grocery stores part of our job must be evaluating this rep- departments can become an impetus for that launched senior hours to allow high- utational risk. It will require knowing your corporate change by asking challenging risk populations early access to quarantine brand’s current and prospective customer questions to pressure-check if values, words supplies; the free flights JetBlue offered to base, measuring their attitudes on issues and actions truly align: “How have we sup- incoming medical workers; and how we and ensuring that business stakeholders ported American families and front-line laughed and cried at Google’s “Thank you, have a plan in place to align the future of workers during the pandemic?” “What per- teachers. Thank you times infinity” ad cele- the business around its future customers. centage of our Board, C-suite, and senior brating front-line heroes while quietly pro- A recent academic study on the effects of leaders are people of color?” “What has our viding educators with free access to G Suite corporate activism on financial perfor- company done to reduce our environmen- for Education software. mance found that activism well-aligned tal footprint?” Marketers have the power to These messages resonated and built loy- with stakeholder ethos nudged stock price hold up the looking glass and show brands alty and brand affinity because they were up an average of one percent and sales by the gap between corporate values and magnifying real, concrete things that 10 percent. In contrast, poorly aligned cor- company reality. The next step is coming brands did. Always actions speak louder porate activism cost stocks an average of a to the table with recommended actions to than words, especially in times of crisis. two percent loss and reduced sales by over close that gap. One action within PR pro- One recent example of the flip side of this four percent. fessionals’ power is to examine the makeup coin is the performative activism of well-in- Of course, as triple-bottom-liners have of company spokespeople and push for di- tentioned brands and individuals on Black- been saying for years: profit isn’t every- verse representation within leadership. out Tuesday, when black squares clouded thing. In some cases, companies will choose Like it or not, brands have the power to Instagram feeds with posts of professed al- to take stances that may lead to short-term make an immediate impact on the lives of lyship. Corporate brands rushed to publish losses in order to do what they believe is their employees and customers. Backed by statements in support of Black Lives Matter right for both people and the planet. Cor- data, marketers and communications pro- as protests following the death of George porate leadership is only possible by being fessionals can be a positive force in this dy- Floyd swept the country and the world. ahead of the curve. namic, encouraging company leadership to With a topic as difficult to navigate as racial Take stock of your competitive land- not just tell, but show what they stand for. inequity, both messages and actions may scape. By auditing the positioning of com- Julia Bloch Mellon is Senior Vice President not always perfectly hit the mark. petitors and clients—and measuring the of Financial Services at Bliss Integrated Com- Many CEOs and corporate brands backed fallout of their activist stances—marketing munication. 

18 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE B2B fintech: it’s the content, stupid! risk management solutions for the invest- How to build brands and market awareness by developing creative, ment management sector. The company’s branded content that reaches critical audiences. cloud-based software suite is used by nearly 400 organizations globally for its core com- By Henry Feintuch pliance, personal trading and insider trad- ing solutions. t’s a pretty good bet that if you’re working with hundreds of downloads on-demand. Only a handful of financial services trades with a recognizable fintech brand such as Articles appeared on Dow Jones, Business- cover the compliance area, and then not on IVISA, PayPal, Venmo or other top tier week, Forbes.com, CNBC, Business News a frequent basis. So, how to promote the organizations, your press releases are being Network and ForexTV. Numerous requests company’s solutions and help generate sales read and your calls are being returned by re- for interviews followed and our Forex.com leads? Our solution was a thought leader- porters at top business, financial technology was able to use the webcast as an education- ship webinar. and vertical trade media. al and sales tool for its clients for the two- We approached the But for the thousands of fintechs operat- year duration of the campaign. key industry associa- ing in the layers below—including innova- Utilize a consumer omnibus tion serving the market, tive start-ups, critically important but lesser In 2018, Klarna was preparing to intro- the National Society known infrastructure providers and a broad duce a “Try Before You Buy” payment op- of Compliance Profes- swath of B2B market providers—breaking tion for its existing and prospective online sionals, and proposed a through can be quite the task. clients. But how do you communicate that webinar on “How Best Couple that with a radically altered me- credibly to etailers and convince them to to Work with Compli- dia environment with fewer media outlets, switch or add the Klarna solution to their ance Consultants.” We a shrinking news hole and overworked checkout mix? suggested a panel of two Henry Feintuch journalists holding down more beats and Understanding the hesitancy many shop- corporate compliance responsible for far more than just reporting, pers had in making online apparel purchas- officers, who had experience in using com- and you wind up with a significant chal- es since they didn’t have the chance to see pliance consultants, and two experienced lenge. How can you break through, build or try on those items, we decided to field a compliance consultants, together with the your brand and create a conversation with broad omnibus survey. We asked more than CEO of BasisCode serving as moderator. critical audiences? 2,000 consumers about their attitudes and The webinar would be designed to ed- Here are three examples. The campaigns preferences towards a try now, pay later ser- ucate NSCP members on not only on the or projects referenced aren’t necessarily vice that would not charge them anything best ways to utilize compliance consultants, award-winning or Harvard Business case for 30 days so they could receive, try on and but also when not to and why not to. After studies; they’re simply examples of ways to return items they didn’t want. agreeing to NSCP non-commercial guide- package creative content to reach your crit- The findings were a blow-out: lines, we produced the webinar on Dec. 13, ical audiences. • 74 percent of consumers said that having 2018. It attracted 160+ financial industry Develop market awareness the ability to try on or try out goods before professionals whose registration informa- When you think of online trading, foreign paying would remove a major drawback to tion was provided to BasisCode and the exchange trading or forex may not neces- their online shopping; panelists. sarily be the first thing that comes to mind. • 37 percent indicated a “Try Before You But we didn’t stop there. We proposed that Yet, the global forex market is the largest Buy” option would rank as their preferred the NSCP’s key member publication, Cur- financial market in the world—larger than payment option for buying apparel from an rents, run a Q&A/abridged version of the stocks—with a daily volume greater than online retailer; webinar as a feature article. Once approved, $6 billion daily in 2019. The market trades • 71 percent of respondents stated they we edited the webinar transcript down to 24 hours a day, six days a week. Our client, would be moderately, very or completely a 3,350-word summary which appeared in one of the first players to go public in the likely to choose a retailer offering a “Try the June 2019 Currents issue. U.S., wanted help in educating investors and Before You Buy” option over one which did Finally, we supported our client in send- broadening out media coverage from the not offer this option; and ing out a marketing blast of the reprint to its handful of niche publications and newslet- • 69 percent of consumers surveyed said client and prospect database. Triple impact ters covering the FX market. they would be moderately, very or com- to a finite and targeted audience We decided to create a branded vehicle pletely likely to buy more items from online Content rules for the company to showcase its in-house merchants offering this payment option. Success in fintech and financial services research and expertise. “The Forex.com Key retail, fashion, fintech and business relies heavily on content, understanding Quarterly Markets Outlook” launched in media picked up the story including Chain your key business objectives, knowing who October 2009. The combination telecon- Store Age, Fashion United, Retail Dive, Pay- you need to reach and a healthy dose of cre- ference/webcast was designed for a so- mentsSource, Luxury Daily, Fibre-to-Fash- ativity. It’s the challenge and joy of our in- phisticated but broad media audience and ion and a feature in Yahoo! Finance. The dustry. included a recap of trends in the market coverage provided the launch boost our cli- In the final analysis—and with apologies during the past quarter, and a 50,000-foot ent sought and turned a routine fintech app to James Carville whose 1992 TV quip, level forecast of where the markets could be launch into pop culture buzz. helped elect Bill Clinton as President—in trading in the quarter ahead. International Find an audience fintech and financial services, “it’s the con- media alerts targeted key FX markets and Every fintech product or service has its tent, stupid.” those where our client was licensed. More own natural audience, however niche. Take Henry Feintuch is President of Feintuch than 100 investors and a dozen reporters the case of BasisCode Compliance, a lead- Communications and a past President of PR- joined the first webcast—more over time— ing provider of regulatory compliance and SA-NY. 

20 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

FEATURE How COVID-19 changed the fin. marketing playbook Internal communications has been overlooked for far too long at Measurement is king Over the last 10 years, PR pros have made financial institutions, and it took a global pandemic for many to significant progress towards tracking and realize their internal team is the foundation for everything they do. measuring their impact. Vague and outdat- ed methods such as ad value equivalency By Andrew Healy and inflated media impressions have fortu- he financial services space is no But in mid to late March when domestic nately been replaced with more thoughtful, stranger to economic crises and mass markets were down more than 30 percent, tangible metrics. Tuncertainty. In just the last quarter cities all around the world were shutting The shift towards digital has given PR pros century, they’ve experienced—and in some down, and global uncertainty and fear access to a world of data they never knew cases, caused—the 2008 financial crisis, the around the virus was at its peak, the last existed, which in turn has helped agencies dot-com bubble, the 9/11 attacks, finan- thing clients wanted to do was go shopping. and brands do a better cial crises in Asia and Argentina and Black Fortunately, most financial brands rec- job tracking their ef- Monday. ognized this and changed their communi- forts in real time and Where COVID-19 will ultimately rank on cations approach overnight. Gone were ad- adjusting as needed. this list is yet to be determined, but as with vertisements and articles touting new ETFs, Optimizing on a reg- every industry and part of society, the coro- and in their place, firms rolled out content ular basis is a more ef- navirus’ impact on the financial services aiming to help clients understand and get fective approach then a space will be deep and felt for years. through the economic fallout. “set it and forget it” one, Marketers and communications profes- Webinars, tutorials and increased social and working alongside sionals can’t always see into the future, but engagement replaced roadshows, product clearly defined KPIs Andrew Healy the initial dust from COVID-19 has settled launches and media tours, and though a has helped the industry enough for a few takeaways to emerge. strong market recovery in Q2 has calmed better articulate the value they’re adding. Growing focus on internal comms. nerves and consumers are again planning As budgets continue to feel pressure from I’ve argued for years that financial institu- for the future and need financial advice and COVID-19, measurement and ROI will be tions too often overlooked one of their most investment products, brands that continue as important as ever. Communications pros critical audiences: their employees. Not ev- to focus on educational and client-centric will need to invest more time and resources ery firm is guilty of this­­­, and we’ve had the content will see their clients return the fa- in this area to better showcase their efforts, pleasure of working on some fantastic inter- vor. and clearly articulate how it ties back to cor- nal communications programs with clients, Shorter campaign windows … porate goals and revenue targets. but brands often focus on external audi- Long-term strategic planning will always Be nimble ences first—media, investors, clients—with have a seat at the table, but COVID-19 has The emergence of the coronavirus came employee engagement falling down the list. compressed the typical marcom planning at a time where the financial marcom land- Fortunately, that is changing. window dramatically. Those annual 2020 scape was already going through a series of As firms scrambled to adjust to a remote plans that took so long to craft sudden- sea changes. Departments and disciplines setting, they were literally forced to make ly didn’t offer the roadmap they did just a that for decades were housed separately their employees a top priority. It’s somewhat few weeks ago, and marketers had to shift have since been merged, new strategies have unfortunate that it took a global pandemic immediately in response to the changes in emerged while old ones have faded to the for companies to realize their internal team their clients’ needs. background and C-suites today have a level is the foundation for everything they do, but With a Presidential election less than 100 of understanding and appreciation of com- it’s been heartwarming to see brands step up days away and continued uncertainty due munications that their predecessors often to the plate and truly focus on their people. to the virus, brands need to remain flexible lacked. I’ve had countless conversations with peo- and nimble. Agility is a word that marketers Companies can weather traditional down- ple who couldn’t stop talking about how love to throw around, but it’s needed now turns and crises, but the uncertainty caused transparent and communicative their firms more than ever. by COVID-19 has presented a unique were during those difficult early weeks of … And shorter content challenge that firms weren’t prepared for. I the shutdown, and how reassuring it was Just as brands need to adjust to a short- expect we’ll see more project-based assign- to work for a company so focused on them er marketing calendar, they also need to ments, as brands deal with decreased bud- during an unprecedented time of need. The shift their content strategy as well. There is gets and delayed product launches. Brands financial brands that truly get this and take a minefield of macro and micro-economic will continue to consolidate their agency the time and resources to invest in this area concerns on clients’ minds, offering brands rosters, which will force agencies to diver- will retain and attract good employees and, a great opportunity to post more frequent, sify and expand their offerings. And every- ultimately, win out. shorter-form content to respond to timely thing will be reviewed on a nearly daily ba- Shift away from products concerns and engage with their audiences. sis, as a campaign set to roll out next month Finance operates like every other indus- Short-form video marketing has been that may look fantastic today might be tone try: customers have needs and financial on the rise for years, and for good reason, deaf by next week. firms fill that gap with services and offer- and this will continue to be a key part of Clients are more engaged today than ever, ings, from online stock trading platforms ßbrands’ marketing approach moving for- and that’s a double-edged sword that PR to mutual funds and ETFs, to more nu- ward. Infographics, Q&As, blogs, podcasts professionals should remind themselves of anced strategies for institutional investors and how-to content will also play a starring every day. and family offices. But the common thread role as brands increase their content output Andrew Healy, is Partner and Co-Founder throughout is the same: sell a product. in a fast-moving environment. of Water & Wall. 

22 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM How COVID-19 changed the fin. marketing playbook

FEATURE Navigating the virtual event landscape PR professionals must learn to transition to virtual events and find Train to the platform ways to get creative and generate opportunities for their clients. To create the smoothest experience pos- sible, be sure to become a pro at whatever platform a given event is using. This will By Ben Chodor take some training leading up to the event, ive events are a vital component of ev- story you are trying to create. Provide the but the long-term pay-off from knowing ery PR program. Brands rely on events reporter with the necessary sessions and how to use platforms properly makes a dif- Lof all sizes to showcase their latest in- content they’ll need to remain engaged. By ference. Hosting a pre-event training ses- novations and corporate news, network taking ownership of the schedule and di- sion for media members might allow you with other industry professionals, meet rection, you create a seamless experience to stand out and guarantee a perfect virtual new customers, and engage with media to that they may remain engaged with. experience come event time. garner press coverage. However, as of Feb- Remember to engage Post-event takeaways ruary, all in-person events came to a com- To strike the best engagement, you must While following up with media mem- plete halt, and PR pros had to adjust their bring the show to life. Whether you include bers who attended your planned 2020 programming and revamp gamification options, giveaways or swag event is nothing new for their strategies quickly. bags, it helps! Reporters and influencers PR pros, virtual events With millions of dollars on the line, event do not have the opportunity to touch, feel, offer even more oppor- organizers found a scalable solution—vir- or interact with your product or team. In- tunity for post-event tual events. Tech industry leaders like Ora- stead, you can consider creating “booth promotion. Be sure to cle and Microsoft announced their in-per- kits” or “to-go” bags that they can unbox check what kind of ac- son events for 2020 would shift to a virtual on a live feed alongside you. Don’t hesitate cess you have to video format. Given the nature of their business to get creative with it either—perhaps it’s a archives, press releases, and roots in the tech sector, this seemed cocktail to sip while watching! and other useful con- Ben Chodor like a rather obvious solution. Howev- Lean into your digital channels tent following any given er, the momentum continued, and other Amplifying your client’s voice across virtual event. brands and verticals began to follow suit, social media and other digital channels is In summary, while the transition to virtu- including healthcare, entertainment, and nothing new. Put time into crafting an on- al events might seem like a significant leap, food and beverage. going digital media plan to broaden your PR professionals have an array of tools and Event organizers have started planning audience and reach. Be sure you are pro- strategies at their disposal to navigate this for 2021, and PR teams have begun draw- moting it on company channels, individual new landscape. As the industry continues ing up plans to support different campaigns channels, and others continuously. Do not to evolve, we must too! and event formats. If there is one thing we hesitate to include session titles or descrip- Ben Chodor is President of Intrado Digital have learned it’s that virtual events are here tions and always be sure to engage with Media, which owns the PR workflow plat- to stay. While we can agree nothing can hashtags, speakers, or attendees interested. form Notified.  truly replace an in-person event, there are several benefits to having both in-person and hybrid events. That said, PR profes- sionals must learn to navigate the virtual Tech PR proves digital marketing’s value event landscape and find ways to get cre- ative and generate opportunities for their espite tightened marketing budgets, are out as a priority for tech brands for clients. internal communications programs the foreseeable future. Seven percent of The right tools make a difference Dfacing big cuts and tradeshows put respondents said their companies have While the nature of virtual events might on hold, an overwhelming percentage of already decided not to participate in the appear to make it more challenging to in- tech marketers said they’ve been able to tradeshow circuit in 2021, and nearly half teract with attendees directly, PR profes- illustrate the success of their digital mar- (49 percent) said they’re currently unsure sionals can quickly remedy this by using the keting efforts to executives throughout if their companies will attend tradeshows right tools at the right times. Are you host- the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a and conferences if they resume next year. ing a press conference? Consider launching report released by Atlanta-based tech PR When asked where tech marketers would a branded live stream or webcast. With the shop ARPR. reallocate their budgets in the event that right platform, you can also offer breakout The report, which sought to uncover tradeshows and conferences don’t return to rooms or 1:1 personalized video meetings what priorities, resources and strategies normal, content marketing and paid digital and interactions. All of which are a win and tech marketers will focus on in 2021 and ads shared the number-one spot, followed well-received. how their tech PR and marketing budgets by virtual events, media relations, SEO and Personalization is key will be utilized going forward, found that traditional advertising. Similar to live events, personalization after an entire quarter of online-only mar- ARPR’s “Data Report: Marketing in a is critical. PR pros should still attempt to keting, an overwhelming number of tech Post-Covid World” report was based on interact as much as possible. Go the extra marketers polled (97 percent) said they’ve data collected in June. and surveyed mar- mile when it comes to media outreach. “definitely” or at least “somewhat” been keters at more than 100 tech companies, Consider creating personalized agendas, able to prove the value of digital marketing including enterprise brands and startups event plans, and activity links for reporters to executives during the COVID-19 pan- representing companies such as Amazon, to navigate through the event. When creat- demic. Cox Communications and Rackspace and ing these, remember your end goal and the One thing’s for sure: it appears events others. 

26 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Access to capital remains top challenge for women

The challenges of communicating available financial resources to play a part in proactively sharing and dis- women-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. seminating resources and information sur- rounding the pandemic. By Temren R. Wroge Impacting businesses through policy s the communications manager needs to be done to ensure that women in Highlighting the unique role that wom- for the National Women’s Business business have the opportunity to start and en business owners fill in the economy and ACouncil, I’m in the unique position grow their enterprise. sharing their challenges and opportunities of conveying the crucial mission of the Social media has been a successful way with policymakers allows for more effective Council, especially during this unprece- to share new opportunities for women in recovery legislation and allows the voices of dented and uncertain time. business. NWBC also works closely with women business owners and entrepreneurs The NWBC is a non-partisan federal advi- women’s business organizations like the As- to be heard. sory committee created to serve as an inde- sociation of Women’s Business Centers and Because NWBC has pendent source of advice and policy recom- the Women’s Business Exchange National shifted to a virtual mendations to the President, Congress and Council to highlight trainings being offered platform and outreach the U.S. Small Business Administration on and also promote local resources for women strategy, the feedback economic issues of importance to women in business. that we receive during business owners. NWBC has three policy NWBC is the only independent federal the webinars and priorities for 2020: Women in STEM, Rural advisory committee devoted solely to the roundtables is extreme- Women’s Entrepreneurship and Access to empowerment of women-owned business- ly valuable. Per our stat- Capital and Opportunity. Through in-depth es. However, federal agencies usually have ute, NWBC submits an Temren R. Wroge conversations, roundtables and webinars an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Busi- annual report to Con- with women business owners across the ness Utilization and subdivisions or depart- gress and the Adminis- country, we’ve found that a lack of fund- ments that focus on women and minorities tration with policy recommendations at the ing, financial assistance and resources still and deliver relevant programming. end of each fiscal year, and the roundtable exist among women business owners and Providing financial resources and webinar discussions serve as a spring- entrepreneurs. The Council seeks to close Amid the pandemic, NWBC’s policy fo- board for those recommendations. NWBC that gap and connect women in business to cus areas remain the same, but our means also routinely meets with members of Con- opportunities to start and grow their enter- of engagement and outreach has shifted to gress and agency officials to share the coun- prises. solely virtual methods for the time being. cil’s mission and relay challenges for wom- Because the NWBC is tasked with provid- NWBC shifted its signature #LetsTalk- en’s business enterprise. ing policy recommendations to the White Business Roundtable Series, which con- In NWBC’s most recent Annual Report, House, Congress and the SBA, we work to nects the voices of women entrepreneurs the Council sought to amplify the Women’s identify ways that federal programs can be and business owners from across the coun- Business Center program and the resources streamlined or adjusted to eliminate access try to policymakers in the Nation’s capital and trainings it provides to women looking barriers for women entrepreneurs. NWBC and helps serve as a springboard for the to start or grow their business. NWBC rec- also seeks to raise awareness about relevant Council’s annual policy recommendations ommended that the SBA consult with the financial literacy issues and existing curric- to Congress, the President and the SBA to Association for Women’s Business Centers ulum, programs and initiatives dedicated an online platform. The latest roundtable and conduct a market scan in order to cast a to teaching women entrepreneurs about focused on Women in STEM and was held wider net when looking for a funding match capital and financial literacy, which may be virtually on July 28. and gauge the need for a business center amplified to help women build personal and At the start of 2020, NWBC launched within the community. business credit, build wealth and achieve fi- #WebinarWednesday—a monthly webinar Federal programs, like the Women’s Busi- nancial security. series that serves as a platform for women ness Center program, give women in busi- The financial challenges entrepreneurs and business owners, to con- ness the opportunity to learn about avail- Access to capital continues to be the nect them to key advocates, experts, and able resources to start, sustain and grow biggest impediment to growth for wom- useful resources that can help bolster their their businesses, which is extremely valu- en-owned businesses. Women access com- knowledge and skills, and elevate their en- able as small businesses are being drastically mercial loans at lower rates and receive less trepreneurial potential. NWBC has also impacted by the pandemic. venture and equity capital than men. In or- used its #WebinarWednesday series to high- Proactive communication, representation der to accurately advocate for women busi- light resources amid the pandemic. In April, As we navigate the strange and turbulent ness owners and founders, it’s paramount to NWBC and the Vinetta Project teamed up waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, NWBC address the barriers that inhibit women. for a virtual panel aimed at helping start- remains committed to our principal mis- NWBC’s communication strategy seeks to up founders navigate the CARES Act. The sion to assist women in their business en- create a climate for women entrepreneurs to April 2020 webinar helped break down the deavors. We remain flexible and prepared to flourish. In doing so, NWBC needs to en- available federal relief for venture-backed grow and adapt to the changes that society gage a broader audience with compelling startups. Experts from the SBA, JP Morgan brings. It’s truly an honor to advocate for and accessible content informed by our mis- and Graphite Financial discussed available the nations’ growing and committed base of sion. Because access to capital and opportu- resources, lending options and how to doc- women entrepreneurs. nity is so important for women in business, ument your requests. Temren R. Wroge is Communications Man- the content that NWBC shares is to better NWBC’s email updates, monthly news- ager at National Women’s Business Council, inform policymakers of the work that still letters and #WebinarWednesday series all in Washington, D.C. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 27 O’Dwyer’s guide to FINANCIAL PR & INVESTOR RELATIONS

relations, content creation, brand- mass affluent, and high-net-worth ing, website development, market- investors. ing materials, videos, advertising and social media. Our industry work and experi- BOSPAR ence includes: Accounting, Advi- sory, Asset Management, Banks, Locations in San Francisco, LA, Financial Technology, Hedge Orange County, Chicago and the Washington, D.C. area Funds, Impact Investing, Insur- ance, Legal, Private Equity, Ven- 415/913-7528 ture Capital and Wealth Manage- [email protected] ment. @BosparPR

BLISS Chris Boehlke, Curtis Sparrer, Tom Carpenter, Principals INTEGRATED Tricia Heinrich, Chief Content COMMUNICATION Officer Member of The Worldcom Hey—can we talk to you for a Public Relations Group second? Yeah—you—the person reading these descriptions. 500 5th Ave., Suite 1640 Is it us or does this copy all seem New York, NY 10110 the same? We bet nearly every 212/840-1661 Fax: 212/840-1663 agency description says “we’re www.blissintegrated.com award winning” and “tech blah, blah, blah” and you’re left won- Elizabeth Sosnow, Meg Wildrick, dering: who do I pick? Managing Partners Here’s our advice: pick an agen- Cortney Stapleton, Partner, Pro- cy that is the right size to care fessional Services Practice Leader about you passionately with the Michael Roth, Partner, Healthcare right team to get it done. Practice Leader We of course think that’s us! Alexis Odesser, Greg Hassel, Bospar was named PRWeek’s Out- Julia Mellon, Keri Toomey, Reed Handley, Sally Slater, SVPs standing Boutique agency for the Miles Hill, Liz DeForest, Megan second year in a row, because we Tuck, Morgan Musikantow, VPs offer the best of big and small. Like a big agency, Bospar has Bospar’s team of professionals are where you need them: San Francisco, seasoned professionals across the Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Diego. To stay ahead of competitors, financial services companies need country, based in San Francisco, an agency partner with expertise, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, BACKBAY thought leadership, media rela- creativity, and agility—as well as Orange County, San Diego, New tions, research and message devel- a fierce dedication to results and York, and Washington, D.C. Its COMMUNICATIONS opment and integrated marketing service. Bliss is built to deliver on content department provides blog campaigns. BackBay has very these needs. posts, case studies, ghost-written 20 Park Plaza, Suite 801 close relationships with the busi- Bliss Integrated Communica- articles, messaging, positioning, Boston, MA 02116 ness and trade media. With 20 em- tion’s award-winning financial press releases, social media con- 617/391-0790 ployees and offices in Boston and services practice specializes in tent, website copy, infographics, www.backbaycommunications.com London, BackBay serves compa- breaking down complex ideas and research projects and videos. nies across the United States, Eu- packaging them into integrated But like a boutique, you will get 14-16 Great Chapel Street rope and elsewhere, leveraging communication campaigns. What attention from the most senior staff London, W1F 8FL and a team of people who have T: +44 (0) 203 475 7552 global partners. is especially unique about Bliss is BackBay takes a brand-centric, that the firm helps its clients en- worked together for years. Bill Haynes, Founder & CEO content-driven approach to devel- gage with their key audiences di- Bospar’s staff includes journal- oping and executing market po- rectly, as well as with the influenc- ists who know how to reverse-en- BackBay Communications is an sitioning and integrated commu- ers and trusted partners that impact gineer media coverage from a cli- integrated public relations, thought nications programs for financial their businesses. ent’s needs and provide intensive leadership content development, services firms including marketing We work with some of the big- media training with an insider’s and digital marketing agency fo- strategy, content development, gest names in asset management, perspective. Bospar supports its cused on the financial services creative design, and multi-channel insurance, wealth management, media efforts with analyst and in- sector, with special expertise in distribution of company news and banking and private equity and fluencer relations, customer and private equity, asset management, perspectives to build brand aware- have expertise in reaching niche third-party relations, case histo- fintech, and impact investing. ness, credibility and drive new audiences, including regulators, ries and speaking and awards pro- BackBay is known for helping business for our clients. advisors, intermediaries, institu- grams. The agency’s specialty is companies develop strong brands Our services include strategic tional investors, business owners, driving coverage from the likes of and drive new business through integrated marketing plans, media consumers, Millennials, women, ABC to the Wall Street Journal.

28 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Financial PR & Investor Relations Firms BUTTONWOOD that provide measurable benefits EDELMAN also help privately held companies to clients—and help their busi- with registered debt to tell their COMMUNICATIONS nesses grow and succeed. Our full 250 Hudson St., 16th Floor stories to the financial media. GROUP suite of integrated communications New York, NY 10013 Rick Anderson, financial practice services includes: comprehensive 212/768-0550 head, is a former chair of PRSA’s messaging and media relations Fax: 212/704-0117 financial communications section. 205 E. 42nd St., 17th Floor www.edelman.com New York, NY 10017 across multiple platforms, content The firm’s expertise is supported creation, media and presentation by the financial services specialists 646/766-9880 Edelman is a global communica- www.buttonwoodpr.com coaching, crisis and special situa- in the PR World Alliance, an inter- tions communications, online rep- tions firm that partners with busi- national alliance of premier inde- nesses and organizations to evolve, Justin Meise, President & Founder utation management and internal pendent PR and IR consultancies. communications. promote and protect their brands Buttonwood Communications DLPR’s clients include well- and reputations. Our 6,000 peo- Group is a boutique public re- known, large and middle-market ple in more than 60 offices deliv- FINANCIAL lations, marketing and strategic companies in key areas of finance, er communications strategies that PROFILES, INC. communications firm specializing including: institutional investing, give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning in financial services. Founded in mutual funds, ETFs, wealth man- 11601 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1920 2015, we have had the privilege to agement, alternatives and private the trust of their stakeholders. Our Los Angeles, CA 90025 serve a diverse range of financial equity, and investment and com- honors include the Cannes Lions 310/622-8220 organizations from niche players to munity banking. DLPR has proven Grand Prix for PR; Advertising [email protected] household names. professional services experience Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Re- www.finprofiles.com Buttonwood employs an inte- port’s 2018 Global Digital Agency within accounting, business con- Chicago, IL grated model emphasizing the de- sulting, compliance, cybersecuri- of the Year; and, five times, Glass- door’s Best Places to Work. Since San Francisco, CA velopment of strategic content to ty, economics, risk management, New York, NY leverage across communications management consulting and law. our founding in 1952, we have re- disciplines to maximize impact DLPR also has strong experience mained an independent, family-run Moira Conlon, President and value. Our team has built an in fintech and B2B technology. business. Edelman owns specialty impressive track record for de- DLPR has an exceptionally companies Edelman Intelligence Founded in 2007, Financial Pro- signing and managing successful strong broadcast group that, on (research) and United Entertain- files is a strategic communications programs to promote products and average, secures approximately 50 ment Group (entertainment, sports, firm that specializes in creating services and transform brands for bookings per month, primarily on lifestyle). value through effective commu- many B2C and B2B companies CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business nications. We partner with public from asset management, exchange and Yahoo! Finance. FEINTUCH and private companies as well as traded funds and brokerage to in- Clients Include: ARK-Invest, asset management firms, sell-side vestment banking, private equity, Adams Street Partners, BlueMoun- COMMUNICATIONS firms and trade associations to pro- hedge funds, specialty financing, tain Capital, Brandes Investment vide strategic counsel, value-based mortgage and financial technology. Partners, Brightstar Capital Part- 245 Park Ave., 39th Fl. positioning and messaging, and Clients include: FTSE Russell, ners, Brown Advisory, Crossmark New York, NY 10167 access to investors, analysts and 212/808-4900 Parametric, Westchester Capital Global Investments, Eaton Part- the press. We work across industry [email protected] sectors and have a dedicated finan- Management, The Investment Ad- ners, EisnerAmper, Global X Man- www.feintuchcommunications.com visor Association’s Active Man- agement, JMP Group, Muddy Wa- www.PRWorldAlliance.com cial services practice. agers Council, LeaseAccelerator, ters, Navigant, Neuberger Berman, Our senior team has deep exper- Indus Valley Partners, and Bond- Raymond James and Robeco. Henry Feintuch, President tise across a range of specialized Wave Richard Anderson, Senior Manag- services including investor rela- ing Director tions, media relations, IPO prepa- ration, M&A support, corporate DUKAS LINDEN From fintech to financial- ser positioning and messaging, media PUBLIC RELATIONS vices, the Feintuch Communi- training, and crisis communica- cations team has the experience tions support. We are proud of suc- and know-how to help its clients cesses in leveraging best-in-class 100 W. 26th St. achieve their business objectives. New York, NY 10001 communications to help our clients 212/704-7385 Our fintech experience is strong distinguish themselves, enhance [email protected] and varied – with decades of credibility, and build Wall Street www.dlpr.com hands-on support to companies in and media support. virtually every facet of the business Clients Include Aristotle Capi- Richard Dukas, Chairman & CEO from foreign exchange and pay- tal Management, Banc of Califor- Seth Linden, President ment technologies, to compliance nia, Inc., BlackRock TCP Capital Zach Leibowitz, Exec. VP software, loan platforms, trading Corp., Calavo Growers, Colum- technologies and more. bia Banking System, Inc., CURO Dukas Linden Public Relations We provide integrated financial Group Holdings, Duluth Holdings, (DLPR) is a communications part- communications services to public Green Thumb Industries, Hightree ner for leaders in finance, asset and private companies seeking to Advisors, General Finance Corp., management, professional ser- raise capital, burnish their image Midland States Bancorp, National vices, fintech and B2B technology. or inform markets. Our senior team Assn. of Corporate Directors, Na- We create compelling narratives helps companies to fine-tune their tional Assn. of Theater Owners, that expand our clients’ share of corporate story for the investment Oaktree Capital Group, Pacific voice, enhance their brand value community and their market posi- Premier Bancorp, PPM America, and—most important—engage key tion and differentiation to the busi- Resources Global Professionals, audiences in a global marketplace. ness and trade press. STORE Capital, Two Harbors In- Ranked #7 on O’Dwyer’s list of The Feintuch team provides vestment Corp., Tula Technology, top financial PR firms, we’re driv- Richard Anderson, senior man- strategic IR services in-house and en by a passion to deliver targeted aging director, financial services, partners with best-of-breed provid- strategies and creative solutions Feintuch Communications ers to deliver a full IR platform. We _ Continued on page 30

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 29 w Profiles of Financial PR & Investor Relations Firms

integrated disciplines. As part of a generation, thought leadership, peers, the financial community and FINANCIAL PROFILES, INC. global business advisory firm, we digital and social media programs, journalists for their quality work, _ Continued from page 29 help these organizations manage and more. strategic acumen and creative ap- change, mitigate risk and enhance proach to challenging issues. Victory Capital Management and their market position by combin- ICR The firm’s practice areas include Western Asset Mortgage Capital ing decades of deep subject matter investor relations, corporate com- Corp. expertise with functional and disci- 685 Third Ave., 2nd Floor munications and media relations, plinary experience. New York, NY 10017 restructuring and bankruptcy, crisis Our financial communications 646/277-1200 communications and special situa- FINN PARTNERS professionals serve as trusted ad- www.icrinc.com tions, transaction and integration/ visors to management teams on a change management communica- 301 E. 57th Street, 4th Floor range of capital markets events as Thomas Ryan, CEO tions, shareholder activism, ESG, New York, NY 10022 well as other stakeholder issues ([email protected]) litigation support, private equity, 212/715-1600 throughout the corporate life-cy- Don Duffy, President and design and digital. www.finnpartners.com ([email protected]) cle. We help clients navigate their Phil Denning, Partner Joele Frank consistently ranks Ryan Barr, Practice Leader and most pressing challenges and op- ([email protected]) among the top PR firms in an- Managing Partner (NY) portunities around M&A, IPOs, nounced restructurings, M&A restructuring, capital raising, cor- Established in 1998, ICR part- transactions, and defense against porate governance, ESG strategy, ners with companies to execute activist investors. Finn Partners’ Global Finan- proxy fights, and shareholder ac- strategic communications and cial Services Practice advises tivism. Our integrated capabilities advisory programs that achieve KEKST CNC companies on strategies to nav- in financial communications, -cor business goals, build awareness igate today’s highly competitive porate reputation and public affairs and credibility, and enhance long- markets and complex regulatory 437 Madison Avenue help clients protect and drive busi- term enterprise value. The firm’s New York, NY 10022 environments. They also help cli- ness value. highly-differentiated service mod- 212/521-4800 ents achieve successful business el, which pairs capital markets www.kekstcnc.com outcomes through purposeful sto- THE HOYT veterans with senior communica- rytelling and integrated commu- tions professionals, brings deep Jeremy Fielding, Co-Chief Execu- nications, and identify the most ORGANIZATION, sector knowledge and relationships tive Officer, Partner (New York) meaningful ways for clients to to more than 650 clients in ap- Bernhard Meising, Co-Chief Ex- ecutive Officer, Partner (Munich) engage key audiences and inspire INC. proximately 20 industries. ICR’s action. Led by industry veteran A member of the Public Relations healthcare practice operates under Kekst CNC is a leading glob- Ryan Barr, the practice has contin- Global Network (PRGN) the Westwicke brand (www.west- al strategic communications firm ued to build upon the momentum wicke.com). Today, ICR is one of with unparalleled expertise in from last year’s acquisition of Lon- 23001 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 200 the largest and most experienced helping global business and insti- don-based financial services firm, Torrance, CA 90505 310/373-0103 independent communications and tutional leaders navigate challeng- Moorgate Communications. In to- www.hoytorg.com advisory firms in North America, es and opportunities as they grow, day’s ever volatile markets, Finn’s maintaining offices in New York, transform, and protect their orga- seasoned experts understand that Leeza L. Hoyt, APR, MBA, Pres- Norwalk, Boston, Baltimore, San nizations. Our clients rely upon modern companies must engage ident Francisco, San Diego and Bei- the sound judgment, innovative customers and clients in ways Kenton N. Barrett, Vice President jing. ICR also advises on capital thinking, and proven effectiveness never before imaginable. Wheth- markets transactions through ICR of our highly experienced team of er broadening brand awareness, The Hoyt Organization, Inc., is Capital, LLC. Learn more at www. advisors to develop and execute the building appreciation for clients a full service, integrated commu- icrinc.com. Follow us on Twitter at integrated communications strate- transforming an industry or driv- nications firm which focuses on @ICRPR. gies necessary to maintain the con- ing adoption of new products and the financial sector as part of our fidence of stakeholders in an era of services, Finn’s Financial Commu- real estate studio. As such, over the accelerated change. nications practice combines smart years, we’ve worked with private JOELE FRANK, data and analytics with creative equity firms, venture capital firms, WILKINSON programing and flawless tactical owner operator entities, direct LANSONS execution to deliver on our agency lenders and other sources of capital BRIMMER KATCHER INTERMARKET promise—be bold, meaningful and wealth, so you can be assured that amazing for clients. our team understands your market 622 Third Avenue, 36th Floor and will be dedicated to building New York, NY 10017 425 Madison Avenue, Suite 600 out your message. 212/355-4449 New York, NY 10017 FTI CONSULTING www.joelefrank.com 212/754-5449 Based in the Los Angeles area, [email protected] with national reach THO is known STRATEGIC One California Street, Suite 2275 for developing strategic campaigns Martin Mosbacher, President COMMUNICATIONS that reach the right audience with San Francisco, CA 94111 415/869-3950 the right message. We’re a team of Lansons Intermarket is a leading 88 Pine Street, 32nd Floor high energy go getters dedicated Joele Frank, Managing Partner reputation management and stra- New York, NY 10005 to staying on top of the best dig- Matthew Sherman, President tegic communications consultan- 212/850-5600 ital tools that integrate into more cy with offices in New York and www.fticommunications.com traditional public relations tech- Joele Frank provides effective London and clients throughout the

Mark McCall, Global Segment niques to truly move the needle for and disciplined communications global financial services industry. Leader our clients. And, we’ve been doing counsel and support to help our cli- We provide a combination of stra- this successfully for almost thirty ents take control in advancing their tegic expertise and highly targeted C-suites, boards of directors, years. After all, our specialty is de- business and strategic objectives. execution designed to create inte- and business leaders from around veloping high performance strate- Our clients range from large, grated communications programs the world come to FTI Strategic gies that promote your brand. global public companies to small- that will shape your firm’s mes- Communications with their most Isn’t that what you want? er, private enterprises across virtu- sages, produce impactful content complex, business-critical issues Our services include strategic ally all industries. Our profession- and generate the media coverage that require diverse skill sets and public relations counsel, content als have been recognized by our and social media amplification that

30 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Financial PR & Investor Relations Firms builds and maintains reputation. headquartered in New York City service companies and products, Our key objective is to achieve sus- with offices in San Francisco and and take a consultative approach tained, measurable results. London. The firm combines 25 with our clients. With roots going back to 1986, award-winning years of expertise Lansons Intermarket clients in- serving blue chip and breakout clude leading asset managers, clients with forward-thinking new SITRICK AND wealth advisors, investment mar- service offerings and the freshness COMPANY ketplaces and exchanges, leading of a start-up. This unique mix of buy-side and sell-side institutions, experience and energy attracts and 800/288-8809 banks, alternative investment pro- empowers teams with a creative www.sitrick.com viders, financial technology and edge, drive and a passion for pro- Los Angeles: 310/788-2850 service providers, as well as gov- moting, protecting and connecting New York: 212/573-6100 ernment and industry organiza- clients in a fast-changing market- San Francisco: 415/999-9634 tions. Denver: 720/904-8560 place. Washington, D.C.: 443/977-7215 Service is the key factor that sets Corporate purpose has become Boston: 617/897-0326 us apart. At Lansons Intermarket, the buzzword of the year with all clients work directly with a many brands taking a stand on Michael S. Sitrick, Chairman and team of experienced financial com- societal issues to drive market- CEO munications professionals who un- ing programs. Peppercomm’s derstand your business, help shape StandSmart is a purpose stress test Less important than what you your story, and know how to make that evaluates brands’ business say about yourself is what others that story resonate with the audi- practices to ensure credibility and say about you. • The New York Times: “The ences you need to reach. Montieth Illingworth, CEO and authenticity to stand behind their City’s Most Prominent Crisis-Man- Global Managing Partner of global corporate purpose. Peppercomm’s Employee Engagement helps Chief agement Firm.” MONTIETH & communications agency Montieth • Forbes: “The crew from the & Company. Human Resource Officers develop COMPANY insight-led communications pro- television magazine is banging on grams to attract and retain talent, your door. You can have the se- IPOs, quarterly and annual report- curity guard throw them out and 10 Grand Central ing, analyst relations and regulato- ensure employees are informed 155 E. 44th Street know they’ll trash you. Or you ry disclosures. and engaged, and create workplac- New York, NY 10017 es with genuine two-way dialogue. can sit down with them and figure With the firm’s wealth of expe- 646/864-3080 Visit www.peppercomm.com or that out of the hour you give them, rience in crisis communications, www.montiethco.com find us @Peppercomm. they’ll use only 40 seconds on air. [email protected] issues management, litigation And those 40 seconds will make communications and public affairs, you look very guilty. Better solu- 1 Fore Street, Montieth & Company is also able RF|BINDER Moorgate, London tion, call Mike Sitrick.” to holistically assist clients on spe- • BusinessWeek: That’s unbeliev- United Kingdom cial situations relating to activist EC2Y 5EJ 950 3rd Ave., Floor 7 able. This is the heavy artillery.” 44 (0)20 3865 1947 shareholders, insider trading, SEC New York, NY 10022 Quote is from the CEO of one of and other regulatory actions, fund 212/994-7600 the largest PR firms in the world, Montieth Illingworth, CEO and liquidation, bankruptcies, discrim- www.rfbinder.com after learning we were brought in Global Managing Partner ination and sexual harassment cas- on the other side of a contentious es, fraud and anti-trust lawsuits, Amy Binder, CEO matter in which his firm was in- Montieth & Company is a spe- among others. volved. The RF|Binder Corporate & cialist global communications Visit https://montiethco.com/ Since our firm’s founding 31 Financial Services practice has agency with expertise in corporate expertise/corporate-financial-com- years ago, we have been consis- worked with some of the most communications, financial com- munications/ for more information tently ranked among the top crisis recognizable brands across retail munications and public relations. It on our specialist capabilities and and strategic communications firm banking, asset management, bro- provides strategic communications work in financial PR and corporate in the nation. kerage, mutual funds, financial solutions for key corporate ini- communications. The majority of the firm’s senior technology, insurance, profession- tiatives and supports engagement You can view our previous client executives are former editors and al services, and private equity. Our with analysts and investors. The work here: https://montiethco.com/ reporters from news organizations fully integrated communications firm has offices in New York, Lon- ourwork/ that include the Wall Street Journal, team works closely with the firm’s don and Hong Kong, and works the New York Times, Bloomberg, digital and analytics practice to across global money and media Los Angeles Times, Forbes, CBS PEPPERCOMM develop and execute measurable markets. News, and NBC News. We also programs closely tied to business The firm is known for its work have former practicing attorneys 470 Park Ave. South, 5th flr. North objectives. We help organizations with publicly listed and private and business executives. New York, NY 10016 with all layers of their communica- clients across financial services 212/931-6100 Matters with which we have been tion programming, from narratives (asset managers, investment banks, [email protected] involved include litigation support and messaging, media relations, hedge funds and private equity www.peppercomm.com of all kinds; intellectual property executive positioning, thought firms), professional services, real matters, allegations of stock ma- Steve Cody, CEO & Founder leadership, and corporate social estate, fintech, emerging technolo- nipulation, wrongful termination, Ann Barlow, Partner & President, impact programming, to imple- gies, aviation, manufacturing, nat- contract disputes, allegations of West Coast menting B2B/B2C communica- ural resources and renewable ener- fraud and fraudulent inducement, Jacqueline Kolek, Partner & tions initiatives, including social gy. It has worked extensively with wrongful death claims, allegations clients listed on public exchanges, General Manager, New York Office and digital media programming, Maggie O’Neill, Partner & Chief of illegal drug use, SEC matters, content campaigns, branding and including the NASDAQ, NYSE, Client Officer and a variety of other white-col- design, influencer relations, and TSX, FTSE and AIM, on investor Tara Lilien, Chief Talent Officer lar crimes. We have also handled more. Our team brings a broad relations and media relations. This criminal and civil cases against includes raising a company’s brand Peppercomm is an award-win- understanding of the regulatory presence in the media, succession ning strategic, integrated commu- and compliance issues that govern _ Continued on page 32 planning, M&A, capital raises, nications and marketing agency communications around financial

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 31 .

w Profiles of Financial PR & Investor Relations Firms SITRICK AND COMPANY Vested is an award-winning, global integrated communications _ Continued from page 31 firm that is at the front of the rap- companies and their executives idly evolving financial sector. The for such things as price fixing, in- agency’s approach merges deep surance fraud, options backdating, financial expertise with creativity antitrust violations, race and sex and an obsessive commitment to discrimination, sexual harassment, creating value for clients through racism and #MeToo matters. We paid, earned, shared and owned have a significant data breach, channels. Vested works with brands mergers and acquisitions and cor- across financial services, ranging porate governance practice and from newer fintechs to institutional have done extensive work com- firms. Its clients include American batting short sellers. Other issues Express, Morgan Stanley, Morn- include sensitive environmental ingstar, Bloomberg, Grayscale, matters, racketeering cases, family SEI, Scotiabank and RBC Capital disputes, and high-profile divorces, Markets, among others. reputation management and repu- The agency, which has offices in tational positioning. We have also New York, San Francisco, London been involved in helping to launch and Toronto, is a founding member such firms as Oaktree Capital. From left: Vested President & Co-Founder Binna Kim, CEO & Co-Founder of the Global Fintech PR Network Offices are in Los Angeles, San Dan Simon and COO & Co-Founder Ishviene Arora. and operates an investment group, Francisco, New York, Boston and Vested Ventures. In 2019, it made a strategic investment in PR/content Washington, D.C., though we have keting, reputation & crisis manage- and data analytics to name a few. firm Caliber Corporate Advisers, handled cases all over the world. ment, executive counsel, and social Representing emerging, middle and acquired the financial content For additional information in- media. Our deep understanding of market and national brands, the marketing firm Scribe. Vested has cluding clients for whom our work the financial services world and the agency gravitates towards four been recognized as one of Inc. was public and additional media media covering it allows us to po- distinct communities—disruptive com’s Top Places to Work, Bulldog comments about our firm see: sition clients effectively in today’s forces, category pioneers, stealth PR’s Best Industry-Focused Agen- www.sitrick.com. complex environment. Our senior leaders and wonder women. Its cy, PRovoke’s Financial PR Agen- professionals spend the majority of suite of services includes public cy of the Year, and PRNews’s Best their time on client work, ask tough relations, integrated marketing, STANTON Places to Work. questions, challenge assumptions, demand generation and creative 880 Third Ave. and suggest bold solutions. Flex- services. New York, NY 10022 ibility, collaboration, responsive- Having successfully solidified its WATER & WALL 212/366-5300 ness, and bureaucracy-free service position as one of the preeminent [email protected] are the hallmarks of our client rela- technology firms in the Southeast, 19 West 21st Street, Suite 1202 www.stantonprm.com tionships. Clients find a home at our its financial services practice inte- New York, NY 10010 grates into the firm’s existing base 212/625-2363 firm because we deliver a unique www.waterandwall.com 520 3rd St. blend of smart strategy, strong rela- of business and consumer expe- Oakland, CA 94607 rience. Following one of its most 510/635-4150 tionships, innovative thinking, and Andrew Healy, Matt Kirdahy & first-class execution that produces successful years, ranked among the Scott Sunshine, Partners Alex Stanton, CEO business-changing results. top 15 fastest growing firm in the Tom Faust, Charlyn Lusk, Man- US, the firm has moved from a ser- Water & Wall is an award-win- aging Directors vice-focused to an outcome-driven ning communications and market- Liam Collopy, Katrin Lieberwirth, TREVELINO/KELLER philosophy, building customized ing agency specializing in earned Michael Goodwin, SVPs programs around growth, value, media, content strategy/develop- 981 Joseph Lowery Boulevard leadership and engagement. Own- ment, branding, design, and crisis Stanton works with a wide va- Suite 100 communications. Atlanta, GA 30318 ing the industry’s number one re- riety of firms in financial services tention rate, having lost one staffer Our team helps build and main- and asset management helping 404/214-0722 X106 and X105 [email protected] to an agency in 17 years, the firm tain the reputations of financial raise their profiles, build their rep- [email protected] is known for its progressive, cul- and professional services brands utations, and grow their businesses. www.trevelinokeller.com ture-rich programs like Red with and we’ve worked with the most Our clients range from funds and Ted, Cooleaf Pro, Read to Lead, well-known names in the business. brokerage firms to private equity, Nationally ranked in financial Farm to T/K and its soon to be Our financial industry experience venture capital and private credit; services and technology industries, launched, Voice4Change Project. includes retail/institutional asset and from risk management, insur- along with the #2 position in Geor- For more information, visit treveli- managers, hedge funds, private ance, and reinsurance to a variety gia and Atlanta’s fastest growing, nokeller.com. equity funds, VC firms, ETF pro- of fintech and tech-enabled finan- Trevelino/Keller continues to see viders, wealth managers, fintech cial services companies. Our work success in both its financial ser- companies, investment consultants has earned us a place on the Ob- vices as well as fintech markets. VESTED and more. Our professional ser- server Power List of financial PR Working in collaboration with the vices experience extends to law firms two years in a row. Technology Association of Geor- 22 W. 38th Street, Floor 9 and accounting firms, management With offices in New York and the gia, Trevelino/Keller continues its 917/765-8720 and regulatory change consultants, San Francisco Bay Area, we are a ongoing support of Fintech South [email protected] executive compensation specialists full-service agency supporting our Conference. Based in one of the and real estate companies. clients across a variety of com- strongest financial services markets Dan Simon, CEO & Co-Founder We’re as careful at selecting our munications disciplines including in the country, Trevelino/Keller has Binna Kim, Pres. & Co-Founder clients as they are at selecting us, media relations, brand messaging, Ishviene Arora, COO & built a balanced practice, work- Co-Founder and if we work together, you’ll content development and mar- ing in peer to peer lending, credit Amer Roberts, CEO of Profes- have our undivided attention, out- keting, internal communications, unions, payment processing, fac- sional Services of-the-box thinking and, perhaps executive visibility, thought lead- toring, tokenization, merchant cash Elspeth Rothwell, CEO of Vested most importantly, our unwavering ership, digital and traditional mar- advances, cyber security software UK commitment to your success. 

32 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION TOPTOPO’DWYER’SO’DWYER’S FINANCIALFINANCIAL PRPR && INVESTORINVESTOR RANKINGSRANKINGS RELATIONSRELATIONS FIRMSFIRMS

Firm Net Fees (2019) Firm Net Fees (2019)

1. Edelman, New York, NY $83,645,000 24. Buttonwood Comms Group, New York, NY $1,212,200

2. ICR, New York, NY 49,124,635 25. KCD Public Relations, Inc., San Diego, CA 989,089

3. Prosek Partners, New York, NY 48,213,707 26. 360PR+, Boston, MA 771,240

4. APCO Worldwide, Washington, DC 11,223,699 27. Greentarget Global LLC, Chicago, IL 769,590

5. Vested, New York, NY 9,236,000 28. Akrete, Evanston, IL 710,121

6. Finn Partners, New York, NY 8,825,000 29. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 689,114

7. Gregory FCA, Ardmore, PA 6,400,000 30. Standing Partnership, St. Louis, MO 671,717

8. Dukas Linden Public Relations, New York, NY 6,318,683 31. rbb Communications, Miami, FL 538,819

9. Lambert, Grand Rapids, MI 5,136,000 32. Beehive Strategic Communication, St. Paul, MN 515,166

10. Bliss Integrated Communication, New York, NY 3,976,000 33. Bradford Group, The, Nashville, TN 426,370

11. Padilla, Minneapolis, MN 3,939,768 34. Butler Associates, LLC, New York, NY 366,762

12. BackBay Communications, Boston, MA 3,674,919 35. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA 360,732

13. RBMG (RB Milestone Group), Stamford, CT 3,433,225 36. Trevelino/Keller, Atlanta, GA 330,000

14. Caliber Corporate Advisers, New York, NY 2,922,102 37. IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 287,000

15. Hewes Communications, New York, NY 2,761,129 38. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 260,237

16. Zeno Group, New York, NY 2,633,958 39. MP&F Strategic Communications, Nashville, TN 230,760

17. IMRE, LLC, Baltimore, MD 2,573,000 40. Fish Consulting, Fort Lauderdale, FL 173,000

18. 5W Public Relations, New York, NY 2,100,000 41. Brownstein Group, Philadelphia, PA 112,953

19. G&S Business Communications, New York, NY 1,978,358 42. SPI Group LLC, The, Fairfield, NJ 100,000

20. Inkhouse, Waltham, MA 1,692,445 43. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 92,000

21. Kivvit, Chicago, IL 1,611,164 44. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 79,286

22. Peppercomm, New York, NY 1,571,186 45. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 65,000

23. Havas Formula, New York, NY 1,476,595 46. Tunheim, Minneapolis, MN 14,469

© Copyright 2020 The J.R. O’Dwyer Co. FEATURE Thought leadership, now and after the pandemic

The importance of developing thought leadership programs that is king. Companies serious about building build brand and reputational capital. reputation work hard every day to be both opportunistic and thoughtful, looking at By Doug Donsky ways to insert themselves into trending rom global law and management con- regardless, they’re vital within professional conversations while building “set pieces” sulting to accounting and executive services and often the key difference be- into a calendar that consider surveys, white Fsearch, 2020 has been a tough—if not tween the elite and the pack. papers, conferences, webinars, podcasts and terrible—year for professional services. Not The importance of thought leadership more. In addition to bringing ideas, media only have salaries, employees and budgets If business development separates the relationships and strong writing to the ta- been cut for many, but most professional successful from the rest, then thought ble, strong communicators also play the workers have been forced out of their offices leadership is the platform to generate new crucial roles of “convener” and “challeng- and into their homes and are now gamely business. Thought leadership has long been er-in-chief,” assembling people from dif- trying to balance the demands of clients a cornerstone of professional services busi- ferent areas to discuss the latest news and and new business efforts with those of fam- ness development, but without the ability asking how new ideas, ily. Everyone’s just trying to hang on, but to develop relationships and establish cre- products or services tie hanging on won’t likely cut it in 2021 and dentials in person, implementing a thought back to a firm’s mission, beyond. And it has raised a question within leadership program takes on increas- objectives or messages. professional services that many would just ing importance. Today’s pandemic crisis, Capture. One of as soon avoid: How will we ever win new therefore, is forcing many to look deeply the biggest failings in clients if nobody ever wants to physically toward deciding what they’re known for thought leadership is meet again? and whether they’re truly a leader or just the inability to “cap- COVID business development challenge another competitor in a hyper competitive ture,” which means This isn’t an inconsequential question and, industry. Even the largest and most success- growing a loyal audi- Doug Donsky unfortunately, there’s not a readily apparent ful global consultancies are reevaluating ence actively engaged in answer. All businesses thrive on relation- whether they can truly be all things to all your ideas. LinkedIn is a fantastic platform, ships, but professional services is uniquely people. And many are trying to get ahead of but especially when it comes to crushing driven by the needs of the client, which can the coming industry shakeout and consoli- egos and putting people in their rightful require grueling travel, pulling an all-night- dation, deciding today where they want to place. Everyone on LinkedIn has “connec- er at the office or working onsite for weeks, place their time, resources and focus, as well tions,” a few have “followers,” fewer still months or even years at a time. as how they wish to communicate to be- have graduated to loyal “subscribers,” and a Against the backdrop of the global pan- come the go-to providers for their expertise. rarefied group are recognized as “influenc- demic, Zoom and other video services have The three Cs of thought leadership ers.” With a global audience of more than been a lifesaver in keeping professional Developing thought leadership involves 700 million, LinkedIn today has roughly firms’ communicating with their clients and many ingredients but, critically, it requires 800 influencers. (I’m not great at math, but I business moving forward, as well as provid- a champion at the top and strong consis- would say that’s infinitesimally small.) Most ing strong evidence that work-from-home tency of fresh and timely content, which have earned that exalted status by their po- actually works, improves productivity and continues to drive the point of competitive sition, not because they actually said any- offers a better work-life balance for employ- differentiation and market expertise home. thing of interest. More interesting, though, ees. Without delving too deeply, it’s best for is that a lot of LinkedIn’s most prominent What this new virtual “office light” work those in public relations and strategic com- influencers are sort of nobodies who have environment hasn’t proven, however, is munications to keep thought leadership busted into the club because they have whether it’s sustainable and, specifically, focused around three simple themes when strong opinions, great ideas and, of course, whether it can become a profitable business explaining to either internal or external publish regularly. That should show there’s model for professional services long term. stakeholders: hope for all. But you sort of need to bring it Moreover, it says nothing about fashioning Captivate. In today’s always-on and al- if you’re going to capture attention. a winning organizational culture, which ways-communicating world, you’ll never Even before the pandemic, professional prioritizes and respects collegiality, team be heard above the dissonance if you’re services was hurting. Artificial intelligence work and mentorship. FaceTime can’t re- timid. You need a strong point of view and was automating many services, clients were place “face time,” especially for younger em- a gifted messenger, one who can captivate yanking more work in house, and there was ployees who need to learn from managers both mind and spirit, as well as simplify the little time during the day for relationship by observing. solution. Being edgy—not crazy—while building, which gave rise to extending day Despite these headwinds, a small num- also being thoughtful—not frantic—are into night with dinners and evening client ber of firms are in fact having a record solid guideposts to consider for creating events. In a virtual world, however, a lot of year, while the vast majority are coping impactful thought leadership. Of course, this has gone away and won’t be coming with some level of pain. And within this you can remain an impassive observer; back soon. Thought leadership is the one small but elite group, there’s one common nobody’s forcing you or your organization and maybe only certain way forward, pro- denominator: reputation. Almost always, into the traffic. But you won’t build much viding an opportunity—not a guarantee—of the firm is known for something. Or, more of a reputation staying on the sidewalk and, how to build and bank reputational capital. specifically, someone at the firm is known eventually, you need to figure out a safe way Time, however, isn’t on the industry’s side. for something. They can be rainmakers or to cross the street if you ever hope to get Doug Donsky is a Managing Director in “umbrellas,” those so knowledgeable they somewhere. ICR, Inc.’s real estate, financial services and can keep a client dry when it pours. But Content. In thought leadership, content professional services group. 

34 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM Value vs. vanity: metrics that matter for earned media Clients often want press—even if it’s not the right press. PR professionals must have the ethics and wisdom to help clients get value-based placements, not placements that simply look good. By D.J. Jordan and Dustin Siggins “ ith great power comes great re- Clients success. Any so-called PR “expert” can get sponsibility.” From Uncle Ben’s A CEO must guide clients. This is doubly a client placed. The ethical and success-ori- Wmouth to Peter Parker’s ears to difficult because most people and prospects ented practitioner will seek placements PR practitioners’ computers, two recent don’t fully understand what PR is. Worse, that meet specific goals to build the client’s national surveys show the power of earned our respective firms find that many client brand towards accomplishing long-term media and the serious responsibility we prospects have been burned by alleged PR goals and aspirations. bear to serve our clients and the general experts at least once, sometimes to the tune Social ethics public. of thousands of dollars. These short-term In the Bible, Judas sold Jesus Christ out The first study was Edelman’s June “Brand “experts” create long-term problems for the for 30 pieces of silver. Where’s your line in Trust In 2020” special report. Forty-four rest of us. the sand to maintain percent of respondents said earned media The amorphous nature of PR requires your values while still would help them choose a brand, while 51 success to start with earning client trust. growing your business? percent would leave a brand over media Pinkston Group does this by promising You must know where coverage. The second survey came from the “wow” factor to clients. Proven Media yours is to uphold your Bospar in July; earned media drove 19 per- Solutions published a “good-faith effort” company’s values, truly cent of respondents to visit a company’s pledge so clients know what they’re get- serve your clients and website after just one mention. After 10 ting for their money. Our firms seek first to make a positive mark in mentions, 85 percent of respondents visited show a prospect that they aren’t just getting the world. a company’s site. placement: they’re going to make a real dif- In a diverse society, D.J. Jordan In a time when a single bad story involv- ference for their customers, staff, vendors, it’s hard to only serve ing politics, injustice or the pandemic can investors and other stakeholders. And, in clients who fully line have real consequences on real people’s a time of social unrest and extreme dis- up with your values. lives—or can change an entire industry course, for society at large. Senior executives must and launch a social movement—executives Once the client signs on the dotted line, decide how to incorpo- need to take the power we bear and use it you must continue to prioritize ethics by rate one’s personal and in ways that improve our companies, our putting client goals first. For example, you social ethics into get- clients and the world. may want to get the client placed quickly to ting clients great press Company culture prove you can produce. However, the client and influencing public The area that executives can most influ- may not be ready for that much exposure, opinion. ence is within their company. Hiring the especially if their message isn’t fully devel- In short, you must ask Dustin Siggins right people with the right values sets your oped. Overwhelming a client and causing if telling a great story company on the path to ethical and long- them to flounder benefits your company puts your company on the track to success term growth. A trustworthy team treats cli- in the short run, but costs you thousands or makes you a modern-day Judas. ents like friends and each other like family. of dollars—and them tens of thousands of Cancel culture to changing a culture Together, they’ll help each other become dollars—in the long run. Every PR agency has the potential to better and maximize the value your firm On the other side of the coin is moving change the world. One of our firms works can bring to a client. the client too slowly. We’ve both seen PR with a government contractor lender that, Building the right culture and the right “professionals” take advantage of client ig- yes, wants to grow and make money, but team is solely on the CEO. As described norance by placing them well below their also wants to become the ethical lender of in great detail by former Navy Seals and level of influence. It’s a lot easier than aim- choice for small businesses that are regular- Iraq War veterans Jocko Willink and Leif ing high, but it doesn’t serve your client— ly taken advantage of by predatory lenders. Babin in their book “Extreme Ownership,” just you. The Consumer Technology Association the buck can’t stop with anyone else. The The Goldilocks approach is one that likewise represents a $400 billion industry, CEO’s values—open door policy or strict brings the client along with your approach. but it has also launched a foundation which hierarchy? Formality in the workplace or Taking the time to educate a client on your connects seniors to technology to keep a looser structure? Snide comments about process to accomplish their goals is hard, them connected to loved ones during the staff or solutions-focused? Discrimination but it’s the right thing to do. Follow “Nev- COVID-19 pandemic. and hypocrisy, or admirable ethics?—will er Split the Difference” author and former “With great power comes great responsi- guide every decision the company makes FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss’ win-win bility.” PR executives have to decide how to from day one. negotiation style by guiding your clients to use their power to lead their company, their You set the policies, the tone and the suc- “that’s right” moments where they under- clients and the greater society. The line be- cess of your company long before the first stand what you’re doing and why. Seek to tween “cancel culture” and changing a cul- prospect is pitched and the first contract truly see the world from their point of view, ture is a small one, but it means the world is signed. Once you have the right values then mirror their language and goals so you to the world. and the right team to fit those values, your both take ownership of the strategy. D.J. Jordan is a Vice President with The company is ready to guide clients to getting The final step in the trust-building pro- Pinkston Group. Dustin Siggins is CEO of positive earned media. cess is to have agreed-upon metrics for Proven Media Solutions. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 35 O’Dwyer’s guide to PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

5W PUBLIC Business to Business Program of ry, Asset Management, Banks, Fi- BOARDROOM the Year. nancial Technology, Hedge Funds, RELATIONS Impact Investing, Insurance, Legal, COMMUNICATIONS Private Equity, Venture Capital and 230 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor BACKBAY Wealth Management. 1776 N Pine Island Road New York, NY 10169 Suite 320 [email protected] COMMUNICATIONS Fort Lauderdale, FL 33322 www.5wpr.com BLISS 954/370-8999 Founded: 2003 20 Park Plaza, Suite 801 www.boardroompr.com Boston, MA 02116 INTEGRATED [email protected] Ronn D. Torossian, Founder & 617/391-0790 COMMUNICATION CEO www.backbaycommunications.com Julie Talenfeld, CEO Dara Busch, Matthew Caiola, Don Silver, COO Presidents 14-16 Great Chapel Street Member of The Worldcom London, W1F 8FL Public Relations Group When law and accounting firms

Since 2003, New York City- T: +44 (0) 203 475 7552 seek out the very best and bright- based 5W Public Relations (5WPR) 500 5th Ave., Suite 1640 est Florida PR, social media, and New York, NY 10110 has worked with widely known Bill Haynes, Founder & CEO 212/840-1661 digital marketing specialists, they and emerging brands, corporations Fax: 212/840-1663 count on Boardroom Communica- and high-profile individuals. Our BackBay Communications is an www.blissintegrated.com tions (DBA BoardroomPR). practice areas include Consumer integrated public relations, thought We are a full-service public re- Products & Brands, Food & Bev- leadership content development, Elizabeth Sosnow, Meg Wildrick, lations and integrated marketing erage, Health & Wellness, Beauty, and digital marketing agency fo- Managing Partners agency delivering results for many Apparel & Accessories, Home & cused on the financial services sec- Cortney Stapleton, Partner, of Florida’s top law and accounting Housewares, Travel & Hospitality, tor, with special expertise in private Professional Services Practice firms. By utilizing a systematic ap- Entertainment & Sports, Corpo- equity, asset management, fintech, Leader proach to bridge new and tradition- Michael Roth, Partner, Healthcare rate, Technology, Public Affairs & and impact investing. Practice Leader al media, our clients have an edge Government Relations, Nonprofit, BackBay is known for helping Alexis Odesser, Greg Hassel, in rising above Florida’s highly Crisis Communications, Events, companies develop strong brands Julia Mellon, Keri Toomey, Reed competitive professional services Digital Marketing & Social Media. and drive new business through Handley, Sally Slater, SVPs market. We have a 360-degree approach thought leadership, media rela- Miles Hill, Liz DeForest, Megan For more than 30 years, clients to PR, social media, branding and tions, research and message devel- Tuck, Morgan Musikantow, VPs have turned to BoardroomPR for digital marketing that delivers opment and integrated marketing creative solutions to increase visi- game-changing results to our cli- campaigns. BackBay has very close Bliss Integrated Communica- bility, establish credibility and ul- ents. relationships with the business and tion’s roots in professional ser- timately make their phones ring. Our 150+ tenacious and creative trade media. With 20 employees vices run 45 years deep. We count Our highly experienced team of communications practitioners de- and offices in Boston and London, among our clients some of the na- former journalists, multimedia and velop and execute creative cam- BackBay serves companies across tion’s leading consulting, law and web marketing specialists, and paigns that connect our clients the United States, Europe and else- accounting firms, non-profits and senior marketers have more than with their target audiences in mem- where, leveraging global partners. associations, as well as innovative 150 years of combined experience orable ways. Every aspect of our BackBay takes a brand-centric, technology-enabled B2B solutions counseling attorneys, accountants, programs are designed to impact content-driven approach to devel- providers. Our clients operate and their firms. Services include our clients’ bottom line, bringing oping and executing market po- across industries including retail, media relations, press conferences, leading businesses a resourceful, sitioning and integrated commu- manufacturing, healthcare, tech- media training and crisis manage- bold and results-driven approach nications programs for financial nology and more. ment, social media, website mar- to communication. services firms including marketing Because professional services keting, video production and new 5WPR’s diverse client experi- strategy, content development, companies go to market on intan- business development training. ence includes Sparkling ICE, It’s a creative design, and multi-channel gibles (ideas, expertise, education, Whether you are a specialized 10 Haircare, jane iredale, Bowlmor distribution of company news and advocacy, services), we create boutique, a statewide firm or a AMF, CheapOAir, L’Oreal, SAP perspectives to build brand aware- messages that codify our clients’ Florida office of an out-of-state NS2, VIZIO, The Trade Desk, ness, credibility and drive new unique selling propositions to help firm, we can help bring you to the CareerBuilder, Santa Margheri- business for our clients. them stay consistently visible in next level. BoardroomPR has the ta, Topps, Retro Fitness, Welch’s, Our services include strategic in- the media and relentlessly valuable experience and know-how to get LifeStyles, SodaStream and Zeta tegrated marketing plans, media re- to the markets they serve. the job done. Global, among others. Our inno- lations, content creation, branding, We’re energized by complex vative programs have received rec- website development, marketing ideas and translate them into dif- BOSPAR ognition and we have won many materials, videos, advertising and ferentiated marketing programs awards including PR Agency of social media. that are achievable, on-strategy Locations in San Francisco, LA, the Year, PR Executive of the Year, Our industry work and experi- and high-impact. We treat our cli- Orange County, Chicago and the Product Launch of the Year and ence includes: Accounting, Adviso- ents’ businesses as our own, diving Washington, D.C. area. deep to build a seamless under- 415/913-7528 standing of your brand, goals and [email protected] The October issue of O’Dwyer’s path to growth. We are channel-ag- @BosparPR will profile Healthcare PR firms. nostic, focused foremost on help- If you would like to be profiled, contact Editor Steve Barnes at 646/843-2089 ing you attract and retain the right Chris Boehlke, Curtis Sparrer, audiences at the right time in the Tom Carpenter, Principals or [email protected] Tricia Heinrich, Chief Content sales cycle. Officer

36 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION Profiles of Professional Services PR

Hey—can we talk to you for a and a team of people who have to lead and act with certainty, earn- second? Yeah—you—the person worked together for years. ing the trust of their stakeholders. reading these descriptions. Bospar’s staff includes journal- Our honors include the Cannes Li- Is it us or does this copy all seem ists who know how to reverse-en- ons Grand Prix for PR; Advertising the same? We bet nearly every gineer media coverage from a cli- Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Re- agency description says “we’re ent’s needs and provide intensive port’s 2018 Global Digital Agency award winning” and “tech blah, media training with an insider’s of the Year; and, five times, Glass- blah, blah” and you’re left won- perspective. Bospar supports its door’s Best Places to Work. Since dering: who do I pick? media efforts with analyst and in- our founding in 1952, we have Here’s our advice: pick an agen- fluencer relations, customer and remained an independent, fami- cy that is the right size to care third-party relations, case histo- ly-run business. Edelman owns about you passionately with the ries and speaking and awards pro- specialty companies Edelman In- right team to get it done. grams. The agency’s specialty is telligence (research) and United We of course think that’s us! driving coverage from the likes of Entertainment Group (entertain- Bospar was named PRWeek’s Out- ABC to the Wall Street Journal. ment, sports, lifestyle). standing Boutique agency for the second year in a row, because we offer the best of big and small. EDELMAN FEINTUCH Like a big agency, Bospar has COMMUNICATIONS seasoned professionals across the 250 Hudson St., 16th Floor New York, NY 10013 country, based in San Francisco, 212/768-0550 245 Park Ave., 39th Fl. Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Fax: 212/704-0117 New York, NY 10167 Orange County, San Diego, New www.edelman.com 212/808-4900 York, and Washington, D.C. Its [email protected] content department provides blog Edelman is a global commu- www.feintuchcommunications.com posts, case studies, ghost-written nications firm that partners with www.PRWorldAlliance.com articles, messaging, positioning, businesses and organizations to press releases, social media con- evolve, promote and protect their Henry Feintuch, President tent, website copy, infographics, brands and reputations. Our 6,000 Richard Anderson, Senior Manag- research projects and videos. people in more than 60 offices de- ing Director liver communications strategies Doug Wright, Senior Account Henry Feintuch, President, Fein- But like a boutique, you will get Director attention from the most senior staff that give our clients the confidence tuch Communications and CFO, PR World Alliance. Seeking external support for your professional services organi- zation? FTI CONSULTING Feintuch Communications, an award-winning PR firm, has ex- STRATEGIC tensive experience in working COMMUNICATIONS with professional services organi- zations. Market segments we’ve 88 Pine Street, 32nd Floor supported include law firms, ac- New York, NY 10005 counting firms, real estate devel- 212/850-5600 opers, market research, advertis- www.fticommunications.com ing, branding, digital media and media buying companies. Mark McCall, Global Segment We collaborate with our clients Leader to help differentiate and position C-suites, boards of directors, them; and then package the core and business leaders from around essence of their offerings and what the world come to FTI Strategic makes them a standout in their Communications with their most field. Then, we develop a strategy complex, business-critical issues and smart marketing/PR campaign that require diverse skill sets and to help build their brand, burnish integrated disciplines. As part of a their thought leadership and gener- global business advisory firm, we ate leads/revenue. Tactics typically help these organizations manage include strategic media relations change, mitigate risk and enhance (business, financial, trade), speak- their market position by combin- ing platforms, special events, so- ing decades of deep subject matter cial media, association marketing expertise with functional and disci- and awards/honors programs. plinary experience. Need support overseas? Our firm Our financial communications is an active and founding member professionals serve as trusted ad- of PR World Alliance (PRWA), an visors to management teams on a international alliance of premier range of capital markets events as independent communications con- well as other stakeholder issues sultancies. Clients can leverage throughout the corporate life-cy- our network to implement projects cle. We help clients navigate their throughout Europe, Asia, Africa most pressing challenges and op- and Latin America. Our principal portunities around M&A, IPOs, Bospar’s team of professionals are where you need them: San Francisco, is CFO of PRWA and a past presi- Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Diego. dent of PRSA-NY _ Continued on page 38

ADVERTISING SECTION | WWW.ODWYERPR.COMWWW.ODWYERPR.COM | | AUGUST AUGUST 20202020 37 Profiles of Professional Services PR

prestigious industry awards. As San Francisco, CA 94111 PEPPERCOMM FTI CONSULTING one of the largest independent cor- 415/869-3950 _ Continued from page 37 porate communications agencies 470 Park Ave. South, 5th flr. North in North America, we can create Joele Frank, Managing Partner New York, NY 10016 teams with the exact experience Matthew Sherman, President 212/931-6100 restructuring, capital raising, cor- and skills needed to achieve your [email protected] porate governance, ESG strategy, business objectives, raise your pro- Joele Frank provides effective www.peppercomm.com proxy fights, and shareholder ac- file and address the most challeng- and disciplined communications tivism. Our integrated capabilities ing assignments. counsel and support to help our Steve Cody, CEO & Founder in financial communications, -cor clients take control in advancing Ann Barlow, Partner & President, We design thought leadership West Coast porate reputation and public affairs programs that engage top influ- their business and strategic objec- help clients protect and drive busi- tives. Jacqueline Kolek, Partner & encers, including top-tier media, General Manager, New York Office ness value. and feature our clients’ insights Our clients range from large, global public companies to small- Maggie O’Neill, Partner & Chief and solutions in traditional and Client Officer HOPE-BECKHAM digital channels. Starting with a er, private enterprises across virtu- Tara Lilien, Chief Talent Officer proprietary immersion process, we ally all industries. Our profession- INC. create a road map with a best-in- als have been recognized by our Peppercomm is an award-win- class integrated program involving peers, the financial community and ning strategic, integrated commu- 1900 Century Place, Suite 250 positioning, messaging, media re- journalists for their quality work, nications and marketing agency Atlanta, GA 30345 lations, executive visibility, con- strategic acumen and creative ap- headquartered in New York City 404/604-2600 tent, social media, marketing, dig- proach to challenging issues. with offices in San Francisco and [email protected] The firm’s practice areas include London. The firm combines 25 www.hopebeckham.com ital communications, measurement and more. investor relations, corporate com- award-winning years of expertise munications and media relations, serving blue chip and breakout Bob Hope, President & Co-Found- restructuring and bankruptcy, cri- er, [email protected] clients with forward-thinking new Paul Beckham, Chairman & JOELE FRANK, sis communications and special service offerings and the freshness Co-Founder, pbeckham@hope- WILKINSON situations, transaction and inte- of a start-up. This unique mix of beckham.com gration/change management com- experience and energy attracts and BRIMMER KATCHER munications, shareholder activism, empowers teams with a creative Hope-Beckham Inc. (HBI) is an ESG, litigation support, private edge, drive and a passion for pro- independently owned public rela- 622 Third Avenue, 36th Floor equity, and design and digital. moting, protecting and connecting tions firm based in Atlanta, Geor- 622 Third Avenue, 36th Floor Joele Frank consistently ranks clients in a fast-changing market- gia. Formed in 1994 by Paul Beck- New York, NY 10017 among the top PR firms in an- place. ham and Bob Hope, the agency has 212/355-4449 nounced restructurings, M&A Corporate purpose has become positioned itself as one of the top www.joelefrank.com transactions, and defense against the buzzword of the year with independent public relations firms activist investors. One California Street, Suite 2275 many brands taking a stand on in the country. The firm has won societal issues to drive market- many awards and honors, includ- ing programs. Peppercomm’s ing top independent PR agency in StandSmart is a purpose stress test nine categories; Professional Ser- that evaluates brands’ business vices, Environmental, Beauty & practices to ensure credibility and Fashion, Healthcare, Food & Bev- authenticity to stand behind their erage, Financial, Sports & Enter- corporate purpose. Peppercomm’s tainment, and Technology. Employee Engagement helps Chief HBI is an agency driven by a Human Resource Officers develop culture of insights, ideas and rela- insight-led communications pro- tionships. We help brands tell their grams to attract and retain talent, stories on local, regional and na- ensure employees are informed tional levels and make meaningful and engaged, and create workplac- connections with customers, em- es with genuine two-way dialogue. ployees and industries. Visit www.peppercomm.com or find us @Peppercomm. ICR RF|BINDER 685 Third Ave., 2nd Flr. New York, NY 10017 950 3rd Ave., Floor 7 646/277-1200 New York, NY 10022 www.icrinc.com 212/994-7600 www.rfbinder.com Phil Denning, Partner, ICR ([email protected]) Amy Binder, CEO ICR’s professional and busi- RF|Binder is a fully integrated ness services team brings several communications agency that has decades of experience working worked with some of the most with large and midsized account- recognized brands across the spec- ing firms, top business advisors trum of professional services orga- and management consultancies, nizations. We increase their brand global law firms, talent and exec- awareness, support and protect utive search firms and other crit- their reputation and seek to firm- ical services organizations. Our ly establish our clients as leaders innovative campaigns for service Hope-Beckham Chairman & Co-Founder Paul Beckham (left) and Presi- organizations have earned the most dent & Co-Founder Bob Hope. _ Continued on page 40

38 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION

Profiles of Professional Services PR

RF|BINDER _ Continued from page 38 in their respective industries. Our team works closely with the firm’s digital and analytics practice to de- velop and execute measurable pro- grams that achieve transformative results. We help organizations with all layers of their communication programming, from narratives and messaging, media relations, exec- utive positioning, thought leader- ship, and corporate social impact programming, to implementing B2B/B2C communications initia- tives, including social and digi- tal media programming, content campaigns, branding and design, Left-to-right: James Bourne, Ivan Alexander, Allan Ripp, Roksana Slavinsky and John Garger of Ripp Media. influencer relations, and more. Our team has deep expertise in design- affairs, Supreme Court cases, crim- call Mike Sitrick.” such firms as Oaktree Capital. ing programs that align compelling inal trials, intellectual property, real • BusinessWeek: That’s unbeliev- Offices are in Los Angeles, San content and communications strat- estate, media-entertainment, na- able. This is the heavy artillery.” Francisco, New York, Boston and egies to support our client’s busi- tional security, labor-employment, Quote is from the CEO of one of Washington, D.C., though we have ness objectives. white-collar, capital markets and the largest PR firms in the world, handled cases all over the world. other areas. We excel at maximiz- after learning we were brought in For additional information in- ing press coverage for our clients’ on the other side of a contentious cluding clients for whom our work RIPP MEDIA most important matters. matter in which his firm was in- was public and additional media Our team includes former law- volved. comments about our firm see: 1776 Broadway, Suite 901 yers and journalists; our writing Since our firm’s founding 31 www.sitrick.com. New York, NY 10019 credits include bylines in the Wall years ago, we have been consis- 646-285-1779 Street Journal, Forbes, CNN, New tently ranked among the top crisis [email protected] York Times, Time, Newsweek, Law. and strategic communications firm WATER & WALL com, MarketWatch, CNBC, NBC in the nation. Allan Ripp, Principal 19 West 21st Street, Suite 1202 John Garger, Joshua Spivak, News, Reuters, Street.com and The majority of the firm’s senior New York, NY 10010 Ivan Alexander, James Bourne, other key outlets. Ripp is a pre- executives are former editors and 212/625-2363 Joshua Karlen, Senior Directors mier destination for top-flight con- reporters from news organizations www.waterandwall.com tent creation and media placement that include the Wall Street Journal, In continuous practice since among law firms and other profes- the New York Times, Bloomberg, Andrew Healy, Partner 1986, with a roster of marquee cli- sional service providers. Los Angeles Times, Forbes, CBS Matt Kirdahy, Partner ents and high-profile assignments, News, and NBC News. We also Scott Sunshine, Partner Ripp Media is an editorial-driven have former practicing attorneys boutique agency with a sophisti- SITRICK AND and business executives. Water & Wall is an award-win- cated practice. Having represented COMPANY Matters with which we have been ning communications and market- hedge funds, institutional investors, involved include litigation support ing agency specializing in earned leading hospitality brands, publish- 800/288-8809 of all kinds; intellectual property media, content strategy/develop- er and real estate developers, we www.sitrick.com matters, allegations of stock ma- ment, branding, design, and crisis have a particular longtime focus on Los Angeles: 310/788-2850 nipulation, wrongful termination, communications. legal affairs, working with many of New York: 212/573-6100 contract disputes, allegations of Our team helps build and main- the country’s leading law firms. San Francisco: 415/999-9634 fraud and fraudulent inducement, tain the reputations of financial In June 2020, Ripp Media was Denver: 720/904-8560 wrongful death claims, allegations and professional services brands named one of only three US firms Washington, D.C.: 443/977-7215 and we’ve worked with the most Boston: 617/897-0326 of illegal drug use, SEC matters, to receive a Band 1 designation and a variety of other white-col- well-known names in the business. among litigation PR practices na- Michael S. Sitrick, Chairman and lar crimes. We have also handled Our financial industry experience tionally ranked by the prestigious CEO criminal and civil cases against includes retail/institutional asset Chambers Directory. Principal Al- companies and their executives managers, hedge funds, private lan Ripp was one of only three in- Less important than what you say for such things as price fixing, in- equity funds, VC firms, ETF pro- dividual advisers given Chambers’ about yourself is what others say surance fraud, options backdating, viders, wealth managers, fintech Band 1 standing. Allan also was about you. antitrust violations, race and sex companies, investment consultants named to Lawdragon’s list of the • The New York Times: “The discrimination, sexual harassment, and more. Our professional ser- country’s Top 100 legal consultants City’s Most Prominent Crisis-Man- racism and #MeToo matters. We vices experience extends to law and strategists for the past three agement Firm.” have a significant data breach, and accounting firms, management years running. • Forbes: “The crew from the mergers and acquisitions and cor- and regulatory change consultants, We regularly handle big-ticket television magazine is banging on porate governance practice and executive compensation specialists litigation and deal matters, along your door. You can have the securi- have done extensive work com- and real estate companies. with crisis assignments and exten- ty guard throw them out and know batting short sellers. Other issues We’re as careful at selecting our sive thought leadership content, they’ll trash you. Or you can sit include sensitive environmental clients as they are at selecting us, and have worked on numerous law down with them and figure that out matters, racketeering cases, family and if we work together, you’ll firm mergers and significant lateral of the hour you give them, they’ll disputes, and high-profile divorces, have our undivided attention, out- acquisitions. Our work spans major use only 40 seconds on air. And reputation management and repu- of-the-box thinking and, perhaps projects in M&A, privacy-cyber- those 40 seconds will make you tational positioning. We have also most importantly, our unwavering security, life sciences, government look very guilty. Better solution, been involved in helping to launch commitment to your success. 

40 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | ADVERTISING SECTION O’DWYER’STOP PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RANKINGS PR FIRMS

Firm Net Fees (2019) Firm Net Fees (2019) 1. Edelman, New York, NY $83,834,000 28. Bradford Group, The, Nashville, TN $489,298

2. MWWPR, New York, NY 9,471,571 29. Hoyt Organization Inc., The, Torrance, CA 472,000

3. Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, GA 8,570,356 30. Bospar, San Francisco, CA 466,817

4. Greentarget Global LLC, Chicago, IL 7,145,500 31. Standing Partnership, St. Louis, MO 459,989

5. Prosek Partners, New York, NY 6,000,000 32. Konnect Agency, Los Angeles, CA 419,281

6. Infinite Global, New York, NY 5,959,532 33. Peppercomm, New York, NY 415,546

7. Bliss Integrated Communication, New York, NY 5,788,000 34. Padilla, Minneapolis, MN 412,922

8. Finn Partners, New York, NY 4,146,000 35. Violet PR, Montclair, NJ 394,375

9. G&S Business Communications, New York, NY 4,018,129 36. Butler Associates, LLC, New York, NY 380,426

10. 5W Public Relations, New York, NY 3,600,000 37. Buchanan Public Relations, Bryn Mawr, PA 379,535

11. rbb Communications, Miami, FL 3,441,154 38. WordWrite Communications LLC, Pittsburgh, PA 343,500

12. Zeno Group, New York, NY 2,913,174 39. MP&F Strategic Communications, Nashville, TN 245,305

13. Ripp Media/Public Relations, Inc., New York, NY 2,499,532 40. BizCom Associates, Plano, TX 234,125

14. Havas Formula. New York, NY 2,191,579 41. Tunheim, Minneapolis, MN 229,668

15. French | West | Vaughan, Raleigh, NC 1,966,466 42. Hunter, New York, NY 150,000

16. Racepoint Global, Boston, MA 1,732,988 43. Trevelino/Keller, Atlanta, GA 150,000

17. Matter Communications, Newburyport, MA 1,677,532 44. FrazierHeiby, Columbus, OH 109,826

18. LaunchSquad, San Francisco, CA 1,467,000 45. Bob Gold & Associates, Redondo Beach, CA 89,700

19. Fish Consulting, Fort Lauderdale, FL 1,418,000 46. Inkhouse, Waltham, MA 77,000

20. Kivvit, Chicago, IL 1,387,769 47. O’Malley Hansen Communications, Chicago, IL 43,000

21. Pierpont Communications, Houston, TX 1,204,435 48. Judge Public Relations, LLC, Tampa, FL 32,625

22. Brownstein Group, Philadelphia, PA 1,119,000 49. Public Communications Inc., Chicago, IL 30,050

23. BoardroomPR, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 1,000,000 50. Zapwater Communications, Chicago, IL 26,500

24. IW Group, Inc., West Hollywood, CA 920,000 51. Rosica Communications, Fair Lawn, NJ 20,000

25. Approach Marketing, Worthington, OH 885,320 52. Bianchi Public Relations, Troy, MI 16,287

26. Marketing Maven Public Relations, Camarillo, CA 569,780 53. SPM Communications, Dallas, TX 6,175

27. Serendipit, Phoenix, AZ 519,231 54. TruePoint Communications, Dallas, TX 1,050

© Copyright 2020 The J.R. O’Dwyer Co. OPINION Professional Development Mob rule trumps freedom of speech in post-Floyd era

By Fraser Seitel In July, Harper’s published a bold open tests in cities like Portland (which a month letter from 153 prominent—many of them later, Trump did). mong the lasting tragedies of the left-leaning—artists and intellectuals warn- The Cotton op-ed immediately triggered Trump era is the assault on freedom ing of this insidious trend of “an intoler- an insurrection in the Times’ newsroom, Aof speech and the triumph of mob ance of opposing views, a vogue for public led by African-American staff members, rule. shaming and ostracism and the tendency to one of whom tweeted that the Cotton op- Ever since George Floyd was murdered in dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding ed “puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger.” May at the knee of moral certainty.” The Times’ tweetstorm was followed by a a crazed Minneap- The letter, which argued against “group- letter from more than 800 apparently equal- olis cop, freedom think” as well as silencing those who op- ly-petrified staff members protesting the of speech has been pose common wisdom, was orchestrated paper’s decision to publish the op-ed. And subordinated in a by African-American columnist Thomas calls rang out for the Times to fire editorial mad frenzy to ex- Chatterton Williams, who noted that the page editor James Bennet, who’d worked at pose bigots behind signatories included “plenty of Black think- the paper for 20 years. every rock, from ers, Muslim thinkers, Jewish thinkers, peo- Question: If New York Times Publisher Jimmy Fallon and ple who are trans and gay, old and young, A.G. Sulzberger and Executive Editor Dean Jimmy Kimmel right wing and left wing.” Baquet were your clients, what would you appearing in black Mr. Williams and his co-signers didn’t recommend they do? face 20 years ago to have to wait long to prove their point. Al- The second case occurred in July in an af- Fraser P. Seitel has deep-sixing Chris- most immediately, Twitter and its com- fluent New York City suburb, when photos been a communications topher Columbus peting social media platforms lit up with were anonymously sent to social and tradi- consultant, author and to hatcheting the teacher for more than criticism and vitriol, ostracizing and ridi- tional media and public officials featuring a 30 years. He is the au- Atlanta Braves’ culing the signatories for, as the Times put member of the local high school board of thor of the Prentice-Hall tomahawk chop. it, “thin-skinnedness, privilege and … fear education wearing blackface. text, The Practice of The essence of so- of loss of ‘relevance.’” The 30-year-old trustee admitted he’d na- Public Relations. called “cancel cul- Sure enough, the outpouring of social ively worn the blackface at a Halloween par- ture” is that every- media mob vitriol caused several of those ty 12 years ago as a teenager, when, frankly, thing must go, no who had signed the letter—including one he didn’t know any better. He explained he’d questions asked. This intensifying phenom- mortified New York Times’ opinion colum- never again done such a thing, apologized enon should be of concern to all commu- nist—to turn tail immediately and ask that profusely to those offended and begged nicators, including public relations coun- their names be removed from the original the community to allow him to undue his selors, whose employment and reputation missive. So much for freedom of speech and wrong through wiser, more mature and sen- depend on speaking boldly, dispassionately the courage of one’s convictions. sitive actions. and freely. A few days later, another Times’ colum- What followed was an online petition And in the post-#MeToo/post-George nist, Bari Weiss, caused a stir by resigning signed by 2,700 concerned citizens seeking Floyd era, should some brave but naïve soul over what she claimed, in a letter on her the young man’s immediate resignation and have the audacity to challenge the appro- website, was a civil war at the paper between an emergency seven-hour board meeting, priateness or logic or fairness of jumping “(mostly young) wokes and (mostly 40+) lasting until 3 in the morning, in which on whatever bandwagon the mob currently liberals”, one of whom was herself. On her residents lined up to express their hurt and favors, they’re immediately categorized as way out, Ms. Weiss warned erstwhile associ- humiliation over the scurrilous 2008 photo. “sexist” or “racist” or “unwoke.” The result: ates at the world’s greatest newspaper, “Nev- Question: What do you recommend your Few challenge the zealots and freedom of er believe an editor or publisher who urges clients, the other eight members of the speech evaporates. you to go against the grain.” Anyone who school board, do? Much of this, of course, can be traced to wonders about “objectivity” at today’s New In both cases, the accused individuals the reign of Donald Trump, who’s inflamed York Times no longer need wonder. were summarily fired by their employers. such blind loyalty among his supporters Which brings us to the role of public re- (Well, technically they each “resigned,” but and extreme hatred among his detractors lations advisors in this climate of go along c’mon.) that any chance at compromise or under- to get along or risk the wrath of the thought Mr. Bennet was quickly thrown over- standing or even listening to someone else’s police (as opposed to the real police, who board by his long-time colleagues Messrs. point-of-view is impossible. (Ironically, are personae non gratae). Where do you, Sulzberger and Baquet, two of the weakest lately Trump, himself, has begun repeating personally, come out in this important, cur- of weak-kneed media managers. And the the mantra that he stands for “freedom of rent dilemma? young trustee was voted out by seven of his speech,” although he doesn’t really.) Here are two recent real-life cases, one brave band of board brothers, one of whom But Trump and political partisans ar- national and one local, that may help deter- summed things up this way: “By stepping en’t the only culprits in the demise of mine where you stand. In each case, what down he shows our students that the behav- open-mindedness and compromise and would your counsel be? ior will not be tolerated. Students are crav- objectivity. Schools, professors, news orga- The first case is that of the New York ing diversity, and with that diversity brings nizations, journalists, athletes and artists Times, which in June ran a controversial op- true understanding and reform.” from musicians to actors all share the blame ed piece by pro-Trump Republican Senator And also, one might add, another nail in elevating bullies as the ultimate arbiters Tom Cotton, calling for the President to ac- in the slowly sinking coffin of freedom of of acceptable thought. tivate the military to quell violent street pro- speech. 

42 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM People in PR Royal Ahold, parent company of Giant Equitable names BerlinRosen hires Food, Stop & Shop, Peapod and Albert Hei- jn. Abrahams also did a seven-year stint in Weaver CMO Pesante Haughton the communications and PA department of National Public Radio in Washington.  onnie Weaver, a seasoned financial erlinRosen has recruited Kiara Pe- services veteran, is now Chief Mar- sante Haughton, Communications Cketing Officer of BDirector at the Civil Rights Corps, for Osborn checks in at insurance giant Equi- the Senior VP of Issue Advocacy slot. table. She will drive the narrative and policy Northwell Health She has served as changes on justice and equity campaigns. Executive VP-CMO & The New York-based firm represents ad- arbara Osborn, an 18-year PR veteran CCO at TIAA, Senior vocacy groups such as at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital, VP-CMO & CCO at MomsRising, Fami- Bhas been named VP-PR for its parent The Hartford, Execu- lies Belong Together, company, Northwell Health. She succeeds tive VP-COM at Bear- Connie Weaver Youth First, UNICEF Terry Lynam, who recently retired as Se- ingPoint and Execu- USA and Vera Insti- nior VP and Chief PR Officer. tive VP-PR, brand & tute of Justice. Osborn is in charge marketing at ATT. At the CRC, Pesante of strategic commu- Weaver also has held IR & marketing Haughton worked to nications, media re- posts at Microsoft, MCI Communications end money bail and lations and thought and McGraw-Hill. pretrial detention sys- Kiara Pesante leadership for the 23 At Equitable, she will oversee and align tems, hold prosecutors Haughton hospitals of North- marketing, digital and insights to advance accountable for mis- well, plus its Feinstein the company’s business objectives and po- conduct, and stop the Institute for Medical sitioning.  criminalization of poverty. Research. Earlier, she was Communications Direc- She has been front Barbara Osborne tor for the Democratic staff of the House and center during the Godley becomes committee on education and the workforce COVID-19 pandemic, and Southern Regional Press Secretary and connecting media with Northwell’s clinical Greenough president National Director of African-American and non-clinical staff for an insider look at media at the Democratic National Com- the crisis. reenough Communications has mittee.  Prior to Lenox Hill, Osborn was Direc- brought on Ben Godley, former Chief tor of PR for the John T. Mather Memori- GOperating Officer of Boston pub- al Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY. She be- lic television station and content producer Abrahams shifts to gan her career as a journalist at Fox News WGBH, as President. Channel and News 12 Long Island. Godley was most re- Sard Verbinnen Northwell is New York State’s largest cently the CEO and healthcare provider.  Co-Founder of Con- ichael Abrahams, a 20-year veteran tributor Development of WPP’s Finsbury, has joined Sard Partnership, a WG- MVerbinnen & SourceCode names BH-owned public Co as head of its em- benefit corporation ployee and transfor- Stippich SVP that provides market- mation communica- ing, technology, data tions practice. ourceCode Communications has analytics and fund- Ben Godley He will work with hired Kristen Stippich as Senior Vice raising services to 230 SV&C clients on SPresident, a newly created position public media stations as well as managing transactions, restruc- in which she will lead $110 million in annual donations. turings, crisis, liti- the agency’s New York He joined WGBH in 2008 as Executive gation, activism and Michael Abrahams office. Vice President, was named COO in 2010 corporate reputation Stippich comes to and was additionally named President of matters. SourceCode from Business Services in 2017. Prior to joining In addition, Abrahams will counsel cli- Technovation, a glob- WGBH, Godley served as Senior Advisor ents on remote working, workplace return al tech education and Deputy National Finance Director with plans, diversity, equity and inclusion as nonprofit aimed at Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. companies address communications op- inspiring girls and Kristen Stippich In his newly created role, Godley will portunities related to the COVID-19 pan- families to be leaders leverage his executive management and demic and social justice issues, and problem solvers, marketing experience to help support Gree- As Finsbury Partner, Abrahams founded where she was senior director, leading nough’s portfolio of national clients in the and led its employee & change communica- brand, marketing, and communications. healthcare, life sciences, technology, pro- tions practice. She ­previously served as Senior Vice Pres- fessional services, consumer and non-profit Earlier, he served as Interim Global Com- ident at Airfoil Group and VP at Weber sectors.  munications Chief for Netherlands-based Shandwick. 

WWW.ODWYERPR.COM | AUGUST 2020 43 WASHINGTON REPORT Moderna taps Avenue Solutions

oderna, the Cambridge, MA-based biotech with a prom- ising COVID-19 vaccine in development, has hired Ave- Mnue Solutions for DC representation. Avenue Solutions bills itself as the “all-female, all-Democratic firm specialized in representing pro-business interests on Capitol Hill.” Tracy Spicer, founding Partner and former Deputy Chief of Staff and Political Director for Sen. Ted Kennedy, spearheads the push for Moderna. Moderna’s phase II clinical trial for its mRNA-1273 vaccine is expected to begin on July 27. That drug has sparked a 385 percent surge in Moderna’s stock price this year, though JP Morgan Chase downgraded its shares on July 20 from “overweight” to “neutral.” integrate operations. He’ll sit on the FGH board, which he predict- The bank remains bullish on Moderna’s “long-term outlook, ed would be a “global powerhouse in strategic communications.” disruptive platform (in the vaccine space and otherwise) and Based in New York, FGH will have offices in Washington, Los chances of being one of the first companies to bring a COVID-19 Angeles, London, Dublin, Brussels, Berlin, Moscow, Dubai, Ri- vaccine to market,” according to its research note. yadh, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and Tokyo.  It said momentum from the mRNA-1273 vaccine “could cer- tainly drive Moderna even higher, but we’re simply unable to con- tinue to fundamentally justify it.” Raytheon’s Thompson to Intel Avenue Solutions, which picked up the JPMorgan Chase ac- count earlier this year, has done work for the American Medical l Thompson, who led government rela- Assn., Merck, UnitedHealth Group, ExxonMobil and Environ- tions for Raytheon Technologies’ com- mental Working Group. Amercial aerospace and space businesses, PR heavyweight Ray Jordan, a veteran of Amgen, Johnson & is moving to Intel as VP-US Government Re- Johnson and Pfizer, joined Moderna in June to head its corporate lations. affairs unit.  During his Raytheon stint, Thompson also led state government outreach, supervised its digital advocacy efforts and was lead lobbyist for Carrier and Otis Elevator. Netflix streams in Mercury PA Earlier, he handled Fortune 500 clients at Mehlman, Vogel, Castagnetti; served as Depu- Al Thompson etflix has hired Omnicom’s Mercury Public Affairs unit to ty Executive Director of the Technology CEO keep an eye on developments on Capitol Hill. Council; and was VP at the Retail Industry Leaders Assn, which N Mercury’s Al Simpson, who was Chief of Staff to former represents Walmart, ­Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy and Congressman and Trump acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Costco. and Rodney Emery, ex-Aide to Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., The Coast Guard veteran also served as a staff member on the spearhead the push. Committee on Homeland Security for Chairman Bennie Thomp- Netflix spent a little more than $1 million for D.C. lobbying son (D-MS).  work during the year ended June 30. It focused on Internet priva- cy & competition issues, intellectual property matters and broad- band caps. Netflix, which faces spirited competition from HBO Max, Ap- De Blasio’s press aide joins pleTV and Disney+, added 10.2 million subscribers during the second quarter, exceeding projections by more than 20 percent. SKDKnickerbocker The company recently upped chief content officer Ted Sarandos to co-CEO, serving alongside founding CEO Reed Hastings.  livia Lapeyrolerie, first Deputy Press Secretary for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, is exiting City Hall for a VP slot at ODemocratic PR firm SKDKnickerbocker. WPP sells PA offering stake She joined de Blasio’s team after a stint in Ohio for the Hillary for America presidential campaign and a press PP Chief Mark Read is selling a 49.99 percent stake to job at Barack Obama’s Commerce Dept. Lapey- management of the revamped Finsbury Glover Hering, rolerie also worked on de Blasio’s ill-fated run Wwhich will launch early next year with nearly 700 staffers this year for the Democratic presidential nom- in 18 countries. ination. FGH is a mash-up of Finsbury, Glover Park Group and Hering Her exit follows the departure of de Blasio’s Schuppener, which had a strategic partnership in place. Press Secretary Freddi Goldstein, who an- Roland Rudd and Carter Eskew, founders of Finsbury and GPG, nounced in July that she was jumping shop. respectively, will co-chair the new firm that Alexander Geiser, Goldstein had a four-year run with the may- Managing Partner of HS, will helm. or, joining his administration from SKDKnick, Read said the corporate revamp fits WPP’s plan to simplify and which is part of Mark Penn’s Stagwell Group.  Olivia Lapeyrolerie

44 AUGUST 2020 | WWW.ODWYERPR.COM International PR News The SDC, which represents Arab and Kurdish political and civ- H+K works to bolster WHO’s il society groups in north and east Syria, says its goal is to work towards a democratic country through conversations, consensus credibility building and diplomacy. The group condemned president Trump’s Oct. 6 decision to allow ill+Knowlton Strategies is working with the World Health Turkey to invade northeastern Syria, a move that “heralded chaos Organization to make certain its science and public health and bloodshed for our people,” according to Ilham Ahmed, Execu- Hmessaging is credible in order to ensure there’s trust in the tive President of the SDC. Switzerland-based group’s advice and that its guidance is followed. The Oct. 9 Turkish invasion, which displaced 130K Syrians, was The firm acknowledges there have been criticisms and asser- an act of genocide against the Kurdish people, Ahmed told Con- tions leveled against the WHO and media coverage that could un- gress on Oct. 23. dermine it as a trusted and critical information source on global The subsequent “ceasefire” ironed out by the US, Turkey and health issues. Russia ceded a large portion of SDF-controlled territory to Turkish For instance, President Trump on July 6 formally notified it that control. “Now the same fighters who defeated ISIS are being told to the U.S. intends to withdraw from the group because he believes retreat like criminals, and being labeled ‘terrorists,’“ said Ahmed.  it helped China cover up the outbreak and spread of COVID-19. Joe Biden promised to withdraw the exit notice if he’s elected Pres- ident. H+K advises the WHO while the “temptation could be to react APCO seeks ‘fair & balanced’ every time, a sound, considered and thoughtful approach will mit- igate the risk of further inflaming the situation.” Kazakhstan coverage The firm began its work on May 20 focused on the areas of in- fluencer identification, message testing and development of a cam- PCO Worldwide is providing strategic communications paign framework for a fee of $135,000.  within and outside the US to assist legal counsel represent- Aing the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan. Retained by Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, APCO’s duties include AF International reps Syrian “assessing media coverage regarding such litigation and seeking fair and balanced coverage,” according to its engagement agree- democracy group ment. APCO is in line for a flat $65,000 under the three-month pact AF International has a six-month agreement to provide gov- signed July 7 by President/Managing Director Evan Kraus. ernment affairs and media relations services to the US mis- APCO also charges a flat fee of $3,250 for “desktop research Asion of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of tools, premium digital and social tools and subscriptions for an- the Syrian Defense Forces. alyzing audiences, media impressions, stakeholder engagement, The SDF has been a major US ally in the fight against ISIS, losing public opinion trends, and social media channels through the use more than 11K of its male and female fighters in the campaign. of big data and proprietary licensed software.” 

FARA News  NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and communications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings, visit www.fara.gov. Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Indianapolis, IN, registered Jul. 14, 2020 for Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., regarding improved relations with the US government.

Blueprint Communications, LLC, Alexandria, VA, registered Jul. 15, 2020 for Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co Ltd., Jijiang City, China, regarding placement on the US Entity List and related litigation matters.

Alexandria Group International, Lawrenceville, VA, registered Jul. 10, 2020 for Atanas, Plamen and Hristina Bobokov, Sofia Bulgar- ia, regarding awareness of the state of and developments related to the business climate, civil society, corruption, transparency, the judicia- ry and the overall rule of law in Bulgaria for the principals whose companies produce motor-vehicle batteries and petroleum-based items.

Lobbying News G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov. Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Washington, D.C., registered Jul. 24, 2020 for DoorDash, New York, NY, regarding counsel on policy matters impacting independent workers, consumers and businesses.

Gotham Government Relations, Garden City, NY, registered Jul. 23, 2020 for National Association of Bail Agents, Oceanside, NY, regarding issues related to protecting the commercial bail bond industry.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C., registered Jul. 23, 2020 for 7-Eleven, Inc., Irving, TX, regarding issues related to The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or HEROES Act.

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