Christina Brown

Comms Consultants: Don't let your pipeline dry up. It sounds obvious but it's an easy mistake to make. - You have a full roster. - You're hitting your numbers. - You're rocking & rolling with client deliverables. You're so focused on the work, new business takes a backseat. → I made this mistake when I started my strategic consultancy. I had several awesome clients and was exceeding my monthly numbers. Then: - One project ended. - A client had budget cuts. - I needed to rev the engine back up. But, I hadn't been nurturing my network. → And, it takes time to turn the faucet on. Plus, I never want to be that transactional guy. → You know, the one who shows up only when they need something. It's not my brand. Not who I am. For me, it's all about providing valuable insights, being helpful, and remaining top of mind. Here's how I do it: - Share knowledge on LinkedIn - Provide insights via targeted newsletter - Stay close with those who know/trust me most - Regular engagement with my network and community Most importantly... Don't focus on selling your services → Focus on *solving client problems*

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Brit Morin, Jessica E. Lessin, Sam Lessin and Dave Morin had a really interesting conversation on a podcast this week about media businesses, the tribulations of the The Washington Post and how it's losing piles of money and subs. The discussion dipped into something Chris Anderson coined 20 years ago, perhaps before their time, called "long tail" content. Essentially his thesis called on creators to hyper-focus only on their niche, becoming the expert in hacking heat pumps or the best practices of dog grooming. Now, I'm one of those always looking to appeal to the broadest audience possible so naturally I've pushed against this framework, considering it too limiting. Then I met and worked under Robert Allbritton at POLITICO, where in spite of many in the company not on board with the philosophy, he talked about starting the company to deliver value to a sliver of the audience: those most powerful in the halls of government and soup of politics (and charge significant money for it). Needless to say it was a winning approach, because it's unlikely Axel Springer paid a billion dollars a few years ago for the ad-supported general news side of the house - as terrific as that content is. It was the subscription "Pro" product that overdelivered to that wonky sliver. And while the chatters on the pod did not say so, a similar strategy could well work for the Post: Turn 80% of the operation toward finding a little white space in the "political and policy makers" space, and become an absolute authority there ... and then, of course, license all that to the LLMs ;-) (But that's a story for another post.)

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As the 2024 Election quickly approaches, I am increasingly more intrigued by how American voters are consuming political information from sources that aren't traditional media outlets. This new report from TWSC shares key insights into how news and politics are shaped, shared and consumed on the ever-evolving platform that is TikTok. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eamBa6PY

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SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨 I don't think TikTok is going anywhere. But, the debate happening among policymakers makes for pretty good conversation. In my latest thought piece for H/Advisors Abernathy, I examined the newscycle to see how a potential #TikToK ban could play a big role in the 2024 election cycle, rankle #BigTech data collection and lay the groundwork for more #dataprivacy advocacy. https://bit.ly/T1kT0kban

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Now that curation has earned its way into more and more programmatic circles, it's only fitting that Pesach Lattin has dived into the question "are all data curation solutions interchangeable?" Spoiler alert - they aren't, which makes this article a must read both those who are already capitalizing on curation and those just getting started. Drew Stein Audigent Ted Smith Greg Williams Jake Abraham Gina Cavallo Chris Meredith #data #curation #programmatic #programmaticdata

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The agencies that bag the best candidates have one thing in common: they move candidates through a (clear) interview process, quickly. I recently wrote a piece in PRmoment about hiring mistakes that scare away talent. An ever-expanding interview process is one of them. Here's the thing, in this market, good talent isn't available for long. Like any deal being made between two parties, time is of the essence. When jobseekers are interviewing, their priority (shock horror) is moving through an interview process quickly and obtaining a good job offer. If you're constantly pushing back interviews, adding in new stages or delaying feedback, you'll likely miss out on an excellent candidate. The attitude of "if they're not willing to wait we don't want them" is not conducive to hiring the best talent. Neither is holding onto an 'okay' candidate by delaying a decision just in case someone better comes along. Instead, set an interview process structure (I'd recommend 2-3 stages), communicate with the candidate what the process is, and aim to move them through the process within 3 weeks. Thoughts? Cheers Elizabeth Howlett for the feature. https://lnkd.in/eRJURjm4

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My non-paid side gig is to help people who are seeking communications roles build their "candidate narrative." These could be folks that have been laid off, moving into communications from a different role, or just making a change. It's not recruiting support or writing resumes. It's helping someone best tell their story to stand out, because there are too many great people in need of roles. And for me it's good karma and building new relationships -- it's giving back to the community that has given me so much. Here are a few tips that continually rise to the top when we've built successful candidate narratives: 1) Take all the best practices in communications and apply them to yourself: Build key messages that have an agenda (what you want them to believe, know, feel, do), identify stories that bring your most important successes/lessons to life, and use media training tips to stay focused and tight. 2) Always focus on S-A-R: Every example of success should be a tight situation-action-result. Otherwise, you'll end up wandering for five minutes talking about the great initiative you led. Everyone has a great initiative, and interviewer is now checked out. Not everyone can succinctly hit the S-A-R. Doing this right helps you be sticky in recruiters'/hiring managers' minds. Data, results and transformations are sticky - if you're tight with them. 3) It's hard to read the label from inside of the jar: get a trusted friend, colleague or acquaintance to review your materials, hear what makes you unique, or do practice interviews. Sometimes what makes you special and what people will remember of you is hidden in a lot of words on paper or in conversation. And sometimes it takes someone else to unearth the right expertise or points to make. 4) Speak to cheerleaders/advocates. The one thing that seems to help the most, and what I've found I've delivered to others (if not unintentionally): confidence. Sometimes you need others to remind you of your awesomeness, or see the forest from the trees on what amazing things you've done (then, got back to #1 and #2 to get those messages, stories and results right). 5) What did you look for in candidates? How soon we forget sitting on the other side. If you have some experience, you likely conducted interviews and hired people. Who stood out as the best? Why? What did they do? Can you learn from that and apply? I'm grateful to have helped some folks - it fills my cup. Hopefully this helps some others out there.

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50% Stock Value Snapped. Here is the CEO explanation: “You may be wondering why, with all of the progress we’ve made in our business over the last year, our share price performance has lagged the overall market,” Spiegel wrote Tuesday in the letter. “The answer is simple: our advertising business is growing slower than our competitors.” Snap, which is known for its Snapchat disappearing photo app, competes with Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram and ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok, which are popular with young people and have larger advertising businesses. “ To serve more Ads Snap will have to figure out new ways to attract and retain youth on their platform… and you can guess what is going to happen… #socialmedia #advertising

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THIS! Editor-in-chief, storyteller, roving reporter - these are just a few of the many hats I wear (and love!). Developing an internal content strategy to celebrate, inform, and recognize the people, teams, accomplishments, and innovations increases pride and emotional connection to the company. Usually I see comms jobs with these responsibilities as 'a nice to have,' with the main focus on exec comms. So happy to see it as a new component of #internalcomms that's actually central to the role. ➡"A major factor is that workplaces have become the new metaphorical town squares – a key place where people congregate. And the rise of employee activism means that people now demand more of companies, expecting them to communicate their stance on major key issues. Enter content." ➡ “Employees can be thought of as thought leaders." ➡"Increasingly, employees want to work in environments where they feel seen and heard." #storytelling #rovingreporter #edcalendar

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Few talent rep and influencer marketing co's of scale remain. ...is what I keep telling buyers who seek acquisitions. Which means that co's with critical mass of revenue and team, and clear growth opps through combination, are premium M&A targets 💰 There’s also an extra premium for IM companies with legitimate proprietary tech. Which enable automated workflows to source talent, matchmake creators with brands, and do campaign management / reporting / optimization. Though be wary here since most proprietary IM tech is just a glossy sheen for underlying managed services. Of note, I believe that the industry and investors need to come to terms with the fact that talent and brand-centric businesses, particularly influencer marketing, will always require meaningful human investment 🤯 It’s just how the industry works, and it’s not a bad thing…it’s just market reality! So for all you buyers out there, just know what this means for sustainable company margins post integration, what realistic synergies are, and where investment must be made to scale IM businesses… These are key questions to ask in diligence! Good advisors can guide you here. Of note, I’ve actually met a few tech-centric IM companies recently that feel different than the rest, and I’m excited to dig into their business performance. Which partially inspired this week's newsletter... I do a breakdown in our newsletter tomorrow on Node App, which just sold to DULCEDO Management. My estimated revenue analysis will highlight the standard business models for IM marketplaces, and the different components of revenue between SAAS and campaign commissions. On a final note... ...while Node and other IM marketplaces have recently been taken off the table (read our blog to track these deals), there are still good M&A targets that exist. Will keep you updated on acquisition opps as they come to market in 2025. You can also signup for our newsletter, where we highlight these deal opps: https://lnkd.in/gsCaH6eM -- I'm the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open.

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“We’re moving toward peak inundation,” says Nathan Allebach, creative director and former “Steak-umm Twitter guy.” Today, over 5 billion people use social media worldwide, with the average person using more than six networks per month. The war for attention is not just waged between brands—it’s a competition between brands, influencers, memes, family and friends.  Check out Sprout’s latest article unpacking the forces contributing to social media saturation and what social teams can do to break through the noise (without burning out). 

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Yes, I've started adding the "award-winning" descriptor to every relevant mention of this amazing marketing team and yours truly. You know that feeling when you've just survived production hell, you step back and take in the totality of what you all have conceived and managed to bring to life. You think, "It's done. And it's good!" Then you see the results and think "It worked!" Your colleagues agree, and usually, that's enough to carry the momentum into the next thing. And the next thing. And so on. Therein lies the challenge for high-performance teams. We yearn for the recognition, but the production cycle keeps turning. So I'm incredibly grateful to Evi Loveres--truly one of the most talented creative professionals in the industry--for breaking the cycle and championing this opportunity. In case you don't feel like clicking the link, Fictiv's annual State of Manufacturing report is my favorite campaign (and a beast of a project.) "State of Manufacturing is an in-depth annual report published by Fictiv to demonstrate its leadership and expertise in the manufacturing industry. Last year's report was generated by surveying over 240 leaders in engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and product development to identify developing trends and gather key insights. These insights were packaged as a landing page, ebook/printed piece and was supported with an integrated campaign consisting of email, webinar, live panel discussion at a trade show, PR, and various social media promotions." Go ahead and click that link for a selection of creative assets developed for this comprehensive campaign. Results (June 2023 - April 2024) - Potential reach: 209.4M - 688 backlinks from 46 referring domains - 7K website users (4.7K new) - 600+ e-book downloads - 375 webinar registrants This campaign would not have been possible without my award-winning 😉 colleagues: Christine Evans, Michael Gorman, Evi Loveres, Varun Mehta, John Honey, Jenn Miller, Kaitlyn Silva 🏆

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Internal comms seems to have gotten a refresh. As communicating with employees becomes a critical priority for companies, many are looking for internal communications talent who have an editorial bent. -- Amazon is looking for a leader for its workplace and operations executive communications team -- Law firm Latham & Watkins is hiring a director of internal communications Goldman Sachs is looking for a VP-level role to lead internal communications -- Notion is looking for an executive to lead content and communications for its workforce and employees -- Fintech startup Ripple is looking for an internal communications manager who will “own” the editorial calendar -- Understood.org is looking for a director of internal communications who will be responsible for creating content for internal channels. -- McCann Worldgroup is looking for a manager who will run newsletters and content across communications teams Companies increasingly view employees as they do external audiences: As people to be engaged with, courted, and communicated with regularly. As a result, a growing number of organizations are developing editorial content aimed specifically at internal audiences. That means content responsibilities are increasingly becoming part of internal communicators’ job descriptions. “One of the big reasons we’re seeing more internal communications and content roles is culture wars,” said Kate Meissner, co-founder at D.C.-based Velocity Partners and a former EVP at Edelman. “People now want their workplaces to be places that institutionalize their values.” “I strongly believe it should be called employee communications,” said Becca Chambers ✨, chief communications officer at ControlUp. “Employees are less engaged and they don’t know how to reach them. That means internal communications needs to be about engagement, culture building, employer branding, and crisis and change management as well.” Will drop the full story in comments below.

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State of play: A recent Memo report found that 56% of CCOs are reporting to the CEO — an increase of 34 percentage points since last year. I loved seeing insights like that in Eleanor Hawkins's Axios Communicators Newsletter this week. It's a topic that is becoming increasingly important as the look of C-Suites continues to change each year. A separate report by the Observatory of Corporate Reputation found that CCO+ roles have increased by roughly 88% within the Fortune 1000 since 2019, outnumbering traditional CCO roles for the first time. I have been a long-time advocate of the CCO reporting to the CEO, indicating the importance of the role as well as its differentiating the position from the CMO which is complimentary but has a different lens to the brand. This hasn't historically been the case but I love to see this shift and its continued trend upwards! https://lnkd.in/gwEeuKxu

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I love this… I’ve always felt like people are most innovative before they know the rules. And that ideas unencumbered by the implications, strings attached, or historical precedence are the most disruptive. To be fair, Its natural to see the same things over and over and eventually get in line with the way it’s always been. I believe this is why: 1. Kids are so fun to hang out with. 2. You should listen extra carefully to the new person (and kids) with whacky ideas. 3. Hire folks new to the problems you typically solve.

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To my fellow #PR peeps and #comms folks, now is the time to start pitching #BlackHistoryMonth stories. Yes, I know we’re focused on landing those end-of-year/2025 predictions stories, but here’s what you should keep in mind as you also prioritize Black History Month pitching: 📰 For the next few weeks, #newsoutlets will focus on all things related to the incoming Trump administration and Inauguration Day - which coincides with #MLKDay this coming year. Take a cue from the way beat reporters injected the election into their coverage, particularly those who cover the #workplace, #genderissues and #tech. 🗳️ Because we’re coming off of a historic campaign by VP Harris, reporters will still be interested in hearing from #Blackwomenleaders about #thebrokenrung and ways companies can support the professional growth of Black women. Reporters will also be interested in hearing from #DEI leaders about the impact of scaled back efforts by major corporations. 💡 This should go without saying, but a Black spokesperson alone does not make a Black History Month story. As with any pitch, work with your clients to brainstorm compelling stories and new insight. Then conduct an audit of recent Black History Month stories and how your target publications are covering - or should be covering - issues related to Black Americans. 🤔 Read the room when pitching to #Blackmedia. For example, if your client insists on a story in Black media, urge them to focus on a positive story, even if the story centers on a sobering storyline or data. The last thing their readers will click on during Black History Month is a story that paints a dire picture for and about Black people. 💵 Finally, remember and respect that Black media - like agenda-setting media outlets - have a business model too. Outlets like Black Enterprise Magazine hold key events throughout the year like Women of Power Summit, Chief Diversity Officer Summit and Black Men Xcel. These events - like those hosted by traditional media - cost lots of money to organize. This is where clients can build relationships through #eventsponsorship by starting these conversations now. #prtips #publicrelations #mediarelations

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Let's celebrate the great marketers you work with by nominating them for AMA Chicago's #MarketerofTheYear Award! Applications open today -- please share with your networks so we can recognize them the amazing work they do for your organizations! Details and link to the application, below. #marketingawards #marketingleaders #marketingteam #celebratemarketing

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MEDIA FACT: More people are watching Olympics than in the previous years. Live TV still has it space. INSPIRATION: I must say as a marketer interested on brands It is so refreshing to see… Left & Right Old & New Blue & Red Black & White Men & Women And everyone else in between united by the Olympics and cheering for their countries. Fundamentally, we have more that unites us than divides us. We have many more similarities than differences. We are 99% the same, but we start in different contexts and are benefited by luck in very personal ways. We need more bridge moments like this where we unite and stand as one. We need more brands that are bridge-makers. The alorythim has segregated us too much. It is not about sugar-coating or hiding the truth in favor of "being nice". We must debate and speak our beliefs. But first and foremost, we must respect each other. Be kind. And create bridges. What is your bigger role in marketing ?

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Empathetic leadership and kindness are true game-changers in the world of talent management, fostering environments where employees feel valued and supported. In Chief Talent Officer's latest Talent Insights article, Maya Orbach, VP of People and Culture at Folloze, shares how these values drive success. Key insights from Maya: ➡️ Empathy and Strategy: Transparency, kindness, and flexibility foster inclusive cultures and rapid growth. ➡️ Respectful Coaching: Understanding and respecting each individual’s journey enhances our influence. ➡️ Employee Well-being: Investing in personalized well-being programs acknowledges the whole person. Thank you, Maya, for sharing your wisdom and highlighting the profound impact of empathetic leadership. #EmpatheticLeadership #Kindness #TalentManagement #EmployeeEngagement #ChiefTalentOfficer

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