PR Explored: The Podcast for Public Relations and Communications Pros

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes Crystal Borde, a vice president at Vanguard Communications and past president of PRSA’s National Capital Chapter, about her PRSA ICON session on crisis communications.Borde explains how social media has accelerated crises and misinformation, and describes the post-2020 “statement era,” when organizations felt pressure to issue public statements on external events, now complicated by polarization and increased risk.She outlines preparation steps like creating a crisis communications plan, defining a response team, and using holding statements, emphasizing that “silence is a statement” and can erode trust.Borde offers four decision questions—mission/values alignment, stakeholder impact, credibility, and ability to back words with action—and stresses authenticity, clarity, and collaboration with legal.Examples include Disney’s mismatch between statements and employee experience, Cornell’s perceived insufficient stakeholder communication, and World Central Kitchen’s transparent response after volunteer deaths.They preview her ICON talk in Orlando.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:59 Crystal Borde Background04:22 Why Crisis Comms Changed06:47 Defining Statement Era10:48 Prep and Stay in Lane14:59 Four Questions Framework19:05 Silence as Strategy26:32 Cornell Case Study30:59 Answering Sensitive Questions33:03 Confidentiality Boundaries33:48 Silence Sends Signals34:28 Buying Time With Reporters35:52 Holding Statement Basics38:05 Authentic Statement Framework40:24 Legal and Comms Alignment41:35 Clarity Honesty and Testing45:22 Keepers of the Why48:00 Crisis Severity Scale49:04 World Central Kitchen Case53:57 Fear Versus Strategy56:17 Build and Practice Playbooks59:56 Strategic Plan as Foundation01:00:49 Conference Wrap UpShow notes:Crystal Borde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalbordePRSA ICON registration (use code MICHELLE10 to save 10%): https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes Jen Elting, senior manager of strategic partnerships and media relations at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, to discuss her upcoming PRSA ICON session, “Stop Feeding the Zombies: A Strategic Triage for Communicators Drowning in Noise.” Elting describes how communicators shifted from periodic outreach to constant engagement across expanding channels, where complaints can escalate on platforms like Nextdoor and outrage-driven algorithms reward engagement. She argues volume is not significance, especially for government agencies serving large publics, and recommends communicating less but more strategically. Using Diana Kander’s “zombie hunting” framework, she explains evaluating work by time required versus value delivered, killing outdated tasks, setting boundaries, and protecting credibility through responsive but sustainable practices. Elting shares examples of high-effort community engagement for stormwater projects and streamlining education outreach through partner organizations. The episode previews ICON details and networking opportunities. 00:00 Welcome to PR Explored01:29 Meet Jen Elting03:12 PRSA ICON Preview04:32 Noise and Channel Overload07:53 Outrage Economy Explained12:14 Government and Nonprofit Impact15:23 Zombie Hunting Theory21:27 Protect Time and Credibility25:44 Real World Triage Examples31:08 Public Facing Comms Priorities37:42 ICON Invitation and Wrap UpShow notes:Follow Jenn Elting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennelting/Jenn Elting's PRSA ICON session: https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026#speakersRegister for PRSA ICON - use code MICHELLE10 to save 10%: https://www.prsa.org/conferences-and-awards/icon-2026#registrationFollow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews Wikipedia consultant and ghostwriter Jonathan Rick about how Wikipedia works and why it matters for PR. Rick explains that Wikipedia reflects what reliable mainstream media has reported, not “truth,” and editors enforce a neutral point of view, rejecting promotional language. He says the biggest misconception is confusing being accomplished with being “notable,” noting about 80% of prospective clients don’t meet criteria; you can’t buy a page, and the only real path is substantial independent media coverage. He outlines why Wikipedia is increasingly influential through Google rankings, reuse by platforms like YouTube and voice assistants via Wikidata, and heavy citation by ChatGPT, meaning Wikipedia content can shape AI narratives. They discuss risks of premature submissions (deletions, public records, and “salting”), weak sources like Forbes contributor content, Authority Magazine and TechCrunch, limited value of most trade media, red flags in service providers (guarantees, claimed editor connections, low fees, whitewashing, non-disclosure), timelines, and the need for ongoing monitoring and COI-compliant proposed edits.00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:56 Jonathan’s Wikipedia Work02:13 Freelance Life and Family04:05 Why This Wikipedia Episode05:49 Wikipedia Basics Explained10:04 Notability Misconceptions12:07 You Can’t Buy Pages13:19 Why Wikipedia Matters Now19:10 How Pages Get Created23:44 When to Wait and Avoid Deletion25:59 The Only Path Is Press28:01 Sources That Don’t Count33:09 Do Trade Pubs Help37:08 Audience Q&A Begins37:29 LLMs and Source Credibility39:47 Why Weak Press Hurts Wikipedia41:16 Trade Pub Reliability Signals47:23 How Many Links Are Enough49:36 Vetting Wikipedia Consultants52:46 No Guarantees in Wikipedia54:33 Cost and Timeline Expectations58:31 Maintaining Pages and Editing Rules01:02:11 Disclosure Pitfalls and Scandals01:06:02 Final Takeaways and ResourcesShow notes:Learn more Jonathan Rick's Wikipedia services: www.jonathanrick.com/wikipediaDaily Mail article about North Face editing Wikipedia pages to boost search results: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-7095213/North-Face-issue-grovelling-apology-caught-editing-Wikipedia-pages-boost-search-results.htmlFollow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, welcomes conversion rate optimization specialist and website consultant/copywriter Gill Andrews, who shares her work helping service providers and SaaS optimize websites and teaching through content, books, and Udemy courses. They discuss why websites are often neglected (overwhelm, unclear starting point, long service-provider sales cycles, and lack of immediate ROI) and argue that content still matters as the hub of owned media supporting PR and credibility. Gill emphasizes a “decent” website built on clarity, relevance, value, and trust, using customer language and specificity rather than vague, “fancy” positioning. Key content includes homepage, service/offer pages, about and contact pages, plus testimonials/case studies where possible; blogs can support trust and search/AI visibility but may be less effective than before. They also highlight design-copy alignment, avoiding friction, and keeping pages current amid changing buyer expectations and AI.00:00 Welcome to PR Explored00:49 Meet Gill Andrews02:53 Where to Follow Gill05:44 Does Website Content Matter06:33 Why Websites Get Neglected10:50 Clarity Relevance Trust12:16 Stop the Buzzword Copy17:28 Use Customer Language19:34 What Content to Publish24:10 Building Trust Without Proof25:25 Specificity Builds Credibility27:47 Website Confidence and Fit29:43 Why Websites Matter30:16 Design And Usability30:59 Friction Speed Bumps34:49 Brand Trust Alignment37:14 When Ugly Works39:16 Buyer Research Reality44:42 Content Quantity Strategy45:06 Blogging And AI Visibility50:10 AI Copywriting Limits52:51 Learning And Creativity55:14 Wrap Up And ConnectShow notes:Gill Andrews on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gill-andrews/Gill Andrews website: https://gillandrews.com/Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews guest Gina Rau about B2B PR and comms from an in-house perspective. Rau recounts her “bowl of spaghetti” career across B2C and B2B, agency and in-house roles, and argues that broad experience helps partnership across marketing. She contrasts in-house work—deeper company knowledge, broader responsibilities (internal/executive comms, thought leadership, organic social), heavy meetings, and greater accountability for consequences—with agency context-switching across accounts and the discipline agencies teach. They discuss cross-team alignment challenges (stakeholder “word salad”), the accelerated pace in tech/AI, and PR’s growing importance as content shapes LLM/GEO visibility. Rau emphasizes measuring business impact (pipeline influence, executive visibility, meaningful product coverage) and shares a McDonald’s campaign that used an economic impact study to change local perceptions. They close on agency selection criteria, executive thought leadership on LinkedIn, and career advice to assess role and environment fit.00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:24 Gina's Career Journey02:55 Generalist Versus Specialist04:47 In-House Versus Agency10:50 Agency Skills and Rigor15:03 Cross Team Alignment17:28 AI Pace and Comms19:46 PR Role in AI Era25:51 Proving PR Impact29:20 Reputation and Day One List31:24 Internal Alignment Challenges33:50 Scaling Internal Alignment34:44 Messaging Changes Overdrive35:41 Choosing Great Partners38:17 Chemistry And Collaboration40:51 Agency Partner Pushback Story43:33 Meet The Real Team45:13 McDonald's Perception Turnaround52:25 Listening Before Influence53:18 Authentic Executive Thought Leadership58:46 Career Advice And ClosingShow notes:Follow Gina Rau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginarau/Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer interviews her guest B2B growth strategist Gina Tobasso about why manufacturers and other B2B companies should treat marketing as a continuous process, especially amid ongoing uncertainty (COVID, supply chain disruptions, tariffs, reshoring). Tobasso says many B2B companies underinvest in marketing, recommending 3–5% of revenue, and warns that cutting spend dries up the funnel, slows sales, and triggers panic “lead gen” efforts that ignore long sales cycles (often 18 months) and the need to nurture the 97% not ready to buy. They discuss foundational priorities like updating websites, implementing an affordable CRM to track ROI, and focusing on organic tactics (content, SEO/AEO/GEO, PR backlinks, reviews, YouTube) over ineffective low-budget ads. Tobasso also explains buyer-journey stages including loyalty/advocacy, shares a customer-feedback/NPS example, and describes her holistic approach aligning sales, marketing, and operations and bringing in trusted partners for sales coaching, strategic planning, or M&A.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:57 Gina's Career Journey03:08 Why Manufacturers Delay Marketing04:47 Uncertainty Is the New Normal07:15 Budgets and Funnel Basics10:44 B2B Reality and Marketing Ops14:44 Lean Six Sigma for Marketers18:42 Buyer Journey and Loyalty Loop22:58 How Much to Spend on Marketing26:17 When to Adjust the Budget27:15 Invest Through Downturns29:07 Price Versus Value30:43 When Marketing Stops33:41 Consistency Beats Cycles36:13 Organic Budget Priorities41:43 Sales Assessment And VOC43:51 Strategic Partners For Growth47:41 Networking And Wrap UpShow notes:Gina Tabasso’s LinkedIn newsletter that this episode is based on: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/most-expensive-customer-acquisition-strategy-waiting-gina-tabasso-ugzyc/?trackingId=gZ900l9q2nGXZCr481cA5Q%3D%3DGina Tabasso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginatabasso/Gina’s company, Barracuda B2B Marketing: https://barracudab2b.com/Manufacturing Resource Group: https://mfgresourcegroup.com/Barracuda B2B Marketing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barracudab2bThe Manufacturers’ Efficiency Webinar Series: https://webinar.barracudab2b.com/manufacturers-efficiency-webinar-seriesFollow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer interviews her guest Sword and Script founder Frank Strong about trends and 2026 research. They discuss pricing reputation via balance-sheet “goodwill,” the limits of click-based optimization versus long-term brand value, and why in-person trade shows are resurging, with PR pros better used networking, creating content, and meeting media than sitting in booths. A study finding 62 touches and about 192 days to close B2B deals underscores sustained visibility and differentiation amid a “sea of sameness.” They cover AI’s mixed impact—82% of B2B marketers say AI skills haven’t boosted pay, AI content tends to average out and underperform, and many AI customer-service replacements are being rolled back—while emphasizing AI for research, brainstorming, and critique. Strong argues thought leadership is highly trusted and requires access to real experts, notes declining B2B marketing budget share versus four years ago, highlights hidden buyer influence from finance/legal/procurement, and explains why selling to existing customers is rising but warns against overusing in-app upsell prompts.00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:00 Frank Strong Background01:55 Military Service and Pets02:58 Data Driven PR Mindset04:25 2026 Stats Overview05:06 Pricing Reputation Value08:08 Measuring Beyond Clicks10:53 Events Comeback Strategy13:17 Trade Show PR Hustle17:35 Human Connection Craving18:57 62 Touches to Close23:20 Sea of Sameness24:39 Budget for Experiments26:04 AI Skills and Reality29:19 AI Content Pitfalls30:46 Using AI the Right Way32:21 Dotcom Parallels34:20 Thought Leadership Trust35:05 Why Thought Leadership Works36:50 Ghostwriting and Long Game38:10 Access Makes It Real41:08 Interviews Beat Email43:52 Journalism vs Click Culture46:08 Budgets and Compounding Returns52:10 Educating Executives55:30 Authority and Failing Fast56:43 Hidden Buyers in Deals59:46 Marketing to Existing Customers01:03:49 Newsletter and Staying Sharp01:07:13 AI Monitoring and Humility01:09:30 Wrap Up and GoodbyeShow notes: The Sword and the Script blog post this episode is based on: https://www.swordandthescript.com/2026/07/pr-and-b2b-marketing-statistics-2026/Learn more about Frank's agency, the Sword and the Script: https://www.swordandthescript.com/Frank's newsletter on Substack: https://monthlymarcom.substack.com/Read Frank's blog or contact Frank: https://www.swordandthescript.com/contact/Follow Frank Strong on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankstrong/Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest Matisse Hamel-Nelis, PR consultant, trainer, professor, and speaker, to discuss her new co-authored book with Lisa Riemers on accessible communications in PR, created to help practitioners “create impact, avoid missteps, and build trust.” Hamel-Nelis shares how a Twitter hashtag mistake at CNIB introduced her to digital accessibility and revealed a gap in PR education despite accessibility laws and WCAG standards. The conversation covers practical starting points like plain language, PascalCase/camelCase hashtags, alt text, captions, accessible Word styles, and the complexities of PDFs and reading order, plus vendor support. They emphasize progress over perfection, leadership buy-in using audience and revenue impact, building accessibility into projects early to save costs, and examples from Microsoft, Apple, and NASA.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:42 Book Launch Journey04:00 Teaching and Consulting Updates05:04 Why Write the Book05:41 Hashtag Accessibility Wakeup09:43 Acronyms and Screen Readers12:18 DEI Acronyms and PDFs15:24 Start Small Progress Over Perfect22:51 Emojis and Alt Text Pitfalls25:58 Accessibility Laws and WCAG Basics28:01 PDF Standards and Structure30:06 Word Styles and Tagging31:54 Social Media Accessibility Rules33:37 Prioritizing Fixes and New Content37:02 Captions Done Right on YouTube39:41 Winning Leadership Buy-In44:15 Designing Accessible Video Audio47:47 Accessibility Helps Everyone49:58 Brands Doing It Well55:55 Start Now and Keep LearningShow notes: Learn more about Matisse Hamel-Nelis: https://matissenelis.com/Get Matisse's book, Accessible Communications: Create Impact, Avoid Missteps and Build Trust: https://matissenelis.com/accessible-communications-by-lisa-riemers-and-matisse-hamel-nelis/Follow Matisse Hamel-Nelis  on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matissenelis/Follow Matisse Hamel-Nelis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matissenelis/Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest, Nicole Schuman, managing editor of PRNews, who describes her role planning editorial content, newsletters (including Friday Five and her weekly PR Roundup), podcasts, events, and social strategy. They discuss industry trends, including major agency mergers and acquisitions leading to layoffs, while smaller independent and specialized agencies benefit from available talent and strong profits, and consultants help lean marketing teams. Schuman notes PRNews readership increasingly includes marketers as comms responsibilities expand, prompting new e-learning modules. They note that Schuman is receiving fewer AI-written pitches but that there remains a sameness in AI-driven contributed content, emphasizing the importance of specificity, relationships, and unique storytelling. They review Morning Consult’s 2026 Most Trusted Brands report (Dawn, Band-Aid, Google) and note that trust gains are driven by nostalgia, including Mr. Pibb’s campaign, and that Tylenol remains the most trusted in medicine despite controversy. They also discuss World Cup and Toy Story 5 brand tie-ins and using LinkedIn for sourcing and visibility.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:06 Nicole Schumann Background04:51 Life in DC and New York08:10 Setting Up PR Trends09:17 Agency Mergers and Talent Shifts13:58 Going Independent and Niching Down16:53 PR and Marketing Converge22:04 AI Pitches and Inbox Fatigue25:23 Thought Leadership Needs Specifics28:39 Writing Voice Over Automation30:51 AI Tool Overload and Reality Check31:48 AI Jobs Rebound32:45 Hiring Struggles Today33:36 Brand Newsroom Boom36:32 Trust Brands Report38:58 Nostalgia Trust Wins39:55 Tylenol Trust Case44:02 Comfort Brand Consistency45:35 World Cup Brand Plays47:54 Lego Breakthrough Campaign51:32 Toy Story Tie Ins54:10 Long Game Marketing56:11 LinkedIn Sourcing Tips59:11 Wrap Up And LinksShow notes:Follow Nicole Schuman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschuman/Visit PRNEWS online: https://www.prnewsonline.com/Sign up for PRNEWS newsletters, including the Friday 5: https://www.prnewsonline.com/subscribe-newsletters/Articles we discussed: https://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-tylenol-tops-trust-rankings-local-journalism-hits-a-new-low-and-allbirds-becomes-smartbirdhttps://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-when-culture-moves-brands-follow-lessons-from-kalshi-the-world-cup-and-toy-story-5Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest, Kelly Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods (BNP Media), to explain what trade media is and why it matters for B2B PR.Rodriguez contrasts trade and mainstream coverage, emphasizing trade media’s highly engaged niche audiences, subject-matter expertise, and industry-specific language, using food and beverage examples.She advises PR pros to know each publication’s coverage area, tailor pitches, include the basics (who/what/when/where/why/how), and offer strong hooks, timeliness, and access (plant tours, trade-show meetings, and knowledgeable spokespeople like C-suite and R&D).They discuss relationship-building, noting it shouldn’t determine coverage but can improve relevance and responsiveness.Rodriguez also addresses editorial independence versus paid opportunities, and highlights growing importance of being cited in AI-driven search (GEO/AEO). Both stress providing high-quality, permissioned visuals and captions.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:35 What Trade Media Is03:36 Trade Media vs Mainstream07:32 Why Niche Coverage Matters12:56 Inside the Cold Chain World16:28 Pitching Trade Editors20:06 Passing Pitches to Peers22:43 What Makes Pitches Pop27:06 Trade Shows and Relationships30:39 Long Timelines in B2B31:18 PR Editor Partnerships32:16 Offer Real Experts33:15 Does Relationship Matter36:33 Fairness And Fit37:44 Editorial Versus Paid43:08 Ads Influence Coverage48:46 GEO AEO Trade Media54:19 Visuals That Get Used56:41 Photo Delivery Rights59:01 Wrap Up And ThanksShow notes:Follow Kelley Rodriguez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleyrodriguez/Visit Refrigerated & Frozen Foods online: https://www.refrigeratedfrozenfood.com/Follow Refrigerated & Frozen Foods on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/refrigerated-frozen-foods-magazine/posts/?feedView=allFollow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.