Lessons learned from navigating national crises with Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines

Send us a textIn this episode, Mort Crim joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss his career highlights, truth in journalism, and his newest memoir, “Anchored: A Journalist’s Search for Truth.Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Our episode guest is Mort Crim, a retired journalist, author, lecturer, and motivational speaker. He inspired the Anchorman character Ron Burgundy.Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1.  The inspiration behind Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy2. Mort’s journalism career highlights and pivotal moments3. Maintaining a trusted image in journalism and PR4. How the media has changed and ways to adapt5. Mort’s book, “Anchored: A Journalist’s Search for Truth”Quotables “I have a philosophy that if you run fast enough, old age can’t catch you.” — @Mort Crim“Never have an ego or have arrogance about yourself because you never know when you're going to need help or the support of others in your community.” — @JasonMudd9“It's all about the story. History is made up of stories. We call journalists the people who write the first draft of history. But that hasn't changed — for all of the technological change, for all the proliferation of media — it's still about content.” — @Mort Crim“Become a good writer, and if you're a good writer, I can teach you how to stand in front of a camera. I can teach you how to hold the microphone. I can teach you how to be a broadcaster. But I can't teach you how to think, and I can't teach you how to write.” — @Mort Crim“Journalism is a profession that requires, first of all, a commitment to honesty and truth. But secondly, you need training. You need to have some understanding and experience in how to recognize a story, how to organize a story, how to tell a story in a way that is meaningful to the audience.” — @Mort Crim“PR needs to be all about the audience of the news outlet when you're pitching media.” — @JasonMudd9 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others, buy me a coffee, or leave us a quick podcast review.About Mort CrimMort Crim is a journalist, author, lecturer, and motivational speaker. He is the main inspiration for the character Ron Burgundy, a news anchor in the Anchorman movie series. His network and local broadcast experience in radio and TV includes five years as a correspondent for ABC in New York City and two decades as a senior editor and anchor for WDIV-TV, an NBC affiliate station in Detroit. He was backup for Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” radio program for five years. He is the author of eight books, including his most recent memoir, “Anchored: A Journalist's Search for Truth.”Guest’s contact info and resources:Mort Crim on XMort Crim on LinkedInMort Crim on FacebookMort Crim’s websiteSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textDisclaimer: We edited portions of this recording from its originally aired version at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's request.In this episode, Doug Filaroski joins host Jason Mudd to discuss how a property insurance company manages crisis communications. Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Our episode guest is Doug Filaroski, senior communications representative at Citizens Property Insurance. He manages crisis communications projects, provides strategic consulting, and oversees the production of all types of content — from leadership messaging to digital communications and video.Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. Citizens Property Insurance’s communications strategies 2. How to respond to a crisis 3. The role of crisis response centers during catastrophic events4. The importance of fraud prevention campaigns5. Why companies need a crisis communication plan Quotables“We feel a great responsibility — because we are the state or the people's insurance company — to provide them with good service.” — @Doug Filaroski“Florida was responsible for 79% of all the lawsuits in the United States against property insurance companies.” — @Doug Filaroski “When I started with a company about 10 years ago, I don't think we had as good a plan as we have now. So one of the best tips is to have a plan. Frankly, a lot of people I talk to in crisis communications don't really have a formal plan.” — @Doug Filaroski“I'm personally a big fan of templates. If I have to send the same email twice, I'd sure like to have a template for it for the third time, and I always encourage my teammates to do the same thing.” — @JasonMudd9“A lot of the comments you're making speak to the culture of your organization and that you obviously care and you're there to serve, as opposed to just being the solution that's the least desirable for your customers. I think that really matters and goes a long way.” — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Doug Filaroski Doug is a former journalist who's covered presidential campaigns, government corruption, and growth. He now works as a corporate storyteller. After stints at a Fortune 500 company and the JAX Chamber, he moved on to internal, external, and crisis communications for Citizens Property Insurance in Florida. Doug is also the vice president of communications for the Florida Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.Guest’s contact info and resources:Doug Filaroski on XDoug Filaroski on LinkedInCitizens Property Insurance websiteInternational Association of Business CommunicatorsInternational Association of BuSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textOur Guest:Linda Beltran is vice president of corporate communications at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, a leading vacation ownership company with more than 30 resorts across the U.S. She oversees a team of communications professionals who manage internal and external communications, executive visibility, corporate social responsibility, media relations, crisis communications, community relations, and thought leadership. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. How internal communication management can prevent external crisis2. Executive media training and thought leadership3. The evolution of internal communications4. The future of internal communications5. Internal communications best practices  Quotables“Your team members are really your first and most important audience.” — @Linda Beltran“We have to be nimble and pivot. And I tell people all the time, improvising and pivoting are one of the undersold skills that you have to have in this line of work.” — @JasonMudd9“If you have a company and leadership that really puts their faith in their comms team, you're already ahead of the curve, and then the rest is just making sure that they're being received.” — @Linda Beltran“Pre-pandemic, people weren't necessarily paying attention to their internal audience.” — @Linda Beltran“I love the idea of trying something new. I love the idea of failing forward. And as I tell my team quite a bit, as long as you're working on something that won't be shown externally, take some risk internally.” — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Linda BeltranAs a seasoned communications leader with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Linda brings strategic, creative, and impactful solutions to diverse audiences and stakeholders. Her mission is to enhance the reputation, visibility, and engagement of the organizations she works with, aligning communications with their values, culture, and goals.Guest’s contact info and resources:Linda Beltran on XLinda Beltran on LinkedInHoliday Inn Club Vacations websiteAdditional Resources:The value of being honest in internal communications4 ways to present your corporation as grateful to its shareholdersSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textIn this solocast episode, host Jason Mudd discusses how to improve your media pitches and craft news releases journalists will notice.Tune in to learn more!Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. How to improve four media pitch examples2. Keep your pitch short and visually appealing.3. Tailor your pitch to match the journalist's beat.4. Offer value — why should the journalist care?5. Have a copy editor review the release. Quotables“About half of the news stories they write come from media pitches. So media pitching works when it's done right. Media pitching works when you have a relationship or attempt to build a relationship; you don't need a relationship to get media coverage.” — @JasonMudd9“You just want to send a teaser and have them say, ‘You know what, I would like to hear more’ or ‘This isn't a good fit for me.’ But instead of doing it in 10 paragraphs, what if you just did it in three sentences?” — @JasonMudd9“That's why we believe in having copy editors on our team who are grammarians. They're experts at what they do — the red-pen police or the people who correct your grammar in public that you don't like.” — @JasonMudd9“If you can't tell me who said it, then I'm probably not going to quote you on it.” — @JasonMudd9“You should not send a news release, or even a media pitch, through blast … think 1-to-1 with each media pitch that you send out.” — @JasonMudd9“More targeted, more selective pitches are going to help you be more successful.” — @JasonMudd9 “Just like in dating, just like in sales, in media pitching, the intent of the first meeting is to get a second meeting.” — @JasonMudd9 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Jason Mudd, Axia PRJason Mudd is a trusted adviser and dynamic strategist for some of America’s most admired brands. Since 1994, he’s worked with American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon. He founded Axia in July 2002. Forbes named Axia one of America’s Best PR Agencies.Guest’s contact info and resources:Jason Mudd on XJason Mudd on LinkedInAxia Public Relations 10 elements of news10 elements of news with Jason Mudd | On Top of PR Podcast1:1 consultations and training with Axia Support the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textIn this episode, Alfredo Garcia joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss best practices for producing PR events. Tune in to learn more!Our guest:Our episode guest is Alfredo Garcia, vice president of sales for Sight & Sound and Mugwump Productions. He started his journey with Sight & Sound as a marketing intern, where he discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. Now an executive leader, he’s played a pivotal role in the company’s growth from 15 employees to more than 50 today. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. Questions event producers will ask 2. Technical media accommodations 3. How much notice event production teams need 4. What organizations should consider before planning an event 5. Logistics and budget planningQuotables:“My first question is always the same, no matter what type of media event it is. And that is, “Why are we doing this event? Why are we spending your money? Why are we pulling in resources and what is the purpose and outcome we are trying to get out of this event?” — @Alfredo Garcia“If you’re depending on media to be there, how embarrassed might you be if they just can’t come or don’t come for whatever reason?” — @JasonMudd9“If you’re depending on media to fill the room, you better have a pretty good announcement.” — @JasonMudd9“Whenever I see a whole bunch of microphones, I think of crisis communication.” — @Alfredo Garcia“Why would you not want to engage with an expert company to have them bring their experience, know-how, and ideas that might save you time, money, and ultimately drive home that better first impression for the attendees at your event?” — @JasonMudd9“We try to become an extension of what our clients are trying to do. We are thinking of things people don't think about.” — @Alfredo GarciaIf you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Alfredo GarciaAs Sight & Sound’s vice president of sales, Alfredo manages daily sales operations, develops sales strategies, and forecasts company revenue. He focuses on client retention and expanding the client base locally and nationally. Alfredo earned a communication degree from Jacksonville University, which laid the foundation for his career in the hospitality industry. He’s drawn to the industry’s opportunities for travel, bringing creative solutions to events, and building long-lasting relationships. His journey with Sight & Sound began in 2005 when he joined as a marketing intern and discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. After progressing through roles as a marketing coordinator and project manager, he found his niche in sales. Outside of work, Alfredo enjoys gardening with his wife, traveling with his family, and supporting all his local sports teams. Support the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textIn this episode, Axia’s David Triana joins host Jason Mudd to discuss key strategies for nurturing mutually beneficial media relationships that make a lasting impact. Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:David Triana is a public relations professional specializing in media relations and securing earned media coverage for clients in a variety of industries. He currently serves as the director of media relations at Axia Public Relations. He has been mentioned in outlets such as the Daily Mail, Business Insider, and Forbes, providing commentary on topics related to the PR industry. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. Always provide value when communicating with the media.2. Proprietary data can differentiate you from your competition.3. Respect for journalistic ethics is key.4. Stay ahead of the news cycle whenever possible.5. Make the media's job as simple as possible (and be as prepared as possible).Bonus: Tips on earning media coverage for PR professionals with no prior newsroom experience. Quotables“Not being afraid to fail — I think that is the most important thing and most important attribute you can have as a PR professional.” — @David Triana“It’s like a venn diagram: what the media wants, what the company wants, and what is newsworthy and interesting.” — @JasonMudd9“Anytime I’ve reached out to the media on behalf of a client, I never want to go empty-handed.” — @David Triana“Sometimes a really good media pitch is just three sentences. You want them to say, ‘Tell me more, I'm interested.’” — @JasonMudd9“I tell clients, you probably have some data internally that you don't even realize would be valuable to help set a finger on the pulse of the marketplace and the economy and what it’s doing.” — @JasonMudd9“So much of this is making a really good first impression that defines the longevity of that relationship. And if you're willing to be available right off the bat … things like that set you apart from many others.” — @David TrianaIf you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.Guest’s contact info and resources:David Triana on XDavid Triana on LinkedInEmail David at [email protected] Resources:Axia Public RelationsResourcesSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textIn this episode, Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss ways organizations can use data-centric storytelling on social media to raise awareness and engagement. Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Our episode guest is Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., senior digital communications manager at Candid, a nonprofit providing comprehensive data and insights on the social sector. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. What to do when you are swimming in data and how to turn it into a story for your organization.2. How smaller social media teams can leverage their own data. 3. Ways organizations can experiment with data to drive brand awareness and engagement. 4. How to create good social media content without visually appealing subjects.5. Common mistakes organizations make on social media. QuotablesData is really attractive to audiences. When you use numbers, people love it. People love numerals. It's our hook. — @Kate Meyers EmeryWhen you're communicating, there's two personality types: one is interested in emotion and the other is logic. If you can create a venn diagram and appeal to both at the same time without alienating one of the audiences, that's a good blend. — @JasonMudd9You gotta make the platforms happy. The platforms don't want you to leave social media. You have to put stuff out there that makes the platforms happy that drives more engagement on the platform. — @Kate Meyers EmeryPeople want to connect with other people. People don't want to connect with faceless brands. — @Kate Meyers Emery There's always three options. If you get more than that, you get analysis paralysis, and no one wants to make a decision. And the simple answer is usually the best answer. — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D. Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., is the senior digital communications manager at Candid, where she leads the strategy, content production, and analysis of organic social media. Kate uses experimentation and data-driven storytelling to get people the information they need to do good.Guest’s contact info and resources:Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D. on LinkedInKate Meyers Emery, Ph.D. websiteCandid websiteCandid on LinkedInCandid on InstagramCandid on FacebookCanvaToggle TrackSprout SocialSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textLeslie Cafferty, chief communications officer of Booking Holdings Inc., the world's largest global travel company, joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss the pivotal role of communications professionals in business success and growth. Tune in to learn more!Our Guest:Our episode guest is Leslie Cafferty, chief communications officer at Booking Holdings Inc., the world's largest global travel company. She’s also the executive sponsor for the company’s employee resource group dedicated to equality and equity for women across the organization. Booking Holdings Inc. brands include Booking.com, Priceline, OpenTable, Kayak, and Agoda. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:1. Differentiating marketing and communications in business2. Strategies to help with the rising cost of labor and doing business3. Tips for aspiring chief communication officers4.Evolving trends in communications5. The importance of diversity in communications and business Quotables“The art of what we do is storytelling. You could be writing a speech for a CEO, messaging points for a lawsuit, or sharing a consumer product story. That’s art. You have to think creatively.”  — @Leslie Cafferty“Rising tide floats all boats. More data out there about travel, booking travel, and best practices probably inspire someone to want to go on a trip.” — @Jason Mudd“It’s all about collaboration with the business. Communications is not seen anymore as just a subset of marketing — we have a seat at the table in leadership meetings.”   — @Leslie Cafferty“Anything you say can create or destroy value in seconds. Our role and expertise is about doing more creating than destroying.” — @Leslie Cafferty“The skills, talents, and responsibilities haven’t changed, just the tools, platform, and speed at which you can communicate with your audience has increased, therefore making every move you make more critical and potentially vulnerable.” — @Jason MuddAbout Leslie CaffertyA 20-year tech company veteran with a passion for communications, marketing, and promoting more diversity in business, Leslie Cafferty is the senior vice president and chief communications officer for Booking Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest global travel company, known for brands such as Priceline, Booking.com, Kayak, OpenTable, and Agoda. Cafferty oversees all corporate, financial, brand, crisis, CEO, executive, and internal communications initiatives for the company, which operates in more than 200 countries. She’s also the executive sponsor for the company’s employee resource group dedicated to equality and equity for women across the organization. Previously, Cafferty was the global vice president of marketing and communications at Nielsen, the world’s leading global research company. Before Nielsen, she spent eight years as the director of global communications for IAC, a leading internet company operating more than 25 market-leading digital brands. She attended Harvard Business School and graduated magna cum laude from Lehigh UniversSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textCrafting winning media pitches, learning the elements needed to stand out and secure coverage. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:What doesn’t help your pitchesFollowing up — NOGASUse the phone to tell your storyExclusive/advance/embargo — know the difference Key elements to a good pitch Quotables“Great sales is about helping, not about sales. Great media relations is about helping a reporter uncover a news story that's valuable and interesting that they didn't know about previously.” — @JasonMudd9“People really like people who have confidence and who have a unique, contrarian, and provocative point of view.”  — @JasonMudd9“Improvising is one of the key attributes of being successful in PR.” — @JasonMudd9People care about stories about people. They don’t care about stories about corporations.” — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others or leave us a quick podcast review.About Jason MuddJason Mudd, APR, is a trusted adviser and dynamic strategist for some of America’s most admired brands. Since 1994, he’s worked with American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon. He founded Axia in July 2002. Forbes named Axia one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Clients love Jason’s passion, innovation, candor, commitment, and award-winning team. In an increasingly tech-forward world, Jason’s grasp of technological demands on companies provides his clients in multiple sectors a unique advantage in reaching their top audiences. After teaching himself HTML in 1994, Jason helped pioneer internet marketing strategies as an early adopter of e-commerce, search engine optimization, and social media, inspiring tech giants like Yahoo.At Axia, Jason attracts, develops, retains, innovates, and leads top PR talent and clients. He oversees strategic communications for the firm’s national clients and provides high-level consultations to client leadership teams at billion-dollar global brands, both business-to-business and business-to-consumer, including spokesperson training, crisis communications management, analytics, social media, online reputation management, and more. He also speaks frequently to corporations and industry groups and writes about public relations trends and best practices for American City Business Journals and other national companies.Jason’s contact info:Jason Mudd on XJason Mudd on LinkedInAxia Public Relations Resources:Link to Bloomberg journalist’s LinkedIn postTen Support the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.

Send us a textAI strategist Kathleen Perley shares top recommended AI tools and how to optimize them for business communications strategies. Our guestOur episode guest is Kathleen Perley, professor of AI at Rice University’s Jones School of Business. Kathleen is an innovative healthcare tech leader and trusted adviser in the emerging world of optimizing AI for business marketing and advertising. Five things you’ll learn from this episode:The race for AI: staying authentic while building public trustUnique ways to use AI for business and personal developmentTop recommended AI toolsHow to utilize AI safely: best practicesAI and deep fakes: What is coming next? Quotables“Do we let this ego race to be first end up hindering our ability to have a public that trusts and aligns with AI and doesn’t build this resistance?” - @Kathleen Perley“This [AI] is our generation’s moon landing.” - @Kathleen Perley“How do we take the mundane, the rote out of our lives so we can spend more time doing what we do best, which is developing these relationships and human connections?” - @Kathleen Perley“It's one of those things I keep hearing over and over again — that if you use AI to help generate content, you’ll get devalued in the algorithms from a search engine ranking perspective — but I’m not seeing that come true. I think the focus is more on quality and less on who is the creator or origin. If we use both humans and AI, it usually produces something even better than just a human or just AI alone.” - @Kathleen Perley“If you haven’t started integrating AI into your crisis communication plan, now would be a great time to start thinking about that.” - @Jason Mudd “My biggest fear right now is that [AI] produces so much content so quickly that it almost takes just as much work to go through and improve it and fix it. But that first draft is awfully nice to have most of the time.” - @Jason MuddIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also share your experience with others by leaving us a quick podcast review.About Kathleen PerleyRecognized as one of MM+M’s Women to Watch 2024 and with her agency on the Inc 5000 list for three years, Kathleen is a celebrated leader in merging AI with business strategy, especially in marketing and advertising. She also serves on MD Anderson's advisory committee and supports Ncourage, an investment fund aiding women-owned businesses.Guest’s contact info and resources:Kathleen Perley on XKathleen Perley on LinkedInRice University’s Jones School of Business Coursera class: "AI for everyone"Marketing Institute PodcastSupport the show On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands. On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.