Leaner staffs, fewer journalists in the newsrooms, and a growing suspicion regarding the integrity of earned media have placed the PR profession in potential peril. But today’s guest, Bridgette Borst Ombres, remains optimistic about media relations. Some things have not changed in the profession, she says, including the ongoing challenge of attribution and measurement. But join us, as we explore what has changed in media relations including AI, the rise of live audio, niche publications, and paywall journalism.
Three takeaways:
- More specialization is the key direction that media relations professionals need to take because that's where their audience is going as well.
- There's still work to be done as a profession in the area of measurement and metrics. There seems to be a lack of unified metrics that are agreed upon broadly.
- There is a potential that consumers and business people are losing trust in earned media.
About our Guest
Bridgette Borst Ombres is a former TV news reporter turned PR and marketing
professional with nearly 15 years’ experience working in communications across
agency, corporate and nonprofit. Bridgette has media trained more than 350 spokespeople
for organizations around the country and has consulted for brands such as Google,
LG, Angry Birds, Vestas, Boy Scouts of America and Earth Day Network.
Bridgette heads up The Commsultant, a boutique PR agency specializing in communications planning, thought leadership and media strategy.
Through the years, Bridgette has worked to place hundreds of students and young professionals in internships and jobs. She is passionate about mentoring and professional development.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bridgette lives with her husband, David and four-year-old daughter, Brielle.
Meet the Hosts
Cyndi W. Greenglass is a founding partner and president at Livingston Strategies, a data-informed, strategic consulting firm that helps clients develop, execute, and measure their customer communications with a close focus on results. Cyndi has razor-sharp strategic skills matched by impeccable on-the-ground savvy and tactical abilities. She is an Adjunct Instructor in the Data Marketing Communications online master's degree program from West Virginia University.
Greenglass has twice been named into the Top 100 Influential BTB Marketers by Crain’s BtoB Magazine and was the 2012 CADM Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year. She is a member of the Board of Advisors for BRAND United and has taught, trained and presented at over 50 conferences throughout the world.
Ruth P. Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention, for business-to-business clients. Ruth serves on the boards of directors of the HIMMS Media Group, and the Business Information Industry Association. She is a trustee of Princeton-In-Asia, past chair of the Business-to-Business Council of the DMA, and past president of the Direct Marketing Club of New York.
Ruth was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Marketing by Crain’s BtoB magazine, and one of 20 Women to Watch by the Sales Lead Management Association. She serves as a mentor to fledgling companies at the ERA business accelerator in New York City.
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