Patricia Yanez

For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, we just published our Q1 2025 Private-Tech Media Insights Report, here: https://lnkd.in/guMk9StG . We dug into 972 tech and business articles to see how privately held companies are covered and a few things stood out. First, private-tech is still a niche story: only about a quarter of those articles even mention pre-IPO firms. When they do, the approach varies quite a bit. The Washington Post leans on policy debates and executive perspectives, the New York Times prefers broader, narrative-driven pieces, and the Wall Street Journal focuses on deals and financials. Unsurprisingly, names like OpenAI and SpaceX topped the list for sheer volume. What caught my eye, though, was that SpaceX carried a fair bit more negative sentiment than the others - proof that visibility can be a double-edged sword. Another thing that shone through is that it really comes down to people. A small group of reporters - from Edmund Lee at the Times to Gerrit De Vynck at the Post - seem to write most of these stories. Cultivating those relationships makes all the difference. If your team is planning a fundraise, major product announcement, or executive op-ed, it’s worth tailoring your pitch to each outlet’s style and leaning on data-driven quotes to stand out. You can check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/guMk9StG . What’s worked for you when you’ve tried to get private-tech coverage?

17

2 Comments

Today at Portada Chicago, I had the opportunity to sit in on a panel exploring what cultural relevance really means in today’s landscape, and more importantly, what it demands of us as marketers and leaders. Cultural relevance isn’t something you add on to a plan. It’s something you build from the start with intention, empathy, and a deep understanding of the communities you’re trying to serve. It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about recognizing signals, respecting context, and showing up in ways that are meaningful while still driving business outcomes. Reach gets you seen. Cultural relevance gets you chosen.

170

8 Comments

“We need a press release.” No, you don’t. Okay, maybe you do - but really, you need so much more. . . - A clear, compelling story - Alignment with broader brand narratives and business goals - Trusted relationships with the right media and influencers - An integrated comms strategy that considers every audience - A suite of assets to bring your story to life—visuals, quotes, data, customer proof - Clear, measurable success metrics - A long-term plan to keep momentum going A press release can be a useful tool, but not on its own. If your PR plan starts and ends with a press release, this one’s for you.

17

5 Comments

Lots of chatter around MNTN's IPO and the implications it has for CTV and the rest of the ad tech space. Check out this reporting from Seb Joseph and Digiday: "Going public is no cake walk. It’s a gauntlet of competing stakeholders, relentless scrutiny and virtually no margin for error...Needless to say, if there’s a moment to make the leap, this might be it." Broadsheet Communications client Dan Larkman Keynes Digital recently met with Seb to discuss this very topic, and some of their convo was featured in this story. Really great reporting here, highly recommend making it your read of the day! The link to the article can be found in the comments. #CTV #StreamingMedia #AdTech #IPO #MediaRelations #ClientInsights

24

2 Comments

One of my favorite lines from the brilliant Danielle Schlanger in PRovoke Media: "Organizations that invest early in visibility by cultivating media relationships, publishing credible leadership profiles, and maintaining a thoughtful, authentic social presence build reservoirs of trust that will serve them well during challenging moments." A great read on crisis preparedness.

11

1 Comment

“Look at what is being celebrated in the press releases. Not creativity. Not ideas. Not outcomes. Cost efficiency. Shared back-end infrastructure. Eliminated redundancies. Pooled data. Increased media leverage. This is the language of financial survival, not creative reinvention. The uncomfortable truth is that holding companies are no longer competing with each other. They're competing with platforms that already replaced them. Platforms now provide targeting, distribution, attribution, creative tools, optimization, culture, and in many cases, the inventory.”

10

1 Comment

If seven agencies merge and women still don’t show up in leadership, the problem isn’t the pipeline, it’s the mindset. This article surfaces an uncomfortable truth about our industry. A restructuring of this scale that still leaves women out of leadership is not a coincidence, it is a culture. True progress demands intentional representation, not retrospective justification. https://lnkd.in/dprHDDc7

39

1 Comment

Reading the news of consolidation coming out of Omnicom today is a reminder that nothing is permanent and change is inevitable. As someone who spent a large part of my career working inside an agency environment and now sit on the other side of the table hiring firms to help carry critical work forward, I offer a few personal reflections on the state of marketing and communications agencies. 1) There is no better training ground than an agency. Early-career exposure to diverse clients, business models, budgets, and pressures is unmatched. It sharpens judgment, pace, and resilience in ways few environments can. 2) The holding-company model is under real pressure. Margins are thinner, work is increasingly commoditized, and AI has accelerated what was imminent. What worked before cannot sustainably work the same way going forward. 3) Agencies are still relevant. Firms with deep expertise are becoming more essential. Clients like me are not looking for everything—we’re looking for sound counsel and mastery we’re unable to efficiently replicate in-house. 4) Brand names may change, but the work still matters. Strategy, creativity, judgment, and trust remain irreplaceable—even as how they’re delivered evolves. 5) The billable hour is obsolete. Paying for time instead of impact doesn’t hold in a commoditized, AI-accelerated world. The future belongs to models that reward outcomes, insight, and real value creation. I hope to see this pull through in response to our next RFP. What has always been will not be what’s next. And that’s not a loss—it’s an opportunity to build something better, sharper, and more honest about where true value lives.

60

9 Comments

I shared a few thoughts in this week's SBJ on solving the complexity of measuring sponsorships. If it's a topic of interest for you, it's a quick (and worthwhile) read!

35

3 Comments

This is a great read from my Broadsheet colleague Alexander Wolf about compulsive media habits and why brands should consider them in the context of brand safety. #Imnotscrollingyouare

4

📺 Don’t overlook TV in 2026. If your PSA plan isn’t leveraging TV, you’re missing a key driver of attention and impact. The landscape keeps evolving, but TV remains a core backbone for broad awareness that digital alone can’t fully replace. TV may not be the “shiny new thing,” but this Adweek article shows why it has to be part of 2026 media plans. https://lnkd.in/g_SM8jxw A few points that jumped out at me: • 83% of advertisers say they’re confident TV will deliver strong outcomes in 2026. • 77% plan to increase their TV budgets next year. • 92% cite incremental reach and 92% cite measurable performance as the biggest benefits of TV. TV is now being held to the same accountability standards as digital. For PSAs, that’s huge. TV isn’t just “brand awareness” anymore. When it’s planned with digital, it can: 👉 Reach people who will never see your social or search ads 👉 Make your message feel familiar so other channels perform better 👉 Blend linear scale with streaming’s targeting and measurement so donated or paid impressions work harder So as you look at 2026 PSA plans, the question isn’t “TV or digital?” It’s: How do we get TV and digital working together so every spot, impression, and donated placement pushes in the same direction? I’m curious how others are approaching this: Are you leaning more into streaming, keeping linear in the mix, or re-introducing TV after focusing mostly on digital the last few years? If you’re thinking how TV and CTV fit into your PSA strategy, I’m always happy share what we’re seeing across campaigns—feel free to connect or DM me. #TVAdvertising #PSA #MediaPlanning #Streaming #LinearTV #MarketingStrategy #2026Planning #Connect360Multimedia

5

The conversation around video podcasts was REAL at Upfronts this week. As Lillian Rizzo at CNBC says in her piece - "The growing emphasis on podcasts during Upfronts is helping to cement the format as value added in the media landscape". Full article here - http://bit.ly/43uvJ3j It's a topic Meredith Klein (she/her) and I were just discussing on Clarity's new #SeekingClarity podcast. As Meredith puts it, it's all pointing to a greater trend we've been watching emerge - "There's an integration and overlap of the content that you're getting on both earned media but also with traditional, non-traditional and social media." 🎧 More on our discussion around the Role of New Media in Integrated Communications here: https://lnkd.in/gkhzkkXu

11

2 Comments

Huge thanks to Diana Kaufman Marszalek at PRovoke Media for asking my perspective on Omnicom’s merger of Golin and Ketchum, both as an industry lifer and a Ketchum alum. https://lnkd.in/ep3GSP3V My initial reaction was simple: when a century-long brand recedes, it’s worth a moment of reflection. I’ve taken that moment. Here are three thoughts: 1. Culture is the real differentiator. I spent nearly two decades walking Ketchum’s halls, on three continents. At its best, the agency’s edge wasn’t size; it was a remarkably consistent culture that fostered long-term client trust and empowered people to take smart creative risks. When agencies consolidate, the operational logic may be clear. But culture is harder to scale – and easier to dilute. 2. The “why” needs to be clearer. Several peers quoted in the piece – Bill Davies, Michael Kempner, Lou Hoffman – raised variations of the same question: What is the distinct client benefit? “Economies of scale” may satisfy analysts, but clients want to understand how a combination uniquely improves the work, not just the margins. 3. The human equation matters. Mergers inevitably create overlap. The question isn’t whether change happens, but rather how thoughtfully it’s handled. Talent and clients alike are looking for senior counsel, continuity, and clarity – not just bigger org charts. To be clear, none of this is anti-scale. There are real advantages to global platforms when aligned well. But legacy brands earn their reputations through culture, relationships, and belief systems, not just balance sheets. Leaving a legacy brand to launch Attention Comms last year taught me that clients don’t want their "reason to believe" buried in a spreadsheet. They want senior counsel, agility, and a values-driven approach. As I lead PRSA-NY this year, I’m focused on how we drill down on true differentiators. The industry isn’t dying, but it is evolving. The future belongs to those who prioritize depth of partnership over sheer scale.

60

10 Comments

📱 Mobile-first. 🎬 Streaming-driven. ❤️ Culturally rooted. The U.S. Hispanic audiences are redefining media engagement. See how—and what it means for marketers—in the new Hispanic Diverse Intelligence Series 2025 Report from Nielsen. Download now: https://bit.ly/4m6P2G6

9

Brands looking to capitalize on the next three years of mega sporting events across North America can't rely on the same old playbook. To win today and tomorrow, communications needs to be prioritized and emphasized. Important thoughts from our CEO J.J. Carter and CCO Emily Frager about the "ROI multiplier" that communications can provide when put at the center of activation plans.

37

1 Comment

New data from Nielsen shows that nearly 30% of all ad-supported TV viewing is driven by sports marketing dollars. That's a huge number when you consider the fragmentation of today's media world. https://lnkd.in/em_Udwf9 #Marketing #SportsMarketing #Advertising #MediaStrategy #Streaming

5

1 Comment

AdCP is quickly emerging as the next layer of innovation in advertising automation. In his latest MediaPost article, Joe Mandese unpacks the standard’s significance, with insights from MadConnect Bob Walczak on its evolution and real-world impact. https://lnkd.in/gCXgXi9d

6