You’ve built brand narratives across food, spirits, lifestyle, and publishing. What core brand-building principles have stayed constant despite rapid shifts in media and consumer behavior?

Across every category I’ve worked in, the principle that has remained constant is authenticity. Without it, a brand really has nothing. Today’s consumers are so savvy. They can see through the fluff immediately, and they want to engage with brands that are honest and clear about what they stand for, what they were built on, and whether or not the product really delivers on its promise. While media and consumer behavior have evolved over the years, authenticity has only become more important, and in many ways, it’s now the foundation of any brand, and critical in building long-term brand loyalty.

With 20+ years in PR and media relations, how do you see earned media evolving in a world driven by owned content, creators, and always-on digital conversations?

Earned media has evolved dramatically over the course of my career. Twenty years ago, success was defined by a print placement in a major outlet like the New York Times or Food & Wine. Then digital publishing reshaped the landscape, and the focus shifted to securing online visibility as consumers turned to digital platforms for information and discovery. From there, we saw the rise of regional and local media, where reaching highly targeted micro-communities became very valuable for brands. Fast forward to the next decade and the “influencer era”, where a single creator post could drive more consumer demand than many traditional media placements combined. Most recently, affiliate-driven media models transformed coverage, with commerce integration becoming a critical part of earned media coverage strategies. Now, in 2026, we’re entering yet another evolution with AI and LLM-driven discovery, which has fundamentally changed how consumers find information, new products, and brands. Traditional media doesn’t hold the same influence that it once did because discovery is coming from AI platforms, creators, and social conversation. In today’s media landscape, something like the New York Times doesn’t even matter as much because the LLMs don’t scrape the Times.

What’s interesting is that AI is reinforcing the value of credible earned media, and so strong PR and authentic brand storytelling matter more than ever. As someone who is a publicist at heart, it’s exciting to see our work validated as a meaningful driver of visibility. Publicists everywhere are cheering for that win!

While the channels, formats, and algorithms will continue to evolve, one thing continues to remain true, and that is that earned media will always be a critical part of building any brand’s success.

At 5WPR, integrated communications is key. How do you ensure PR, social, influencer, and content strategies work as one cohesive growth system?

Integrated communications are essential because none of these marketing tactics work effectively in isolation anymore. PR, social, influencer, content, and paid media all need to operate as part of one connected ecosystem.

For example, if a brand secures a strong earned media placement, that moment shouldn’t stop there. It should be amplified across social channels, leveraged in creator conversations, shared through executive platforms like LinkedIn, and, in many cases, supported through paid amplification to maximize the reach and impact.

At 5W, collaboration across teams is critical. Even when we don’t directly own every channel within our scope, we work closely with our clients and partner teams to ensure everyone is aligned around the same messaging, audience, and, most importantly, the same business goals. Today’s consumers discover brands through countless touchpoints throughout the day, so consistent integration matters more than ever. The brands that succeed are the ones creating a similar narrative across every platform and consumer interaction, not treating each channel as a separate strategy.

From your experience across agency leadership and client strategy, what are the most common blind spots CMOs face when driving consistent marketing performance today?

One of the biggest blind spots CMOs face today is confusing participation with brand strategy. In today’s fast-moving viral landscape, the pressure to move quickly, react in real time, and insert brands into every trending conversation has never been greater, but speed doesn’t always equal relevance. It’s easy for brands to become overly reactive instead of consistent and true to their DNA. Not every viral moment, social trend, or culture conversation is the right fit for every brand, and consumers are incredibly quick to recognize when participation feels forced or opportunistic, versus true to the brand’s authenticity. The strongest brands are those that have a clear understanding of their identity and are strict enough to protect it. Sometimes the smartest decision a CMO can make is choosing when NOT to engage and instead wait for moments that align with their values and audience.

With campaigns spanning events, partnerships, PR, and digital, how should marketing leaders think about true cross-channel orchestration versus fragmented execution?

Marketers need to stop thinking about channels as separate workstreams and start thinking of them as connected consumer experiences. The average consumer doesn’t differentiate between a PR moment, a social post, an event, a partnership, or a paid media buy. They experience brands at whatever moment they’re in, wherever they’re at, and as one continuous narrative across multiple touchpoints. To think of them any other way is wrong and creates that fragmented execution.

For example, a brand’s event shouldn’t exist as just a one-day activation. It should also generate earned media, content creation, and social conversation, as well as create executive thought leadership moments and partnership collaboration opportunities. The goal of that one event isn’t to have a great experiential event and move on; it’s to extend the life of that day far beyond the event itself and amplify the campaign much further into all other segments of storytelling. The brands that are winning today are the ones with fully integrated marketing campaigns where every touchpoint reinforces the next, and drives the brand’s relevance and business growth, gaining followers, brand loyalists, and end-goal consumers along the way.

You’ve seen brand building from every angle. What’s the one belief about modern marketing that most CMOs still get completely wrong today?

One thing that CMOs still get wrong today is the misconception that more is better. Whether that’s content, clicks, or followers, more doesn’t automatically equal more impact. Because we live in such a fast-paced world, brands today have a constant pressure to post more, react to everything, be the first one to comment, and be all the places all at once, but quantity doesn’t always equal quality. Consumers are overwhelmed with content and messaging everywhere. In line for their morning coffee, on their commute to work, as they scroll their social channels, and all day long as they look at any piece of information produced. What gets through to consumers is authenticity, consistency, and an emotional connection to the brand or product. Winning brands today aren’t the loudest and the ones you see the most. They’re the ones with the strongest POV, and the ones smart enough to communicate consistently with their consumers at moments that matter.