5 Minutes with… Amanda Berenstein
In an age when purpose and values underpin reputation and brand, it’s instructive to delve into the purpose and values that drive industry leaders. For Amanda Berenstein, her journey in the world of PR was first sparked by an interest in politics and a desire to represent her country and change international perceptions of Mexico. To reveal the truth.
After early days working in the presidential press office and a degree in Public Policy, Amanda spent ten years honing her craft at Zimat, before setting up Weber Shandwick’s Mexico presence in 2015. As she’s grown, so too has the field of PR. It’s no longer about short-term wins, but long-term visions; reputation is no longer about keeping one’s head down and nose clean but building a business around beliefs and values; and as the value of PR becomes more appreciated across the marketing and communications landscape, PR expertise is becoming more enmeshed in the marketing mix.
Last year, Amanda became the CEO of Weber Shandwick Mexico and also stepped up to become Latam Regional Client Leader, allowing her to work with teams across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. In turn that has given Amanda a new perspective on Latin America’s PR strengths.
LBB’s Laura Swinton caught up with Amanda to learn more.
LBB> What kind of kid were you growing up and was there ever a clue that communications lay in your future?
Amanda> I was a very curious girl who always dreamed of representing the Government of Mexico and changing the perception and stereotypes people had about my country. That is, in fact, why I decided to study International Relations and find a way not only to communicate differently what we stand for but find ways to promote my country. I guess this conviction laid the groundwork for entering the PR world.
LBB> You studied Public Policy at university - what attracted you to that course? Were you really into politics and policy?
Amanda> I decided to study Public Policy after having worked three years in the campaign and press office of President Vicente Fox. I loved the thrill of representing my country in foreign trips, meeting and learning more about international treaties and negotiations but felt I lacked that depth that comes with studying policy. Public Policy gave me the tools to incorporate data and analytics into politics. It has helped me navigate better the rising expectation that companies will solve problems that governments have failed to do so. That’s especially true given the growing urgency around global challenges like climate change, immigration issues, and privacy. People trust companies more than government and have become platforms for change.
LBB> And what were the most useful lessons that you learned early on in your career?
Amanda> That discipline and hard work go a long way. There are no shortcuts. And that luck is for everyone, but it is handed out at sunrise! Since I began working, I made a habit of waking up at 5am everyday to organise my thoughts and start answering emails. This has helped me ever since.
LBB> How has PR as a discipline evolved over your career?
Amanda> Incredibly. PR has become all about reputation. Reputation is less about the product or the image—though those still matter—than about what the company behind the brand stands for. As Weber Shandwick’s chairman, Jack Leslie says: “Today Corporate Reputation is both far harder to fake and far easier to lose. In an age of social media—when consumers are the most powerful communicators—and an age of transparency, where you can’t hide and shouldn’t run—reputation rises and falls not on ephemeral images but rather on hard reality.” Once we cared about short-term profit. Today it is all about purposeful long-term mission. We used to talk about value proposition. Now we need to communicate our shared values.
LBB> PR is an interesting discipline when it comes to creativity and marketing - everyone wants to figure out how to get earned media and it’s a really important metric when assessing the success of even traditional ad campaigns. What do you make of that? Do you see it as an issue that non-experts are wading into the area, or does it raise the profile and importance of PR specialists?
Amanda> Earned really means relevance in today's world. It is not as powerful for a story to be born organic and then get a paid push than for a story to be born paid and look for organic relevance. We used to live in a broadcast era when marketing spoke, and consumers listened. Now we’ve got multichannel crosstalk in which the most important influencers are consumers themselves. This is the era of engagement and PR has always understood this better than any other communication specialists.
LBB> Depending on the client, PR involves a lot of expectation management and coaching your clients in how to understand and interact with the media - what’s the key to getting that right?
Amanda> Reputation may be shaped by the grassroots, but it starts from the top, with CEOs staking out what they and their companies believe. CEOs used to keep their heads down. We are advising our clients that the imperative today is to stick their necks out and share what they stand for beyond the business. This is the era of corporate activism.
LBB> One of the most stressful aspects of PR seems, to me from the outside and as a journalist, is crisis management… is that fair? And as a leader how do you help your teams navigate that, so they don’t absorb your clients’ stress personally?
Amanda> We like to see ourselves not as facilitators of our clients but more as trusted advisors and when we have the opportunity to solve a crisis alongside our clients that trusted relationship grows and opens new opportunities.
LBB> After ten years at Zimat, you moved to Weber Shandwick - what was it about the opportunity that tempted you over?
Amanda> The opportunity to open an office of a brand that did not exist in the market, having the startup mentality with the safety and knowledge of a global PR powerhouse such as Weber Shandwick and finally being able to redefine the Mexican PR landscape by offering clients so much more than media relations. Weber Shandwick Mexico has adopted a multi-channel approach to communications, including creative and digital offerings—integrating owned, earned, paid, and shared with PR.
LBB> And what have been your proudest accomplishments of your time at Weber Shandwick?
Amanda> The team we have built. Weber Shandwick Mexico began with my cell phone and me; six years later we are a happy and stable team of 100 consultants.
LBB> As the business models of the media generally and journalism in particular change, how is that, in turn, impacting PR?
Amanda> PR has never been so relevant as now. Our world today consists of engaging multiple stakeholders. These include our employees, our customers, the media, political and opinion leaders, suppliers, business partners, and far more. The newest stakeholder is everyone and PR knows how to engage, connect and build relationships. Reputation is the prism through which everything else—products and brands, controversy and crisis—is viewed. It’s about purpose and principles, behavior and beliefs.
LBB> As a leader, how have you helped your teams navigate this very challenging year and a half?
Amanda> I made sure that they understood that for me leadership meant more communication, collaboration, and adaptation. Being increasingly sensitive to the new needs the team had in terms of health and family obligations and mental health needs (we sent office chairs to people’s homes, we offered yoga and art classes, and even had group psychology sessions). We worked obsessively in making sure our agency was both a financially stable operation but also a nourishing space during these challenging months.
LBB> You’re now looking after Latin America for Weber Shandwick - how have you found getting your head around the nuances of each market?
Amanda> I oversee the client relationship for Weber Shandwick in Latin America and all IPG PR brands in Mexico. Having the opportunity to work with teams in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru has shown me that we share “soft skills”: behavioral, social and emotional skills that are hard to master in other parts of the world and have become more vital than ever before.
We have a strong competitive advantage in terms of building strong client relationships because we know how to blend uniquely the Latin “warmth” with a global mindset. We are constantly aligning local businesses with broad global trends. We have made sure to constantly introduce global specialists to clients in LATAM in a way that builds authentic connections that matter to clients, add value to the organizations they represent, and ultimately deliver more successful campaigns.
LBB> Outside of work, what inspires you?
Amanda> My family. Watching my three kids grow up and realise they have turned out to be good people is for me the definition of happiness. I also love to bike. I am part of a cycling club with my high school friends and finally I am committed to driving awareness to several causes near and dear to my heart. I sit on the board of various NGOs, such as CEMEFI (Mexican Philanthropic Center), Museum of Memory and Tolerance, COMEXI (Mexican Council for International Affairs), CEMDA (Mexican Center for Environmental Law), Fundacion ProEmpleo Productivo A.C, and Ficsac de la Universidad Iberoamericana, the University’s board that is focused on promoting and strengthening higher education in Mexico.
