What the Flack? Reframing the Story with Rebecca Sullivan
It’s time to get meta as we interview the communicators of the communications industry.
To us, PR and comms professionals are among the hardest working people in adland, straddling the worlds of paid and unpaid media, juggling delicate egos and impatient journalists, and can make the difference between a campaign that gathers momentum and one that sinks without a trace.
Up today is Rebecca Sullivan. Rebecca leads PR for Wunderman Thompson North America, which will soon be officially known as VML. She’s spent over 25 years handling public relations for some of the most creative agencies of all sizes in the United States. She has been the PR engine behind three Cannes Lions, multiple Effie winners, and countless stories, speaking opportunities and honorifics on behalf of agencies and brands.
She chats to LBB’s Addison Capper.
LBB> Tell us about your current role and what you do?
Rebecca> I lead agency comms for Wunderman Thompson North America.
LBB> How did you get to where you are today?
Rebecca> I started out in consumer PR at Arnold where I launched the biggest marketing fail for McDonald’s, the Arch Deluxe. I had to deliver the new sandwich to surly editors at newspapers along the North Shore of Boston. That toughened me up. Over time I switched from PR for clients to PR for Arnold, the agency. The agency was hot, reporters came to me to write stories about our work for VW and truth, I didn’t realise how good I had it!
The relationships I forged with Arnold (between my 4As agency comms friends, reporters and all the creative stars from the agency) allowed me to start my own consulting business. I worked with small- to mid-sized agencies for 15 years, with my trusty anchor client, Effie Worldwide. But I really missed working with people in an office.
In February of 2020, I bought a new wardrobe, received my parking pass and worked at MullenLowe’s office in Boston for three weeks. Then it was back home for the next two years. In early 2022, I landed at Wunderman Thompson, enticed by reuniting with my MullenLowe colleagues Naomi Troni and Emilie Sharp.
LBB> What does your average day look like?
Rebecca> Early morning, I scroll through news. Teams with Emilie, our global PR lead, who is based in London. We run through our plan of attack for pitching a global creative campaign, trends report or brainstorm angles for an award submission, and lately we mine for stories on how our agency and our clients are using AI, since that’s what every reporter wants to know. My favourite days are days I get to work with our chief creative officer Tom Murphy or global chief creative officer, Bas Korsten, our creative teams and our award show leads. Tom, Bas, Renata, Susan, Rosie, Ari, Jared and Ned (and the rest!) involve me in the creative process early on and truly value the role PR plays in the impact of their work.
I may meet with a few account teams and specialists (accessibility, creative tech, influencer marketing, b2b) to get story ideas, develop thought leadership themes and bounce press requests off them. I’ll touch base with our CEO, Audrey Melofchik, for briefings. In between scrolling through my phone before bed, I’ll check email and text one more time, because when you are in PR, you know anything can happen at any time, and selfishly I don’t want to miss a possum wildlife rehab video on Insta.
LBB> For Wunderman Thompson NA, what is the key function of PR and comms? Is it about company culture? Attracting clients? Empowering talent? Something else?
Rebecca> My remit for Wunderman Thompson has been to grow our reputation for ‘Inspiring Growth for Ambitious Brands’. We want to be known for our creative as much as we are known for our deep bench of expertise in data and technology, and we tell these stories through the work and our people.
LBB> PR has always been about finding the story / finding the angle. What is your process for staying ahead of the content curve and serving up something fresh and engaging?
Rebecca> Lots of reading, viewing live TV, watching TikToks, creeping on Reddit, scrolling through Twitter, but most of all being a busybody and getting to know everyone at the agency. Some of the most under-the-radar people may tell me about a new commerce platform, gaming trends, or a world problem that needs to be solved through creativity. Lately, I’ve learned how we are using AI in recruiting and training talent in a whole new way and found out more about Deaf Rap culture. I also have a standing weekly meeting with our research and trend spotter gurus, Mark Truss and Emma Chiu. We hop on Teams for 15-30 minutes if we aren’t travelling and talk about interesting news stories or generational trends or attempt to solve the world’s problems. I always get a good story nugget from Emma and Mark. I also eavesdrop on my teenagers for a scoop from time to time.
LBB> Historically advertising folk have a very different relationship with the media, especially the press, than PR folk. Advertising is about buying ad space and being able to dictate how and where something is presented - that’s a degree of control you can barely dream of in PR. Does that tension still exist, and if so how do you navigate that tension?
Rebecca> Some people still think you can get a journalist to write whatever you want, when you want, where you want in the most favourable light. I must explain every few months how we can’t always get questions in advance, review a story before it appears or go back and rewrite the article for the journalist, even if it wasn’t well-reported. I used to be able to explain ‘church versus state’ (editorial versus advertising) but now lines are so blurred in even the most reputable outlets.
LBB> What other common misconception do you think advertising/production people have about comms and PR?
Rebecca> Once the creative is complete, the job isn’t done. Creative collaboration between PR and the creative leads is essential to carefully choose or create the best images and format to tell the story about the work.
Also, if a reporter doesn’t write about the work, it means I didn’t push hard enough or the reporter didn’t like their work. Chances are, the reporter didn’t even get a chance to open the email to review the work. Reporters are stretched just as we are stretched. It’s hard not to take it personally, but timing matters and you never know the work or timetable you are up against. A good PR person will reframe the story to fit somewhere, or utilise social to get the credit and love.
LBB> To what extent do you feel 'the work speaks for itself'? To what stage of growth can a business rely on this mantra to gain more clients?
Rebecca> When you know, you know. An agency like Mischief hasn’t been around very long, but you could say the work speaks for itself. You could say the same thing about agencies that have been around for a long time, like Goodby or Wieden+Kennedy. Agencies can never let down their guard and slack on marketing and PR, though - we’ve all seen the hot shops fade into the background and then agencies like Wunderman Thompson are the ‘Standout Agency of the Year’ and Grand Prix winners.
LBB> When it comes to getting coverage/PR for a creative campaign in the consumer press, how should creative teams go about working with their agency’s comms and PR experts?
Rebecca> Reach out early and often. Tell us the inspiration behind the work. Because I work closely with creatives, I see the heart behind the work, and it makes me want to do my best to get the love the work deserves.
LBB> When a business is faced with very bad news, what’s the key to getting through it?
Rebecca> Gather all the information you can to get a complete picture. Share what you can share with trusted journalists. If you are respectful and forthcoming, even with a small bit of information, the stories will be more favourable. Be transparent and keep employees up to date, internal audiences can be the most important of all. And try to speak with clients and other important stakeholders one on one or in small groups versus a mass email. Moving forward, share good news and try not to stay quiet for too long, if possible.
LBB> Generally speaking, how do you approach the hack/flack relationship?
Rebecca> I try to be as helpful as I can be, connecting reporters with sources that will help them do their best job, even if it doesn’t directly benefit my agency at the time. For example, I may help a reporter get up to speed on a new technology, an influencer trend or information on accessibility in marketing. I’m honest (as I can be!) and don’t bother them with irrelevant news they don’t care about. The hack/flack goes both ways though: early on in my career, Suzanne Vranica from the WSJ coached me on how best to work with her, and I, in turn, have helped young reporters make connections.
LBB> How does doing comms for the advertising world differ from any other industry you’ve worked in?
Rebecca> The advertising world is small, leading to long-standing relationships with associations, publications, clients, agencies and award shows. I feel like some of my co-workers aren’t people I necessarily worked with at an agency, but people that I’ve known throughout my career.
I love working in a creative industry, there’s always something different happening every day and so many interesting personalities. It’s not exactly the Lord’s Work, but it is gratifying.
LBB> What are the most useful tools in the arsenal of a PR / comms professional working in advertising / creative industries right now?
Rebecca> A curious mind and the willingness to talk to anyone and everyone in the industry. There’s so much information that can be picked up by a short conversation with a creative excited about a new campaign, an insight from a data scientist, information on how clients are thinking about their industry vertical or the business at large. And, despite the number of PR research tools, the best way to find a reporter to pitch is to do your own research.
LBB> In your opinion, how has the role of a PR/comms professional evolved during your career span? Have things changed greatly or do core tasks/principles remain the same?
Rebecca> So many principles stay the same. Relationships and trust matter. Know a writer’s work before you pitch. Keep the lines of communication open with the press, even if it’s ‘we can’t tell you now, but we’ll let you know as soon as we can.’ I no longer fax press releases to the New York Times and hope for no busy signal, but I am grateful for the phone skills I acquired early on. It’s a lot easier to talk versus text when negotiating an exclusive.
LBB> What frustrates you about the way the media and PR have changed over the years?
Rebecca> That not enough people and companies support good journalism. In turn, there’s also not enough reporters and media outlets to handle fair, balanced and important stories. Good journalism should be sacred, and it’s not anymore.
LBB> And what excites you?
Rebecca> I still get so excited when I get a win for my agency - a story, an award, an entry into a new business pitch. I love a tangible reward.
I’m also excited to try new ways to tell compelling stories about our agency through short form video (here’s hoping for the budget in 2024!).
