What was the moment or experience in your career that made you realize PR and digital marketing could create real impact for consumer brands?
The moment that first made me realize PR could really have an impact was when I first booked an author on the Today Show. It was an in-depth interview for their book, which had just launched, and after the segment aired, we watched online, and retail sales in Barnes & Noble’s, Borders, and indie bookstores just grew and grew. We had another big spike after the west coast aired, and by the end of the first day, we had a bestseller on our hands. Seeing the power of PR in such an immediate way, directly linking what I had booked to consumers purchasing the product, was just an amazing feeling.
The consumer lifestyle landscape is constantly shifting. Which recent trends are defining the way you build campaigns today?
A recent trend that’s defined the way we build our campaigns is the evolution of influencer marketing over the last few years, watching it grow from a “good to have” to an “absolute must have” as part of any campaign. A couple of years ago, there were a handful of influencers that were worthwhile, and you would maybe consider including them in some way…if you could get to them or afford them. Little by little, influencer marketing grew, and it has now become table stakes for any campaign. Earned media isn’t enough anymore; every campaign needs to include influencers in an earned or paid way, as they’re truly influencing consumers and what they buy. Influencers also went from a very niche audience that they were influencing, to now being able to target truly every possible demographic, category, age, sex, lifestyle.
With so many digital touchpoints available from social media to influencer marketing, how do you decide where to focus a brand’s energy first?
At 5W we like to focus all our planning, strategy, ideation, and execution around data. You can’t target a market without first knowing: 1) that there is a market to go after, and 2) where/what that market is. Once we find the data to support our campaigns, then we strategize on how to reach that consumer where they’re at. Are we targeting Gen Z’ers who are predominantly getting their information from social media and content creators online? Then we will find them there and create a campaign to build the awareness from that angle. If we’re targeting older adults with a much higher HHI looking to outfit their second homes with furnishings, then that’s a totally different campaign, and we’re not going to show up in the same place.
How do you approach storytelling for different brands such as lifestyle or home-product brands?
The most important thing is, and will always remain, brand authenticity. While it’s so cliché to say, it is incredibly important. Consumers in today’s landscape not only want authenticity, but demand it from the brands they purchase. If it isn’t genuine, it’s going to be a hard sell, no matter how pretty the product is, or what celebrity is hawking it.
Once you find that authentic angle, whether it’s the reason the product was developed or the brand heritage story behind it, then you can start telling the story.
How do you ensure traditional PR storytelling stays relevant in a digital world where content lifecycles are so short?
In today’s world, where AI search is taking over, traditional PR storytelling is more important than ever. It has validated the work of PR and earned media and given it a much-needed positive boost. Finally, PR folks are getting the respect they deserve! The GEO searches are pulling from organic, earned content mostly, so the more that a brand shows up in those spaces, the better for search, and the more likely that consumers will find their product.
Additionally, although much content is digital and quick in/quick out, it also allows us to focus on what happens after the story or product mention goes live. From there, we can amplify the content even further, leveraging it on social media, boosting it with paid spend, posting on LinkedIn in a more brand-forward/thought leadership positioning, etc.
You’ve built niche teams focused on insights-driven campaigns. What qualities do you look for when assembling a great PR and digital marketing team?
My focus when building teams is, and always will be, finding passionate people who love this kind of work. PR is full of daily rejection, but when you find teams that love the thrill of the placement and never take no for an answer, then you’ve found your dream team. My team thrives off finding the best contact to pitch their story to and then developing a relationship with them. Maybe not every day is a win, but when you get that placement, it feels so good to share with our clients.
And who doesn’t love winning at the end of the day?
Since joining 5W, what changes have you made to your approach or leadership style?
I think I’ve had to adapt to an ever-changing talent pool, where the needs of those just joining us right out of college are very different than those who have been in the industry for a few years. Their priorities are different, their career goals are different, and their needs for management support are different. It’s all about understanding where they are in their career journey and finding out what motivates them. I’m not a perfect leader by any means, but I hope that my team would say that no matter what, they know that I have their backs at the end of the day. And my favorite management rule to my team: Don’t problem state, problem solve.
Leigh Ann Ambrosi – Bio
Leigh Ann Ambrosi leads the Consumer Lifestyle division at 5W. With over 25 years of experience, she is a seasoned expert in brand development, publicity, and media relations. Whether shaping strategy, restructuring workflow, handling multiple clients or managing budgets big or small, she effects change with a constant eye towards producing results.
One of her many accomplishments previous to her agency work include a career in book publishing publicity and marketing, where she created multi-platform marketing campaigns that encompassed advertising, events, social media, buzz marketing stunts, publicity, brand building, and strategic partnerships. During her tenure in publishing, she helped to build the brands for authors including Mario Batali, Deepak Chopra, Jillian Michaels, Tyler Florence, Haylie Pomroy and more.
