Curiosity, Creativity, and Authenticity Driving the Next Era of Communications

We recently sat down with CommPRO Industry Member Laura Tomasetti, CEO & Founder of 360PR+ in Boston, to discuss the secrets to the award-winning agency’s success, industry trends, agency life and what it really means to provide 360 degree communications plans for some of the world’s best known brands. 

When asked about what has driven the success of 360PR+, an agency which has worked with clients including Trek Bicycle, Nintendo, Virgin Atlantic, Vermont Creamery, and Louis Latour Wines, Tomasetti starts by sharing they are first and foremost an agency of brand fans. “Our team is passionate about these and other brands, which means we are able to tell authentic stories.”

The second point she makes in quick succession is that they are specialists. “We are not trying to be all things to all people, but are focused on food and beverage, travel, retail, tech and several other areas.”  

Being specialists also applies to not only being really good at PR, but bringing to the table deep capabilities in areas that are really important to telling client’s stories and engaging with their audiences. Tomasetti explains the agency’s services range from earned media, to influencer marketing, social media content, and C-suite communications. 

With offices in Boston, New York and Philadelphia and affiliate relationships with 100’s of other firms through PROI, she notes 360PR+ represents the very best of what big agencies and boutique agencies do well. “We bring the sophistication of global communicators and marketers, and have the nimbleness and creativity of a boutique – which you really need in today’s dynamic and evolving marketplace.”     

When asked about industry trends, Tomasetti says that PR and communications are seen as even more important today by the C-suite, which is looking at ways to build brands’ trust and reputation is a changing landscape.

With shrinking newsrooms, more platforms for content, influencers and citizen journalists, she makes a compelling case that the role of PR and communications professionals is to communicate in ways that reflect these changes and bring communications across channels all together. 

“Today an effective media strategy blends earned media, contributed content, paid or sponsored content, content on brand channels and work with influencers. PR is orchestrating all of this.”

She shares that the market has “caught up to us a little” on 360-degree marketing, but she’s been doing this for 20 plus years. “We recognize that it takes multiple touchpoints to effectively reach and engage stakeholders.” That’s going to entail earned media, social media, influencers, and it may include C-suite communications.

The firm has in recent years formalized its approach to executive communications with the launch of its “360 Agenda” initiative to help companies understand where their voice can be of value, where they can drive the conversation, where they can shape the conversation, and respond to today’s stakeholders.

This helps the agency work with clients to formulate creative strategies to realize business goals. One example of this is to help CEOs find or hone their voice or a platform for the company that will resonate with stakeholders. 

For many of the clients the agency works with, engaging with different generations requires a particularly deft touch. The firm has developed specific expertise around Gen Z as a case in point.    

“We did a roundtable recently with a number of Gen Z’ers and found that they are still looking at CNN, but through their social feed or on a friend’s feed and that’s where they are interacting. Social media’s the name of the game and they’re using different social media platforms in different ways.”

Tomasetti notes that the firms is very good at meeting the generation where they are, as well as understanding both the differences in the ways platforms are used, but most importantly in finding ways to engage with authenticity. “Brands should not try to be something they are not --Gen Z can sniff out inauthenticity pretty quickly.”

Having worked both on the client-side of the business for a Fortune 500 company and the agency-side of the business for most of her career, Tomasetti is keen to highlight the attractiveness of careers in PR, communications and marketing.     

In an agency, you’re going to get incredible diversity of work, challenges and experience with different brands, and the opportunity to try different things. “It’s a continuous learning environment. I find many years into my career I’m still learning new things and learning every day.”

She adds that one of things that makes a career in PR so attractive is that we are in a creative business and “it’s a real gift to get to create every day.” You get to work on the front line with media, work with influencers, generate content, manage an issue that’s breaking on Social Media, as well as launch products. “Every day is different and that makes a career in PR – and specifically inside an agency – very exciting.”

When asked about working at 360PR+ Tomasetti reiterates “that we are an agency of brand fans, so part of the appeal is getting to work on brands that you use in your day-to-day life. We value the perspective our team brings at every stage in their careers.”  

In discussing what makes someone successful at 360PR+, Tomasetti shares that it’s not really a skill, it’s an attribute that is important for success – curiosity.

“You have to be curious, switched on and engaged with the world around you.” Consuming media, thinking about the shopping experience online and off, and cultural issues as well as other factors that may impact your clients are all examples of ways in which our team, she notes, brings its curiosity to the table.   

As we wrap up, Tomasetti shares that she might also have added the importance of flexibility and nimbleness, but “curiosity is the most important thing.”