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TRANSCRIPT:
DOUG: Well, obviously, attention is a critical part of communications. And can you give us a little insight into your journey, having key roles at large companies and more boutique firms? Now you’ve got your own agency.
PAUL: So, we’re seeing, especially in the US, both the giant mergers, but then all these opportunities for boutiques and really smart people running smart businesses that you know, can be nimble and take advantage of the, you know, radically changing nature of communications and how we shape reputation. How do we create attention and the right kind of attention? I mean, obviously, our name was, you know, very mindfully chosen to be purpose-built for today, but it’s really a matter of opportunity for nimbleness and smarts when you’ve got a real clear understanding of the type of work you want to do.
DOUG: Yeah, and you’ve mentioned purpose-driven and, you know, values-driven organizations as the ones you want to work with. The perception of what a values-based organization is can be different depending on where you sit on the political spectrum and others. So, how are you handling and pursuing, you know, working with these value-oriented organizations?
PAUL: A few years ago. Every company on the planet described itself as a purpose-driven organization. It just became wallpaper and meaningless. Given the backlash to the sort of alphabet soup of purpose, DEI, and ESG, and all these things that companies were really claiming a mantle towards, now that there’s a backlash, the organizations that truly believe in purpose as a driver for their business. It’s once again a differentiator. And it’s once again, something that’s going to make a difference. Because now in 2025, companies that claim organizations that claim to be purpose-driven and can demonstrate it are really doing so because they believe in it, because if you don’t believe in it, you don’t need to. It’s frankly more of a burden if you’re not really taking it seriously. So, we work with organizations that view this as a privilege, not a burden, and really see their purpose through.
DOUG: And is that one of the key trends you’re seeing, the challenge of trying to maintain what used to be considered traditional purpose if you look at it from the perspective of actually trying to do something good, as opposed to being able to throw some initials out there that don’t really fit with your business. Is that a trend, and how do you advise companies in this space?
PAUL: Ultimately, it comes down to authenticity. And, you know, my old boss at Ketchum used to talk about closing the say-do gap, and that’s still the same. And so, organizations that claim one thing and act in a different way, that gap is just going to be where their reputations go to die. So, we in PR, especially in, you know, 2025, need to help our clients really reduce that, say-do gap to zero. And we want to work with clients who say that purpose is so important, but they need to prove that really on a daily basis.
DOUG: Are you seeing other challenges in terms of brands like is it limited to one space? Used to think of purpose like, oh great, you’re involved in clean energy or supporting that. Is purpose taking a much broader role now?
PAUL: I think it has because frankly, there are so many areas for an organization to make a positive difference, but it can’t just be an alphabet soup. It can’t just be throwing things on the wall and seeing what sticks. Stakeholders, consumers, investors, they smell inauthenticity, you know, from a mile away. And so, it’s got to be really clear and coherent. And so, that’s really the approach we take with communications, is really understanding the whole and making sure that the story you’re telling is, you know, wholly credible and is really demonstrable, and that that’s really what we set out to do.
DOUG: Yeah. A big change is also how people are consuming content. The pendulum seems to swing back and forth in so many ways. I know now we’re benefiting from that, you know, earned media is now perceived as being important for GEO instead of search, as people are looking for generative engine optimization. So old is new, new as old. How are you finding, navigating these different challenges in terms of where people are consuming content and not just consuming, but interacting with it?
PAUL: Ultimately, that’s why we named the organization Attention Comms because attention isn’t just a metric. It’s the fundamental substance that shapes politics, society, and culture today. Ezra Klein had a line where he said, media is something you get hooked on, attention is something you attract. And I think too many in our industry still treat attention as something outside their control, something the media or influencers decide for you. And I think that’s really a dangerous misconception. And we really, you know, it’s our role as communicators to ensure that our clients are earning meaningful and proper attention irrespective of channel. And it’s really a matter of ensuring that all the channels work in concert to tell this attention grabbing story on behalf of our clients.
DOUG: Yeah. Now, you’ve previously had leadership roles within organizations, and when we’re recording this, you’re about one month in to your new company. Are you learning some different kinds of leadership lessons now that you’re in this new role? And what might they be?
PAUL: Ultimately comes down to the same verities, right? It’s values. It’s trust. It’s authenticity. And either these can be buzzwords or they can be North stars. And if they’re just buzzwords, they’re worthless, but if they’re truly our North stars in terms of how we think, how we operate, how we communicate, that makes a difference, and people see that. Your staff sees that, your clients see that. I’ll tell you another lesson for me from a leadership standpoint is, trusting my network and really thinking about my circle of network differently. And throughout the negotiation process, and just kind of as I was looking for counsel, I reached out to people who have been colleagues throughout my career, and some people weren’t really close friends. I’ve gotten a year without speaking to them, but you know, they were the ones who really, you know, rallied to me and provided, you know, really valued trust and counsel and kind of forming my own kitchen cabinet, you know, really was a was a great addition to kind of my leadership thinking to have that have at my disposal.
DOUG: Yeah. I love how there’s so much hype about how things can change. But, you know, when I started my company 39 years ago, I was flying solo. And a number of friends, one in particular, really smart guy, and I would just bounce ideas off him all the time. And he was an entrepreneur himself on that. So, it is great how you can get people to be sounding boards beyond those who don’t necessarily have a direct connection to the business. That can be super helpful in time. Any final thoughts you’d like to share as we wrap up this conversation?
PAUL: The main thing is, you know, how do we create genuine change in our world, and our role as communicators can really help with that by cutting through the noise, telling authentic stories. Really working with organizations that are making a lasting impact and ensuring that important stories become signal and, you know, not noise. And that’s, you know, in today’s age, when there’s so much negativity, so much competing, blah, blah, you know, the ability to cut through that noise and tell those compelling stories that drive change is as important a calling as I can think of.
DOUG: Yeah, well, your signal-to-noise ratio is pretty high. So, thanks so much for sharing that with us.
PAUL: Appreciate that.
