What the Flack? Lauren Tsuboyama
Lauren brings a decade of expertise to Blue State’s strategic communications practice. As leader of Blue State’s strategic communications team, her work ethic and understanding of the strategic landscape are shaping work with clients like NARAL Pro-Choice America, Public Wise, The 92nd Street Y and the BlueGreen Alliance.
Previously, Lauren served as vice president of communications at Regional Plan Association, overseeing the organisation’s strategy and message development, media relations, and publications. Lauren also served as communications director for New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr., working on key citywide and South Bronx issues including affordable housing, homelessness, public housing, education, community planning, and environmental justice.
Prior to the City Council, Lauren was an account supervisor at BerlinRosen, leading media relations strategies for advocacy and real estate clients in New York, and was a public relations strategist in the Travel and Lifestyle Department at Finn Partners.
Lauren earned a B.A. in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies in Communications, Law, Economics, and Government from The American University. She currently serves as co-chair of the Urban Assembly School for Leadership and Empowerment Advisory Board, an all-girls middle and high school in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
LBB> Tell us about your current role and what you do?
Lauren> I am vice president of strategic communications at Blue State where I oversee the strategic communications practice. My day involves everything from managing a team and clients to securing new business to pitching reporters. It also includes developing the individual skills of people on our team and helping them to grow. No matter what level I’m at, it’s important to me to be able to keep all PR skills sharp, even if my team is doing the majority of the writing and the pitching.
LBB> And how did you get to where you are today?
Lauren> I’ve always been interested in politics - not just campaigns and candidates, but also policies, and how the government interacts with how we live our life at every level, especially locally.
I didn’t originally know I wanted to work in communications, but I quickly realised that being a clear, effective, and concise communicator was an important part of any job - whether its communicating with your colleagues or communicating to millions online.
You could be the smartest person in the room but if you don’t know how to share your knowledge in a way people understand, it limits your impact. That always fascinated me.
A lot of who I am and what I wanted to do professionally and personally has been shaped by my family and personal experiences, which led me to seeking work that at its core, helps people. I wanted to work with people who were doing incredible work and elevate their voices to tell their stories. I wanted to shape what people read, write compelling narratives, and become a storyteller.
I also wanted to understand how different parts of the political ecosystem interact and work, so over the past 10 years my experience has been varied. I’ve worked in non profits, local government, and other agencies. I feel really fortunate to have worked with tremendously talented people along the way who have all taught me so much.
LBB> What does your average day look like?
Lauren> Pre-pandemic and post-pandemic look very different!
I spend a good part of my day talking to clients and reporters and checking in on my team. We’re still mostly remote so we work extra hard to ensure we are communicating frequently - but not an annoying amount - while building a sense of camaraderie and connection.
Right now, going into the office is still optional and while I still mostly work from home, I try to go in once or twice a week. Don’t get me wrong, I love the comforts of working from home, but I enjoy going into an office - it’s SO nice to collaborate and bounce ideas with my team Creativity is such a big part of what we do, and it can happen when you least expect it but it’s easier for that to happen in person.
When I was first starting out in my career, the places I worked had open floor plans or shared offices, and I learned how to improve my pitching to reporters by both hearing other people do it, and other people overhear me and give me tips. It was intimidating at times, but incredibly helpful for my development.
So when my team and I go into the office, we coordinate going in so we’re all in together, so we can get the most out of it.
LBB> For your organisation, what is the key function of PR and comms? Is it about company culture? Attracting clients? Empowering talent? Something else?
Lauren> Everything can be a communications problem or have a communications solution. What you say, how you say it, when, why and by whom really matter. When I put those considerations in perspective of the clients that we work with and the good work that they’re doing - that’s the power we can give them. They have an ability to really make an impact if they’re able to message things in the right way.
Communication has the power to do so much and it can be undervalued. People can take their words and their voice for granted. But it can make so much of a difference when you're trying to make a positive impact, tell a meaningful story, or bring attention and awareness to an issue.
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?
Lauren> A big part of what any comms practitioner does is consume the news. I always ask people what they do to stay up to date and the answers have changed as the industry has changed in the past 10 years.
A comprehensive media diet can be the difference maker between a good comms person and a great comms person. At Blue State, we see many, if not all, issues as intersectional, and that means that it’s important to know and understand what the narrative is and who is writing about an issue or topic across racial, gendered, geographical, generational, and political lenses.
There are so many issues that my team and I work on that I have a personal interest in, and because of that, the level of investment makes me genuinely interested in everything that’s going on. And in our sectors of politics, brands and fundraising, that can be a lot everyday.
At Blue State, we also try to see the work as channel agnostic, influenced by the way social media has transformed the way people interact with organisations, brands, politicians, celebrities, and others. Last week’s editor-in-chief is yesterday’s blogger, is today’s TikTok influencer.
People don’t exist in a vacuum, and understanding that they are also reading, watching, and listening to the latest in sports, pop culture, music, etc, is a key part of getting to know your audience and how to gain their interest.
When you think about what your audience might be experiencing on any given day, - doom-scrolling on Twitter, seeing subway ads on the way to work, watching YouTube for news, night-time TikTok watching in bed - you have to really understand the world they’re living in and the possible moments we have to interact.
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?
Lauren> Paid, earned and owned media are all key components for any successful campaign or organisation that wants to reach people. Each has its own benefit and solves a different challenge that the others can’t.
You can’t solve paid media challenges with an earned media solution or vice versa. Now, it may not always be clear how a problem is identified, but that’s where we come in! As an agency that truly offers a 360 approach, we advise our clients how each is best used.
LBB> When a business is faced with very bad news, what’s the key to getting through it?
Lauren> Be transparent and give context. Have an approval chain or a set of crisis protocols ready in advance, so that in high stress moments, you are prepared and reducing the amount of quick decisions you need to make. Who knew what, and when is often a common question so tracking the flow of information is key.
Ultimately, having a strong foundational relationship with a client can best set you up for success. We always strive for transparency about what is possible and what we need to be successful while managing expectations. We try to delineate between what the immediate and long term goals are. Things may not always be perfect, but we have to be transparent and solutions forward.
LBB> What frustrates you about the way the media and PR have changed over the years?
Lauren> For me, it’s less about how the industry has changed - because I think change can be good - and more about how people’s understanding of media and PR. There can be a misconception that because social media is so accessible and anyone and everyone can use it, that it doesn't need to be strategic - but like with most things, skills need to be honed.
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?
Lauren> I really love how tactic-agnostic communication has become. Long gone are the days where the biggest emphasis in announcements was pressing send on a press release, putting it on the wire and calling it a day. There was a formality around how news is shared. Sure, a press release is still helpful and has its place in the communications toolbox but it's not the only thing.
There has been such a big shift of understanding that you have to meet people where they are. That might be a press release, or maybe a thread of tweets, or an Instagram reel, or a video. There are so many ways to get a message across and we don't have to restrict ourselves to a specific medium.
