What the Flack: Staying Ahead of The Curve and Industry Trends with Kristi Raines
A results-driven sales professional, Kristi thrives in fast-paced environments, consistently exceeding targets and client expectations. She possesses a contagious enthusiasm for building strong relationships and uncovering unique client needs.
Leveraging a proven track record of success in B2B, CPG, travel and healthcare, Kristi is adept at identifying growth opportunities and translating them into tangible results. She is a master communicator, fostering clear and collaborative dialogue that drives strategic partnerships and propels businesses forward.
LBB> Tell us about your current role and what you do?
Kristi> I am currently the marketing and PR director supporting all the TBA Worldwide agencies.
In my role, I am responsible for developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies to enhance our agencies’ brand visibility, attract new clients, and foster strong relationships with existing clients. I ensure collaboration across departments to successfully implement campaigns that align with each agency’s objectives and elevate our standing in the industry.
Additionally, I head up the PR team for Brandon, overseeing a team of exceptionally talented PR practitioners.
LBB> And how did you get to where you are today?
Kristi> My career path has been unconventional, but it’s one of saying yes to unconventional opportunities and not letting undefined roles deter me. After graduating college, I took various jobs while figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, including nannying, teaching swimming lessons, and working in sports marketing. My husband and I moved to Los Angeles in 2010, where I eventually landed at a large, well-known agency, where I started in client services and recruitment.
After a few years, I moved back east and joined a global manufacturing company, where I progressed from recruiting to leading university relations, employer branding, and HR experience and communications. There, I developed a passion for marketing and, with the mentorship of Tyler Easterling, transitioned to TBAWW as content director in 2022. In that role, I oversaw organic social media and public relations for Brandon.
Now, I’m thrilled to be the marketing and PR director.
LBB> What does your average day look like?
Kristi> Agency life is anything but routine. One moment, I’m brainstorming with the team to secure a high-end outdoor apparel brand spot with TV and movie stylists. The next, I’m fielding a call about a crisis-communications plan for a major telecommunications company. And before I know it, I’m prepping one of our agency leaders for a podcast appearance, ensuring they’re well-versed in how our TBAWW collective works with one another and what each is best known for and their positioning in the market.
LBB> For your organisation, what is the key function of PR and comms? Is it about company culture? Attracting clients? Empowering talent? Something else?
Kristi> This year, we’ve made a significant investment in public relations, prioritising brand growth and awareness. While we’re not naturally inclined to boast about our achievements, we’re becoming more comfortable sharing our successes.
We’re fortunate to have talented and experienced leaders at each of our six TBAWW agencies. One of our key objectives is to provide them with opportunities to share their insights and stories. By doing so, we hope to increase awareness of our agencies and demonstrate the value of working with us: access to true expertise and dedicated service.
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?
Kristi> It’s important to stay current on industry trends, not just in PR. Understanding the broader marketing landscape, such as Google’s updates and their impact on paid search, SEO, web analytics, and social media algorithms, offers opportunities to position ourselves as thought leaders and provide valuable insights to clients and prospects.
And let’s not forget about a good brainstorming session. The best ideas can come from the most unusual places. Scheduling time for cross-disciplinary brainstorming sessions can foster innovative thinking and unique perspectives on recent news.
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?
Kristi> The idea that the quality of a product or service is enough to attract customers is both positive and negative. While exceptional work is important, it also needs to be effectively promoted. Without a good marketing plan, even the best products or services may not be noticed or appreciated.
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?
Kristi> Consider the process to gain PR coverage is as much of a collaboration as it was to create the campaign. Understand that the media world is our creative space, and lean on us as experts to amplify the work with our strategic insights, relationships, and expertise.
LBB> When a business is faced with very bad news, what’s the key to getting through it?
Kristi> Having a comprehensive crisis-management plan is the key. Don’t wait until the bad news comes; be prepared now. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recommendation to a client during the planning process, only for them to say “maybe next year we can budget for it.” Cut to an instance mere months later where having this in place would have been helpful to respond swiftly and with a clear action plan.
LBB> What are the most useful tools in the arsenal of a PR / comms professional working in advertising / creative industries right now?
Kristi> There are a number of tools that I think are essential right now; they mostly include social listening and AI. AI can be a scary thing, but I recommend thinking about leveraging AI not only as a writing tool, which can get you into trouble if not used appropriately, but also use it as a tool to keep you on track, streamline your processes and help make you more efficient. Notetakers, scheduling platforms, and data-visualisation tools are ones I keep in my toolbox.
LBB> What frustrates you about the way the media and PR have changed over the years?
Kristi> The need to “pay to play” is frustrating. While it’s understandable that media outlets need to generate revenue, it raises concerns about the transparency of content. Consumers may unknowingly engage with paid placements, believing them to be organic content from trusted news sources.
LBB> And what excites you?
Kristi> I’m excited by the variety of work I get to interact and engage with each day.
