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Public Relations, What Were You Like in the 90s?

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By now, you’ve likely seen the “What were you like in the 90s” question posted on Instagram, with the song, Iris, by the Goo Goo Dolls playing in the background. Maybe it’s a former boyband member flashing back to a slideshow of himself in a synchronized dance routine or posing on the cover of Teen Beat magazine. Or maybe a movie star, when they were lesser known and less wrinkled. In the same vein, we thought it might be fun to reflect on public relations. After all, things have changed quite a bit since Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky dominated a budding 24-hour news cycle.

Here is a brief list of some common PR tools and tactics that have since gone the way of the be-kind-rewind video store.

  • The fax machine: If you look carefully, you can still find these relics in some doctor and dentist offices, but in the 1990s, the fax machine was an office staple. It was often delegated to a room of its own due to the screeching, buzzing and beeping noises emitted when transmitting or receiving the thermal rolled paper via fax. At the time, PR pros would distribute press releases via fax machine as it was one of the fastest ways to   a newsroom. Also, often found on the fax machine, was the menu for the pizza place down the street. These days, good PR pros have learned to rely less heavily on the press release to gain media coverage, but when distributing a press release, we lean into email and wire distributions. Of course, the best agencies will steer clear of the so-called spray and pray approach.
  • The Bacon’s Book: The thick green Bacon’s Media Directory was the PR pro’s bible back in the day. This heavy tome listed contact information for daily and weekly newspapers and news services providing PR pros with valuable phone numbers and eventually emails to reach reporters. These days, those searches are conducted on software systems that help PR pros identify a reporter covering a certain beat, circulation and readership information for their publication, reporter’s preferences and more. While these platforms are not perfect, they have eased and sped up the process for PR pros and reduced the “heavy lift” required.
  • The beeper: Leading up to the dawn of cell phones, many business professionals relied on this device to get in touch with an executive or subject matter expert. The beeper was a small device users clipped onto their belts, allowing them to receive phone numbers or a numeric message. The PR pro attempting to reach the SME would make contact with the beeper via a landline and the executive receiving the text would need to find a landline to call back the number displayed. Today’s PR pros are attached to their cell phones where they text and call for immediate access to the SME or colleague. Whether it’s receiving news of a crisis in a timely manner or quickly reaching an executive before a reporter’s tight deadline, these devices have been a game changer.
  • The clippings’ service: While many of us continue to refer to an online list of the month’s client media placements as a clip report, earlier iterations of these reports were much different. In the old days, clippings services would actually clip – with scissors – mentions of a client’s name in a physical newspaper or magazine and mail or deliver the collection of clips to the PR agency or client. The goal was to build a fat clip book with a “thud” factor when dropped in front of a client. Today, PR pros gain access to news stories featuring their client through online vendors that provide clickable access to client stories and in some cases, those of their competitors.
  • The wine and dine: In the 1990’s PR professionals could be equated with salesman, setting meetings at a fine restaurant where they hoped to woo a reporter with a high-end meal and a fancy cocktail. This trend has come and gone over the years in line with peaks and valleys in the economy, but since COVID, the wine and dine trend has nearly disappeared. With many reporters, subject matter experts and PR professionals working remotely or located in geographically diverse locations, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time for an in-person meal. At the same time, on-screen meetings have provided a new and important medium where all parties can “see” each other with some frequency to build stronger relationships without having to physically travel.

Admittedly, in the 90s, I was on the other side of the fence – studying journalism in college and then starting out as a young reporter. However, from this perspective, I did gain valuable insight into the public relations world – insight into more than their beepers, beer, and Bacon’s Books. That insight has certainly helped shape my career in PR.

When looking for the right PR partner, understanding the tools at their disposal is important, but it’s also critical to ensure any PR partner:

  • Thinks like a journalist and possesses a journalism ethos
  • Prioritizes responsiveness
  • Comes to the table with ideas, rather than asking what’s next?

To learn more about how Kimball Hughes PR can work for you or to simply reminisce with us about PR in the 90s, drop us a line.

Not So Sweet Surprise: How Product Messaging Makes or Breaks Brand Trust 

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In the world of consumables, consumers experience a brand with all five senses. The look and feel of a product, what the package sounds like when opening it, how it smells and of course, how it tastes. In short, when a consumable product changes, people tend to notice. 

In the case of any product or brand, consumers and their appetites shift, markets transform and costs rise, making change inevitable. But it is not necessarily the change that can be a risk to brands, it is how they communicate that change to their stakeholders. Failing to thoughtfully and proactively message around a product in the face of change can leave even the most loyal consumers questioning their brand allegiance. 

The Reese’s Family Legacy 

The Hershey Company experienced this firsthand just a few months ago when one of their legacy brands, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, came under fire by the original creator’s grandson.  

In February, Brad Reese took to LinkedIn in an open letter to Todd Scott of The Hershey Company. In his letter, he alleged the “Reese’s identity is being rewritten,” going on to criticize the company’s decision to replace milk chocolate with more cost-effective compounds and ingredients. The letter gained national media attention, covered by The Associated Press, CBS News, NPR and more. Days later, The Hershey Company opened their doors to a local CBS news station claiming the recipe had not changed, and gave them a tour of the factory in an attempt at transparency. But the tour was not perceived as transparent at all. 

A few weeks later, The Hershey Company made a public announcement that they would return to using “classic milk and dark chocolate recipes” in all its products by 2027, suggesting they did in fact change the recipes. This promise fell flat on Brad Reese, who was quoted in the New York Times saying “if they were serious, they would do it right away.” 

Lessons in Product Messaging 

Though Brad Reese’s viral LinkedIn post and the subsequent national media attention the incident received is an extreme example, the risks that brands take when they are not proactive with communication, in particular in communicating a change, is clear. The very minute Brad Reese posted his letter to LinkedIn, The Hershey Company was forced to react rather than lead the narrative and use the change as an opportunity to build trust with their audiences. A decision that was likely rooted in the rising costs of chocolate was quickly escalated to a conversation on the future of the entire Reese’s brand. Consider the following relevant lessons in product messaging: 

  • Be Proactive: Business communications is about more than “sharing the fun” or the positive company announcements with the world. When it comes to product messaging, businesses must think strategically about how a change to a product may be received by its stakeholders. This is where involving a communications professional from the beginning of a process can be helpful. They can carefully and strategically consider various scenarios and possible outcomes. The Hershey Company, for example, likely did not predict that Brad Reese’s LinkedIn post would spiral into a crisis. Having ample time to consider all scenarios and adjust messaging before any changes are made public can help prevent misinterpretation, confusion and subsequent distrust. 
  • Be Transparent: Too often when companies are criticized, it comes down to a lack of corporate transparency. In The Hershey Company’s example, quietly changing the product over time then claiming the recipe had remained untouched diminished their credibility when they inevitably had to come clean. Transparently communicating product changes and providing context around its reasoning, especially in cases when changes are received unfavorably, can help reinforce brand loyalty.    
  • Be Prepared: The court of public opinion is unpredictable. When changes are made to a product, a proactive and transparent approach can help limit backlash, but it is always a good idea to be prepared for the worst scenario. Having responses and spokespeople ready to provide context and answer questions can help ensure any negative public sentiment is contained, the business can promote an accurate narrative and avoid rash decision-making. Failing to prepare for such scenarios leads to further inconsistencies in media coverage, misinterpretation by stakeholders, and eventual dissolution of trust. 

Brad Reese’s public dissatisfaction with The Hershey Company is a perfect example of how a single voice can turn the public’s perception upside down overnight. Communicators must be alert to change and consider how that change is not only shared with the public, but how the public may respond. By being proactive, transparent and prepared for all scenarios, businesses can avoid unnecessary crises, while maintaining loyalty and trust among their stakeholders. 

Are You Ready for PR? Questions to Ask Yourself Before Engaging

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Water is a necessity of life. It sustains us. Public relations serves a similar purpose for reputations, as it builds trust and keeps individuals and organizations top of mind. PR sustains good business. It can also protect your business when things go wrong.

But unlike water, believing you can turn the PR faucet on and off is to misunderstand how PR works. Reputations aren’t built on the occasional press release. Executives don’t find themselves interviewed by the media on the strength of a single pitch. Impactful public relations requires sustained engagement. For PR to work, you have to commit to it.

Because when you hire a PR professional or agency, you aren’t delegating work. You’re forming a partnership and understanding that related expectations and responsibilities matter.

Public relations can serve as a business development resource—strong media coverage can build credibility, open doors and reinforce a reputation among prospective clients. But PR is rarely effective when treated as a direct sales engine. Those who expect media coverage alone to drive immediate revenue are often disappointed. PR works best as part of a broader strategy that includes marketing, relationship-building and sales execution.

It’s important to gut-check whether an organization can use PR as a growth accelerator or if it risks becoming an exercise in frustration. That gut-check largely follows a series of basic-yet-important questions.

Do we have capacity to support public relations?

PR requires access to leadership, subject-matter experts and decision-makers who can provide insight quickly. Journalists work on tight deadlines and often need executive perspectives on short notice. If leaders are rarely available or approvals take days or weeks, quality media opportunities will disappear and become increasingly rare as the organization’s reliability with media fades.

Can we dedicate consistent time to the process?

Public relations is not a set-it-and-forget-it resource. Developing story angles, reviewing messaging, preparing interviews and responding to media requests requires ongoing collaboration between an organization and its agency. If internal teams don’t have time to engage regularly, even the best PR strategy will struggle to gain traction.

Are we telling important stories or just promoting ourselves?

The media is rarely interested in covering company news that doesn’t significantly impact markets. Strong PR depends on substance—innovation, new approaches to solving problems, deep industry insights or meaningful perspectives on emerging trends. If the most important part of your story is about you, your organization, your event or products or services, you likely don’t have a story the media will be interested in covering.

Do we have something important/interesting to say?

Executives who want to be seen as thought leaders must do more than comment on the news cycle. Real thought leadership requires informed opinions and a willingness to engage with the trends shaping the industry. It also requires getting out of one’s comfort zone. That doesn’t mean being controversial. But it does mean having a clear perspective on what comes next, what companies are getting wrong and forming opinions on what leaders should be considering for the future. Absent this approach, thought leadership descends into little more than a cacophony of bland, homogeneous opinions of interest to no one.

What does successful PR look like?

Public relations can support many business goals: building credibility, attracting talent, strengthening investor visibility, positioning executives as experts or helping a company stand out in a crowded market. Absent a shared understanding of what must be achieved and what success looks like, PR efforts can feel scattered and difficult to evaluate, impacting perspectives on the ROI of the engagement.

A Partnership is Required

Public relations works best as a partnership with shared goals, language and vision. Agencies bring media relationships, strategy, creativity and storytelling expertise. Organizations and their leaders bring insight, access and the spark of ideas that lead to stories worth telling. When both sides contribute the results compound over time and help sustain and grow the business.

Like a tall glass of cold water, leaders who answer these gut-check questions long before bringing in the PR pros often find themselves both refreshed and satisfied with their investment. 

For those attempting to evaluate where or how strategic communications might fit into their broader business goals, a thoughtful conversation with the team at Kimball Hughes PR can be a useful place to start.

Super Bowl 2026: The Ads That Strengthened Brand Identity

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Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about the game. While millions tune in to watch football, nearly 18% of viewers watch to see the commercials, according to a recent Harris poll. Increasingly, marketers are looking to design Super Bowl ads that do more than make viewers laugh or even send their ads viral; companies are using the pricey airtime to help shape the public’s perception of their brand identity, values and purpose in the world. 

Some of the best ads from the night did more than just try to sell a product; these companies used the platform to reinforce strategic messaging to strengthen trust among the public and to clarify or remind the large captive audience of their company’s values.

Here are the commercials that successfully enhanced their brand messaging and identity: 

Google’s “New Home” Gemini Ad:

Google positioned their AI tool, Gemini, as warm and inviting for families by showcasing a mother and child using AI to build their dream house. The spot helped to position what could be seen as intimidating technology into an approachable, user-friendly, fun and helpful tool. This commercial is a powerful example of the value in humanizing a brand by pulling at the heart strings to illustrate how an AI tool could draw a mother and young son closer together. 

Anthropic’s Claude Ad:

To no one’s surprise, AI ads dominated the Super Bowl. I thought that few ads communicated their value proposition better than Anthropic’s ad for Claude. Their message, “Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude,” was delivered cleverly with a young man asking the AI, represented as a female therapist, how he could better communicate with his mother. The therapist representing the AI offered tips on listening and building conversation, but then, seemingly out of nowhere, humorously suggested he create a profile on “Golden Encounters” where “sensitive cubs are connected to roaring cougars.” This demonstrated just how intrusive advertisements can be on these tools and served to assure viewers that ads are not coming to their platform. This ad was a nod to their commitment to user preference for ad-free service.

H-E-B’s Celebrating Community Identity:

H-E-B used a national platform to reaffirm its local, community ties. It’s not something you see often. However, it was effective for the Texas-based grocery chain. In the commercial, a baby, via actor voice-over, pines over tortillas he sees other family members enjoying. At the end, he is delighted to finally be served baby-sized tortilla pieces. Text on the screen then reads, “Born in Texas. Raised on H-E-B’s. Here everything’s better. “ 

H-E-B’s tortilla obsession ad celebrated the local food tradition and reminded viewers of the brand’s commitment to regional identity and consumer loyalty. It served to form a deeper connection with their community. 

Super Bowl LX was a reminder in an AI-saturated, celebrity-driven landscape that strategic “humanizing” storytelling that connects with viewers remains a powerful tool in reaching audiences.  

In a world where audiences are extremely savvy and attention spans are short, good messaging – via marketing or public relations – will revolve around prioritizing clarity, leveraging emotion and connecting to culture or community.

Brands that have a strategic alignment between their message and mission will continue to steal the show in future Super Bowls and beyond, by building trust with their target audience.  

Journalists Are Using AI to Filter You Out

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Your AI content isn’t yours, and people are noticing.

For some, the advent of ChatGPT has democratized public relations, marketing, graphic design and countless other creative fields, empowering just about anyone to create whatever content they want anytime, anywhere. And, yes, people are noticing—but their reaction might not be positive.

In the case of public relations, some unwanted or unintended recognition is happening among journalists who are filtering for and flagging AI-generated email pitches and/or contributed content.

This can lead to a simple admonishment if the AI content runs up against an outlet’s AI policy. Alternatively, the impact can be more extreme, leading to an outright ban of the offending organization and/or the public relations pros connected to the infraction. It comes down to the outlet’s AI policy, a nascent but growing best practices area for media outlets. Some I’ve spoken to have told me if contributed content is deemed to be 30% or more AI generated, they will return it for re-writing. Others, at their discretion, say they reject outright any content deemed to be written—in whole or part—by AI. By the way, it’s not all about my beloved em dashes anymore.

As for email pitches, what’s clear is some reporters are turning this shiny tech resource against itself.

To be sure, journalists have always applied filters to their email inboxes. Some journalists use built-in tools to file or discard certain messages, keywords or even the emails of ne’er-do-well publicists and public relations people who have run afoul of basic rules of the road.

However, with AI—ironically—journalists are now leveraging their own artificial intelligence tools and resources to identify AI vagary (a tell-tale indicator of either AI or ill-informed public relations people), relevance to their beats or interests, lack of clear opinion, perspective or concrete angle and clean, simple writing. Still other journalists are training Google’s Gemini or ChatGPT (used by 77% of journalists according to Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2025 Report) to look for the superlatives that drive editors out of their logophile minds such as:

  • Unique
  • Best-in-class
  • Unprecedented
  • Cutting edge

So why should you care as a non-communications professional leading an organization? For the same reason you deploy public relations in the first place: to protect and enhance your reputation. If the media are filtering you out because AI has become the driver of your public voice, that public voice will be overlooked and ignored in the din of others clamoring for attention.

Here’s what I advise:

  1. Understand the AI practices of your public relations team, be they an external agency or an in-house communications department. And if you’re tasking your marketing team with executing your public relations efforts, I respectfully submit you are likely mismanaging your marketing team at best and at worst failing to execute PR properly, which wastes your organization’s money and the time of everyone involved.
  2. If you don’t already have an AI policy for content, create one that addresses how and when to employ AI for content and communications purposes, leaning heavily into fact checking as well as using AI to support, not lead, your comms work.
  3. Deploying AI in preliminary research and outline generation makes sense, but don’t use it to write. AI content is often obvious to outside observers and it often dilutes your messaging and thinking to a malaise of sameness.
  4. Understand the media you’re pitching and what, if any, AI policies they employ before sending them anything remotely connected to AI content.
  5. Using AI to improve or better articulate your message is one thing, but asking an algorithm to grab a journalist’s attention without original thinking on your part is the fastest way to prove how you are not a good source of information for serious media doing serious work.
  6. Work with PR professionals who understand how journalists work and who follow ethical practices to ensure your reputation is in the best possible hands.

Remember good tech is designed to enhance, streamline and assist while leaving the human aspects of the work—in this case creativity and communications—intact. Used poorly, technology takes over the world, destroys humanity and runs for governor of the Great State of California.