Michael C. Kingsley

PR, comms and media specialist. Former TV producer. Sean Connery insulted me to my face when I was 9 yrs old. #PhinsUp #TakeNote #FightinFish #TimeToHunt

[StreetCred PR @StreetCred_PR]

💥NEWS💥

@StateStreetGA has made an equity investment in Ethic. SSGA and Ethic also announced a strategic partnership to deliver customized investment solutions at scale to SSGA’s institutional and financial intermediary clients.
https://t.co/S7baZpgFfO

[State Street Investment Management @StateStreetIM]

Our investment team members have rounded up the key risks and opportunities that are facing investors as we enter 2025. Read our Global Market Outlook: https://t.co/NwhJwFkQSc

#GMO2025

[Global Results Communications @globalresults]

This week on PR 360, we sit down with executive communications consultant at @forefrontcomms, @donkingsleone. Here, we discuss his modern approach to media training.

https://t.co/MM4Z5iMJCt

#podcast #PR360 #NewEpisode #comms

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

Thanks to @globalresults and @TodAPerry for a great conversation on the importance of media & messaging training for the C-suite and anyone with a public facing role. I hope you'll give it a listen! Reach out to me if you're ready to take the next step in training your own team.

[Global Results Communications @globalresults]

This week on PR 360, we sit down with executive communications consultant at @forefrontcomms, @donkingsleone. Here, we discuss his modern approach to media training.

https://t.co/MM4Z5iMJCt

#podcast #PR360 #NewEpisode #comms

[ForefrontComms @ForefrontComms]

Forefront has received three 2024 @BulldogReporter PR Awards! We're thrilled to see our team's hard work, capital markets expertise and tried-and-true marcomms tactics celebrated at the industry level. Read our full blog recapping the news: https://t.co/bDMxAn05jX

[Florida Panthers @FlaPanthers]

WE ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!

[NHL @NHL]

THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE THE 2023-24 #STANLEYCUP CHAMPIONS! 😺

[The Block @TheBlockCo]

EXCLUSIVE: Biden campaign ramps up crypto industry outreach in surprising tone 'shift' https://t.co/kUPRgEWLPD

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

I'm excited to have been a guest on the inaugural episode of "The Analysts with Jake Novak" (@jakejakeny) as we discussed the media and messaging of the Biden and Trump campaigns, and lessons from the past. I hope you'll check it out!

[Jake Novak @jakejakeny]

Happy to bring this news! I hope you watch & support what I think is a very important new program:

🎙️ Exciting News! 🌟 Dive into the future of political analysis with the debut episode of "The Analysts with Jake Novak" on Biz Talk Today TV.
📺 Watch: https://t.co/p0jYu1GKqm

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

I was honored to be a guest on the inaugural episode of "The Analysts with Jake Novak", where I put on my Commander-in-Chief hat (literally!) to offer media and messaging advice to Biden and Trump, if they will take it. Please check it out! https://t.co/F4zVqayc4u @jakejakeny

[Alex Sherman @sherman4949]

OK Internet, I came through for you.

I reached John Tesh. If NBC gets back the NBA, all NBC needs to do is give him and his lawyer a call and hammer out a deal …. and “Roundball Rock” can return.

https://t.co/cwHqanMaXT

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

@quatrain2020 @ericadamsfornyc @NYPDChiefPatrol @jakejakeny

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

Wow, this is a really thoughtful and comprehensive post on how the PR (and therefore PR strategy) needs of companies vary greatly. Worth a read by any PR pro or prospective client. Kudos!

[Ashley Mayer @ashleymayer]

Ten totally reasonable perspectives on PR.

I love that we’re all debating the value of PR. I spent the first chapter of my career in comms, and now I get to think about awareness building through the investor lens.

But as with most things in life, I don’t believe an ideological perspective on this topic is helpful, especially for early stage startups (although it does make for great engagement).

The challenge with this debate is that it’s hard to have in the abstract. The “best” approach to PR is so context dependent, and will continue to evolve as a company grows. Anyone who is trying to sell you on the idea that ONE way is best is probably more focused on building their brand than yours.

Another challenge (and opportunity!): there are so many more channels for awareness building than there were a decade+ ago. This is good news for companies who are willing to put in the work to build an advantage here, bad news if you want a simple recipe.

So what does figuring out your approach look like? Start with your business objectives, who your target audiences are and what you want them to do (this could be customers, new hires, investors, partners, regulators, etc), and then experiment to find the best ways to reach and influence them. Ideally, you find a motion where you can build an edge over time. And if that includes working with an intermediary, like the media, you need to be smart about the gap between their incentives and yours (and always find ways to tell your story directly in parallel).

For better or worse, there is no right answer here, only a hunch about what is best for your company for the moment you’re in, and a willingness to update that hunch based on new information. To illustrate what this looks like, here are ten very different but “reasonable” perspectives about PR, all rooted in the reality of a business.

1) PR isn’t a good use of our time and resources. We know how to reach our target customer, and have no problem hiring and fundraising. If those things ever change, we’ll reevaluate.

2) We’re in a quieter market, with just a handful of reporters who cover this space thoughtfully. They’re respected by our customers and partners, so we’ll put some effort into building those relationships and being helpful, and then 1-2 times a year we’ll go to them with our bigger milestones.

3) We understand the belief system and psychology of the audience we want to reach. Having an antagonistic, anti-establishment brand and declaring media an “enemy” only makes us more beloved to this group, who feels misunderstood by media, attacked even. When others critique these views, it amplifies and reinforces our message.

4) We’re early stage and pre-product, and don’t have much time to focus on PR. We’ll take a precision approach and work on getting one good article about our fundraise to help with hiring and establishing legitimacy when people search for us, and then we’re back to being heads down for the next year+.

5) We already have strong brand awareness and a leadership position in our category. When we publish directly to our channels, journalists will cover what we have to say, and we can choose whether or not to engage further based on whether we think it serves our interests. This is more efficient than going to media directly.

6) We’re in a dynamic space and helping people understand what the future looks like accrues to our business. Reporters are also eager to understand what’s coming next for this category, so our interests are aligned in talking with them. We want to reach as many people as possible and become the poster company for this industry, so we’ll use every channel at our disposal.

7) Our customers are old school. They think press releases are more “official” than blog posts, and put a lot of stock in trade publications and legacy media. Having a presence on social media doesn’t really help us, beyond LinkedIn for hiring and employer brand.

8) Our customers are mostly other startups, and their founders tend to be very online. X is a great channel for us, and we don’t see much value to working with media. Instead, we focus our efforts on getting people with big startup audiences (our investors, podcasters, newsletter writers, etc) to help amplify our message.

9) Reporters are largely skeptical about our category, and we don’t see a benefit to trying to convince them otherwise. Instead, we’ll focus on a community-driven approach with our base of true believers until the rest of the world catches up.

10) We’re in a highly regulated space, and it’s important that we’re proactive when it comes to shaping our story, including with the media. Investing in PR and policy early on is going to be essential for the success of our business.

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

@jimpavia Don't worry. Your friends and followers are mature enough that we won't call you "Brian" from now on. I think.

[alex kershaw @kershaw_alex]

RIP Louis Conter, died today, 102, last survivor of 335 from the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. All gone. @WWIIMemorial

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

@rebnatale Haven't memed in a while. Did I get it right?

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

@Yueqi_Yang @theinformation @Jessicalessin Congrats and best of luck!!

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

Gannett and McClatchy say they are going to stop using the AP. Financial pressures are really impacting newsrooms. You can help journalists with your company's stories if they are newsworthy and impactful. Make sure your spokespeople are trained and ready!
https://t.co/lzIYTWUCaF

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

This is exactly right. Clients often worry that prep/training will make them sound "canned". No! It empowers you to deliver your messages in the most impactful way.

[Carly Martinetti @PRcarly]

The art of the interview = authenticity backed by preparation.

If you want your PR clients to deliver compelling narratives that resonate with audiences, prep them before with compelling key messages and media training.

[Michael C. Kingsley @DonKingsleone]

@Super70sSports As a Marino guy, I'm sure you'll appreciate this one: the Clock Play - November 27, 1994.