Headliners: Susan Howe

(MENAFN- PRovoke) In our Headliners series of conversations, we get under the skin of PR and communications leaders around the world who have made PRovoke media headlines recently, uncovering what they see as the greatest challenges and opportunities for the industry, where they find inspiration (and how they switch off), what they've learned about themselves, as well as the creative campaigns they love and the work they are most proud of.

In this week's Q&A, we speak to Susan Howe, who was recently named as the new CEO of Weber Shandwick , as Gail Heimann retires.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities for the PR and communications industry over the next 12 months?

No doubt AI is our industry's biggest macro challenge on many fronts: how it informs and impacts creativity; how it's deployed ethically; and how we upskill workforces to embrace it. (Even AI agrees, as“navigating the digital landscape” was the top result when I posed this question to our internal GPT sandbox.)
But I find it exhilarating to see the many ways we are embedding new technologies into our work. So many new ideas and solutions!

Near-term, our industry will continue to respond to one of the busiest election years ever. Speaking of
using generative AI in new ways, our Elections Task Force has created unique LLMs and stakeholder personas to help inform and prepare clients as they navigate the political landscape.
Our data shows that stakeholders continue to expect business to play a role in political discourse and on social issues more broadly. But getting it right is complex.

What's the best PR campaign you've seen recently and why?

I love the Cerave soap opera on the heels of the Michael Cera work that cleaned up at Cannes! Speaking of Lion winners, I also admired Heinz Ketchup Fraud.

What work from your team are you most proud of over the past year?

That's like asking me to pick my favorite Chicago pizza spot. Too many to choose from. We are doing incredible work across capabilities and sectors but I'm super proud of the moment we are having with our Kellanova partners right now. From Pop-tarts Edible Mascot to the Cheez-It Diner to the Eggo House of Pancakes.
So proud of the whole portfolio and years-long work to build the kind of trust that allows for out-of-the-box (sometimes absurd) ideas to flourish.

What have you learned about yourself over the past couple of years?

Two years ago I did a fantastic course focused on self discovery.
I really connected with the framework:
you must both know, access, and show your full self to achieve happiness. (Recommend Erica Arial Fox's book Winning From Within.)

How do you switch off and maintain wellness?

Yoga. My ambition is to get on my mat and flow every day. And baseball. Nothing beats an afternoon at Wrigley Field in the sunshine.

What cultural source (eg book/podcast/movie/TV show/music artist) has provided creative inspiration for you lately?

I'm in my Taylor Swift Era!
I was lucky to see the first addition of The Tortured Poets Department set at its Paris debut.
BLOWN away. The artistry, the set design, the costumes, the storytelling.
And the sea of fans, all walks of life and all ages.
The show embodied all elements of a brilliant campaign:
strategically grounded, community informed, commercially led creativity. I'm playing the set list on repeat.

If I wasn't working in PR/comms I would be...

Teaching yoga. Definitely. I've done two 200-hour trainings and taught at Core Power Yoga for several years.
During Covid I realized I needed to TAKE more yoga than teach it. But I'll be back on the mat in that way again.

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