Podcast Summary: B2B Agility™ with Greg Kihlström
Episode #40: Harnessing the Power of PR to Scale B2B with Karla Jo Helms, JOTO PR Disruptors™
Release Date: March 25, 2025

Introduction

In Episode #40 of B2B Agility™, host Greg Kilstrom engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Karla Jo Helms, the founder and CEO of Joto PR Disruptors™. Helms brings her extensive expertise in public relations (PR), focusing on transforming B2B brands through innovative PR strategies. The episode delves into the critical role PR plays in building trust, scaling businesses, and leveraging technology to enhance communication strategies.

Guest Background

Timestamp: [02:10]

Helms shares her journey into crisis management PR, detailing her early career experiences that shaped her approach to PR:

“PR is used as a weapon in my line of work in crisis management. And I learned that if you can't take them out like the Wild West, you can print them out.”
– Carla Jo Helms [02:21]

Her exposure to high-stakes PR campaigns, often involving larger competitors attempting to undermine smaller, more agile businesses, motivated her to establish Joto PR Disruptors™. Her mission is to equip "the good guys" with the tools to proactively manage and control public opinion, turning PR from a defensive weapon into a strategic asset.

Building Trust and Credibility

Timestamp: [04:43]

A central theme of the discussion is the importance of credibility and transparency in B2B partnerships. Helms emphasizes that the landscape has shifted from superficial marketing to a demand for authentic and truthful communication:

“Gone are the days of the fluffy priority, super polished jargon. We're so great, we're so this, we're that. You know, gone are those days, right.”
– Carla Jo Helms [04:43]

She highlights the fragmentation of media channels and the 24/7 news cycle as factors that necessitate continuous, authentic engagement to build and maintain trust.

Cornerstones of Credibility

Timestamp: [06:38]

Helms identifies three fundamental elements essential for establishing credibility:

1. Truthfulness:

   “Truth, being truthful is the cornerstone.”
   – Carla Jo Helms [07:27]

2. Consistency:

   “Being consistent, filling that vacuum consistently, you know, creating that familiarity.”
   – Carla Jo Helms [07:27]

3. Alignment with Mission:

   “People buy into the why before they buy into the what. If you tell that story and if you align everything you do with your purpose, then that will keep you authentic and it will build your brand.”
   – Carla Jo Helms [07:27]

These pillars resonate strongly in today's business environment, where stakeholders demand genuine interactions and clear alignment between a company's mission and its actions.

Practical Steps to Building Credibility

Timestamp: [07:58]

When asked about actionable strategies for companies struggling with trust and credibility, Helms advocates for leveraging earned media. She advises businesses to focus on storytelling that addresses real issues and positions them as thought leaders:

“If you can be the thought leader, right. And if you can give those tips and that advice and you can really educate people just like you would in sales about what's really happening and what people really need to do and be very forthcoming with your data and your advice, that is what companies can do to really drive their authenticity and truthfulness.”
– Carla Jo Helms [08:02]

She distinguishes PR from traditional content marketing by positioning PR as the initial stage that warms up the market, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of subsequent marketing and sales efforts.

PR's Role in Scaling B2B

Timestamp: [11:14]

Discussing the integration of PR into the overall marketing funnel, Helms emphasizes its critical role in top-of-funnel activities. She explains how PR strategies can significantly influence brand awareness and market penetration:

“Companies today, especially companies that we work with, right, they're looking at like 30% of their entire marketing funnel is like PR. And a lot of companies today are upwards of 50% because they know that in this highly iterative, fast, you know, technological, fast growth process that, you know, the differentiators are the guys that control public opinion. It's not always the technology.”
– Carla Jo Helms [12:02]

Helms encourages brands to incrementally increase their PR investment, suggesting a strategic scaling that aligns with their growth objectives.

PR and Talent Acquisition

Timestamp: [13:34]

Helms explores how a robust PR strategy not only enhances brand visibility but also serves as a magnet for attracting top-tier talent. She notes that:

“Good publicity, good PR, the byproduct is you get the better candidates. You bet you get the better candidates. When you're hiring winners want to work for winners.”
– Carla Jo Helms [13:34]

Moreover, she underscores the importance of internal PR campaigns to ensure that employees are well-informed ambassadors of the brand, thereby amplifying the PR efforts externally.

Aligning Internal Culture with External Messaging

Timestamp: [16:19]

The conversation shifts to the alignment between a company's internal culture and its external messaging. Helms asserts that:

“If you align that in your external messaging, right. No matter what, no external message is going to go out unless it conceptually or even verbatim aligns with the mission statement of the company.”
– Carla Jo Helms [17:09]

She emphasizes that consistency between internal values and external communications fosters a cohesive brand image and strengthens stakeholder trust.

The Role of AI and Data in PR

Timestamp: [19:28]

Addressing the intersection of AI, data analytics, and PR, Helms anticipates a transformative impact on the field:

“Agencies will really be able to connect the dots with the top of the funnel statistics that have been so nebulous for brands. Like why do we track impressions? What the hell is impressions?”
– Carla Jo Helms [19:28]

She foresees AI enabling PR professionals to quantify the effectiveness of campaigns more precisely, linking top-of-funnel activities to measurable business outcomes such as brand awareness, customer acquisition costs, and sales velocity.

Balancing Data with Creativity

Timestamp: [24:38]

Helms discusses the symbiotic relationship between data-driven strategies and creative storytelling in PR:

“This is what I see. It is an accelerator or an amplifier for the creativity. When you manage by analytics, you can see what worked, what didn't work. Then it's like 'This worked so creatively. How can we strengthen that?'”
– Carla Jo Helms [24:38]

She argues that data analytics enhance creative efforts by providing insights into what resonates with audiences, thereby informing and refining narrative strategies.

Future Opportunities in PR with Technology

Timestamp: [26:14]

Looking ahead, Helms identifies the integration of mathematical precision and emotional intelligence as the next frontier in PR:

“To really be able to mathematically figure out how many people you have to communicate to... to become the influencer in your market. To me, I see that as the biggest opportunity.”
– Carla Jo Helms [26:14]

She envisions technology enabling PR professionals to optimize communication strategies, efficiently target audiences, and swiftly adapt to shifts in public opinion, thereby leveling the playing field between smaller and larger enterprises.

Staying Agile

Timestamp: [27:49]

In closing, when asked about maintaining agility in her role, Helms shares a personal strategy that underscores continuous learning and adaptability:

“I listen to podcasts. Seriously, I do. I listen to podcasts. I actually have a podcast myself. It's called Disruption Interruption, where I interview disruptive innovators that are really using technology to change some of the biggest problems...”
– Carla Jo Helms [27:49]

This approach keeps her informed about emerging trends and innovative practices, enabling her to adapt her PR strategies proactively.

Conclusion

Episode #40 of B2B Agility™ offers invaluable insights into the strategic significance of PR in scaling B2B businesses. Karla Jo Helms articulates how authenticity, credibility, and alignment with a company’s mission are paramount in building trust. Moreover, she highlights the transformative potential of AI and data analytics in enhancing PR effectiveness, while also emphasizing the irreplaceable value of creative storytelling. For B2B marketers and brands aspiring to lead their categories, this episode underscores the imperative of integrating robust PR strategies with technological advancements to drive optimal business and customer outcomes.

For more information about Carla Jo Helms and Joto PR Disruptors™, listeners are encouraged to follow the links provided in the show notes.

This summary was crafted based on the provided transcript, focusing solely on the substantive content shared between Greg Kilstrom and Carla Jo Helms, and excluding all advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections.