New England’s dynamic PR community is home to many impressive communications practitioners, from seasoned leaders to ambitious newcomers. Our annual Professional Awards honor our community’s brightest stars. The Striker Award, reserved for professionals with no more than three years of experience, awards a colleague who has excelled in the PR and communications industry in a very short period of time and has surpassed other newcomers in the organization and in the field.   

Sound like someone at your organization? We’re accepting 2024 Professional Awards submissions until April 15. Nominate your colleague here. 

Simone Migliori took home the Striker last year — a reflection of her dedication, strategic brilliance, and transformative impact. Simone shared insight into her journey, marked by mentorship, groundbreaking projects, and a commitment to staying at the forefront of PR trends. Read on to learn what makes a Striker. 

What sparked your early passion for public relations?

I got my start in the media world in magazine journalism. But as luck would have it, I found myself on the other side of the pitch while working with my mentor, Madeline Peters Mesa of MBP Consultants. I am incredibly grateful to have had the experience of working closely with a seasoned PR industry veteran at the beginning of my career. In just my first year working in PR, I led announcement outreach for a startup’s Series A funding round, spearheaded media relations and an influencer campaign for a major museum industry coalition, and secured an Inc. 5000 award for a sustainable apparel brand. I found the experience of digging up and fighting for my clients’ stories even more rewarding and exhilarating than reporting them myself—and I knew I could see myself growing in this field for years to come. I owe all my early years of success, and my rapid rise in the PR field, to Madeline’s incredible mentorship and guidance.

Can you highlight a project that demonstrates your dedication to public relations? 

In 2023, one of my Matter Precision clients, a footwear brand and retail technology company, set a goal to secure more mainstream media coverage of their collection of comfort footwear. Yet many of their products were perceived to fit an older demographic and are less available on major platforms like Amazon that e-commerce reporters rely on for commission. Our approach? Hosting two strategic media events in New York City, introducing an affiliate link program, onboarding a podiatrist consultant to our thought leadership roster, and getting creative with consistent proactive pitch angles (think: best walking shoes for running errands all day, water-friendly sandals for beach vacations, and return-to-office footwear). Through this strategy, we defeated the odds and secured over three billion media impressions for the client in 2023. Coverage included features in TODAY, US Weekly, BuzzFeed, Women’s Health, Parade and more, highlighting the style and comfort of the footwear and elevating the brand beyond their industry perception as a leading tech company to a leading tech and footwear brand.

While it was challenging at first to build momentum in mainstream lifestyle publications, our strategy for increasing the brand’s coverage underscored how essential it is to build relationships with reporters and editors. It might take a while to see returns on those relationships. But once publications and individual reporters start to see you and your clients as a trusted resource, they will keep coming back in the long term.

What specific strategies or habits have contributed to your success? 

My success in PR is due to both my candor and shared vision with my clients. I want to be the best partner I can be to the brands and organizations that I work with—and sometimes that involves being honest when the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Clients don’t want us to waste our time and resources pitching or announcing news that won’t result in impactful coverage. Trust is paramount, and you can’t trust a consultant who says “Yes” to everything.

I like to practice a “Yes, and…” approach. Be open and honest about why certain stories don’t have media legs in their current format—and suggest alternatives that will help achieve your client’s goals without scrapping the essence of the story. For example, if a client wants to announce company news that you know reporters in their industry likely won’t cover, get creative. Perhaps you try pursuing podcast guest spots tying the news to a larger theme or trend in the industry. Maybe you suggest waiting for harder-hitting announcements planned for later in the year and combining the news into a momentum press release. Or perhaps the time is right to offer an exclusive to a key publication or target reporter rather than pursuing broad outreach.

There’s nothing I want more than to secure a feature in a top-tier business publication or key trade outlet. My clients know this, and they trust me when I suggest we get creative rather than stick with the status quo.

How do you keep up with the changing PR landscape? 

As simple as it sounds: read the news. It’s impossible to stay on top of changes in the media unless you’re in the thick of it every day. It’s become a cliché that PR professionals are so busy that reading the news falls to the bottom of the priority list. Don’t let that happen! Dedicate time to reading the news every single day, and I promise you will see returns on that investment. You’ll know what narratives are resonating with your target audiences, what reporters are covering your clients’ beat (it often changes week to week…), and what larger themes are top-of-mind for reporters in a given season. Best of all, it makes you a better resource to both your clients and the journalists you work with.                                                                                                                                        

Let’s hear your 2023 Striker Award acceptance speech!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! While I wish I could have been there in person to accept this award, my gratitude for all the mentors and peers who have helped me reach my goals extends from coast to coast. I’m looking forward to many more years of helping brands tell their stories by “striking” while the iron is hot.

Is there a Striker Award candidate at your organization? Nominate them by April 15.