Jason Sulham is the Vice President of Broadreach Public Relations, a Portland, Maine-based public relations agency founded in 2007 with a core specialty in crisis communications. The firm's crisis expertise spans banking, politics, and operational crisis response — which positioned the agency to deeply engage with businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including organizations experiencing outbreaks.
The Interview
Q: What is unique about Broadreach Public Relations compared to other PR agencies?
A: One of our primary differentiators is our crisis communications expertise. Our strength in this discipline comes from our team's diverse experience — ranging from banking to politics — having managed crises across that spectrum. From that experience we developed a proven method for managing crisis situations and frequently present or train on the topic. We were deeply engaged in assisting businesses respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those experiencing outbreaks. It amplified how critical effective communications are to calming fears and inspiring confidence.
Q: Broadreach was founded in 2007, shortly before the Great Financial Crisis. How does that compare to the COVID-19 economic crisis?
A: While 2007 started an era of financial turmoil, the impact wasn't as widespread as COVID-19, which disrupted the entire supply chain across every industry sector. In the early days of Broadreach, we had two solid clients we considered recession proof. Marketing budgets were getting slashed, but companies turned to "free" advertising in terms of PR. Fast-forward — marketing budgets have pivoted to digital-heavy, but there's still demand for "free" advertising and even more demand for how to communicate. If we focus on what we're good at, have a strong portfolio of recession-proof clients, and deliver results, we can weather any storm.
Q: What challenges are your clients facing during this crisis?
A: Universal challenges of COVID-19 — changing protocols, managing remote work, disrupted revenue, persistent uncertainty. The most value we can provide our clients is to be empathetic listeners that assure them these challenges are navigable. The irony is not lost on us that what we counsel our clients to communicate to their audiences is something they often need to hear for themselves.
Q: How did Broadreach adapt to working remotely?
A: We are located in Portland, Maine. Despite our proximity to Boston and New York, Maine was one of the last states in the initial wave to have a positive case. That afforded us time to prepare. Collectively, we decided to move to remote work upon the first positive case reported in Maine. We had already established a VPN and ensured our team had the technology required to work from home. That put us ahead of the curve.
Q: How will public relations evolve in the wake of COVID-19?
A: Complex, highly regulated industries like banking are often required to have pandemic plans in place. However, these plans were often singularly focused on operations, with a communications component conspicuously missing. The public relations profession will have a more prominent seat at the table from the outset. Specific trends have emerged: remote work is here to stay. ESG has seen its importance increase. PR will have to obtain the capacity to advise across the entirety of a client's strategic planning, not simply look for visibility opportunities afterward.
Jason Sulham is the Vice President of Broadreach Public Relations , a Portland, Maine-based public relations agency founded in 2007 with a core specialty in crisis communications. The firm's crisis expertise spans banking, politics, and operational crisis response — which positioned the agency to deeply engage with businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including organizations experiencing outbreaks. The Interview Q: What is unique about Broadreach Public Relations compared to other PR agencies?
A: One of our primary differentiators is our crisis communications expertise. Our strength in this discipline comes from our team's diverse experience — ranging from banking to politics — having managed crises across that spectrum. From that experience we developed a proven method for managing crisis situations and frequently present or train on the topic. We were deeply engaged in assisting businesses respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those experiencing outbreaks. It amplified how critical effective communications are to calming fears and inspiring confidence.
Q: Broadreach was founded in 2007, shortly before the Great Financial Crisis. How does that compare to the COVID-19 economic crisis?
A: While 2007 started an era of financial turmoil, the impact wasn't as widespread as COVID-19, which disrupted the entire supply chain across every industry sector. In the early days of Broadreach, we had two solid clients we considered recession proof. Marketing budgets were getting slashed, but companies turned to "free" advertising in terms of PR. Fast-forward — marketing budgets have pivoted to digital-heavy, but there's still demand for "free" advertising and even more demand for how to communicate. If we focus on what we're good at, have a strong portfolio of recession-proof clients, and deliver results, we can weather any storm.
Q: What challenges are your clients facing during this crisis?
A: Universal challenges of COVID-19 — changing protocols, managing remote work, disrupted revenue, persistent uncertainty. The most value we can provide our clients is to be empathetic listeners that assure them these challenges are navigable. The irony is not lost on us that what we counsel our clients to communicate to their audiences is something they often need to hear for themselves.
Q: How did Broadreach adapt to working remotely?
A: We are located in Portland, Maine. Despite our proximity to Boston and New York, Maine was one of the last states in the initial wave to have a positive case. That afforded us time to prepare. Collectively, we decided to move to remote work upon the first positive case reported in Maine. We had already established a VPN and ensured our team had the technology required to work from home. That put us ahead of the curve.
Q: How will public relations evolve in the wake of COVID-19?
A: Complex, highly regulated industries like banking are often required to have pandemic plans in place. However, these plans were often singularly focused on operations, with a communications component conspicuously missing. The public relations profession will have a more prominent seat at the table from the outset. Specific trends have emerged: remote work is here to stay. ESG has seen its importance increase. PR will have to obtain the capacity to advise across the entirety of a client's strategic planning, not simply look for visibility opportunities afterward.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
