Originally published June 2021. Updated June 15, 2026.
Part of PR Agency Q&A Profiles · See also: Evan Nierman, Red Banyan · Jennifer Risi, The Sway Effect
Steve Cody is the founder and CEO of Peppercomm, an independent communications agency founded in September 1995 and named after his Labrador Retriever, Pepper. Peppercomm is the rare PR firm built around a core competency in stand-up and improvisational comedy — every employee is trained in it, and the agency runs comedy workshops for clients including Bristol Myers Squibb, Colgate, Syracuse University, and M&T Bank.
The Interview: Humor is a HUGE Strategic Differentiator
Q: Tell me about Peppercomm's founding. Where did the "Pepper" part come from?
A: Peppercomm was founded in September 1995, after I had become disenchanted with the stultifying life of being a top executive at a global holding company. I couldn't stand the bureaucratic, administrative, operational and financial tasks I had to attend to — all while trying to make sure the trains kept running on time. I decided I'd had it with big agency life, foolishly thought I was just as good as any top global agency executive, and didn't want to one day reach 65 and wonder, "What would have happened if I had started my own business?"
I named the firm Peppercomm in honor of my Labrador Retriever, Pepper, for three reasons: there were (and still are) too many eponymous PR firms; I wanted a distinctive name people would remember (love it or hate it — though people still mistakenly call us PepperCorn or once, memorably, Leppercomm); and I knew most Americans love canines, so the name would create an immediate connection in any new business pitch.
Q: What does it mean to incorporate comedy into your professional day-to-day?
A: Humor and comedy have always been intrinsic to Peppercomm's culture. We formalized our service offering about 12 years ago. It began when I decided to perform stand-up at a Manhattan comedy club. I fell in love with performing. My stage motto is "Expect Less." While I'm a mediocre comedian at best, I started noticing a marked improvement in my business communications — listening, presenting, creating rapport with an audience, dealing with hostile or impassive audiences.
Humor — especially self-deprecating humor — is a huge differentiator for an individual, a department, or an entire organization. Over the past 12 years, the marketplace perception of using humor in business has gone from "meh" to "how quick can you begin?" Corporate America has awakened to it. The Harvard Business Review, The Stanford Business Journal, and The New York Times have all covered it. Stand-up comedy is now a required three-credit course for MBA students at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
Q: Why is levity so important to Peppercomm?
A: Levity is a huge competitive advantage. First, it immediately sets us apart in any new business pitch. It's impossible not to like someone who makes you laugh. There isn't another PR, digital, advertising, branding (or even online sports gambling-focused) firm that trains employees in the art and science of stand-up and improvisational comedy. Since the pandemic's beginnings in March 2020, we found ways to inject humor into our twice-a-week "12@12" staff meetings, regular employee communications, and our storytelling on behalf of clients.
Q: How has comedy impacted your culture?
A: Comedy in our workplace has led to a true open-door culture where ideas are shared, collaboration thrives, mentoring happens organically. It humanizes senior management and enables employees to see each other in a deeper, more human way. I'm comfortable performing very poorly in front of my employees at a Friday night show at The Greenwich Village Comedy Club or making a fool of myself MC'ing our annual holiday fundraisers. By displaying my frailties, I signal that it's cool to bring your full self to work.
Q: Did promoting humor help your team bond during virtual hires?
A: We hired about 10 people during the pandemic, and our comedy-based culture helped us attract them and made them feel at home on day one. By training employees in how to leverage comedy in a virtual world, we created a bond and freedom that simply doesn't exist at other agencies.
Q: How does humor affect client relationships?
A: One has to be cautious. Years of comedy training have sharpened our listening skills, so we instinctively know if a client partner enjoys laughter. Comedy is NOT for every organization. It must begin with the CEO and cascade down. We have several client relationships that are traditional, buttoned-up, and nearly always serious. Once we've established trust with a client who enjoys self-deprecating humor, we can have interactions that begin and end with a laugh. We take our clients' business seriously — we do NOT take ourselves seriously at all.
Q: How can other companies implement comedy strategies?
A: A humor-centric culture only works if the CEO and the C-Suite can laugh at themselves, be comfortable displaying vulnerability, and empower the most junior employees to speak up. We have three distinct humor services intended to put smiles on employees' faces and help senior executives manage change. Every Peppercomm employee is trained in stand-up and improvisational comedy — it's embedded in our DNA. We've run workshops for Bristol Myers Squibb, Colgate, Syracuse University, M&T Bank, and others. I've MC'd comedy fundraisers for Autism Speaks, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the ASPCA, typically raising $5,000 per event.
