We sat down with our international Footprint partner Doug Broad, co-founder and principal, Three Rings to chat through comms in America, his life outside PR and the soundtrack to his career.
How can non-US companies make a success of their comms and PR in America in 2026?
Honestly, it’s a real challenge. Seemingly every day brings a new executive order, social media post, court ruling or TV interview that can dramatically disrupt campaign plans and overwhelm the news cycle.
While the macro view can be overwhelming, clients are seeing success being very targeted on business value – less on specific products or technology and more on business trends and financial impact. As always, clients need a sharp, compelling perspective that is backed up with credible data and customer activity.
How are you feeling about the current media and digital landscape in the US?
It obviously remains quite turbulent – with the recent layoffs at The Washington Post providing yet another reminder. However, the rise of independent media – from podcasts to Substacks – is real and very important in terms of giving journalists new platforms to reach audiences (and make money).
Paul Krugman is a great example. He left the New York Times as an economic columnist in late 2024, since then his Substack newsletter has amassed more 525,000 subscribers and potentially tens of thousands of paying subscribers. And having his own newsletter frees Paul to really research, analyze and write about a wider range of topics of interest and go deeper with the stats, sources and charts he wants to use to make his point than when he was at the New York Times.
If you weren’t running a PR agency, what career would you have pursued?
All my kids played lacrosse growing up and I fell in love with the sport. When they were little, I helped coach youth teams and eventually was an assistant on our high school girls lacrosse team. It’s an amazing sport and I found a lot of parallels in coaching with running an agency in terms of being prepared, strategy, player development and in-game adjustments. I’m not qualified, but I would have loved to have been on the coaching staff of one of the top college teams!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received that had nothing to do with PR but changed how you approach your work?
Early in my career I worked in communications for a very large, public networking company. I was fortunate to be placed on an internal “start-up” team that was tasked with building a new product. Engaging directly with engineers, product marketers, finance people and others was new and I learned a lot. But what I remember most was the project lead who would end every conversation – in person or on the phone – with “be good.” I found it interesting so I asked him about it one time and he said it’s a reminder that we all make choices in life so a reminder to be good. Over time, it’s been a great reminder about being positive, optimistic and having a sense of humor at work.
What’s the strangest pitch you’ve ever successfully landed for a client?
I’ve had a few, but a memorable one was a little shake ‘n bake with Ricky Bobby, the character from the movie Talladega Nights. This was years ago, when Twitter was relatively new and a lot of reporters personalized their bios. I remember one important tech trade reporter said she was a big fan of Will Ferrell movies. So, when a client sponsored a Formula 1 team and wanted to get coverage for it, I wrote the pitch like it was coming from Ricky Bobby…and it worked. A trade feature story about the client’s sponsorship but also how it was emblematic of their high-performance networking solutions.
How do you wind down after a big week?
Mostly by spending time with the people I love – my wife, my kids, my dog and close friends. Hopefully over some good food or listening to live music!
What personal quirk or habit has unexpectedly helped you in your PR career?
When I first got out of college, I lived in Boston but worked for a tech PR agency in the suburbs – and the commute usually took about an hour by car. I despised wasting time in traffic, so I got into the habit of getting into work very early to avoid it. I soon realized I really enjoyed the extra time to read and analyze the news, get some writing done and map out the rest of my day. Ever since, no matter how long my commute is, I always get to the office early.
If your PR career had a soundtrack, what three songs would definitely be on it?
- “Bad” by U2 – the best song by the best band is welcome on any playlist.
- “All Your Favorite Bands” by Dawes – a great band from California and the song really speaks to my career given the number of colleagues and clients I’ve worked with over and over.
- “Hope the High Road” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – written in response to the 2016 U.S. election, it’s realistic about the challenges we face but has an uplifting optimism.
