PRSA Professional Development Day 2025
Morgan, our Digital Ads Strategist, was asked to speak on the “Strategic Scoop: Panel of Communication Pros” for Professional Development Day held by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Kansas Chapter – and she undoubtedly delivered! Morgan weighed in on topics ranging from strategy, stats, building a network, entrepreneurship, avoiding burnout, and her fave current podcast (horoscope-related, of courseđ).
Check out our key takeaways from presenters and the panel, including Morgan’s questions and answers below. You brought the energy and rocked it per usual, Morgan!
Evolve. Engage. Elevate.
Key Communication Strategy Takeaways:
- The more authentic, the better – donât go overboard on visual edits or filters for posts.
- Good company culture increases revenue by four times!
- Your culture is your brand.
- Replace âI have toâŚâ with âI have an opportunity toâŚ.â
- Focus on who youâre serving, not how you sound.
- âAuthentic delivery always beats flawless delivery.â
- Confidence grows with exposure, not avoidance.
- Ask yourself, âAm I communicating to inform or inspire?â
- Your end user is often thinking, âWhatâs in it for me?â when taking in any communication.
- Find your purpose and strategy rather than chasing the latest trends.
Morgan’s Strategic Scoop Panel Q&A: Tips From Our Communication Pro!
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When you hear âstrategic communications,â what does that mean in your world?
In my world, it’s not just about what we say but itâs about why, how, and where we say it. As a Digital Ads Strategist, strategic communication means aligning messaging with brand goals, data insights, and customer behaviors. It’s more intuition meets strategy: storytelling that emotionally connects, builds trust, and reflects seasonality and vibes. Itâs the bridge between vision and impact.
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The communications landscape is constantly shifting whatâs one emerging trend or challenge you think professionals must be ready for?
Audience fatigue. Weâre in a scroll-heavy, low-attention world. Gen Z and even Millennials are done with fluff. You have to earn attention within the first couple of seconds now with relevance, consistency, and realness, AI also complicates trust: people crave human voices more than ever.
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Whatâs one tool, platform, or technique thatâs changed how you approach communication strategy?
Instagram and MetaBusiness Suites âInsightsâ and Canva templates. As a Digital Ads Strategist at Lee Media Group, IG analytics shows me what’s resonating with our client brand and audience. Canva helps with content at scale without sacrificing brand integrity.
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What is your biggest fail/mistake and what did you learn?
In the early days, I tried to talk to everyone. I wanted every post to perform, every email to land. But broad messaging = weak results. I learned: speak to YOUR AUDIENCE. Itâs okay to not appeal to everyone. Clarity > noise.
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How do you advise building a strong professional network?
Relationship building! I am famous at my job for asking âice breakerâ questions that usually range from âthree words to describe yourselfâ or âwhat’s your death row meal?â The goal is to be your authentic self and build genuine connections that are not surface level that helps you get past that âawkwardâ phase. That energy always circles back, often in unexpected ways. Also: LinkedIn. Itâs not dead, just underused creatively!
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Whatâs a challenging project youâve worked on and what did you learn from it?
Planning a pop-up event during an outdoor festival in July heat the logistics, marketing, supplies, and execution were TOUGH. We learned that timing, prep, and clear communication with partners/vendors are non-negotiable. And to not glamorize hustle, plan
smarter. -
What skills do you think are most critical for success in communications today?
Adaptability: What worked for you last year might flop today. Emotional intelligence: Youâre not
just communicating youâre connecting. Creative problem-solving: The algorithm changes, budgets tighten, feedback shifts, but it is important to stay aligned. Authenticity over AI-generated content!! -
How do you personally stay creative and avoid burnout in a field thatâs âalways onâ?
Two things:
1. Boundaries. Iâve had to protect time to not be âon.â No shame in muting notifications.
2. Cross-pollination. I get inspiration from the gym, music, or even a good bouquet build. Creativity isnât just found in screens, itâs in living and human experiences.
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What are you reading?
107 days by Kamala Harris
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Whatâs your favorite podcast?
The Daily Aquarius Horoscope on Spotify! It tells you your horoscope reading for the day and a mindful meditation that lasts 5 minutes. It is very grounding to me.
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Digital marketing evolves constantly how do you stay ahead while keeping campaigns authentic?
I reverse-engineer from the audienceâs lens. What do they need, not what do we want to push? I test, but I donât chase every trend.
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With so many channels competing for attention, how do you determine where to focus marketing efforts?
I start with where our audience actually is. Then ask myself which platforms let us tell the story best? Some brands shine on TikTok, others need emails or community outreach events like a local Chamber. Iâd rather dominate 1â2 channels than stretch thin across 5.
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Youâre also a small business co-owner â how has entrepreneurship influenced your perspective on marketing and communication?
It taught me that branding isnât just logos and colors, it’s trust. Being a co-owner made me care about every detail of the customer journey from Instagram DMs to post-sale emails. Personal connection also matters a lot.