Writer | Editor | Strategist | Humanist
Portfolio
The work displayed below is a small sample of my full portfolio. If you wish to see more, please contact me for a full presentation.
Table of Contents
Corporate Communications
Other
Media Relations
Proactive
As the dedicated PR manager for Black Lotus Labs -- the threat intelligence arm of Lumen Technologies -- I was responsible for telling the world about the team's threat research. At the core of this work was the relationships I built with the security press. They knew that an email from me meant there was an important story to tell, and they frequently called on me when they needed an expert to opine on an article they were writing. Below are a few highlights.
Outreach
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29 embargoes offered
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47 custom pitches sent
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7 responses to media inquiries
Results
(14 days after release)
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67 earned articles in English
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Translation into 25 languages
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5,859 press release views
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64 views from credentialed journalists
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14,945 click-throughs to other assets linked in the release
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11,000+ results when searching for "ZuoRAT" (a term that did not exist prior to this discovery)
ZuoRAT media relations results.pdf
Media Pitch
Lumen partners with Microsoft to take down Trickbot days before the 2020 presidential Election
Outreach
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15 embargoes offered
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35 custom pitches sent
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5 responses to media inquiries
Results
(14 days after release)
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55 earned articles
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1,795 blog views
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30,009 social impressions; 400 engagements
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51 media placements that mentioned Black Lotus Labs, including 13 that quoted or linked to our blog
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Black Lotus Labs' VP appeared on two podcasts
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11 publications quoted Black Lotus Labs in articles
TrickBot Pitch Letter.pdf
Trickbot media relations results.pdf
High Profile, Reactive
In September 2015, Coalfire Systems conducted a forensic analysis of highly publicized, secretly recorded tapes featuring employees of Planned Parenthood. Our analysis was presented on Capitol Hill, and in the days that followed, I drafted internal FAQs and served as media spokesperson.
Results: Coalfire experienced a 400% increase in web traffic in the days following the testimony. Despite more than 160 media mentions in predominantly conservative-leaning outlets, we achieved our goal of remaining politically neutral without a single suggestion of political bias.
Coalfire/PP Talking Points.pdf
Coalfire/PP Media Statement.pdf
Internal Communications
Award Winner
Health Care Benefits
In 2006, CH2M HILL became one of the first companies in the U.S. to implement a new type of health care plan known as a consumer-driven (high-deductible) plan. Research indicated employees were confused about health care in general, and almost none was familiar with the concept of a high-deductible plan. In addition, one of the company's more popular offerings was being discontinued, forcing thousands of employees to choose a new plan altogether.
Objective: For 10 percent of employees who enrolled in medical benefits to choose the newly offered high-deductible plan.
Strategies:
1. A consistent look. We engaged our graphics team to create a "look and feel" for the campaign to make the information recognizable as part of an important information campaign. 2. It takes a village. Due to the magnitude of the changes and newness of the high-deductible concept, we engaged the HR team to be the "front line" for employees. 3, Trusted messengers: CH2M HILL's CEO was a rock star in employees' eyes, and when he spoke, everyone listened. This made Ralph the perfect person to kickoff the campaign with a message that encouraged employees to pay attention to the important materials they would be receiving. 4. Bite-size messages: Answering the questions "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how" required us to distill the information into a series of digestible parts using a variety of media. 5. Target the decision makers. Benefits enrollment is often a family event, so we targeted spouses by offering live and recorded presentations they could view from home, and we sent the comprehensive benefits package via snail mail.
Results: Due to our extensive communication efforts, 19 percent of employees enrolled in the new plan, exceeding our objective by 27 percent and saving the company more than $1 million.
Sample campaign materials:
HR Toolkit.pdf
CEO Benefits Message.pdf
Healthcare Advisory 1.pdf
Healthcare Advisory 2.pdf
Healthcare Advisory 3.pdf
Cascading Communications
Research consistently tells us that employees depend on their managers for information, yet they often think their managers do not communicate well. To address this problem at both ProBuild Holdings and Coalfire systems, I proposed and developed a monthly newsletter for managers called the "Leadership Brief." It was designed to be "news you can use", with content that could be absorbed in just a few minutes. Managers were encouraged to also review the content with their teams during their regularly scheduled team meetings.
Results: A built-in feedback mechanism indicated that 93 percent of ProBuild managers and 100 percent of Coalfire managers found the tool to be useful.
Coalfire Leadership Brief.pdf
ProBuild Leadership Brief.pdf
Marketing Communications
CH2M HILL Brochure
The CH2M HILL Corporate Report is the firm's most visible marketing piece, and I was named managing editor of this issue.
MWH Global Brochures
While at MWH, I produced a suite of brochures -- one for each of the company's engineering services. Two samples are below.
CH2M HILL Corporate Report.pdf
MWH Wastewater.pdf
MWH Natural Resources.pdf
Coalfire Systems Rebrand
I managed a rebranding effort for Coalfire Systems that included a new logo, color scheme and messages targeting six buyer personas.
Old Logo
New Logo
Rebranded Case Study.pdf
Executive Communications
Internal Crisis
When a female employee was sexually assaulted at her desk, I was responsible for keeping employees informed of the situation, the ongoing investigation, and the measures the company was taking to overhaul the security lapses that enabled the perpetrator to enter the building after hours.
The letter below is one of several communications I wrote as part of the crisis, which lasted for weeks.
Rhythms CHRO Letter.pdf
Shareholder Update
CH2M HILL was an employee-owned company with a unique internal stock market, and I managed all communications with employee owners. Each quarter, in conjuction with the release of the 10-Q, the CEO sent a detailed summary of the company's financials and operational performance to all employee owners.
CH2M HILL CEO Letter.pdf
Award Winner
Book Editing
Take the Leap: How I Quit Corporate and Found My Happy Place
Body & Soul: A Partnership of Architecture and Academics at the University of Colorado Boulder
Author: William R. Deno, FAIA, CU Boulder Campus Architect Emeritus (Retired)
Body & Soul tells the fascinating story of how the University of Colorado Boulder came to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.
It provides insight into the historical development of the University’s architecture and grounds, its palette of building materials, and its vision for future development. To that end, Body & Soul serves as both a trip down memory lane for CU Boulder alumni, and a technical guide for future campus architects.
Take the Leap: How I Quit Corporate and Found My Happy Place
Author: Heather Hakes
First-time author Heather Hakes found me through a networking website, and hired me to serve as her editor for Take the Leap. My work expanded to include content consulting, and in her acknowledgements Heather wrote, "Thank you to my editor, Suzanne. You were incredibly patient throughout the writing process and taught me so much. Thank you for pulling out of me what I was really trying to say."
Body & Soul: A Partnership of Architecture and Academics at the University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado
As a regular guest lecturer at CU, I've presented this lecture about the employee communications function, what it is, and why and how we do it.