Communications Counsel in Action: Navigating Growth, Partnerships & AI Complexity
Stepping into an interim leadership role means adapting on the fly. But stepping into a global, rapidly evolving company—with an expanding product line, a marketing team in transition, and a complex AI platform that required technical specificity to gain credibility while still being accessible to broader audiences—meant navigating challenges at every level.
As a strategic communications advisor, I was initially brought in to focus on messaging, PR, and high-level business strategy, but my role quickly expanded into fractional leadership, taking on the entire marketing function. This meant working across time zones and continents, balancing a slowly developing but strategically important partnership that opened new customer channels alongside a fast-moving alliance with a major tech leader. Meanwhile, the company was operating in a rapidly developing category with increasing competitive pressures, requiring a clear, differentiated market position.
Then came NRF—Retail’s Big Show. With a major presence at the event, multiple product announcements, two strategic partnerships, and a full website launch all happening at once, we had to ensure every message landed with impact.
The Challenges We Tackled
Clarifying a Complex AI Platform: Developed and refined corporate messaging to clearly articulate platform leadership in vision AI
Executive Visibility & Thought Leadership: Guided executives on positioning, ensuring consistent and compelling messaging across all channels. Placed CEO profiles and Q&As in high-profile media to elevate market visibility.
Balancing Partnerships at Different Speeds: Managed both a carefully developing enterprise partnership that expanded customer channels and a fast-moving alliance with a leading tech company—each requiring a different communication strategy.
Scaling Communications to Match Business Growth: Expanded from messaging and PR to leading full-scale marketing efforts, ensuring that the company’s voice kept pace with its evolving strategy.
Executing a High-Stakes, Multi-Channel Launch: Orchestrated NRF announcements, product and partnership rollouts, and a full website refresh—simultaneously—while maintaining a unified narrative.
The Result: Standout Presence and AI Leadership
A sharper corporate identity, stronger industry credibility, and a messaging framework that positioned the company as a leader in a highly competitive AI space. Media placements amplified executive visibility, key partnerships gained traction, and the company's presence at NRF delivered a clear, unified message to the market.
More than just shaping the narrative, this work helped define the company's strategic direction in real-time—ensuring that as the business evolved, its positioning stayed one step ahead.
