A conversation with President Lori Russo, Senior Vice President Emily Wenstrom and CEO and founder Peter Stanton.
Thanks for sitting down with me today. I am excited to hear from you about some of the firm’s accomplishments and successes from this year and what 2025 holds for Stanton Communications.
Tell me about what stood out to you this year. What was your biggest highlight?
Lori: We have many incredible clients, and we’ve done a lot of wonderful work for them over the past year. We’ve also achieved a lot of success as an agency team, including earning recognition as a great place to work. But one significant highlight for me is establishing our presence as the Bureau du Champagne, USA, the US representatives for the Comité Champagne. It’s been a true pleasure to support the growers, houses and co-ops of the Champagne region.
Peter: One of the things that really stands out to me is how much our clients have sustained their confidence and trust in us. It’s something that is easy to take for granted, but it’s invaluable. We experienced steady growth because we’ve maintained long-term client relationships. It’s a lot of work for them to go out and search for an agency, but many feel compelled to do it. Yet, our clients largely have decided that they’re pleased with our work. Being able to sustain those relationships is really extraordinary, and it’s a reason for us to be deeply grateful to all of them.
Emily: When I think of one of this year’s biggest highlights, I immediately think of the Alfred E. Smith Foundation Dinner. This year marked our fourth time managing media relations for the Dinner. The event speaks to the longevity of our client relationships and the tremendous meaning and purpose in the work that we do with so many of our clients, including the charities and the people Al Smith supports.
We’ve had the honor of winning various industry awards this year. From PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 100 to Inc. Best Workplaces, our agency has been recognized by the industry for its company culture and exemplary communications work. How important are these awards and how do they highlight our company values and culture?
Lori: I really value these awards, especially the ones that recognize our team, our culture and our way of working. I truly believe that if you take care of your people, then they will take care of your clients.
Emily: I think it all starts with really prioritizing the relationships, both with the clients and within the team. When you look at what we’ve been recognized for and the types of companies we’re winning against, it speaks to the difference we make with our work. We really care about the work we do, and we’re committed to the highest levels of excellence. It also shows how much we value our independence, because we always put the mission, the partnership, and the impact for the client first, and of course that leads to the best campaigns.
Peter: I used to think that the awards were not important. But I realized at some point that our work not only was excellent and worthy of recognition, but I started to see the award as not for us, but for our clients. Today, we always submit entries under the client’s name— we are simply the supporting cast.
Now, we’ve had opportunities to judge leading global award competitions, and we’re seeing some extraordinary work of other agencies. So, the awards have great value as a way to observe and learn best practices. The awards recognize our clients and the partnership we have with them, but they give us an opportunity to observe others’ creativity. You learn a lot from seeing what other talented professionals are doing in very intelligent and thoughtful ways.
What does the future hold for Stanton Communications? What emerging trends do you see gaining prominence in PR in 2025?
Lori: When we look at what is going on with some of the bigger firms and the massive holding companies in our industry, the trends work in our favor as a very high-touch independent firm. There are a lot of doors that are open to us with all these changes going on with the behemoths, as there will be a desire on the client side to have access to leadership and to have a team that is responsive, accessible and passionate about their needs.
Peter: The big “looking forward” for our firm is making sure that we stay true to ourselves and stay true to the promises that we’ve made to our clients. We are fiercely determined to stay independent. And I’m very excited about a new generation of leadership, both senior and mid-level. I hope our people see this and feel they’re in a place where w they’re able to make a contribution and see their contributions recognized in the form of professional development and advancement.
Emily: I don’t know if you can have a conversation about the future without talking about AI and how the tools are changing. Everyone needs to pay attention and approach it with some curiosity and openness with a willingness to try some things and learn some things. I think that these are traits that are already ingrained in everything that we do.
Thank you again for your time today! One last question to round us out: what did you look forward to the most this holiday season?
Peter: On Christmas Eve, our family has oysters and Champagne. It has always been a tradition, and now it has an even more special meaning with our firm serving as the US Bureau of Comité Champagne.
Emily: Rest and relaxation. We didn’t have a lot planned for the season, so I was looking forward to a little downtime and reading.
Lori: During the holidays, I focused on my French language learning by spending at least an hour a day on my lessons. I also got back into baking bread, which I embraced during the pandemic, so I sought to make a ridiculous amount of sourdough and give it away to those I love!
