Monica Elias has spent nearly three decades operating in that space where broadcast journalism and brand strategy collide. It’s where a lot of the employment opportunities seem to be heading, so we thought MB readers would be particularly interested in this one.
As CEO and Executive Producer of Elias World Media (EWM), Elias has built a company that excels in getting brands on the news. For anyone who’s tried to do this, they know – it’s actually pretty darn hard.
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Her client list reads like a luxury goods hall of fame: De Beers, LVMH, L’Oréal, Richemont, Mercedes-Benz, Allergan. EWM has collected more than 20 Telly Awards, 8 Hermes Creative Awards, and 4 MarCom Awards along the way. Elias herself was named one of Luxury Roundtable’s “25 Women Leaders in Luxury to Watch” and has been featured in CBS News, Forbes, Vogue, and the New York Post.
Before launching EWM in 2013, Elias spent over a decade at Medialink Worldwide, rising to Executive Vice President. Before that, she was embedded in broadcast newsrooms, learning firsthand what makes a producer say yes, and what makes them delete the pitch without finishing it.
We sat down with her to talk about earned media, the psychology of producers, what luxury brands actually care about, and why less is almost always more.
You started in broadcast news before eventually moving to the brand side. What pulled you in that direction, and did you see it coming?
I’ve always been drawn to the world of film and broadcast news. It genuinely fascinated me. I got my start through a series of rotations and internships at various broadcast outlets, both nationally and internationally, which really shaped my foundation.
When I discovered MediaLink, it was perfect. It presented the opportunity to work with both brands and broadcasters, so I was able to tap into my love of news, storytelling, and production.
Any big break story? Like, how did you get your first client?
There wasn’t really one defining “big break” moment. For me, it was the decision to take a leap and launch my own company. When I did, many of the brands I’d been working with chose to come along with me, which frankly I wasn’t expecting, but it was incredibly flattering.
From there, the business grew pretty organically. Early on, it was all about trust, the relationships I had established, and the brand name recognition I had built, and that just continued to snowball over time. As our work continued to deliver impactful results and our approach to client service and care was of the utmost quality, our growth became fueled by word of mouth and referrals.
You spent over a decade at Medialink Worldwide before launching EWM. What did those years give you that you couldn’t have gotten any other way?
What made those experiences invaluable was that every step of the way, I had a bird’s-eye view of the entire operation. Internally, I worked with the strategy, media relations, production, live events, and metrics teams. Externally, I served as the client liaison, managing a big book of business and working with brands and PR agencies across vast sectors — from developing strategic media proposals, to formulating media programs and broadcast strategies, and managing client expectations and projects from beginning to end.
Through that process, I learned that you’re essentially servicing two clients at once: the brands and the newsrooms. Delivering what producers want while meeting client expectations is a delicate balance. We had to bring producers something genuinely newsworthy while ensuring clients’ stories were being told clearly.
Editor’s note: If you’re a journalist weighing a move to the brand side, this dual-client dynamic is worth understanding before you make the jump. Here’s what journalists should know before switching to PR.
When a broadcast producer gets a branded content pitch, what are they actually looking for in the first 30 seconds, and what gets it thrown out immediately?
Every news producer is looking for one thing and one thing only: news value. They want to know what’s in it for their viewers, what makes this newsworthy, what’s unique about it, and why it matters now. So in the first 30 seconds (even less), you need to get that across.
What gets thrown out immediately is anything overly branded and commercialized — too many verbal mentions, heavy branded visuals, or anything too polished and glossy. Visually, it has to match the quality and style of their broadcast content so it feels like a natural extension of their programming. If it doesn’t, they won’t use it.
Your placements are unpaid, which surprises a lot of people. How do you make content that a producer genuinely wants to air versus content they’re being asked to air?
Again, you have to look at it from the producer’s point of view. They want to report something timely and new. More specifically, the call to action has to have meaning and offer an incentive to their viewers, something that inspires them to take action, to make a difference, to seek help.
Broadcast news airtime is limited as is, so producers aren’t going to waste airtime on something that looks like a commercial or feels promotional.
Brands want to control the message. Producers want editorial independence. How do you navigate that tension?
Sometimes, a brand’s first instinct is to include everything about its product or company to ensure the message is fully conveyed. But in reality, less is often more.
We encourage our clients to shift their mindset — to think like a producer — and ask themselves: what is the actual news in this story? What makes their product or campaign relevant, distinct, or genuinely helpful to the viewer?
We also guide them to step into the viewer’s perspective — to momentarily remove themselves from the brand — and ask, what would I want to hear? That shift is where the most compelling storytelling begins. This exercise becomes incredibly valuable, because it prompts a rethinking of their overall strategy, communication, and marketing approach.
And naturally, there also has to be a level of trust. I have nearly 30 years of working in news and with brands, so they engage me for my experience and recommendations. I’ll often share previous success stories and take them through how it was done and show them why it worked. The proof is in the pudding. Showing examples of what has been proven to work is always more persuasive than explaining it in the abstract.
For more on building credibility in communications roles, check out 5 secrets to success in public relations.
Broadcast news has really had a rough few years with layoffs and consolidation. Has that made your job easier or harder?
It’s been both. I have a lot of empathy. You never want to see someone out of a job.
Sadly, we’ve seen stations shut down completely or cut their news programming, so that poses some challenges for us since airtime has gotten shorter, which means fewer stories are broadcast. This also continues to fuel you to create the most newsworthy content because stations have also become more selective in what they choose to air.
However, cost-cutting has also meant stations don’t have as many resources or manpower for field reporting. As a result, they’re relying more on, and have a greater appetite for, external packaged content, as long as it’s credible, newsworthy, and speaks to their viewers. So this has been an advantage for us because we’re able to supply a greater amount of content to help them supplement their programming.
If you’ve been affected by industry layoffs and are weighing your options, here’s some honest advice on bouncing back.
You work with clients like De Beers, LVMH, and L’Oréal. Do luxury brands think about earned placement differently than everyone else?
What luxury brands have always been and continue to be concerned about is the quality of the placement. What matters to them is how the story was broadcast. Did the station mention their name? How was their product featured? Was the call to action included? What percentage of the message came across? Was it featured in their target market? Did it reach the right audience?
For all our clients those factors are important, but for luxury clients especially, it’s all about quality. For them, sometimes one quality placement that checks off all the boxes is better than five placements that check off a few boxes each. We always aim to deliver quality, and we do, because we have the know-how and advantage of understanding what matters to a brand and what broadcasters are seeking.
What is the one thing most brands get completely wrong when they try to do this on their own?
Often, brand executives wear the “product hat” and tend to think more like a marketer or how best to advertise. That’s not a criticism; it’s simply where their expertise lies. They’re not necessarily thinking about “storytelling” in the news sense. They don’t understand the inner workings of a newsroom, and understandably so. That’s where brands engage me, because I’m fluent on both sides: brand strategy and broadcast news.
Curious about brand journalism as a career path? Here are 7 reasons to consider making the move.
And finally, what are you reading and watching these days?
I read all the usual industry trade and news magazines and publications, and watch local and national broadcast news. I recently discovered the podcast “Social Currency,” hosted by Sammi Cohen, and Camille Moore’s podcast, “The Art of the Brand.” Both offer fresh perspectives on branding and business.
When I have time to watch, I enjoy crime and mystery genres, and I love documentaries. I recently started watching the docuseries “The Five Families” on Netflix. Pretty sure I’ve watched every episode of Law & Order, and yet somehow, I’m always ready for “just one more.” There’s no such thing as too much Law & Order.
Monica Elias is CEO and Executive Producer of Elias World Media. You can find her on LinkedIn.
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