This interview is with Blair Huddy, Principal Founder, Hudson Davis Communications.
For readers on Featured, how do you introduce your work as Principal Founder at Hudson Davis Communications in B2B PR and corporate communications?
I run the company’s PR division, leading strategy and overseeing the execution team.
Looking back, which career moments—across brands like Meta, Google, Apple, Oracle, Adobe, Visa, Salesforce, and your UN SDG work—most shaped your approach to impact-focused communications and crisis management?
I realized one day that I could do what I love—marketing—while also doing something good for the world.
It was the first time those two concepts had crossed paths. Being able to use my gifts for good sparked something that has stayed with me to this day.
Building on that journey, how do you define and measure “impact” in B2B PR when aligning with executive stakeholders?
We define and measure impact in multiple ways.
- Placements: how many articles and podcasts we secure for our clients.
- Influencer relationships: how many influencer relationships we help them manage.
- Public narrative: whether we are shifting the public narrative around their company.
- Executive presence: whether we are growing their executive’s LinkedIn following.
- Search and AI references: whether LLMs are referencing their blogs, reports, and website.
These are all things we track as measures of the impact of our work.
Translating definition into execution, what is your process for turning a communications strategy into sales-ready narratives that consistently generate qualified pipeline?
We have a proprietary process that we call a “Jamboard.” We bring the marketing and sales teams together in a 90-minute session where we use sticky notes and just let the internal folks brain dump on specific questions we ask.
This way, we get to hear exactly how they speak about things internally, what language they use, and we can see in real time where there might be alignment and/or where we need to get folks on the same page.
Given your view that algorithms now reward depth, how do you turn a clear point of view into a repeatable engine that sparks constructive debate and drives actions like demos or executive conversations?
We take the same content and repurpose it across multiple channels. That also helps build authority, because you’re saying the same thing repeatedly, like a drumbeat. Over time, you reach different people across those channels, and that starts to become part of the core narrative.
We also like to take a contrarian point of view and run with it in the same way.
Shifting to crisis, what does your non-negotiable crisis readiness checklist include for the 24 hours before and after an issue breaks?
The checklist includes:
- A list of people who should be notified internally
- A list of press contacts who should be notified
- A draft of media-ready speaking points
- A draft of what not to say (specifically, things that could be misconstrued)
And then we’re off and running.
On the content side for technical brands, how do you extract technical subject-matter expertise from enterprise teams and translate it into media-safe messages that resonate with buyers?
We love a Zoom call or a voice note where we can hear from the teams themselves and then turn that into messaging. It’s the easiest way for us to get the information, ask any questions we might have, and align on how we’ll say it externally.
Connecting impact and reputation, what practical lessons from helping communicate the UN SDGs can B2B leaders use to integrate social impact narratives without “purpose-washing”?
I think linking back to a global standard like the SDGs or the GRI gives your narrative weight. It helps you define and quantify your actions against something specific industries have identified as impactful.
To close with something actionable, if you had only 90 days and a lean budget, what single communications experiment would you run to validate ROI?
A lean budget is often a dealbreaker for me. If you have the money to hire a firm but not to let them activate anything for you, you’re not ready for PR.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
PR is constantly changing, and “who you know” in the industry doesn’t matter anymore. The impact of trades can be much more valuable than the upper tiers.