Ben Trounson

I help Fortune 500 organizations build unshakeable stakeholder trust through strategic communications that turn complexity into clarity. As a VP of Global Corporate Communications with 20+ years of experience, I specialize in guiding companies through the reputation opportunities and challenges that come with transformation, crisis, and growth.

My career spans leadership roles at technology, energy, and pharmaceutical giants including Tata Consultancy Services, National Grid, Verizon, and Bristol Myers Squibb. At TCS, I helped transform the company's reputation from a lesser-known IT services provider into a globally recognized digital transformation partner for Fortune 500 clients, contributing to brand value growth from $5B to $14B over my seven-year tenure. This transformation required rebuilding narratives, executive
positioning, and stakeholder relationships across multiple markets.

I've built and led global communications teams ranging from 20 to 50+ members across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regions. My approach focuses on three core elements: authentic narrative development that aligns with business strategy, internal capability building that empowers teams to execute consistently, and external relationship management that builds lasting credibility with key stakeholders including media, investors, regulators, and employees.

Whether navigating CEO transitions, major acquisitions, regulatory scrutiny, or market repositioning, I ensure corporate communications delivers measurable impact on reputation and business outcomes.

Vice President of Communications, Verizon Business

I’m soon heading west for my next career move. But first, I had to celebrate the first-ever Long Island #commsjobs event.

Great to meet a rich mix of local comms pros, talk shop, offer support, and share some fun stories. Thank you, Chrissy Jones, for hosting, and for those in attendance, such as Sian Suthers (welcome to the East Coast), Steve Lavner, and Lisa Feldman Josephy.

Agree, we'll find a sweet spot for the next event, showcasing the beauty of LI in the summer, right Daniel Méndez Aróstica, MBA?

But don't get the locals started on whether we say living "IN" or living "ON" Long Island. The hot debate continues... 🙂

VP, Global Corporate Communications | Reputation & Stakeholder Trust Builder | 20+ Years Transforming Fortune 500 Narratives | Former Verizon, National Grid, TCS | $5B-$14B Brand Value Growth

I’m enjoying the sun and sights of Phoenix today. 

Love the relaxed, yet vibrant city feel during a five-mile walk. 

And I’m thinking of my friends and family facing the big storm in the Northeast. Getting their workouts in with their shovels!

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Polish isn’t the tell with AI slop. Lack of substance is

Charlie Guo has a great piece on spotting AI-generated content and its impact on writers' confidence.  

The giveaway is surface-level polish with nothing underneath.

The answer isn’t trying to “out-write” AI patterns or second-guess yourself. 

It’s writing from real experience, with specific knowledge or having an actual POV or counterpoint. That’s still the hardest thing to fake.

Charlie's Substack is at Artificial Ignorance.

Open article: The Field Guide to AI Slop by ignorance.ai

Search traffic is no longer a given.

Publishers now expect referrals from search engines to almost halve by 2028/29, according to Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Media & Tech Trends report.

A few signals worth paying attention to:
- AI search and summaries are reducing clicks, often before content is even seen.
- Distribution is driving discovery, while owned channels are becoming trust engines.
- Journalists (and communicators) are being asked to think like creators.
- Credibility, originality (among the AI slop) and "human" connection are becoming the real differentiators.

What’s interesting is how this reinforces the importance of earned and owned media, which many of you opined on in 2025.   

You can see this shift playing out on platforms. YouTube hosting the Oscars. Netflix signing The Rest Is Football podcast (one of my favorites) for the 2026 World Cup.

I would love to hear from other comms and brand leaders. How are you adjusting to this earned attention reset? 

#branddiscovery #communications #earnedattention

Parry Headrick

Founder at Crackle PR ⚡️Text me if you need tech PR: 415.246.8486

I’m founder of Crackle PR, a b2b tech public relations agency that works with good companies only. With over 20 years of experience in the PR industry, I have led marketing, communications, and new business functions for award-winning PR firms, serving clients in the B2B sector. As a PR agency leader, I am transparent, picky, and fearless. I do the right thing for my clients, my team, and my community. I am a big idea guy, a stellar writer and content creator, and a media trainer and counsel to the C-Suite. Text me if you need tech PR: 415.246.8486.

Founder 

Crackle Communications is a tech public relations agency that works with good companies only. We know communications, social media, branding and creative services cold. We’re a remote-first PR agency built for now, with deep experience connecting stories to their audiences. Warning: we’re transparent, picky and fearless.

💥 We don’t know if the economy is about to tank, and everything feels crazy. 

But we do know this: 

PR isn’t a “nice to have” that can be cut to save costs any more. 🔪

Not this time. 

As CEO Gregory Galant of Muck Rack  correctly notes, PR is no longer just “brand-building”: 

It’s a *performance channel*. 

Large Language Models like ChatGPT  heavily favor *earned media* in their answers to your questions. 

👇







Helllloooo, PR 👋

Vroom vroom 

🏎️💨

This is the way ✊

Founder at Crackle PR 🎙️ Text me for tech PR: 415.246.8486

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

We must film everything. 

Even if we’re scared. 

It’s the only way to hold accountable the *secret police killing American citizens* like I.C.U. nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti.

This is the way ✊

Tech Reporter: “Is there *anything else* I didn’t ask during this interview that my readers should know?” 🤷‍♀️

CEO: “No, I um, I think we covered just about everything.” 

PR pros: 😩

Wrong answer, CEO. 

When a reporter offers you a *layup* at the end of an interview…

… You best SLAM DUNK your most powerful message. 

To let that opportunity pass is a dereliction of your most important duty: 

🌟 storytelling for your brand 🌟

This is the way ✊

graphical user interface, text, application

Your new website isn’t newsworthy. 

I’m sorry. 

This is the way ✊

Not to brag, but my middle name is Reid. 

So I’m literally PR Headrick. 

From birth. 

This is the way ✊

💥 Muck Rack’s CEO Gregory Galant is my spirit animal. If you’re in comms, you need to follow him. 

Consider this absolute banger: 

“In Muck Rack’s What Is AI Reading? December 2025 report, we found that *82% of links cited by AI come from earned media*. In many ways, this reinforces the fundamentals PR has always been built on.”

Hard agree. 

The difference is, as he put it in a different post, now PR can’t be reduced to a “nice to have” during tough times. 

Not any more. 

Your CMO needs to understand that forevermore, in the age of AI answers, PR is a legit performance channel. 

Put that in your pipe and smoke it. 

This is the way ✊

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The Battle

Ben Trounson

Parry Headrick

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ben Trounson's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreBen Trounson's LinkedIn Performance