- Lori, as a Managing Partner at 5W Public Relations, what excites you most about your work?
I get a front row seat to the future. Every day I am exposed to emerging technologies that will reshape how we shop, work, and live, and that sense of discovery never gets old. I am also surrounded by incredibly smart and creative people, which motivates me to bring my best every day.
- You have built your career across communications, tech, and corporate strategy. How do you think PR is evolving today?
Our channels continue to shift, whether it is earned media, social, influencers, or AI-driven environments, but the need for strategic communication is stronger than ever. There was a time when attribution was PRs biggest challenge. Today, we operate in a more integrated and measurable landscape. The tools evolve, but storytelling and trust remain the foundation.
- 5WPR has a strong focus on content and brand building. How important is narrative agility?
Narrative agility is essential. News cycles move quickly, and brands need to respond with clarity and consistency. When you truly understand your story, you can adapt it to real-time moments without losing your message or your tone.
- Emerging brands often struggle with messaging at events like CES. What is one common mistake?
Coming in with a hard sales pitch. Audiences in the United States do not respond well to the hard sell. They respond to connection and relevance. Strong messaging begins with understanding a pain point and building trust, rather than jumping straight into product features.
- CES is known as the place where the business of technology happens. What conversations do you hope to spark this year?
I expect a significant amount of dialogue around AI searchability for brands. Large language models are becoming a central part of both consumer and B2B discovery, which changes how companies need to think about content and visibility. We are helping clients integrate Generative Engine Optimization into their strategies, and CES is the ideal setting to advance that conversation.
- How do you help tech brands explain innovation in a way that resonates in a B2B environment?
I coach executives to focus on the end user experience. It is not about how the technology works. It is about how it improves outcomes. Clear use cases that show how something makes work easier, faster, or more cost efficient cut through far better than technical detail alone.
- Managing a team through rapid innovation cycles can be challenging. How do you keep your team creative under tight deadlines?
We rely on our collective experience. Some instincts come only from years of problem solving, and that history helps us think quickly and creatively. Staying plugged into cultural and industry trends also gives the team a strong foundation to ideate from, even under pressure.
- With so many product launches at CES, how can brands cut through the noise?
Do not try to accomplish everything at once. Choose one clear goal for CES and commit to it. In an oversaturated environment, a focused and memorable message always stands out more than trying to be all things to all audiences.
Lori Ruggiero serves as Managing Partner & EVP of 5W’s Corporate & Technology practices where she works on high profile campaigns across numerous verticals and heads the agency’s Media Training Program, which she launched in 2019. She has extensive experience creating and executing crisis communications, change management, and financial communication strategies for large organizations.
A former journalist and television news producer for more than 16 years, Lori previously held positions at several global media entities including: NBC, CNN, Fox Business, ESPN and Al Jazeera America. She was a 2008 East-West Center Hong Kong Journalism Fellow and has won several accolades, including two Peabody Awards for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the 2008 presidential election.
Since joining agency life over a decade ago, Lori draws from her deep industry knowledge to offer clients advanced strategic council for creating company messaging and building narratives that will best resonate with targeted audiences. She has personally guided c-suite executives through pivotal announcements such as IPO's and acquisitions, and sensitive topics such as layoffs and legal issues.
Lori graduated from Boston University's College of Communication with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Psychology.
