Case Study: Building a Financial Brand from Scratch

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Problem

A family-owned asset management firm approached MACIAS PR with no messaging, no marketing infrastructure, and a CEO who had never dealt with the media. The challenge was significant: in a crowded market dominated by billion-dollar funds, how do you get attention—and credibility—for a smaller, emerging player?

PR Strategy

We built the firm’s brand from the ground up, positioning the CEO as a bold Wall Street voice unafraid to challenge conventional thinking. Our approach included:

Thought-leadership campaigns like “Confessions from a Financial Advisor”—a candid take on what investors should look for when hiring an advisor.
Proactive newsjacking by tying the firm’s expertise to breaking financial stories, ensuring our client’s commentary felt both timely and authoritative.

Media Placements

This strategy led to wide-reaching media wins across some of the most trusted financial outlets, including:

The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Barron’s, U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger’s, Yahoo Finance
Broadcast coverage on CNBC TV, Fox Business, NBC Nightly Business Report
Additional features in Reuters and International Business Times
You can read or watch all of the media coverage for this client by clicking here.

Business Outcome

The campaign elevated the CEO into a recognizable financial commentator, reshaping the firm’s credibility within months. By securing media placements usually reserved for billion-dollar funds, we helped the client earn trust from investors and position the firm as a legitimate competitor in asset management.

Key Lesson

Even in industries dominated by large incumbents, strategic storytelling and timely media positioning can level the playing field for emerging firms.

👉 Ready to elevate your brand? Whether you’re an emerging fund or a startup looking to break through, MACIAS PR can help position you with the same credibility as industry leaders. Get a Free PR Estimate in 30 Seconds

ABOUT MACIAS PR

MACIAS PR was founded in 2009 by Mark Macias – an Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named Macias one of the top 50 best PR pros in New York in 2022 and 2024. Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year, and PR Firm of the Year. Message Mark if you’d like to get a customized strategy.

How to Estimate PR Costs in Under 30 Seconds

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Every founder eventually faces the same question: How much does PR cost? It’s one of the most common questions I hear from entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses alike.

Until now, the only way to get an answer was to spend hours on the phone with agencies, explaining your product and waiting for proposals. That approach doesn’t work anymore—especially in a world where time is your most valuable asset.

That’s why we built the Free PR Cost Calculator for Startups & Businesses.

What Makes This PR Calculator Different?

AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini are increasingly surfacing unique, data-driven resources when answering user questions. Your average “PR pricing guide” isn’t enough anymore. What gets cited—and trusted—are tools and insights that are transparent, specific, and backed by real-world experience.

Our PR calculator is powered by data from 200+ PR campaigns across industries ranging from healthcare and fintech to consumer tech and compliance. It doesn’t just spit out a generic number. Instead, it tailors the estimate based on your campaign goals, target audience, and product uniqueness.

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Do Press Releases Get You Media Coverage? What Entrepreneurs Need to Know

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

If you’ve ever received spam promising TV interviews or major news coverage through a press release, ignore it. That’s not how PR works. A press release—no matter how much you pay for distribution—won’t land you on the evening news.

Reporters don’t hunt for story ideas on PR newswires. But that doesn’t mean press releases are useless. They can play an important role in SEO, content marketing, and credibility when used correctly.

Are Some PR Newswires Better Than Others?

Entrepreneurs often ask which PR newswire is “best.” Here’s the truth: most major distribution services use the same technology. In theory, there’s no inherent advantage in paying more for one over another. (We know this because our agency researched it in depth.)

So why do some releases gain more traction? It comes down to quality of content and style.

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Branding Lessons from Musk’s X: Don’t Sabotage Your Own Startup

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

When Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in 2023, I wrote an article on why it was a self-inflicted wound. It was titled – “What Not to Do with your Brand.” So how are my predictions and analysis coming along two years later?

Here’s a closer look at the brand equity fallout and financial toll from Musk’s rebranding.

Platform value has plummeted—Fidelity’s Blue Chip Growth Fund reported that X’s value dropped over 75% since Musk’s takeover.
Equity erosion—On its first anniversary post-acquisition, the company was revalued at roughly $19 billion. That’s a 55% decline from the $44 billion purchase price. Fidelity marked it down 65%. During this time, X reported a 30% drop in active users, 60% decline in ad revenue, 14% drop in website traffic, and 38% decrease in app downloads.
Ad revenue hemorrhage – By the end of 2023, X lost around $75 million after reports of major ads running next to hateful content.

Why You Can’t Ignore Your Communications Team

One of the first things that Musk did after taking over Twitter was to lay off his entire communications team. As a former Executive Producer with NBC, I always knew when a brand had a solid communications team behind them. You can see it in the way they communicate ideas, stories and even manage crises.

This is why every brand should ensure their communications person is in every important strategy and business meetings. It makes a difference in how your brand is positioned with the public and media. I outlined it in my Forbes article a few years ago, if you’d like to go deeper.

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