Tales From The Beat Episode 125: RJ Communications CEO Robyn Malone

TTAC Creator Ed Garsten hosts ” Tales from the Beat,” a podcast about the automotive and media worlds. A veteran reporter and public relations operative, Garsten worked for CNN, The Associated Press, The Detroit News, Chrysler’s PR department and Franco Public Relations. He is currently a senior contributor for Forbes.

The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.

A transcript, provided by AI and edited by a staffer, is below.

[Image: YouTube Screenshot]

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Transcript:

Tales from the Beat – Episode 125

Ed Garsten:

You don’t know Jack about MS. No, that’s not an insult. It’s the name of one of the many creative and memorable campaigns developed by today’s guest, Robin Malone. She’s the CEO and Chief Partner Officer of R.J. Communications. This is episode 125 of Tales from the Beat, where we look at news and PR from both sides of the scrimmage line. Robin, great to have you here.

Robin Malone:

Thanks for having me, Ed. This is awesome.

Ed:

And you’re joining us from Chicago, right?

Robin:

That’s right. I’m a New Yorker who made the move to Chicago.

Ed:

Nice to meet another native New Yorker. I’m in Detroit, so we’re not far apart—both transplants.

Robin:

We certainly are, and recovering transplants at that.

Ed:

I want to dig into your background because you’ve had an impressive career as a storyteller. You’ve run some powerful campaigns, including “You Don’t Know Jack.” But before we get there, tell me a little about your agency and how it came to be.

Robin:

I’ve been in PR for nearly 30 years, mostly in healthcare and wellness. I worked at both large and small agencies, running healthcare practices at a few of them. About five years ago, I left my last agency without the intention of starting my own. But clients followed me, and suddenly I had to stand something up. That’s how R.J. Communications was born.

We’re now five years old, and it’s been a great ride. I’ve made mistakes and learned from them, but I really love the work. The best part of having my own agency is that I stay close to the work itself. When you’re in senior leadership at larger firms, you often get pulled too far from the actual storytelling. I didn’t want that.

Ed:

I can relate. I tried retiring from covering autos, but I still write about it because I want to stay close to the subject. Let’s talk about your approach. You’ve said you don’t personally pitch reporters, but focus on strategy and story development.

Robin:

That’s right. My team handles media outreach. I focus on strategy—developing the story, creating the campaign, and then working closely with the team to determine how we’ll bring that story to life. A lot of what we do is media relations, but my role is more about shaping the narrative.

Ed:

I get countless pitches, and many just aren’t stories. Sometimes it takes 300 words before the actual idea emerges. How do you train your team to avoid that?

Robin:

We’ve trademarked a process called Finding Your Story Space. It goes beyond white space analysis and share of voice. Story space is about understanding how a brand shows up in the broader conversation, and where it can uniquely add value.

Once we define that, my team develops the pitch. And I trust them to do it their way. I don’t micromanage their emails because they’re the ones pitching every day. My job is to make sure the story itself is clear, compliant, and compelling.

Ed:

That makes sense. But how much research goes into tailoring a pitch for specific reporters?

Robin:

A ton—an absolute ton. We’re very intentional. We make sure we understand what a reporter covers and what their outlet’s audience cares about. It’s not arbitrary. A lot of the work happens before the pitch ever goes out.

Ed:

Yet I still get pitches for things I’d never cover, like cosmetics or fashion.

Robin:

That’s PR 101, and it amazes me that it still happens. We can’t afford that at a small agency. Every pitch we send has to be thoughtful and targeted.

Ed:

What about when clients push you to pitch something that isn’t newsworthy?

Robin:

That happens more often than I’d like. I always tell the truth. It can create friction, but clients hire us because we understand storytelling and the media landscape. They’ve entrusted us to be their partner, so we take that responsibility seriously. If something won’t work, we say so. It’s one reason our clients stick with us—we’re honest, even when it’s not convenient.

Ed:

Let’s talk about those big campaigns. Tell me about “You Don’t Know Jack.”

Robin:

That one came about when Jack Osbourne announced he had MS. At the time, our client Teva Pharmaceuticals made the leading MS treatment. Jack even mentioned he was on their drug. We reached out, and from there the “You Don’t Know Jack About MS” campaign was born.

It resonated because most MS patients are women in their 40s and older, and many remembered the Osbournes as reality TV’s first family. The campaign tapped into that cultural memory while showing Jack in a new light—now a husband and father living with MS. It connected past and present in a powerful way.

Ed:

What kind of feedback did you hear from patients?

Robin:

It was very positive. People related to Jack’s openness, and the contrast between how they remembered him as a teen and who he had become made the story more human. That’s what made it successful.

Ed:

Before we wrap up, let’s come full circle. What advice would you give on using storytelling to win media coverage today?

Robin:

Storytelling now is about more than media relations. It’s about finding the right story, timing, and outlet—but also activating it across channels. Once you have the story, you need to think: how do we pull it through? That might mean traditional media, social platforms, or thought leadership.

Reporters themselves are working differently now, too. They’re judged not only on the quality of their reporting but also on their reach and engagement on social media. So we adapt to that. It’s a completely different ecosystem than when I started, flipping through Bacon’s book to find contacts. Today, we have to think about SEO, AI-driven discovery, and how a story performs online. That’s all part of storytelling now.