This week's PR Roundup looks at Eli Lilly's CEO and other pharmaceutical leaders dismissing tariff talk, Thayers encouraging moms of all types to apply to be Chief Mom Officer, and new data showing the overwhelming success of allowing employees to be company influencers.
Corporate Leadership Sounds Off on Tariffs
What happened: In an interview with Yahoo Finance this week, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said President Donald Trump should "declare victory and move on" regarding tariffs on pharmaceutical companies.
Ricks noted the promise of increased investment in pharma manufacturing—Lilly’s already investing $27B in new U.S. plants—but Ricks warned that tariffs could do more harm than good.
"I think if the goal is to repatriate the supply chain, I would say probably the threat of tariffs has already done that," Ricks said.
Other high profile pharma companies like Johnson & Johnson announced $55 billion in investments, and Roche (a Swiss-based company) promised $50 billion in U.S. investments.
And Ricks is not the only one speaking out. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said “we [the pharma industry] should not have tariffs,” this week on its earnings call, and AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, told Yahoo Finance that an "attractive corporate tax rate" would be a better way to work with the industry.
Communication takeaways: It’s always risky for a CEO to speak out, particularly when it comes to earnings, or in this case, in deflection of the President of the United States. However, Ricks and other leaders have a variety of stakeholders to report to, and tariffs do not seem to be popular with anyone at this time. According to a recent Gallup poll, the majority of U.S. citizens surveyed believe tariffs will ultimately cost the U.S. more money than they generate—in the short term (70%) as well as the long run (62%).
Richard Dukas, Chairman & CEO of financial PR firm Dukas Linden Public Relations (DLPR), says he appreciates the willingness of Ricks to be transparent.
"I applaud his conviction and willingness to lead by articulating why tariffs are harmful to both Eli Lilly and U.S. national security interests,” Dukas says. “In doing so, Ricks weighed the risk of potentially antagonizing the White House against the responsibility to stand up for what he believes is right—for Lilly, its investors and the country.”
Dukas also noted that it was not likely an easy decision for the CEO, but he understood why he made it—and if he had been advising him, that he may have encouraged him to do the same.
"People are looking for trusted sources to guide them through uncertain times,” he says. “Now is the time for [leaders] to speak out [on tariffs]…while striking the right balance between optimism and pragmatism. Building trust now will be beneficial for a long time to come."
Employees as Influencers: New Numbers
What happened: An increasing number of companies are turning to their employees to help raise brand awareness via social media. The 2025 Employee Advocacy Benchmark Report, presented by platform SocialPubli, analyzed employee data from the insurance, telecom and tourism industries. The results revealed that employee-shared content isn't just expanding reach—it's significantly outperforming traditional brand communications.
Key Findings:
- LinkedIn dominates the employee advocacy landscape: Employee posts reach an average of nearly 900,000 impressions every month —far outpacing X (85,343) and Facebook (28,977).
- Employee-generated content drives engagement rates: Up to 15% on Facebook and 14% on X, compared to typical rates of just 0.15% for brand accounts, proving that authentic employee voices resonate more effectively.
- Popular programs go viral: Voluntary employee participation surged 5,315% in one insurance company's first year—expanding from 52 to 2,816 active employee advocates creating and sharing original content.
Communication takeaways: The report provides a real look into the performance of employee advocacy programs, which may initially cost time and resources, but show impressive investment results.
"When employees share stories in their own voice, authenticity drives significantly higher engagement across platforms," says Ismael El-Qudsi, CEO and co-founder of ADVOCACY by SocialPubli. "In many cases, it's outperforming branded content by a wide margin, proving that people connect more with real voices than with corporate messaging."
And if a company isn’t sure where to start? SocialPubli also revealed findings on how to make employee advocacy more effective.
- Utilize high-impact content: Posts related to community initiatives and corporate social responsibility generated the highest engagement, followed by educational content and company recognition.
- Create in top-performing formats: External links, images and short videos were the most effective content formats to drive engagement and reach.
- Employees like gamification and incentives: Home goods, electronics and gift cards were found to be the most effective rewards to boost employee participation.
Cool Campaign: The New CMO is Mom
What happened: Thayers Natural Remedies is launching a campaign for the original skincare influencers—moms. From now until May 16, mothers of all forms can apply for a one-day role of Chief Mom Officer with Thayers, which will include product testing, content creation, and a power lunch with Bethenny Frankel.
The brand is also working with LinkedIn; listing a detailed job description and opportunity to apply through the website. Additional benefits include:
- Roundtrip travel and accommodations to New York City to fulfill your duties as CMO, plus a trip stipend.
- Professional hair, makeup, and styling to “put your best foot forward for your day on the job.”
- Thayers product and merchandise.
Communication takeaways: The brand states on its press release that “nearly a third of Thayers fans discover the brand through family—especially moms—making them [their] most powerful and trusted advocates.” So it’s only natural to include mother figures as part of Thayers’s success.
However the real gem of the campaign comes from its authentic feel. Utilizing LinkedIn to make this a serious position is a unique and respectful gesture for its audience.
Stacey Goldstein, Vice President of Marketing at Thayers, says people and platforms are not one-dimensional, and that LinkedIn offers one example of untapped organic opportunities for community building and influence.
“As communicators, we shouldn’t be afraid to try something new if we believe that’s where we can connect most authentically with our consumer,” Goldstein says. “Brands that prioritize authentically connecting with consumers are the brands that will win in the future.”
Candidates can apply for the Chief Mom Officer position by submitting their application via the LinkedIn post. And anyone can nominate the mother figure in their lives using the same form.
A Note: World Press Freedom Day is May 3
Contrary to popular belief, the PR community is one of the closest allies for journalists. Heck, many communicators are former reporters and editors. So take a beat on May 3 to maybe thank a journalist for the work that they do, or to learn more about the stressors, dangers and risks the media take to tell stories throughout the world. We’re all in this together, and so much more gets accomplished when we are all on the same page. Thank you to the community for your support of all media.
“Press freedom is under great strain globally, amid rising authoritarianism and weakening commitments to human rights. Journalism and journalists are under tremendous pressure in nearly every country and every region of the world. From physical harm to legal threats to market pressures, the work of journalists has become increasingly more difficult and increasingly more dangerous. At the same time, the need for strong, independent journalism has become even more critical: from bringing us accurate news and information from the front lines of conflict to shedding light on corruption, crime and abuses of power—the need for robust, independent, public-interest journalism is greater than ever.” —Scott Griffen, Executive Director, International Press Institute.
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.