Listen Here

| |
Subscribe

Actionable
Takeaways

Lead with the person, not the template:

Rebecca's executive communications playbook starts with understanding the individual's authentic voice and interests. "You don't really want an executive to speak in a way that doesn't sound like them, nor indeed follows what their interests are," she explains. The best executive programs are custom-built around the leader, not applied as a cookie-cutter framework.

Internal and external narratives must move in lockstep:

One of the biggest mistakes comms leaders make is saying different things internally versus externally. Rebecca emphasizes that executives must communicate the same story to team members before sharing it with the world. Misalignment here destroys credibility on both sides.

Press releases are infrastructure, not strategy:

While press releases may feel outdated, they serve as crucial historical documentation and SEO architecture—especially as LLMs increasingly scrape structured content as source material. Rebecca tested multiple AI engines and found they rely heavily on press releases over blog posts or subpage content. The press release isn't your entire tactic, but removing it creates gaps in your content foundation.

Media relationships are built on cultural understanding:

Rebecca's global PR agency network isn't just about language translation—it's about cultural nuance. Italy, France, and the Nordics all require different storytelling approaches. Comms leaders should invest in local specialists who understand both the market and the cultural context.

Podcasts create relationship acceleration:

Rebecca didn't expect her podcast to build genuine friendships with customers, but the format creates intimacy that traditional touchpoints can't replicate. One customer she interviewed early on credited the podcast with helping him showcase his wider skill set during a promotion cycle. Video conversations move professional relationships forward faster than any other format.

Conversation
Highlights

 

In an industry dominated by technical jargon and threat-focused messaging, Armis has carved out a distinct voice in cybersecurity—and that’s no accident. Rebecca Cradick, VP of Global Communications at Armis, brings 25 years of B2B tech communications experience to a company navigating one of the most complex storytelling challenges in enterprise software. In this episode of The Narrative, Rebecca reveals how she’s built a communications program that prioritizes authentic human stories over product positioning, why she restructured her team around the catchall term “Global Communications,” and how she’s using her podcast to create unexpectedly emotional connections with CISOs. From navigating the fragmentation of traditional media to turning customer conversations into lasting relationships, Rebecca shares the tactical frameworks that have made her one of the most thoughtful voices in enterprise comms.

 

Topics Discussed

  • Restructuring the comms function for modern complexity: Why Rebecca renamed her team “Global Communications” and how she manages the expanding responsibilities that fall under PR, media relations, analyst relations, executive communications, and crisis management
  • The critical distinction between public relations and media relations: How Rebecca’s team serves as the first point of contact for anyone trying to engage with Armis, and why this broader mandate changes how comms leaders should think about their role
  • Navigating the fragmentation of tech journalism: Rebecca’s perspective on reporters leaving traditional outlets to launch independent newsletters, the rise of pay-for-play models, and how comms teams should adapt their media strategies
  • Building an executive communications playbook around the individual: Her people-first framework for developing authentic executive voices, and why internal-external alignment matters more than ever
  • Using podcasts to replace traditional content formats: How Rebecca transformed Armis’s podcast from audio-only to video, why she focuses on the personal journeys of CISOs rather than technology, and the unexpected relationship-building power of long-form conversations
  • The evolving role of press releases in an AI-driven world: Rebecca’s defense of the press release as historical documentation and SEO backbone, plus how LLMs are changing what counts as authoritative content