As a PR practitioner, the job is to build narratives. As a rancher, you live them. For me, authenticity wasn't a tactic: it was the life I lived before I ever wrote a press release.
That intersection has shaped every part of my career—as well as my home life—and it shaped one of the boldest communications experiments in recent memory: bringing four major brands together to tell a single, unified story on one stage.
Competitors Become a Team
Traditionally, brands at major industry events like CattleCon pursue independent publicity plans. Separate booths. Separate messages. Separate strategies. But when the planning process for this year’s event began, a different perspective emerged—one grounded not in competition, but in how real decisions are made on the ground. In cattle production, producers don’t look at nutrition, equipment and health solutions as isolated categories. They view them as part of an ecosystem—one that determines the success of an animal, a ranch and even a livelihood.
That lens raised a new question: What if the brands that serve this audience told that story together?
Initial reactions were hesitant. Brand teams are conditioned to protect territory. Legal and regulatory constraints are real. But as discussions progressed, a pattern emerged: The walls between brands weren’t as tall as expected. Shared purpose—telling an honest, useful, audience-first story—started to replace competitive instinct.
The resulting collaboration featured Corteva, John Deere, Zinpro, and Zoetis, companies each addressing a critical role in the “stocker phase” of beef production. From forage and grassland management to technology, mineral nutrition and health protocols, the panel walked attendees through a full lifecycle of animal development.
Importantly, there were no hard product pushes. Instead, each brand leaned into education, contribution, and connection.
Setting the Cattle Country Tone
Just as crucial as the content was the tone. The setting traded polish for practicality: barstools instead of podiums, Tex-Mex food and margaritas instead of formal catering. It felt more like a gathering of neighbors than a branded event—and that was the point. In cattle country, trust is earned through shared meals, eye contact and a handshake. The event created space for that kind of connection.
The approach resonated. Media turnout was strong, but more importantly, coverage focused on the strength of the narrative—not the novelty of competitors appearing together. Clients embraced the spirit of collaboration. Concerns about airtime and spotlight never materialized. And what could have been a delicate balance of egos became something entirely different: a shared belief that the story would be stronger together.
Collaboration Lessons
For communicators, this moment offers three key takeaways:
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Start from the audience’s reality. If customers experience your industry as an interconnected system, your messaging should too.
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Design for authenticity. The setting, tone and energy of an event should reflect how your audience actually builds relationships and trust.
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Challenge competitive instincts. Sometimes the most compelling stories emerge not from brand control, but from brand cooperation.
Surface-level storytelling rarely sticks in today's media. Audiences—especially those in specialized, experience-driven industries—are highly attuned to authenticity. They don’t want campaigns that speak at them. They want stories that speak for them.
That’s why cross-brand storytelling isn’t just a creative risk—it’s a strategic necessity. PR professionals who break down internal walls in service of external resonance are the ones who will shape the future of this field.
You have to be willing to break a few "rules" because you know, deep down, that the real story—the one people will trust and share—lives where life actually happens. And for me, that’s not a sterile strategy I learned sitting in a boardroom. That's the real future of our business: More open gates. Fewer fences. Better stories.
Lori Hallowell is Vice President, PR Group Director at Bader Rutter. She is also a fifth-generation rancher on her family farm and a 2025 PRNEWS Top Woman Honoree.