A brand’s reputation is its most valuable asset, but in a world where news spreads in seconds, one misstep can spiral into a full-blown crisis. A single negative headline or viral controversy can shake trust and damage credibility. That’s why strong leadership in crisis management and strategic communication is essential—not just to fix problems, but to shape narratives, manage risks, and turn challenges into opportunities. By combining expert media relations, digital engagement, and data-driven strategies, industry leaders help brands navigate uncertainty, build trust, and stay ahead in an ever-changing landscape.
Toni Harrison, Founder & CEO of Etched Communication, is one such leader. She has built an award-winning public relations and crisis management firm by blending strategic innovation with a deep commitment to client success. Under her leadership, the company has seen a 125.3% average revenue increase since 2021, fueled by long-term partnerships and proprietary technology for real-time crisis mitigation. Harrison’s work has earned prestigious industry accolades, including the Stevie Gold and Bronze Awards, the PR News Top Women honor, and recognition from Black Enterprise. She focuses on empowerment, adaptability, and excellence, helping Etched grow as a trusted leader in the industry.
From Journalist to PR Leader
Toni Harrison founded Etched to build more than just another PR agency—she strived to create a firm that drives tangible impact. Her aim was to challenge the status quo, blend strategy with purpose, and redefine the role of communication in business, communities, and crisis management. For her, success is about impact—helping organizations grow, overcome challenges, and tell stories that inspire action.
With a background in journalism, she saw firsthand the power of storytelling and how rapidly media was evolving. As digital platforms reshaped marketing and public relations faster than ever before, she built Etched to embrace these shifts, using traditional and emerging media to amplify brands and manage crises effectively.
One of her biggest challenges has been scaling the firm’s crisis management practice. Crisis response is unpredictable, high-pressure, and deeply human—it demands immediate action with no set playbook. With 24/7 news cycles and social media constantly in motion, Harrison and her team must always be ready. Balancing this urgency while ensuring team resilience and maintaining client priorities has been one of the most demanding yet rewarding aspects of leading Etched.
Culture of Curiosity, Adaptability, and Purpose
Toni Harrison‘s leadership is rooted in empowerment, foresight, and collaboration. She believes success requires more than learned skills—it’s about having the right mindset. By encouraging people to bring their best selves to work in a way that suits them, she fosters passion and resilience that drive individual and organizational excellence. In the fast-moving world of public relations, where adaptability is key, this approach is essential.
She encourages her team to change their mindset, using “flipping the coin” to see opportunities in challenges. Like tuning a radio, she believes perspective can always be adjusted.
At Etched, this philosophy is woven into the company culture, creating an environment where
- Curiosity is encouraged: Employees are empowered to ask questions, explore ideas, and challenge conventional thinking.
- Adaptability is expected: The team embraces change, staying agile in response to evolving industry demands.
- Purpose powers excellence, not pressure: Success is measured by meaningful impact rather than relentless demands.
Understanding that leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all, she leads with trust, flexibility, and intention. Toni Harrison ensures every team member feels valued and supported, helping them succeed not just in their roles but in their mindset. For Harrison, how people think shapes how they lead—and strong leadership creates a lasting impact.
Balancing Innovation and Risk for Sustainable Growth
Toni Harrison believes that balancing innovation and risk with stability and profitability requires a clear purpose. It’s not about change for the sake of change but about finding smarter, more efficient ways to solve problems and improve processes. True innovation comes from identifying opportunities for progress, while risk-taking must be strategic and well-calculated. If the potential benefits outweigh the risks—and if challenges have been carefully assessed—taking risks can be a necessary step toward growth.
The key to maintaining this balance is leveraging knowledge and experience to take risks in areas where flexibility and real-time adjustments are possible. Risk isn’t about acting without direction but about making informed decisions that align with long-term goals. A measured approach, where ideas are tested, refined, and implemented in stages, ensures steady progress without unnecessary disruption.
At Etched, the focus is on thoughtful innovation and purposeful risk-taking, creating an environment where progress and profitability thrive together.
Investing in Professional Development
At Etched, talent development begins with recognizing key qualities for success—adaptability, a problem-solving mindset, and the ability to perform under pressure. Public relations and crisis management are fast-paced fields where no two situations are the same, requiring not just skill but also resilience, agility, and confidence to adapt. Toni Harrison believes in pushing her team beyond their comfort zones, fostering professional and personal growth. Mentorship plays a vital role in this process, offering guidance in areas of strength and support where improvement is needed.
Toni Harrison emphasizes new perspectives, continuous feedback, and real-world challenges to sharpen decision-making skills, as many assignments require judgment rather than following a set formula. To reinforce a culture of mentorship and growth, she introduced a financial incentive program that rewards team members for pursuing professional development. By providing industry training, membership in professional organizations, and structured mentorship with performance-based bonuses, she ensures that employees feel supported and challenged.
Amplifying Brand’s Voice
Etched provides expert guidance in public relations, crisis management, and strategic communication.
Its key services include:
- Media Relations & Response: Strengthening brand visibility with media connections and real-time tactics.
- Crisis Management: Using predictive monitoring for swift, effective reputation protection.
- Digital Strategy: Driving engagement through data insights, social listening, and interactive content.
- Community & Stakeholder Affairs: Building relationships via grassroots outreach and public affairs.
- Experiential Activations: Crafting immersive experiences to influence audience behavior and impact.
From crisis response to brand storytelling, Etched delivers culturally relevant strategies, consistently exceeding expectations.
Smarter Decision-Making
Etched has developed a proprietary in-house dashboard to strengthen crisis response and media management. This innovative tool helps identify vulnerabilities and address potential threats before they escalate while tracking audience behavior and engagement patterns. By using real-time data analytics and predictive insights, the dashboard allows clients to anticipate trends, shifts in public sentiment, and evolving behaviors. Instead of reacting to crises as they happen, clients can take a proactive approach, making informed decisions to protect their reputation and maintain control of their narrative. Beyond crisis management, the dashboard also provides valuable insights to improve audience engagement strategies, setting a new standard in public relations and helping clients navigate challenges with confidence.
Bridging Boardrooms, Newsrooms, and The Situation Room
Etched is an award-winning public relations and crisis management firm that connects corporations, causes, and communities through culturally aware communication and strategic engagement. More than just managing messaging, it crafts narratives that inspire action and deliver real results.
What sets Etched apart is its ability to move seamlessly between boardrooms, newsrooms, and crises, executing high-impact strategies across PR, crisis management, executive positioning, digital engagement, and community affairs. With a proprietary dashboard offering real-time crisis mitigation and audience insights, the firm empowers clients to make proactive decisions in an ever-evolving media landscape.
Combining the resources of a global agency with the flexibility of a boutique firm, Etched delivers tailored strategies grounded in top-tier research and measurement. Its diverse team—spanning journalism, film, public affairs, event planning, and advertising—ensures a precise, informed approach to navigating complex industries.
Strategic Growth Backed by Results
Etched thrives on a steadfast commitment to excellence over expansion. Rather than striving to be the biggest, the firm focuses on being the best, driving a 125.3% average revenue increase since 2021 by strengthening relationships with existing clients. Organizations often turn to Etched for crisis response, but its strategic thinking, measurable impact, and personalized service keep them engaged long after the crisis is resolved. Beyond addressing immediate challenges, the firm crafts long-term communication strategies that protect, position, and elevate brands.
This approach fuels growth across industries such as healthcare, transportation safety, and government, reinforcing Etched’s reputation as a trusted partner for high-stakes communication challenges. The firm succeeds by investing in people, culture, and technology, using advanced tools to manage crises in real-time and drive meaningful, sustainable growth.
PR Challenge into Meaningful Change
A recent successful initiative led by Etched was the launch of the Heat Relief Initiative, a groundbreaking campaign addressing the lack of air conditioning in public housing. The initiative began when an NPR reporter’s question revealed that there was no federal mandate requiring cooling in public housing, even during record-breaking heat waves. Recognizing the urgency, Etched transformed this issue from a potential PR crisis into a catalyst for real change.
The firm secured over $2 million in funding, leading to the installation of 1,615 AC units across three public housing communities. Its success was driven by strategic planning, collaboration with policymakers, and a commitment to making a real impact. By incorporating resident stories, heat vulnerability data, and economic opportunities, the initiative provided immediate relief that empowered local businesses and created jobs.
This initiative exemplifies how Etched approaches challenges—turning obstacles into opportunities, leveraging media attention for progress, and using public relations as a force for meaningful change. The true measure of success wasn’t just in the media coverage but in the lives improved through this effort.
Beyond Traditional Methods
Etched has disrupted traditional public relations by transforming it into a proactive, strategic business tool rather than a reactive response. Instead of waiting for challenges to arise, the firm anticipates and shapes change, embedding PR at the start of strategy development to influence decisions and strengthen organizations.
A key driver of this shift is Etched’s proprietary in-house dashboard, which tracks real-time audience behavior, detects potential crises before they escalate, and empowers companies to act rather than react. By leveraging audience intelligence and strategic foresight, Etched helps businesses stay ahead, using insights to turn PR into a competitive advantage.
Unlike traditional firms that focus on damage control, Etched prioritizes crisis prevention, ensuring clients safeguard their reputations while also driving growth. This forward-thinking approach has redefined PR as a force for influence, innovation, and long-term business success.
Staying Ahead of Change
Toni Harrison’s vision goes beyond traditional PR—she builds lasting impact. Trust, measurable results, and forward-thinking strategies continue to drive Etched’s success.
Many clients come to Etched in crisis, uncertain about the future. But a crisis isn’t just about survival—it’s an opportunity for transformation. Etched solves immediate challenges and strengthens brands for long-term stability.
By staying ahead of media shifts, industry trends, and cultural movements, Etched ensures its clients are always prepared. With expert strategists, advanced crisis management tools, and a growing industry presence, the firm continues to expand while staying agile and client-focused. Success isn’t about following norms—it’s about setting new standards, delivering results, and shaping what’s possible.
5 Business Mantras from Toni Harrison
- Crisis = Opportunity: Etched Communication turns brand crises into comebacks with strategic PR, digital engagement, and data-driven insights.
- Mindset Fuels Success: Skills matter, but adaptability and curiosity drive lasting growth.
- Smart Risk-Taking: Innovation isn’t constant change—it’s making strategic, calculated moves.
- Invest in People: Mentorship and continuous learning build resilience and confidence.
- PR as Strategy: Proactive crisis management turns PR into a competitive advantage.
