In an era where attention has become both a scarce resource and a defining force in culture, communicators are rethinking how to help brands stand out authentically. On the PR’s Top Pros Talk podcast, Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, spoke with Paul Cohen, Founder and CEO of Attention Comms, about what it means to build purpose-driven communications in 2025 and how authenticity, values, and leadership shape modern PR.
Paul has held senior roles at both global agencies and boutique firms before launching his own. For him, the evolving landscape presents opportunities for nimble, strategic communications built on clarity of purpose. “We’re seeing, especially in the US, both the giant mergers, but then all these opportunities for boutiques and really smart people running smart businesses that can be nimble and take advantage of the radically changing nature of communications and how we shape reputation,” he says. The key, he adds, is “a real clear understanding of the type of work you want to do.”
That clarity extends to the kinds of organizations he chooses to partner with. Purpose-driven companies, Paul explains, are once again distinguishing themselves by proving their commitment rather than just claiming it. “A few years ago, every company on the planet described itself as a purpose-driven organization. It just became wallpaper and meaningless,” he notes. As backlash grows against corporate buzzwords like DEI and ESG, authenticity is re-emerging as a true differentiator. “The organizations that truly believe in purpose as a driver for their business—it’s once again a differentiator. Because now in 2025, companies that claim to be purpose-driven and can demonstrate it are really doing so because they believe in it.”
That belief, he says, must translate into daily action. “Ultimately, it comes down to authenticity,” Paul emphasizes. His former boss once described the need to close the “say-do gap”, the distance between what a company says and what it does. That idea remains central. “Organizations that claim one thing and act in a different way, that gap is just going to be where their reputations go to die. We in PR need to help our clients really reduce that say-do gap to zero.”
Purpose today, Paul adds, has broadened far beyond traditional notions of social responsibility. It’s no longer confined to clean energy or charity work—it’s about coherence and credibility. Stakeholders, he says, can sense when purpose is performative. “It can’t just be an alphabet soup. It can’t just be throwing things on the wall and seeing what sticks. Stakeholders, consumers, investors, they smell inauthenticity from a mile away.” For communicators, that means ensuring every message and initiative connects meaningfully to what the brand truly stands for.
The changing dynamics of media consumption add another layer of complexity. As Doug noted during their discussion, earned media is experiencing renewed importance with the rise of generative search. Paul agrees that communicators must rethink how they view attention itself. “That’s why we named the organization Attention Comms because attention isn’t just a metric. It’s the fundamental substance that shapes politics, society, and culture today.”
He cites Ezra Klein’s insight that “media is something you get hooked on, attention is something you attract,” warning that too many still treat attention as something outside their control. “It’s our role as communicators to ensure that our clients are earning meaningful and proper attention irrespective of channel,” Paul explains. “It’s really a matter of ensuring that all the channels work in concert to tell this attention-grabbing story on behalf of our clients.”
Paul also highlights the importance of community and connection in leadership. He describes building his own “kitchen cabinet” of trusted peers, former colleagues, and friends who provided counsel and perspective as he launched Attention Comms. Trusting that network, he says, has been a powerful reminder that leadership is not a solitary endeavor.
In closing, Paul returns to what drives his work: the belief that communicators can help shape genuine change. “The main thing is, how do we create genuine change in our world, and our role as communicators can really help with that by cutting through the noise, telling authentic stories, and working with organizations that are making a lasting impact.” In a time of information overload, he adds, “the ability to cut through that noise and tell those compelling stories that drive change is as important a calling as I can think of.”
For Paul, attention is more than a goal, it’s a responsibility. By pursuing it with authenticity, coherence, and purpose, communicators can help turn the stories that matter into signals that shape culture for the better.
View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].
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Suchi Sherpa is a Marketing Communications Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.
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