Claire Tsai

Elmo simply wanted everyone to have fun. That instinct has always defined Sesame Street’s red monster, who lives in a neighborhood that looks and feels like New York City and spends his days teaching children about friendship, kindness and “big feelings.” While Elmo is a fictional character managed by the Sesame Street social media and creative teams, the public reaction to his posts offers a surprisingly useful lesson in audience expectations and brand positioning.

At a time when AI tools are multiplying faster than most teams can pilot them, the PR Daily Conference felt refreshingly human. Tina McCorkindale, PhD, president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, joined Mary C. Buhay, chief growth officer and head of councils at Ragan Communications, for an exclusive research presentation on why trust matters in the age of AI and how communicators can build it.

In the spirit of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, I sat down with Patrice Tanaka, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of Joyful Planet and a serial public relations entrepreneur, to talk about what it really means to live and lead with purpose as an AANHPI communicator and advocate.