By Joshua Finley

It was election time when a national political powerhouse yanked its support from a make-it or break-it candidate. Supporters smelled a rat. The problem? An orchestrated hit job rooted in stolen personal information by a national media outlet. The case practically screamed: “Reputation repair.”

As is often the case in such matters, crisis PR expert Evan Nierman stepped in. Under the cover of darkness, he addressed the lies and untangled the wire under cover of darkness. It was icing on the cake when Congress opened an investigation into the source of the information leak.

Crisis averted.

Meet Nierman and his team of crisis management stealth fighters. Nierman’s dedication to his self-described philosophy of “press the truth” has molded his scrappy PR agency, Red Banyan, to become a notable player in the crisis PR space where stealth is often the goal and solution for most clients.

“Our job is securing the best possible outcome for our clients, not promoting ourselves,” said Nierman. He operates most days from the firm’s South Florida office but can just as often be found on a plane helping address issues across the country. “And for that reason, we are very careful about revealing the names of our crisis clients. If no one ever finds out that they were dealing with something, then we’ve done our jobs exceptionally well.”

Like the time a company urgently turned to Red Banyan for fallout triage after a cybersecurity data leak impacted tens of thousands worldwide. Red Banyan’s crisis experts swiftly guided the response, ensuring the situation was resolved discreetly without public awareness of their involvement.

Scroll through the company website, and you won’t see many links to “client news” or brand-specific “case studies.” The reason? Crisis clients typically don’t want their customers to know they are in trouble. The clients who grace the Red Banyan website are typically industry leaders or disruptors engaging the firm for strategic communications assistance.

When it comes to public relations firms, it is clear that Red Banyan is a horse of a different color.

Red Banyan’s Chief People Officer Robbin Lubbehusen, the firm’s talent recruiter, says many employees lack traditional PR or communications degrees, but have skills that are transferrable. While several possess traditional PR backgrounds, the staff also includes former journalists, a former teacher, a former actor, and numerous marketing professionals.

Established in 2011, Red Banyan has employees in 15 states and across all U.S. time zones. The agency fosters a collaborative, relatable culture where employees mobilize fast. Workers stay connected with daily Zoom “huddles,” exchange online “shout outs,” and gather for “strategy summits,” which they say are aimed at staying ahead of emerging trends in the PR space.

The crisis PR agency’s success is rooted in the kind of trust and expertise at all levels, whether it involves a cancel culture attack, reputation repair, traditional PR, or government relations. But don’t expect Nierman to dish on his clients. Showboating is not in his DNA.

“Sometimes the best results are ones that never see the light of day,” he’s quick to point out.

Employees cite Nierman’s strong commitment as the reason Red Banyan has grown from a one-man operation to a successful hybrid agency with clients from four continents. The outspoken CEO expects much from others and more from himself.

Team members say his number one expectation is accountability, and they caution against coming to him with questions if you don’t already have a suggested course of action in mind.  But his direct approach to inter-office interactions can be jarring.

“I will instantly zero in on the things that we need to change,” Nierman admits. “Sometimes it’s an adjustment when people work with me. I’m going to be very direct, but sometimes, I skip overpraising the good parts for pointing out the items that need improvement and aren’t 100 percent. My goal is to be a problem-solver. I want to ensure the success of my clients.”

Nierman views his agency as less conventional than traditional firms, as well as nimbler, more aggressive, and more creative.

“In large agencies, senior experienced people pitch clients and convince them to hire the firm, then push the work down on the cheapest employees who happen to be the least experienced,” Nierman said. “Our model has many people at mid and high levels who are actually doing the work while mentoring the junior people. Our younger team members are leaps and bounds ahead of our competition when it comes to skillset and mindset.”

Those close to Nierman describe him as a lifelong learner who loves to share what he knows with others. Nierman is a sound-bite machine whose deep understanding of pop culture and crisis communications has made him a reliable source for reporters.

Nierman also penned two Amazon bestsellers in three years. He has provided media training and debate preparation to a presidential candidate, represented foreign governments, and advised high-profile individuals facing cancel culture challenges. And he’s just getting started.

Evan Nierman’s deep understanding of the media, relationship with reporters, and understanding of how to leverage both are among his most distinguishing traits.

Published by Emma N.