Beth Atkinson Discusses The Best Time to Train Your Spokespeople

DALLAS, TX - The produce industry is often caught between a rock and a hard place, knowing that if you’re handling a crisis in the moment, it is too late, yet often being spread too thin to get ahead of a challenge before it becomes an issue. But gone are the days when outbreaks were the only time fresh produce companies needed to address consumer-facing channels.

With supplier stories increasingly in demand, being front-facing is the new reality for suppliers of all sizes. Beth Atkinson, President and Owner of Elephant House PR, has strengthened industry channels to consumer-facing entities like Good Housekeeping and CNN, and she has a crucial message for produce suppliers: everyone at the company is a potential spokesperson.

Media training is something that can feel unnecessary to companies of a certain size and something to push to the next quarter for others. Why should the industry prioritize this as a problem?

"There is always a trade show coming up, a harvest season demanding attention, a customer meeting to prepare for, or a product launch that feels more urgent. For many companies, media training becomes something to consider only when there is a major interview on the calendar or the brand is in the midst of a crisis. But that view is too narrow. Media training is not only crisis preparation. It is brand preparation. It helps leaders speak with more confidence in trade media interviews, where the audience may include retailers, suppliers, growers, and industry peers. It helps them show up more clearly in consumer media opportunities, where the questions are often broader and require a different level of simplicity and relatability. It helps them represent the company in boardrooms, customer meetings, association events, podcasts, panels, and even internal conversations with employees."

When we say “spokesperson,” most probably picture a Chief-level position at a press conference. Who actually counts as a spokesperson for a produce company?

"A Chief Executive Officer speaking on a panel is a spokesperson. A sales leader in a customer meeting is a spokesperson. A marketing director speaking to a trade publication is a spokesperson. A grower answering questions from a retailer, a podcast host, a community partner, or an internal team is a spokesperson. Whether they realize it or not, leadership teams are constantly shaping how people understand the company, what it stands for, and how much confidence others should have in the business."

You recently completed a two-day media training with Sunkist Growers. What does that kind of preparation actually look like in practice?

"The goal is not to turn executives into scripted robots or make every answer sound the same. In fact, the best spokespeople are still themselves—they are authentic, clear, and human. But they are also prepared. They understand the company's core messages, know how to bridge back to what matters, and can answer difficult questions without creating confusion or unnecessary risk. When leaders take the time to align on how they show up, that is when you see the real value."

The produce industry specifically moves fast when issues arise, be that food safety, weather events, supply disruptions, etc. How does media training factor into those moments?

"In those moments, the leadership team does not have time to decide for the first time who they are, what they believe, or how they want to communicate. A food safety concern, weather event, labor disruption, supply challenge, or viral consumer question can suddenly place a company in the spotlight, and that foundation needs to already be in place. That is why preparation matters long before a microphone is turned on."

What is the core value or ROI media training from a leadership and team-wide standpoint, and what is the message companies on the fence should take away?

"The real value is that it gets the leadership team on the same page—not by giving everyone the same script, but by helping them understand the same priorities. What do we want people to know about our company? What do we want to be known for? How do we answer questions about challenges without becoming defensive? How do we communicate in a way that builds trust? Those questions matter whether a reporter is present or not."

As we take a step back, Beth tells me there may never be a perfect time for media training, and this is exactly why it matters: Visibility, opportunity, and risk do not wait for the calendar to clear. The companies that prepare their leaders before those moments arrive are the ones most equipped to communicate with clarity, confidence, and credibility when it matters most.