Blaire & Co. Strategic Communications, a new Phoenix-based public relations and public affairs firm, has opened to serve organizations in technology, healthcare, real estate and other regulated and B2B industries. Founder Erica Fetherston, who brings more than 15 years of communications experience in Arizona and across the globe, directly leads every engagement, from initial planning through execution.
Arizona’s economy has grown in semiconductor manufacturing, healthcare and real estate development. Organizations in those types of sectors need to answer not only to their customers and employees but also to other important audiences such as regulators and the communities they serve. With that many audiences, communications that begin with basic tactics rather than a plan can miss the people who matter most.
“When communications is done well, it wins customers, protects reputations and moves policy,” said Fetherston, founder and principal of Blaire & Co. “Too many organizations are paying for activity without getting that kind of impact. I founded Blaire & Co. to close that gap, with a plan built for the business and work that starts showing results while the plan is still taking shape.”
That approach is built into the Blaire Blueprint, the firm’s 90-day onboarding framework. During that period, Fetherston and each new client agree on goals, priorities and how results will be measured before day-to-day work begins. Services include reputation management, crisis preparedness, community outreach and thought leadership. The firm is already working with Arizona clients in technology, healthcare, economic development and the nonprofit sector.
Fetherston’s career spans public relations, media relations and public affairs. Her work has included communications for Fortune 100 and globally headquartered companies, national public affairs campaigns and clients in healthcare, finance and other regulated industries. She also led crisis and reputation communications for a national election technology company for five years, a program that generated more than 2,000 positive and informative media features. She spent seven years leading communications for Local First Arizona, growing the organization to be the nation’s largest association of locally owned businesses, before joining 10 to 1 Public Relations, where she spent eight years growing the firm in clients and staff. A former president of the Phoenix chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), she received the chapter’s Percy Award, its top professional honor, in 2024.
“Erica brings a rare combination of warmth, thoughtful judgment, and purposeful action to her work. She takes the time to understand the landscape, asks the right questions and then jumps in with an approach that’s right on target,” said Paula Pedene, APR, Fellow PRSA, and Chair-Elect of PRSA. That ability to read a situation before making a move is invaluable in public relations and public affairs. She’s a delight to work with, and I’m excited to see her bring those strengths to Blaire & Co.”
Blaire & Co. is based in Phoenix and serves organizations in Arizona and beyond.
