fatjoe x The Leaders Institute – Leading The Way With Digital PR (Case Study)

33 links. 6 weeks. Forbes-level authority.

Following on from our digital PR wins for Wolf River Electric and Future Bail Bonds, we’re back to showcase how our work for The Leaders Institute turned workplace data into national headlines.

Results Snapshot (40-Day Sprint)

• Brief: 10 links – delivered 33 high-authority links (230% over target)
• Featured in Forbes, Reader’s Digest, MSN, Men’s Journal, Miami Herald, and other major US news outlets
• Link quality: DR 73-94
• Reach: national and regional syndication across 20+ US states
• Topics that landed: workplace stress, AI readiness, self-employment, leadership burnout, business friendliness, and noise pollution
• PR period saw +129 referring domains and +5 new Top-3 keywords (authority growth supported overall SEO)

This Digital PR Campaign added trusted, editorial backlinks and national visibility, which supported broader search performance.

Above: Natural editorial content positioning The Leaders Institute as expert commentators in the Reader’s Digest, while also providing additional context on their knowledge and mission.

Want more on how Leah Daly and the Digital PR team accomplished this amazing coverage? Here’s the deep dive.

The Set-Up

The Leaders Institute wanted to move beyond its niche as a team-building provider and be recognised as a credible national voice on leadership and the future of work – all while hitting a 10 PR link KPI in just six weeks.

fatjoe’s PR Campaign Approach

We built a newsroom-friendly slate of data and trend stories that tied The Leaders Institute’s expertise to what editors already wanted to cover:

1. Rank-based data hooks – stress, noise, quitting, AI readiness, and self-employment rates.
2. Expert commentary – leadership burnout, emotional intelligence, and the reasons employees leave.
3. Human-angle storytelling – work culture, lifestyle, and productivity framed for everyday readers.

Pitch Ideation Highlights

• The Most Stressful Jobs in America
  
• The States Most Prepared for the AI Revolution
  
• Top 50 Metros With the Most Night-Shift Workers
  
• Best States for Self-Employed Workers
  
• The Noisiest States in 2025
  
• Where Workers Quit the Most This Year
  
• Friendliest States for Business in 2025
  
• Emotional Intelligence: The #1 Leadership Skill in 2025
  
• Top Reasons Employees Leave
  
• Leader Burnout “Exodus”

Notable Coverage Highlights

• Forbes – multiple inclusions establishing authority on hybrid work and leadership well-being
• MSN – national syndication for “Most Stressful Jobs” and “Noisiest States”
• Reader’s Digest – lifestyle explainer citing campaign data
• Men’s Journal – feature on US noise rankings
• Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee, Charlotte Observer, Kansas City Star, and dozens of regional affiliates syndicating results
• Lab Manager – expert quote for professional audience credibility

In total: 33 high-authority links + wide syndication across the US news ecosystem, securing coverage from multiple DR70-90+ sites.

Above: The Reader’s Digest coverage being quoted in response to a ChatGPT query.

Why This PR Campaign Worked

What was it about the work that Leah and the team did that meant that journalists were clamouring to cover these pitches?

• Rankings + relatable data gave journalists ready-made storylines.
• Leadership expertise added credibility and quotability.
• Timely hooks – AI, burnout, and hybrid stress – matched peak newsroom interest.
• One dataset – dozens of local angles, creating repeatable press waves.

Campaign Impact Summary

Sure, that’s why it worked for journalists, but why did it work for the client?

• 230% over link target (33 vs 10)
• Featured in top-tier outlets with a combined reach of hundreds of millions
• Positioned The Leaders Institute as a national expert on leadership and workplace culture
• Added authoritative backlinks and visibility that strengthen long-term search trust

By packaging credible workplace data with human-led insights, fatjoe’s PR Campaign for The Leaders Institute turned leadership research into headline news, landing 33 high-authority links and breaking into Forbes.

Smart digital PR campaigns can elevate even a niche training provider into a national thought leader.

Ready to lead the way in your niche? Check out fatjoe’s Digital PR Campaigns here.