Seven PR Lessons from the Queen of Retail

January 29, 2026

Seven years ago, the real estate industry lost one of its most singular voices: Faith Hope Consolo, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Retail.” To the outside world, her passing marked the end of an era. But for those of us who worked alongside her in public relations, Faith’s impact didn’t end with her passing – it became a blueprint.

Early in my career, I had the rare opportunity to manage PR for Faith and her longtime business partner, Joseph Aquino. I was 22, brand new to the industry, and quickly nicknamed “Baby Fil” by Faith – it was affectionate, funny and a gentle indication that she would not go easy on me. What followed was years of hands-on education in how strategic, disciplined public relations actually works.

To sum Faith up is impossible, but to sum up her PR approach is simple: she didn’t stumble into omnipresence, she engineered it. She was regularly quoted in The New York Times, featured by the Associated Press, and invited onto television not because she was lucky, but because she treated PR as a core business function, not a nice-to-have.

Watching her operate up close revealed a set of principles that remain just as relevant in today’s evolving and increasingly fragmented media landscape. Here are seven PR lessons, straight from the Queen of Retail:

1. Be worth quoting

Faith understood that visibility starts with voice. She didn’t offer generic responses or hedge her opinions. She delivered clear points of view, memorable language, and confident sound bites. Journalists didn’t just quote her, they remembered her.

PR takeaway: If you want coverage, don’t just provide information. Provide perspective.

2. Treat PR like a business priority

Public relations was never optional for Faith. She invested time, money and trust into it because she understood that sustained visibility requires consistency and expertise.

PR takeaway: You can’t expect outsized results from an undersized investment.

3. Build relationships, not transactions

Faith cultivated genuine, long-term relationships with journalists. Handwritten thank-you notes, thoughtful check-ins and real conversations mattered to her. She knew trust compounds — and that the best time to build rapport is before you need coverage.

PR takeaway: Media relationships are built between stories, not during them.

4. Brand with intention

Faith’s brand was unmistakable, from her signature color to her tagline, “To find the best retail, you need Faith.” None of it was accidental or ego driven. It was strategic consistency.

PR takeaway: Strong brands are designed, not improvised.

5. Be visible where it matters

Panels, conferences, keynotes – wherever it was, Faith showed up. She understood that leadership is reinforced when people see and hear you sharing what you know in rooms that matter.

PR takeaway: Visibility isn’t vanity if it’s purposeful.

6. Stay current, always

Even late in her career, Faith embraced new platforms, formats and ways of communicating. She never relied on past success to guarantee future relevance.

PR takeaway: Relevance is a moving target, and you have to keep chasing it.

7. Don’t whisper your wins

Faith never assumed people already knew what she was doing. She announced deals, awards and milestones confidently and consistently.

PR takeaway: If you don’t share your wins, you’re leaving equity on the table.

Now 27+ years into my own PR career, her example still shapes how I counsel leaders, build brands and think about public relations as a long game. The tools may change, but the fundamentals of great PR — clarity, consistency, relationships and conviction — remain exactly the same.