About
Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, is a communications, media, and public relations expert with over 42 years in the industry, having co-founded Jericho Communications and served as President from 1985 until its successful sale in 2006. Eric has worked with a wide-range of top-of-their-industry clients, including Sony, IKEA, Progressive Insurance, Domino’s, Beachbody, H&M, and fitness guru Jack LaLanne, with whom he introduced fitness and wellness culture to Middle America in the 1980s, helping kickstart the same movement that brought aerobics and juicing to American households.
Eric, a global leader in public relations, has the influence and reach to give his clients the exposure they need, getting them placements in media outlets as varied as the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. Eric is also a bestselling author who literally wrote and now is rewriting the book on public relations – the third edition of industry-standard bestseller Public Relations for Dummies – as well as six other titles including Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs (with over a million copies sold). Additionally, Eric serves on the Board of Directors for the Leigh Steinberg Foundation for Concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Brain Health. He is a regular TV pundit, and his expert commentary has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, The New York Times, HuffPost, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox Business, Inc., and PR Week, among others. His communications expertise and professional and media contacts have enabled him to generate high-quality placements for his clients, offering valuable exposure for both important causes and innovative businesses alike.
At Jericho, Eric was instrumental in developing the “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” campaign for raising both awareness and Federal stem cell research funding for multiple sclerosis (MS), successfully getting a research bill through the House of Representatives, which led to him being named a “Hero of Public Relations” by industry bible PR Week in recognition for his work. His “Strike Back” campaign in 1985, at just 24 years old, helped forestall a lengthy MLB strike that threatened to derail an entire season, bringing both sides back to the negotiating table. Additionally, he spearheaded the 2009-2010 Tappening campaign, which encouraged the use of reusable water bottles.
Eric has extensive experience in counseling a wide range of clients in corporate, consumer, retail, technology, and professional services markets as well as building brands such as Domino's Pizza, TCBY, Progressive Insurance, Subway Sandwiches, Tae Bo, Trillium Health Products, Bell Atlantic, American Express, and Sony, among many others.
Eric was vital in helping launch the IKEA brand in North America, bringing it from the fringes of American consumer consciousness to the central place in home furnishing it occupies today. Serving as its primary PR strategist for over a decade, Eric helped develop the blueprint for the IKEA store opening event, which regularly sees hundreds of people camping out for days in anticipation of each opening.
In addition to his work at Jericho, Eric was an active member of the highly selective Young President’s Organization for over a decade where he was the Chapter Chairman of the Gotham Chapter in New York City, and he founded Ericho Communications in 2007. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Santa Monica, today, Ericho works with pioneering clients all over the globe. With a reputation for its unique expertise in strategic media relations, crisis communications, and media training, the multi-faceted PR and communications agency provides public relations campaigns, media outreach, and communications solutions for innovative businesses, high-profile clients, and exciting startups in a variety of industries.