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As Google Spins, So Does Silicon Valley

This article is more than 8 years old.

Google's influence on Silicon Valley's culture and business is unmatched. The free lunches, the shuttle buses, the founder control are all Googley traits that have been adopted by countless startups big and small.

For better or worse, over the years, Google has also been the farm team for the Valley's spin machine.

The fact was underscored Wednesday by the departure of Google's top PR exec, Rachel Whetstone, to Uber, where she will lead communications and public policy, replacing former Obama adviser David Plouffe.

The Google PR "diaspora" now runs communications at many of the most important Valley companies. That includes Facebook, Twitter , Tesla, Square, Yahoo , Lyft, Uber, Pinterest and Snapchat (that one, technically not in the Valley, but of the Valley). There are exceptions, of course, notably Apple and Salesforce, as well as old-line companies like HP, Cisco and Oracle . Other Google PR veterans hold similar roles at elite venture firms or agencies that cater to top tech concerns, and many more toil in the ranks of communications companies throughout the Valley.

Many of these PR hands where brought to Google by Elliot Schrage, who ran and helped to "scale" Google's PR department between 2005 and 2008, before decamping for Facebook. In those years, Schrage grew the Google's communications staff from a handful of employees to well over 100.

Interestingly, many of his hires where not traditional corporate PR types. Some came from the world of politics (veterans of the White House or presidential campaigns), others were recovering laywers, or majors in economics, sociology, political science and international affairs.

"We didn't go to the usual sources," says Schrage. "The hallmarks of Google is that things moved fast, there were always issues or crises or products being launched. You had to deal not only with reporters but with other constituencies as well. You needed people who could think strategically, think fast, operate under stress and deliver results. It is a difference between thinking of communications a as strategic function and a tactical function. They were strategic partners."

Lest it's not clear, Schrage is proud of his legacy.

Love it or hate it, the way the Valley communicates -- or spins -- like countless other things, was dreamed up at the Googleplex.

The Google PR diaspora (in no particular order):

  • Facebook: Elliot Schrage, VP of communications and public policy
  • Uber: Rachel Whetstone, SVP of policy and communications
  • Tesla: Ricardo Reyes, VP of communications and marketing
  • Twitter: Gabriel Stricker, chief communications officer
  • Yahoo: Anne Espiritu, VP of global public relations
  • Square: Aaron Zamost, head of communications
  • Pinterest: Barry Schnitt, head of communications
  • Lyft: Brandon McCormick
  • Google Ventures: David Krane, managing partner (oversees communications and marketing in addition to co-managing the fund)
  • Snapchat: Jill Hazelbaker, VP of communications and public policy
  • Sequoia Capital: Andrew Kovacs, head of communications
  • Accel Partners: Larry Yu, managing partner (in charge of communications)
  • The Pranama Collective (PR agency): Brian O'Shaughnessy, partner and co-founder
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