Mary Butin’s story began with what was, for her, a “lightning in a bottle” moment. In 1985, she became the first female to be awarded the singular PR internship in the Global Communications department of The Coca-Cola Co. The foundational experience gave her a rare and remarkable front-row seat to one of the most dramatic and historic public relations events in the company’s history: the near-overnight removal of the original formula for Coca-Cola from grocery shelves, vending machines, and restaurants worldwide, replaced by a reformulated “New Coke” that studies had shown would finally outperform taste preferences for Pepsi. What followed that summer was a tsunami of international hysteria over the change, and the ultimate return to the shelves of what became known as “Coca-Cola Classic.” As the most junior associate, Butin was assigned to wade through and categorize the sea of thousands of letters coming in from around the world. She identified and shared an adorable quote from a small child—and it was so embraced by leadership that it was ultimately used in President Donald Keough’s international comeback speech: “Dear Chief Dodo…gimme back my Coke.” The return of Coca-Cola Classic remains one of the most exemplary marketing and PR case studies of the century. After a stint with one of the largest PR agencies in the world – Cohn & Wolfe/Burson-Marsteller, she re-joined Coca-Cola as a manager in it’s North American PR department. She was involved with some of the earliest sponsorships in sport—notably supporting and later executing PR programs for Coca-Cola spanning seven Olympiads. She led the global PR announcement for the first plastic contour-shaped Coca-Cola bottle, the successful U.S. launch for PowerAde, Coca-Cola's first foray into non-carbonated beverages, and the award-winning grand opening for the company’s first museum, the World of Coca-Cola. And she supported many other pioneering “firsts” by Coca-Cola, including experiential event activations, shopper marketing, celebrity sponsorships, and more. Working with some of the brightest minds in the industry, she also developed a unique expertise in crisis communications, working through issues around brand transparency, sourcing, sustainability messaging, wellness, and corporate social responsibility. She founded Butin PR in 2005, with the goal to help brands seeking to scale by providing large-agency expertise and know-how on a boutique budget. Her motto—“Be better, not bigger”—has defined her agency’s philosophy for two decades, ensuring that quality, attention, and meaningful client relationships remain at the core of its operations. Butin PR was four times named to the University of Georgia’s “Bulldog 100: Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses,” and achieved the rank of No. 12 from among 700 entries nationwide in 2012. Mary Butin was named with 15 others as a “2013 Woman of the Year” for marketing and public relations by the National Association of Professional Women, and was nominated as a 2013 Ernst & Young Southeast Entrepreneur of the Year. She was recently named a 2025 Top Woman in PR by PRNEWS in the Business Entrepreneur category. In 2020, Butin PR was named to the prestigious PR News Top 100 Agency Elite, a recognition of the nation’s 100 most innovative and strategic PR firms, and a finalist for Small PR Firm of the Year. Butin has been recognized as an Odwyer’s Top 35 Travel & Tourism firm, an Odwyer’s Top 25 Food & Beverage firm, as well as a Top Food and Beverage Marketing Company by Food & Business Review. Mary has served on the boards of directors for the United Way of Coastal Georgia, the Friends of Fort Frederica National Monument, Breckenridge (Colo.) Tourism, and numerous local civic organizations. Mary and her agency have also given time and support to more than 20 global, national, and regional non-profit organizations. She and her husband, John, have three grown children, and live seasonally between Saint Simons Island, Ga., and Breckenridge, Co.