Stories by Jerry Ascierto

When measuring social media and website efforts, few metrics can be taken at face value. Every major platform has some form of native analytic tool, and Google Analytics provides a wealth of information on the factors that affect a website’s performance. But by accepting the numbers you’re given and not digging any deeper, metrics can mislead. Here are three common mistakes communicators can make by looking only at the tip of the metrics iceberg.

PR News recently asked its community to tell us who should be listed among the top game-changers of PR in the last few years. Here, we look at game-changer Jim Abernathy. After an 18-year career in corporate communications with media outlets like CBS, Warner Communications and ABC, he co-founded Abernathy MacGregor, one of the world’s leading strategic and financial communications firms, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston and a network of 51 partner offices around the globe.

Communications pros recently logging into Google Analytics (GA) may have noticed a new feature in the upper right-hand corner of the interface, simply called Intelligence. The feature allows users to ask a question in plain English to get analytics answers to a variety of queries. That’s no small feat given the amount of metrics and dimensions available in GA, a prolific sea of data which can sometimes intimidate communications pros as they set out to build reports.

PR News recently asked its community to tell us who should be listed among the top game-changers of PR in the last few years. Here, we look at game-changer Philip Nardone, Jr., president and CEO of PAN Communications. Nardone grew the firm from a regional powerhouse into one of the nation’s fastest-growing midsize agencies. But his business savvy is matched by a passion for educating the next generation of PR leaders.

Reports that Facebook’s self-service ad-buying tool may have been used by Russian agents during the 2016 election—as well as allowed anti-Semitic groups to target like-minded individuals—has damaged the brand’s reputation and raised questions about federal regulation of social media ads. The revelations have also raised questions about transparency, integrity and crisis management. When should a company withhold information it knows will damage its brand, and for how long?

Toys ‘R’ Us announced late Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy, as the retail chain struggles under the weight of nearly $5 billion in debt. While its finances present an existential threat, an equally sizable challenge comes from within: how to keep its nearly 64,000 employees informed while also calming fears.

PR News recently asked its community to tell us who should be listed among the top game-changers of PR in the last few years. Here, we look at game-changer Nicole Rodrigues, who—after a 13-year career that started with the Oakland Raiders—founded her own agency and used her star power to launch a PR-themed radio and video series.

The cruise ship industry is often on the wrong end of crisis communications, but Hurricane Irma has given Royal Caribbean the chance to show its humanitarian side, even as it deals with pressing customer service issues on social media. The Miami-based company is mobilizing four of its ships to help people in need with food, water and other supplies, in coordination with the federal government as well as local governments in St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

Users logging on to Facebook today will notice a new television-shaped icon gracing the platform as the social media giant unveiled its latest video feature, dubbed Watch. The feature looks to do battle with YouTube for advertising dollars as it offers brand communicators a new platform for evangelizing branded content. Marketers from B2C organizations now have a new front to drive engagement with billions of users on the world’s largest social network, and for B2B marketers, Watch may offer the ability to engage more specialized, targeted audiences.

Did you experience a sudden and sharp sense of FOMO last week? Then you should’ve been in San Francisco with PR News. An all-star lineup of speakers presented on topics ranging from SEO and Google Analytics to influencer marketing and Snapchat at the Big 4 Social Media Conference and Google for Communicators Boot Camp held at the San Francisco Grand Hyatt Aug. 9-10. Here’s a wrap-up of the two-day event, which showcased compelling video, top-notch speakers and networking opportunities galore.