Stories by Seth Arenstein

President Trump has a unique communication style that, after nearly four years, continues to confound PR pros. In the course of one day, the president will utter things most communicators would never expect him to say. Labor Day provided a perfect example of why we keep listening to the president.

A new model shows more than 400,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 by the start of 2021. That’s if Americans continue what they’re doing now regarding distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing. Drs. Anthony Fauci and Sanjay Gupta believe Americans are growing weary of the mitigation message. That weariness is costing lives, they say.

Are there more toxic workplace cultures today or are we just hearing about them more? A PR pro-turned clinical psychologist has a theory. In any case, since communicators are charged with protecting the brand externally and being the voice for employees internally, they would be well served to make certain that corporate culture and conflict resolution are sound. The last place a PR pro wants company problems resolved is in the public square.

Consumer engagement with the Twitter feed of the Los Angeles Lakers topped the sports teams and leagues that Shareablee tracked for the first seven months of 2020. Yet, LeBron James’s Twitter feed has a larger audience than either his employer or the National Basketball Association.

All we seem to hear about today are toxic workplaces. Ellen, McDonald’s, the Washington Football Team. What’s behind this spate of media reports and how can communicators protect their companies from being the subject of one of these stories?

Many companies say they listen to their customers, but how many do? And do they act on what they’ve heard? In an interview, Ryder CMO and EVP Karen Jones told us the idea that led to a new campaign came straight from the mouths of customers.

In this installment in our interview series with speakers from the upcoming Social Shake-Up we ask Kristi Daraban, AVP, social media, at Nationwide, about the finer points of social media monitoring. For a deep dive into social content, strategy and measurement, register today for The Social Shake-Up, scheduled for Sept. 22-23 (workshops) and Sept. 29-Oct. 1 (sessions and keynotes).

Recently, we asked PR pros about how to handle an executive who was having a terrible time with one-on-one interviews. This time, we turned the tables a bit, asking how they’d create the perfect interview. They had a lot to say, even though the perfect interview might not exist.

It seems a good bet that many PR pros will work virtually, long after the pandemic ends. The pandemic has proven businesses can exist in a virtual setting. The concepts of remote working and limited budgets permeated today’s PRNEWS webinar, “How to do More with Less: A Holistic Approach to PR.”

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment seems to force a reckoning with authenticity. Several brands, including the NY Times, admit they were on the wrong side of the issue 100 years ago. This reckoning may pave the way for a more honest corporate culture.