Stories by Seth Arenstein

There are various reasons for companies to create branded content. Whatever the reason, the PR axiom, “think like a journalist,” can apply to organizing a content creation effort. Here’s how one former journalist took her media training and applied it to build a successful branded content shop that augments the job-searching site Monster.com.

Communicators and marketers know brands must impress customers and employees. A new study shows there’s a gap between the image that brands portray to the public and what their own employees think of the brand based on their work experience.

Each week we highlight a slide from a PR News presentation of interest to readers. This week’s slide comes from Therese Van Ryne, who heads global PR the global customer reference & the global customer reference program at Zebra Technologies. She spoke at PR News’ Measurement Boot Camp earlier this month in NY. Her slide emphasizes that concentrating your measurement on impressions only can be misleading.

As we get ready for Giving Tuesday next week, we found the implications for brands of a Ketchum survey interesting. The survey found nearly half of all consumers are more likely to make holiday purchases from brands they know are donating to disaster relief.

What should brands do when an employee says something controversial and headlines result? Is the consequence immediate suspension? Should there be a warning first? What about issuing a public warning that not only puts the employee on notice but serves to inform all other staff? The examples of Shepard Smith and Bob Costas bring these questions to light.

A weekly roundup of trends, news and personnel moves in communications and marketing. This week’s stories include the downfall of Louis C.K., the hubbub over Judge Roy Moore and brands pulling advertising off the Hannity show on Fox News Channel and another scare for Chiptole.

A small study of influencers in the diabetes community provides lessons and tips about how brands should work with influencers to build lasting relationships.

No doubt your grandparents have heard of Twitter from President Trump’s constant use of the platform. And you doubtless know that today is the official date for Twitter to expand its 140-character limit to 280. But what pundits have dubbed a bad move for the social media bird’s brand may end up benefitting PR pros and marketers.

By now, nearly everyone in Washington, D.C., has heard about the seemingly damaging article in this morning’s Politico. Former DNC chair Donna Brazile writes that she has solid proof that the Hillary Clinton campaign rigged the party’s nomination. The question for PR pros, of course, is what advice would you offer to Hillary Clinton now? Should she contest the article, hold a press conference, release a statement or remain silent?

It’s been a bad stretch for journalism as several top-flight writers and editors have been brought down due to sexual harassment charges. As journalists and PR professionals are part of the same milieu, it’s an unhappy moment for communicators, too. Still, PR pros have jobs to do. There are several lessons they should take from the incidents of the past few weeks.