Stories by Seth Arenstein

Some brands can throw stars (celestial and Hollywood) at their live streams. Still, providing followers a behind-the-scenes experience is more important and it shouldn’t cost you a lot of money. And even big brands sometimes spend only a little to make themselves more human.

While overconfidence has ruined the best of brands, teams and people, sometimes you just have to admit: When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. That’s the case with PETA’s prowess on social media, according to data Shareablee provided exclusively to PRNews Pro.

At the end and start of the year we ask communications pros to prognosticate about the coming 12 months. In our last edition of 2016 we heard predictions from communicators about data security, authenticity and brand ambassadors. For this first edition of 2017 we offer part II of our predictions series. Happy New Year.

The tactic of using influencers to deliver messages that will drive consumer action has matured to the point that it’s become an accepted practice in most of the marketplace. Yet finding and working with influencers is far more complex than it appears at first glance. A Nasdaq Corporate Solutions/PR News Pro survey underlines these points.

Our weekly roundup of trends and personnel moves in PR. This week features a story about The Arthur W. Page Center choosing its Icons of Integrity, a counter to fake news.

There’s nothing better than a business trip during the first week of January to shock staffers back into the harsh reality of the work world after well-deserved time off during the holidays. While that’s probably not why the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) begins this week—the cost of convention space is lower in early January, particularly in colder climates and travel budgets are full at the year’s start—it accomplishes the mission well.

It’s OK to be of several minds on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and especially at this time of year. Even communicators working in CSR can’t agree on exactly how to define it, a recent study from Aflac revealed. And during the holiday season, it’s hard for journalists to avoid numerous brands pitching stories about how much good they’re doing.

Each year at this time we ask communicators what issues loom large for them in the new year. Last year integration, mobile and content dominated (PRN , Nov. 16, 2015).

“Finding the right influencer is like dating,” says John Walls, director, brand PR, luxury & lifestyle brands, Hilton Worldwide, who’s newly married. Agrees APCO Worldwide managing director Lisa Osborne Ross, “[Beginning a relationship with an influencer] is like starting any relationship…etiquette is etiquette…[and the relationship] really clicks when each side has something to offer…I’ve been married for 28 years…I’m very clear what my husband offers and what I offer,” Osborne Ross says in deadpan gest.

“Almost all firms are over-servicing,” Gould says, though small ones, with yearly revenue of $3 million or less, are the major culprits. This largest group of firms often lacks sophisticated time-management systems (one he recommends is ClickTime) and a chief financial officer (CFO) to oversee, interpret and analyze the data such a system produces.