Stories by Sophie Maerowitz

For many this holiday season, it is not, in fact, the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. “Peanuts” fans nationwide were dismayed to find out that the fall favorite will run exclusively on AppleTV+, Apple’s paid streaming service. While the special will be free to non-subscribers for a limited period, would-be viewers were not shy about expressing their displeasure. The snafu teaches communicators a valuable lesson this holiday season: Now is not the time to mess with what few annual traditions we have left.

Sometimes, when a company fails to take full stock of its actions—particularly around internal operations—activist employees take to social media to call out their organization. When an employee’s post goes viral, PR pros are expected to pick up the pieces. So, what is the best course of action when an employee puts a company on the stand regarding DEI, the election or another hot-button topic? Experts weigh in.

Earlier this week, Johnson & Johnson announced it had paused “further dosing in all our COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials” due to an “unexplained illness” in a volunteer. One day later, drugmaker Eli Lilly paused its clinical trial for an antibody treatment. For PR pros, messages related to the race to find a vaccine and treatment serve as a natural experiment in healthcare communication.

On Oct. 6, Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes posted his version of the latest viral video craze to hit TikTok, which has since racked up more than 1.3 million views. His video is a spin on a Sept. 25 video posted by TikTok user 420DoggFace208, the handle of Idaho warehouse worker Nathan Apodaca, 37. Squeezing some extra earned media juice, Hayes’ company donated a red pickup truck filled with bottles of Ocean Spray to Apodaca. The surprise gift video has seen more than a million views on Instagram, exhibiting cross-channel appeal.

Ahead of this year’s Social Shake-Up virtual social media conference, we spoke to #SSU2020 speaker Alanna Bass of Okayplayer. Whether you are trying to communicate with a diverse audience or jump into a trending conversation, Bass says to keep these things in mind in tumultuous 2020 and beyond.

In this Social Shake-Up 2020 preview, we catch up with brand strategist Tracey Del Moral on the latest in influencer marketing. On her mind? Campaigns that illustrate meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion, dialing in key performance indicators and looking for brand ambassadors in unlikely places.

This year’s Social Shake-Up cast is made up of marketing and communications professionals who manage social media messaging at top brands and nonprofits, from the American Heart Association to UPPAbaby. Today, we hear from Jamie Lieberman, owner of Hashtag Legal, a law practice that specializes in digital media. As part of the Shake-Up, Jamie will be speaking on the elements that make for a successful social media policy.

More than a decade after the advent of hashtags, trendjacking may be evolving into a longer-term play. In the wake of social unrest, brands have begun chiming in on issues unfolding over a course of weeks or months rather than days. Sophie Maerowitz looks at the evolution of trendjacking and visits with brands and organizations that are using the tactic to enhance awareness.

Some PR pros might be surprised to see analog photography pioneer Kodak—which filed for bankruptcy in 2011—making headlines for technological innovation, but a new contract with the federal government has sent its shares soaring. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2013 and has since transitioned into chemicals production, will be receiving a $765 million loan from the Trump administration to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), some of which are used in coronavirus patient treatments.

Walmart has announced it will be closing on Thanksgiving this year, breaking an annual tradition that draws large crowds of shoppers for holiday sales. Bringing together thousands of customers indoors is not advisable in a pandemic—or even legal, in many states, as things currently stand—but the move still comes as somewhat of a surprise given the massive financial losses suffered by retailers as a result of quarantine orders and store closures.