PR Insiders

Most PR pros learn about media relations in school or on the job. Matt Newey, a photographer and ski nut, absorbed some of the basics through trial and error. He pitched his personal story of contracting COVID-19 to hundreds of reporters. It worked.

The pandemic has caused more than a few sectors to pivot. Why not influencers? With travel and leisure destinations largely off the radar, influencers increasingly are working with the public sector, education organizations and social causes. The goal in most cases is to promote awareness of health and other messages.

What’s the role of brand storytelling during this difficult time? For master storyteller Miri Rodriguez, now is a perfect moment for brand stories. In a wide-ranging interview, she also urges C-suite members who’ve adopted a more human communication approach to preface it with an introduction to their softer side.

We’re living in difficult times. Yet, the events of 2020, for good or ill, are shaping up to be storytelling gold. It’s a time for brand storytellers to gather and capture real-time history and to think more broadly about how these stories can be used.

In this continuing series about career lessons, veteran communicator Dale Bornstein discusses how to unleash a PR pro’s career passion. While it is hard work for management and the staffer in question, there’s nothing more satisfying. The first step is asking the employee to describe their dream job.

Using AI to create realistic but deceitful video content, known as a deepfake, is rapidly moving into the business world. As such, communicators need to know how to recognize and combat deepfakes to protect their business and the brands they represent. Kglobal’s Ellen Huber offers tips and tactics.

Is this pandemic moment the right time to initiate an influencer campaign? Influencer marketing certainly has pain points, yet this might be an ideal time, argue Allison Fitzpatrick and Paavana Kumar of Davis & Gilbert LLP. Here are their content and regulatory tips to bolster influencer success.

In honor of Pride Month, the Museum of PR held a forum where PR pros who are members of the LGBTQ+ community discussed how the industry has helped raise awareness around Pride. In addition, they spoke about their experiences being PR pros and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The adage that employees can be your best advocates is more apparent during the pandemic. How a company treats its employees has both internal and external implications, argues Meagan Meldrim of Finn Partners. She offers several ways to make employees your brand’s influencers.

As Pride Month comes to a close, we offer this interview of Annise Parker, the first openly LGBTQ mayor of a major American city. Parker now heads Victory, a bipartisan group that recruits and helps elect LGBTQ+ candidates. She tell H+K Strategies’ Ed Patterson how communication is part of Victory’s work.