Lincoln Financial Group Debuts Multimedia Newsroom: The financial services company last week unveiled a digital platform featuring access to company news releases, infographics, multimedia files, campaign information and social media assets. Sure, PR executives have multiple other disciplines to learn about, but they need to take ownership of these kinds of initiatives. And considering how many PR pros are former journalists, helping to create an online newsroom should be the kind of thing that communicators can sink their teeth into.
- Taco Bell’s New PR and Marketing Recipe: By the end of this year, the fast-food chain will update its core menu to remove artificial colors and flavors, high fructose corn syrup, added trans fats and unsustainable pal oil, Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s chief innovation officer, told Ad Age last week. Kraft, McDonald’s and Nestlé USA have announced similar moves this year. With gradual, yet steady changes in the nation’s palette for healthier fare, food brands can ill afford to sit still. If you are a PR pro and in any way affiliated with food brands—either in-house or the agency side—you probably want to jump on the bandwagon (or at least educate senior managers about the issue and what it means for corporate reputation).
Are Periscope and Meerkat Ready for Their Close-up? When it comes to brand recognition, these social apps have more than a few miles to go when stacked up against some of the more established apps, according to a recent survey conducted by Horizon’s Media’s WHY Group (see right). The survey speaks volumes: You may have what the media dubs “cool technology,” but unless it is backed up by PR, the only people who know about it may be early adopters, and early adopters does not a market make.
Financial Journalists (Still) Less Than Enamored by PR: Just 13 percent of financial journalists consider company PR pros to be highly credible sources, according to a recent Gorkana survey. The poll, which surveyed 400 U.S.-based financial writers, also provided recommendations about how PR pros can improve their relationships with journalists: first, they need to tell truth, according to 90 percent of journalists surveyed; second, have a better understanding of journalists’ beats, publications and audiences (88 percent); and, third, develop greater knowledge of the subjects, companies and industry they (PR pros) represent. That advice is fine, but hardly new. The larger question is whether or not PR is doing a better job but the perception of it by financial writers lags reality. If so, the industry needs to do some PR of its own. If the financial journalists are correct, however, financial PR needs to heed the advice from what arguably is its most important constituent: the media.
- Instagramers Also Enjoy Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn: It may be the most effective way to juice your social networks and put more fannies in the seats: spend more time engaging Instagram. Active Instagram users (the 300 million who visit the site at least monthly) engage on 4.83 of the top 10 social networks, according to new research from GlobalWebIndex (GWI). Besides Instagram, the top social networks, per GWI, are: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, MySpace, Reddit and Badoo. GWI said about 97 percent of Instagram users are active on Facebook (its parent company). The lesson for PR and marketing practicioners: If you want to enhance your brand’s social network, take lots of cool pictures, post them on Instagram and tell an interesting back story that will appeal to Instagram natives.
People Moves: Porter Novelli named one of its partners, Linda Martin, to lead the Southern California office as managing director. In addition, Adam Scholder, a senior VP, was named managing director of the Chicago office.
This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2015 issue of PR News. Read more subscriber-only content by becoming a PR News subscriber today.