- What’s the Good Word on Headlines? Agonizing about headlines for email blasts and other written communication is an occupational hazard for PR pros. But help may be on the way, thanks to a new study narrowing down 1,000-plus words designed to garner higher emotional engagement. The research, conducted by native-advertising company Sharethrough, is based on a sample of 226 people. Sharethrough took the neuroscience data and ran it against text-analysis software created by James Pennebaker, a social psychologist at the University of Texas to study the emotional engagement of words, according to the online publication Quartz. Sharethrough came up with a list of 1,072 so-called “context words,” broadly grouped into four categories (the full list of context words is available at http://d3qbki4iitkx07.cloudfront.net/2015/06/29220441/Sharethrough_Context_Word_Dictionary.pdf). The four word categories, along with examples of specific words that fit into each of category are: Time (e.g. abrupt, fast); Insight (admit, idea); Motion (act, climb) and Space (away, outside).
- Multi-Channel Campaigns Leave a Lot to Be Desired: The joys and alleged cost savings of branding via multiple media channels. PR pros should be living there by now, what with constant calls the last several years for brands and organizations to adopt an integrated-marketing mentality. But multi-channel campaigns still are far from a reality, a new study says. A Hotwire survey of 300 senior marketing decision makers found that 46 percent of respondents feel that campaigns tend to work in isolation, with specific channels used for individual campaigns. Only 27 percent of respondents mentioned social media as part of their budget. On the bright side, PR was the second-most-preferred channel (47 percent) for multi-channel campaigns, behind online advertising (52 percent). Now if only PR could spread that sentiment to other media channels, such as search engine optimization and customer relationship management, for more cross-pollination.
- Study Says Marketers Fail to Use Visual Content: While 65 percent of senior marketing executives surveyed believe visual assets are key to how their brand story is communicated, a paltry 27 percent have the ability to aggregate, organize and manage these assets across marketing and non-marketing teams, according to a new survey conducted by the CMO Council. The study, “From Content to Creativity: The Role of Visual Media in Impactful Brand Storytelling,” surveyed 177 senior marketing executives. Respondents understand the value of visual storytelling, but “internal silos, disconnected content development strategies and a vast list of other marketing priorities have prevented visual assets from being fully leveraged across the organization,” the study said. Nearly half of the survey respondents indicated that the use of photography (46 percent) is critical to their marketing and storytelling strategies. Videos were deemed critical by 36%. While illustrations and infographics were seen as important, they pale in comparison to the importance of adding rich visual assets, such as pictures and videos, to marketing campaigns.
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Carlos Correcha-Price,
General Manager, Edelman Miami
Sean Findlen, CCO, Bates College 
Anastasia Lopez, VP,
social media, PadillaCRTPR Movers: PR Newswire late last week named Robert Gray CEO, succeeding Ninan Chacko. Gray is a former CFO of PR Newswire’s parent company, UBM. “The vision at PR Newswire remains the same—to maintain our position as the global leader in marketing and communications multimedia distribution,” Gray said in a statement. “With a focus on the flawless execution of our strategy, we look to continue to expand that position in the marketplace.”...Bates College tapped Sean Findlen, a senior VP with Weber Shandwick, to become the college’s chief communications officer, effective Sept. 1. Findlen will lead the college’s overarching communications strategy and activities...Edelman promoted Carlos Correcha-Price to general manager of the agency’s Miami office. Previously, Correcha-Price was senior VP of International Public Affairs in Edelman’s Washington, D.C., officePR veteran Paul Newman, who joined MSL Group as president of its North American operations just 18 months ago, has left the company, according to reports. Formerly VP of Communications at eBay, Newman joined MSL Group in early 2014. Newman’s departure comes two months after Olivier Fleurot, global CEO, left to join parent company Publicis Groupe as senior VP of communication/administration…MetLife announced that Cindy Tang will join the company as its VP and Head of Communications for the Asia region. She will be based in the insurer’s Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Met Life, Tang was Head of Group Communications for Asia at HSBC BankAnastasia Lopez joined PadillaCRT as VP of social media, and Matt Fairchild joined the agency as VP of technology and innovation. Previously, Anastasia was a VP of digital at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, while Fairchild recently served as group technical director at Olson. Carlos Correcha-Price, General Manager, Edelman Miami Sean Findlen, CCO, Bates CollegeAnastasia Lopez, VP, social media, PadillaCRT
