Archive: December 2014

The Sony Pictures hacking scandal is getting ugly. The computer breach has turned into a PR nightmare for the Hollywood studio, with the company’s reputation now hanging in the balance.

Whether you’re a technophile unable to contain your excitement about the latest release of your favorite product or a Luddite lamenting the days of pen, pad and typewriter, it’s a certainty that the brands that stay abreast of the latest digital trends will have the best footing in 2015.

For a cohesive and integrated program, it’s necessary for both PR and content marketing to collaborate in order to create a comprehensive marketing plan that will improve an organization’s market awareness and increase lead generation and nurturing capabilities.

Like the annual “Swallows” of Capistrano, each year brings its share of PR crises and scandals, and 2014 was no exception.

Content marketing. Brand journalism. Branded content. Call it what you will, but communicators are increasingly on the hook to produce editorial-based content that can help tell their brand’s story and, with any luck, put more fannies in the seats.

If you see something savvy, appreciate it. If you see an award-winning campaign, research why and work to emulate that for one of your clients.

Ahead of the release of the Taken 3, 20th Century Fox set up a contest on LinkedIn that takes advantage of the platform’s endorsement feature, which allows users to vouch for each other’s proficiency at certain skills.

Amid the plethora of online media channels, the primary role of PR pros remains the ability to reach reporters and convince them that a story has value for their audiences.

The growing challenge of how to develop (and sustain) content marketing programs was cast into the spotlight earlier this month when Verizon Wireless shuttered its Web publication, SugarString, a little more than two months after its debut.

PR pros must be excellent storytellers. Today that means tailoring material for a variety of platforms and being familiar with all aspects of your company’s or client’s business.