Stories by Dustin Siggins

PR “spin”—in its proper and ethical context—is simply helping people tell their story better to reach target audiences more effectively. Here are the three steps to show anyone (and clients in particular) that spin is just fine—as long as it’s ethical.

Misunderstandings about client expectations for media placement are often the result of PR professionals’ failure to help decision-makers understand what would be necessary to achieve success long before the contract is signed. Here’s how to turn such challenges into trust-building opportunities and prospects into long-term clients.

What compounds the problem and leads to the worst kind of viral media coverage is company leadership shirking accountability by saying sales dropped due to impatient Starbucks customers.

Media exposure requires reaching at least four target audiences to even begin creating worthwhile engagement. Our author explores who to target and how.

Last month, San Francisco’s leadership failed perhaps the most basic of PR tests: They tried to put lipstick on a pig and pretend it wasn’t a hog. Here are six PR lessons from the city’s failure to appeal to its core audience: its residents.

Our author argues that several recent polls hand Supreme Court defenders unexpected data that could become the foundation of a counter-narrative campaign. Here, he outlines PR principles that could help turn the tables.

Our author showcases several important principles which PR pros should pass onto client and executive spokespeople to avoid having a narrative or message hijacked.

It’s never easy to announce that your company is leaving a huge market, or that you are making that decision “to improve the company’s financial strength.” State Farm’s communications team deserves credit for limiting brand damage by choosing a simple, straightforward statement that said and did all of the right things.

Like anything else, silence is the right solution under the right circumstances. Our contributor discusses recent events and shares when it’s the right time to remain quiet.

Speaking executives’ language is a huge step toward building a successful long-term relationship. But now comes the hard part: continually engaging executives so they will trust the process will lead to achieving top-line goals six, 12 or even 18 months from now. Thus, it is imperative to set expectations that executives will understand.