Stories by Erika Bradbury

In the past year, as calls for social justice have increased, a growing number of organizations found themselves re-branding, changing their names or packaging in attempts to leave behind legacy narratives.

The business opportunity for cannabis (as well as CBD and hemp), appears significant, with many opportunities in the PR space–as long as communicators do the legwork and learn the sector’s intricacies. As part of our new Industry Spotlight series, PRNEWS talked to Agency A-List Top 100 honorees in the CBD and cannabis sector about working in this emerging space.

In the wake of calls for social justice last summer, it seemed as though every brand issued a statement or a black square. Indeed, there were plenty of brand posts about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

We talked to PRNEWS Top Women in PR honorees about the advancements of women in the workforce, the importance of mentorship and how the industry can help tackle the challenges of working women.

In years past, launching product was a boon for publicists. It was fairly easy. In 2020 and beyond, not so much.

In addition to breaking through the noise of COVID-related news, brands with product launches were forced last year to compete with stories about social justice and the election. Combine that with shrinking newsrooms and an inability to host live events and the appetite for product launches was just not the same.

Excluding healthcare providers and media (the most obvious entities to post about the vaccine), the top poster by volume of content was AARP. Confusion over who is next in line for the vaccine continues, and with older adults as one of the highest risk categories, it’s not a surprise that AARP content reigns over these platforms.

[ Editor’s Note: As the holidays near, we spoke to Kristin Berlew, senior manager, PR, B&G Foods , which owns Green Giant. We asked about the brand’s holiday plans amid uncertainty surrounding

Awareness months seem like a win-win for brands and organizations. And they can be, assuming they are undertaken with honest intentions. One of the areas that grass-roots group Breast Cancer Action fights is brands and public officials highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness Month for the wrong reasons.

The Kapor Center wants the tech sector to reflect the diversity of the country. It’s betting that when that happens, tech will help the fight against structural racism. We asked its new communication and marketing chief how it plans to get there.

June is Pride month. We asked Kim Matsoukas, senior manager, corporate social responsibility & sustainability, at Vans, the shoe and apparel company, how the brand will celebrate the moment.