Stories by Justin Joffe

PR pros can learn much from the messaging of businesses, organizations and government agencies during hurricane season, from communicating in a calm, measured tone to what language should be avoided. While some may lose reception in the thick of a storm, a sound social strategy during prep and recovery can help many withstand, and, if necessary, rebuild.

Many communicators have added games or game-like elements to their brand messaging, including making games a significant part of internal communications. We take a deep-dive into gamification, looking at its pros and cons. Communicators need to be aware of pitfalls before they begin gamifying their messages.

From its leveraging of fan affection for the character to communicating gratitude in the face of uncertainty, Marvel’s handling the uncertainty of its film future with Spider-Man is a masterclass in how to say “I don’t know” to your stakeholders with a delicate touch. Whether on quarterly earnings calls or organizational restructuring meetings, communicators should take note of Marvel’s tact for the times when we need to navigate uncertain waters with our own teams.

Earlier this week, The New York Times published a piece about the success of brand-produced podcasts. A look at why these branded podcasts are working provides many strong lessons for communicators about the merits of the medium. Let’s learn some ways to keep audiences listening.

Earlier this week, The New York Times published a piece about the success of brand-produced podcasts. Author David Yaffe-Bellany focused on McDonald’s Gizmodo-produced “The Sauce,” a three-part “investigative” podcast that…

This past Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index hit its lowest point in 2019. Many critics pointed to President Trump’s decision to tie his performance to the markets and start a trade war with China, while economists worried about something called the inverted yield curve, which can point to an imminent recession. For communicators in either the financial sector, or those speaking to an organization’s finances, this panic yields many opportunities to practice educational, non-siloed PR. Here are a few things to focus on.

Monsanto’s targeting of  journalist Carey Gillam grants PR professionals a revelatory look at just how far the agrochemical giant was willing to go to silence its critics. For communicators, many of the tactics used against Gillam look familiar. In this case, though, they were weaponized in the interest of spinning factual reporting. Here’s what we learned.

Despite the fact that these frequent crises could have been mitigated early on, even a small team can take on a seemingly insurmountable catastrophe with the right preparation. To help your team understand what conversations need to be happening, PRNEWS asked three crisis experts from the b2b, nonprofit, and brand sectors how they make they approach crisis prep in their fields.

Communicators who love what they do often speak of good PR as storytelling. To that end, some of Morrison’s greatest quotes help distill what makes strong storytelling tantamount to good communication—bridging the distance between writer and reader, between us and them. Like good communication, good storytelling creates an authentic connection with your audience that cannot be shaken. Here’s a look at some of Toni Morrison’s most powerful quotes on storytelling.

That stigma attached to seeking help is not surprising in a line of work so tethered to certain social expectations around masculinity, silence and honor. But commissioner O’Neill’s response heralds a powerful lesson for communicators—when you work for a brand or organization that places added stress on your employees, providing empathetic solutions and mental health resources is not only good for reputation—it can save lives.