Stories by Meredith Klenkel

Controversies around GMO labeling and discrimination scandals have prompted a general need to know what happens behind the curtain of every process, from production to consumption. The overwhelming bridge between this booming demand for social responsibility and the PR pros who called to build it can only be connected by transparency and campaigns that truly stand out. 

The Newark water crisis, like its sister tragedy in Flint, Michigan, has proven to be an insurmountable PR challenge for local government. More than 100 of the 240 water samples derived from the city of Newark this year contained federally unacceptable levels of lead, leaving impacted occupants of the city panicked for clean water. As families grow thirstier for an explanation behind the chaos, they have started to believe legal action may be the only way to motivate local government. 

Rather than displaying posts as a messy mix of all three formats, consider what story you want to tell when choosing each post’s square, landscape or portrait image layout. Captivating Instagram’s visually overstimulated audience requires intensive attention to detail.

The popularity of various social media platforms across different demographics is constantly in flux, as illustrated in this new infographic from Jones PR. “The Demographics of Social Media in 2019” begins with the revelation that Instagram and Snapchat are rapidly gaining popularity among users under 30, threatening to unseat YouTube and Facebook, which still rank among the most popular platforms.

Brands that constructively feed off each others ideas, perspectives, and resources can effectively expand both audience and reach through collaboration. Hence, successful brand partnerships can optimize brand loyalty through maximum exposure. While con…

Amazon’s Accelerator program, launched in spring 2018, provides select manufacturers with prioritized exposure in exchange for commitment to marketing on the platform. Amazon offers placement at the top of search results in addition to feedback and shipping logistics assistance, on the condition that businesses meet sales quotas and dedicate branding to the conglomerate platform. The deal may sound like a no-brainer for struggling enterprises and start-ups in need of publicity, but coming under the protection of the tech giant’s umbrella could mean signing away native audiences and the potential for independent PR.

For the better part of the century, women have been underrepresented in every corner of the market, plastered into the rigid roles of the cleaning moms, loyal wives, and unintelligent accessories to men. This inequality has been expressed through hyper-sexualized ads and subtler degradation in the mainstream media. So, how will PR respond to this change, heated by the fury of millions of women exhausted from being inaccurately characterized and appealed to?

Social media guru and Thrillist audience development director Erin Weaver served up wisdom backed by personal flare at PRNEWS’ Digital Bootcamp yesterday, emphasizing the value of content and illustrating for the audience why excelling at Google Analytics is a goal worth prioritizing.

There’s been a generational and cultural shift toward activism over the last few decades, as consumers call for more organic and open conversations about CSR from businesses. With this, the spirit of reversing capitalism-induced environmental and social damage has also become a trend in marketing. And millennials are largely the ones driving the shift.