Stories by Nicole Schuman

To celebrate Father’s Day it seemed fitting to revisit the history of the man dubbed the “Father of PR,” Edward Louis Bernays. Like any father, Bernays was not without his successes and failures, and controversial debates. For 103 years, this master of public opinion helped shape some of the cornerstones of PR.

The battle for gender equality marches on, played out in one of the most public spaces, headline news. And it’s not just about how much coverage women are receiving versus men—whether in politics or business or sports—it’s also about how the media portrays women in their roles.

An interview showcases the possible potential of a candidate in other ways, allowing them to think on their feet through conversation and analysis. We spoke to some experts and landed on three questions to always ask in a public relations job interview. They may appear simple, but every candidate may handle these questions differently, providing more insight into what kind of employee they would be.

National days are a great way for brands to engage with not only influencers and fans on a topic, but also to reign in some new faces. Today, for National Doughnut Day (June 7), some brands like Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme create actionable items to bring consumers through their doors. Others, like the Salvation Army regale us with nostalgia, teaching us about the importance of the origin of the holiday. And there are always those brands with icky content, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Keeping research a secret is a bad look for Pfizer, especially during a time when a spotlight shines on the Alzheimer’s disease. And upon further reading, it can seem somewhat baffling to have kept the information, which may have proved useful to researchers, from the public. Pfizer now faces a brand crisis in which a large population of those affected by the disease may garner distrust to a company that looks like it kept profits the first priority.

Communicators can perform what looks like magic when they win approval from the C-suite. But what looks like magic starts with reading and understanding data, and presenting it in a comprehensive way. Check out the strategic takeaways from our webinar: How to Prove Social Media ROI to the C-Suite

Eight brilliants students became co-champions of the National Spelling Bee in historic fashion on May 30, 2019. While many communicators will never have to spell the likes of these grammatical behemoths, mistakes can occur even with simple words. Spelling remains one of the top priorities of communications professionals, because spell check cannot always save a true blunder. Typos and misinterpretations still happen.

There is always more to the story of data collection than just a consumer’s well-being. For Amazon, and marketers everywhere, emotional-recognition voice software could help provide the most specific personal insights to date to promote product recommendations, targeted ads, and eventually, the creation of products that could impact and relate to mental and physical health.

The Players’ Tribune will celebrate its fifth birthday this fall, and even with its distinct focus on first-person content from athletes, the content structure and delivery has evolved with the times. In addition to written content, TPT has taken on video and podcasting, as well as event marketing—whatever medium it needs to take to deliver the best treatment for an athlete’s story.

These limited time releases can do a number of things for Target, or really any other brand who is looking to create a splash in the marketplace. But is it worth it? Is it worth riling up loyal customers for a few days of publicity?