Stories by Nicole Schuman

The NFL had six months since coronavirus emerged to develop a plan to face possible crisis situations. It also had the benefit of seeing how the NBA, NHL and MLB handled the pandemic. And yet, NFL fans and players are left with a glut of silence from the league as several players are the first to test positive during the season.

A leader of a company or organization can serve as the quarterback when it comes to delivering a positive reputation to the public. While leaders do not always handle the day-to-day details of running a brand, they serve as a face for employees, customers, shareholders and more. We asked communication professionals about how to proceed when leadership falls ill.

Sephora has a competitive program for influencers that includes mentoring, education and other opportunities. We look at several other trends that emerged from our annual social media conference, The Social Shake-Up, which was held virtually Sept. 28 through Oct. 1.

President Trump, who according to photos released by the White House, has been spending his time at Walter Reed going along with his daily workload. However, not much is known regarding the details of his infection, marred by contrasting information (see Dr. Sean Conley and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows) and lack of transparent detail from the White House, leading much of the media to speculate and drum up outside sources. 

A dynamic Social Shake-Up panel including Catherine Hernandez-Blades, SVP, chief ESG and communications officer at AFLAC, Nadia Khamis, director of corporate engagement for Planned Parenthood, Elianne Ramos, chief communications officer at LatinoJustice, and moderator Dwayna Haley, SVP and practice director, brand innovation and impact at Porter Novelli, discussed the necessity and nuances of tackling social justice issues, and creating messaging behind it.

A seasoned expert in communications knows how to provide the right words for any situation. However, the explosion of social platforms led to an ocean of content, and the real issue now is how to stand out from the endless scroll. Leah Feygin, head of U.S. creator content solutions at Twitter’s creative arm—ArtHouse—advised Tuesday’s Social Shake-Up participants on the craft of unforgettable content.

Recently, our team at PRNEWS decided to revive a series for our readers: “Ask a Reporter.” With logistical changes in the workforce, as well as a news cycle that just won’t quit, PR and media need to work more harmoniously than ever to get the public the information it needs. During “Ask a Reporter” we will interview a fellow journalist, finding out what works best for them when it comes to media relations.

The U.S. Census Bureau says the country’s Hispanic population reached 60.6 million in 2019, or 18 percent of the overall U.S. population. In addition, Latinos account for 52 percent of U.S. population growth during the past 10 years and have more than $1.5 trillion in annual buying power, according to Nielsen. With those kinds of numbers, Hispanic Heritage Month definitely is an occasion to be acknowledged and celebrated. 

PRNEWS welcomed Meg Lewis, director of social at GIPHY to speak about its Animate the Vote campaign and content partnerships.

It doesn’t take much for a brand to get swept up in a political firestorm it didn’t seek. Take Bumble Bee Tuna, for example. The legacy company for canned seafood and a lunchtime staple found itself front-and-center after President Donald Trump’s rally last night.