Stories by Cindy DiBiasi

Vaccines for COVID-19 have arrived and logistics for distribution seem to be in place. Now another hurdle exists: convincing enough of the public that the vaccines work as advertised and that they’re safe and necessary. Reciting data and statistics to bolster trust will work only to a point. The communication piece of the vaccine effort must proceed carefully, speaking to people in language they can understand.

There are many reasons why people bounce from a web site. Most people think a high bounce rate equals low page performance. Not always. We offer a look at some of the most common reasons for bounces and how to overcome them.

PRNEWS is pleased to announce this year’s Top Women in PR honorees. Our honorees demonstrated significant passion for their work even beyond their (virtual) office doors, often taking on pro bono communications work, in addition to advancing women leadership and/or diversity initiatives, both inside their respective organizations as well as in volunteer capacities outside of office hours.

In a sense, the public has become inured to data breaches. Everyone seems to have one. Yet when one of the world’s top cybersecurity companies gets hacked, it’s a very serious situation. Fortunately, cybersecurity leader FireEye was transparent in communicating its breach, which it said occurred “recently.”

Message testing is a valuable and essential part of communication strategy. Ensuring it is part of the planning process for a PR effort can make the difference between an effective campaign and one that fails to deliver.

It’s flattering when someone asks for your opinion, which essentially is what a media interview entails. PR pros can use that knowledge and two words that will bolster relationships with content creators. These two words also will increase response rate to media pitches, says Brandon Watts, who recently wrote an e-book that required a lot of pitching.

PR pros throw around the word authenticity with abandon. A better idea is to consider empathy when creating social posts, Cisco’s Carmen Collins writes. That means thinking not only about what you want to say, but also what the social media user wants, needs and feels.

As our Media Relations Conference fast approaches (Dec. 8-9), we’re introducing readers and attendees to speakers lighting up our (virtual) stage. Here is a case study from Nerd Street Gamers and Brownstein, who will be sharing their local media approach during the conference.

A PR crisis is bad enough. It’s worse when one occurs on a holiday and potentially ruins your customers’ holiday. That’s the time to act promptly, apologize sincerely and attempt to win back loyalty and trust. Apparently, that’s not how Boston Market is managing its turkey of a Thanksgiving.

Philanthropy always played a significant role within PR—and vice versa. A public figure or corporation wants the right PR campaign for a favorable image through philanthropy. Nonprofits need campaigns and influencers to raise awareness.