PR pros can learn plenty from the NY Mets’ handling of a recent employee sexual misconduct episode. While the team moved quickly to dismiss the employee, it botched the follow-up, failing to own the incident and attempting to pass it off as a failure that couldn’t be avoided.
Stories by Seth Arenstein


An Inauguration Day Conundrum: To Pitch or Not to Pitch?
January 20th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinIt seemed that most of the nation stopped today to watch the inauguration. With nearly wall-to-wall coverage on the incoming president and VP, is it wise to think about pitching a non-political story now? As with so much of PR and communication, there’s no definitive answer.

PRSA Taps Media Exec and Hockey Mom Linda Thomas Brooks as CEO
January 11th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinWe had a good feeling about Linda Thomas Brooks, who was named PRSA’s CEO today, before we met her. The last line of her bio did the trick.

Pizza Chain Bakes Itself into a Corner with Political Statement
January 6th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinPizza Inn took a stand on the 2020 presidential election, stating that it’s unsure if the contest was legitimate. It’s a stance that a significant portion of the public disputes, in addition to several dozen court cases that upheld the election. Why would a brand intentionally alienate potential customers?

Virtual Events are Back for 2021, Though There are Questions Around Their Relative Value
January 5th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinIt seems safe for communicators to assume live events won’t return, at best, before late summer or Q4. That leaves some eight to nine months for companies to continue to stage virtual activities, including trade shows, press conferences, media interviews and other events.

Communicators Face Multiple Hurdles as They Race to Erase U.S.’s Vaccine Hesitancy
January 5th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinWith emergency approval of vaccines, the need to communicate the importance of prompt vaccination seems obvious: Without 75-80 percent of Americans vaccinated, herd immunity, leading to a return to normalcy, will not be reached. And now, with the discovery of an additional, more contagious virus strain, getting Americans vaccinated promptly seems even more critical.

A Tall Order: Strategic Pitches Ensure Media Coverage for Historic Arts Venue During COVID-19
December 1st, 2020 by Seth ArensteinWe visited the web site of Newark Symphony Hall (NSH), the Garden State’s largest arts venue and one of its oldest. The first thing we saw is that NSH is closed for COVID. So, try getting support for arts-related projects when performances are suspended. Yet that’s the assignment for women-owned Violet PR, which won what seemed, on first glance, a dubious victory, to represent NSH.

DEI, Purpose, Crisis, Personalization and Technology Seen Powering Successful PR in 2021
December 1st, 2020 by Seth ArensteinFor 2020, personalization was predicted, in 2019, as a dominant theme. Trust topped the 2019 list. Some trends for 2021 extend what 2020 highlighted: greater emphasis on DEI, purpose and internal communication.

How a Small PR Firm Handled a Crisis at Sea and a Global Media Frenzy at the Pandemic’s Start
December 1st, 2020 by Seth Arenstein[ Editor’s Note: Having a plan is the minimum requirement for crisis pros. That’s not always possible as veteran brand communicator Bobbie Carlton tells us in this Q&A.] PRNEWS: Give us the scenario

HPE CCO Emphasizes Internal Communication as Half its Workforce Plans to WFH Post-Virus
November 30th, 2020 by Seth ArensteinThe PR industry might need to come up with a new term for Internal communication now that so many staffers are working from home. For HPE CCO Jennifer Temple the issue seems permanent. In a wide-ranging interview she tells us nearly half her company’s 62,000 global staff probably will not return to the office on a regular basis after the pandemic. Temple tells us how her team plans to engage a segmented employee base.