Stories by Seth Arenstein

In this first article of a five-part series produced with partner PublicRelay, a media monitoring and analytics firm, we will examine the common challenges of measuring communications data so it can be turned into useful insights that will help not only communicators but the business overall.

Another week, another example of platforms chipping away at Facebook’s dominance. The emphasis is on the word chipping, though. In Q3 2017, nonprofit brands saw a small decrease in consumer engagement with their social posts. Facebook took a harder hit than other social channels.

There is good news and bad news in this latest PR Council survey of its roughly 100 member firms. First, the good news: 66% of those who replied said revenue for 2017 is ahead of 2016 and that projections are on target or better than first forecast. The not-so-good news is that management consultancies want to eat PR’s lunch.

Each week we focus on a relevant slide from a recent presentation. This week’s presenter is Temeka Easter, senior social media director at Sallie Mae. Her slides look at the checklist Sallie Mae uses for crisis and in more tame circumstances.

Our weekly roundup of news, trends and personnel moves in PR and communications. This week’s stories include Papa John’s deflection onto the NFL; a judge tells Wells Fargo’s board and senior executives they should have known; and IBM’s Jon Iwata is getting set to retire.

In exclusive data supplied to PR News, Gould + Partners chief Rick Gould explains that healthcare costs are squeezing small, medium and large PR firms and their employees badly. The good news, Gould says, is that firms are doing a lot of work to find plans that won’t break the bank.

Our weekly look at news, trends and personnel moves in PR, marketing and communications. This week we ponder whether it’s good to let a crisis linger. Facebook has a new place for publishers’ posts during a test in 6 countries. And PR News friend Melissa Wisehart has a new job in Atlanta.

One of the most uncomfortable sessions during the recent PRSA International Conference last week was a breakout about losing control of your brand’s social media account. Fortunately there are steps communicators can take to help avoid such situations, although many of the tactics sound similar to those used in crisis management. Yet how many brands are prepared for a crisis? Does your brand have an updated crisis plan and conduct regular crisis exercises?

In some ways, rooting for Facebook is like cheering for Goliath against David. In this week’s Data Dive, though, the tables are turned. A scion of Facebook, Instagram garnered more consumer engagement with B2B social content than its parent. A lot more, according to data provided exclusively to PR News from Shareablee.

How does one go from marketing Disney films and media to Mother Nature? That’s the journey The Nature Conservancy’s new CMO Richard Loomis is taking. We asked him about the best advice he’s received, his influences and trends he’s noticed. Of course we asked him to compare Disney and The Nature Conservancy.