Stories by Sophie Maerowitz

For several years, marketers and communicators have feared the damage done to the brands and public figures they represent via the propagation of “deepfakes,” videos and photos that use the assistance of machine learning technology to replace faces and objects with false, but realistic, images. As fake news and misinformation continue to plague online discourse, Facebook says it has taken a significant step to deter the spread of doctored video and photos.

As Instagram users become warier of sponsored posts, and following the Federal Trade Commission’s reissuing of a crystal-clear set of guidelines, influencers—and the brands they works with—are running out of excuses when it comes to following FTC regulations. Still, not every influencer is blessed with a legal team, so it’s crucial for marketers to understand the rules and be able to communicate them to content creators in every partnership.

As the holiday season ramps up, social platforms continue to roll out many new features that can greatly affect the performance of your big end-of-year social campaigns. Whether you’re a nonprofit tapping into the giving spirit or a retailer seeking to boost holiday sales, here are some recent features to look into, by social platform.

Are the golden days of influencer marketing at an end? A recent Wall Street Journal article made that claim, citing reduced engagement and interviewing several brand marketers who are disappointed with their return on influencer investment. The article pointed to influencer fraud—inflating follower numbers with fake accounts, for instance—as well as consumers’ increasing cynicism when they see a product or service promoted by an influencer on social media.

While keeping up-to-date with digital communications jargon might be at the bottom of your to-do list, it never hurts to be aware of the shorthand metrics your colleagues working in sales and marketing use in emails and meetings. Test yourself on your acronym knowledge in our handy quiz.

There are some roadblocks unique to the B2B space, from using social to win customers to translating complex technical language into accessible messaging. Four B2B marketers shared their approach to tackling these challenges with our sister publication, The Social Shake-Up.

Everything old is new again. The nation’s largest public transport system has turned to a newsletter to keep commuters informed and entertained as they learn about the latest developments concerning The L-Train Project. NYC commuters love it.

Each year, PRNEWS celebrates its list of Top Women in PR, an elite group of communications professionals who have spearheaded highly successful campaigns in recent months. They’ve also mentored colleagues and ideated some of the most creative PR plans in the business. So, what does it take to be a Top Woman in PR? We sat down with 2019 Top Woman honoree Adriana Arvizo, external communications manager at Comcast, to find out.

Each year, PR News celebrates its list of Top Women in PR, an elite group of communications professionals who have spearheaded highly successful campaigns in recent months. They’ve also mentored colleagues and ideated some of the most creative PR plans in the business. So, what does it take to be a Top Woman in PR? We sat down with 2019 Top Woman honoree Adriana Arvizo, external communications manager at Comcast, to find out.

Are you up-to-date on the biggest brand players on social media? Take this quiz to find out.