Latest Posts

When we build a company without brand standards, the result can sound like a person speaking a language we can’t understand.  Unfortunately, neither can customers.  Building standards is akin to creating a language that explains our brand. Unfortunately, sometimes we make this relatively simple process too difficult. A quartet of veteran communicators and marketers break down branding into small segments.

Today marks an important date for not one, but two points in history. It is the 55th anniversary of former United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, as well as 75 years since an atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Both of these occurrences provoke conversation as well as thoughtfulness in regards to historical context.

Today, we’re getting inside the head of Ashley Sasnett, digital strategist, digital strategy and web experiences at Equifax, who will be speaking on career paths in social media. For a deep dive into social media content creation, strategy and measurement, register today for The Social Shake-Up, which will take place Sept. 22-23 (workshops) and Sept. 29-Oct. 1 (sessions and keynotes).

Everybody likes to take shots at government and social media. They’re easy targets at the moment. Still, when Hurricane Isaias headed toward the US east coast this weekend, government departments took to social to provide top-notch emergency information. We take a look at a few examples.

It’s the White House calling. Your expertise in strategic communication is needed. They want you to rush over right away. The question on the table is one you’ve handled many times before with CEOs and other C-suite members: What do you advise when the CEO’s 1:1 interviews are a disaster? Should the CEO continue to do interviews?

Unfortunately not every organization can boast of a true wordsmith. And that is where public relations professionals can really lend a hand. With so much content infiltrating journalists’ inboxes it can be difficult to create a memorable press release. Including an unforgettable quote can stop readers in their tracks, encouraging them to take a closer look at the story. 

More than a few PR pros theorized that consumers would remember brands’ performance during the pandemic. The newest edition of the Axios-Harris Poll 100 confirms that theory. Grocery chains and pharmacies, among others, earned plaudits from consumers for being able to deliver on their brand promises during the first months of the pandemic.

Like a Nancy Drew page-turner, Sunday’s mystery of the vanishing baseball player took a shoddy communication road not many PR pros would care to ease on down. Yoenis Céspedes, an outfielder and DH for the New York Mets, chose to opt out of the rest of the 2020 Major League Baseball season. But before that acknowledgement, the Mets issued a statement suggesting the blockbuster player was missing. 

With all the changes the pandemic has imposed on consumers and businesses, it’s not a surprise that brand communicators have had to adapt their goals and strategies. Fortunately, the basics continue to work: monitoring the news and social media, crafting relevant messages and employing thought leadership, among other things. Being nimble and flexible also are key components.

No doubt the pandemic has narrowed choices for brand communicators, especially those accustomed to decamping to Las Vegas every January for CES. With the task of creating and maintaining brand images, communicators will have to change their PR plans for all-digital events, such as CES. A CES veteran, communicator David Wolpert offers tips on how to do this successfully.