Latest Posts

Brands need to understand that a Facebook Live audience will be joining cold and that they are most likely going to be distracted. “Many brands have interpreted Facebook Live as being like TV and have taken a chat show approach to it,” says FleishmanHillard’s Chris Jackson. “Facebook Live and TV could not be more different.”

In today’s oversaturated, mile-a-minute news cycle, it can feel impossible for PR professionals to get the attention of the right journalist at the right news outlet at the right time for their brand. But though there are certainly no foolproof formulas to hit the jackpot every time, you can increase the chances of your pitch getting noticed with some tried-and-true methods from communications experts like Scott Dobroski, senior director of corporate communications at Glassdoor. Here’s some of his advice on how to get your email pitches noticed.

Conventional wisdom held that brands should avoid weighing in on politics or social issues. But as research reports and surveys show, consumers now want brands to stand for something beyond goods and services. That said, brands wade into the political world on several levels, although they do so at their peril, and sometimes their motivation is unclear.

Right or wrong, many executives think the only media that matters is the Wall St. Journal and the NY Times. OK, so how do PR pros get their brands a mention in one of those papers? We turn to someone who’s climbed that mountain. Frederik Bjørndal, who heads media for N. America and Europe for Novozymes, a bio-solutions firm, provides a checklist for getting your pitches read and covered.

Back in October 2016 John Roderick observed that candidate Donald Trump had jettisoned the word “apology” from his campaign’s PR playbook. Nominee Trump refused to apologize and instead attacked accusers. That tactic worked well enough to propel Trump to victory. Now facing growing condemnation of his immigration policy separating children from families, Trump is sticking to that tactic. It will be interesting to see if/how he communicates a revision to immigration policy.

Just three days in, the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity’s increased emphasis on influencers and creators can be felt everywhere. Cannes has made no secret of restructuring its nine staple awards, removing more than 100 subcategories. It also added categories, the net effect of which is an increased focus on the power of influencer-led storytelling. Following suit with the restructuring, two massive social platforms unveiled timely tools for advertisers and influencers.

Influencer marketing has become a key part of many communication strategies. But there’s a lot to consider to achieve the desired result. At PR News’ upcoming Social Media Summit in San Francisco, Logitech’s Krista Todd will provide some insights from the front lines in “Influencer Marketing: Activating Macro and Micro Influencers for Maximum Effect.” Here’s a sneak peek of some key session talking points.

While a Pride activation is not going to be authentic for every brand, a yearlong commitment to advancing the Pride agenda will work for some, argues APCO Worldwide’s Michael Galfetti. Here are three insights for brands to make Pride activations successful. The most important is making certain your brand clearly identifies how it is helping advance progress in the Pride community.

A company that truly values the happiness of its employees is more likely to find success within its industry. After all, a content employee is one who feels her work is appreciated, feels invested in the mission of the organization and is less likely to search for another job elsewhere. So, it would behoove any and all brands to create a strategy to maintain or increase employee engagement and retention. And like any good strategy, it should rely on key metrics and analysis. Here are some best practices for measuring your employee engagement program to ensure it is efficient and effective.

In the upcoming Aug. 10 Social Media Summit session in San Francisco, “State-of-the-Art SEO: Your Content’s Not King If It’s Not on Page 1 of a Google Search,” Ali Haris, senior manager, SEO, at Macy’s, will share best practices for brands. Here’s a peek into what’s coming on Aug. 10.