Latest Posts

3 Lessons for Communicators From Alaska Airlines’ Crisis Response

August 13th, 2018 by

Several airlines have been in the news recently for crises, many of which were criticized for how the situations were handled. Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon, however, seems to have learned lessons from these situations, as its communications surrounding this tragic incident were quick, measured and informative. Here are some takeaways for communicators from the Alaska Airlines situation.

Moment-Based Marketing: How to Be Part of What’s Happening on Twitter

August 13th, 2018 by

At the PR News Social Media Summit, Twitter’s Nina Mishkin and Dropbox’s Susan Chang spoke on the necessity of capturing attention in a crowded timeline, the importance of proactive social care and how brands today need to thoughtfully participate in cultural moments. Knowing that marketing your product and its features are table stakes, here is what it takes to stand out, win the moment and the customer on Twitter in today’s attention-based economy.

The Speed of Crisis in the Digital Age: Creating a Modern Crisis-Preparedness Plan

August 10th, 2018 by

In the digital age speed and agility have become key elements in crisis management. Hill & Knowlton Strategies’ U.S. risk and crisis communication chief Kevin Elliott offers tips to make sure your crisis-preparedness plan is ready for today’s always-on environment and will allow you to control the narrative around a crisis.

How to Drive Meaningful Interactions Through Your Social Media Content

August 9th, 2018 by

As communication professionals, we’ve heard it before: Don’t try to tell every story. Tell the stories that matter. From creating content that’s in line with your brand identity, to placing trust in your social following, influencers and partners to co-create and amplify content, it’s more important than ever to be relevant or risk being scrolled past in consumers’ news feeds. Here’s how you can cultivate meaningful connections with your social content.

A PR Leader Rates the Top 5 PR Crises of 2018

August 9th, 2018 by

After having seen so many brands handle (and mishandle) PR crises, you might think executives would know to manage crises well. This often is not the case. We continue to see brands attempting to cover up miscues rather than being transparent and waiting too long to react or moving too quickly. Ashley McCown, president of Solomon McCown & Company, offers a brief video to PR News exclusively where these factors and others play into her picks of the top 5 PR crises at the halfway point of 2018.

Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter Report Declining User Numbers

August 8th, 2018 by

Though daily social media use is ingrained in many peoples’ lives, it seems that major social media companies may have reached a saturation point when it comes to adding new users—at least in a few markets. Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat all reported stagnant or declining user numbers in the second quarter of 2018, prompting speculation about whether they had reached their growth limits.

Tips for Keeping Stakeholders Informed About Media Pitching

August 8th, 2018 by

It seems obvious that PR pros should keep stakeholders informed about the status of articles being pitched to the media. Sadly, this doesn’t happen consistently, argues James Rose, content head at IBA International. A weekly update sent to stakeholders will assuage some of the anxiety about when an article will be published and make the creation of content more of a collaborative effort.

What Communicators Can Learn From MoviePass, CBS and Facebook’s Latest Missteps

August 7th, 2018 by

For a brand, knowing when to react is crucial. Move too quickly and a small problem can become a crisis. React too slowly and you might create a crisis. Do brands hurt their reputation by reversing a position, as MoviePass and Facebook did recently? It’s at times like these when crisis management seems a mix of art and science.

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How AbbVie Leverages Social for Earned Media

August 7th, 2018 by

Authenticity. Listening. Finding unique angles. Those are the keys for journalists seeking earned coverage via social media, according to Suzanne Barston, manager, corporate journalism, corporate communications at AbbVie. As founding partner of AbbVie’s StoryLab, Barton is responsible for creating stories around the company’s therapeutic areas, pipeline and philanthropy. While journalists long ago shifted their working lives to social channels, healthcare communicators have been slower to make that transition, due not only to unique regulatory issues but also industry resistance.

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3 Steps to Social Media Measurement on a Shoestring Budget

August 6th, 2018 by

For communicators working with a tight budget, it can be tough to find time to post to social media, let alone measure the success of those posts. But there are ways to prioritize social media measurement in your daily work, especially if you fully consider the benefits of doing so. Here are three tips for communicators seeking to bolster their social media measurement efforts without exhausting their teams’ resources.