Latest Posts

It’s possible the world has become immune to emissions-cheating scandals. The latest perpetrator, Nissan, hopes so. Still, it’s practicing nearly picture-perfect PR to reduce its chances of a long-term scandal erupting. Little doubt it has taken notice of steps Volkswagen failed to enact when Dieselgate erupted in September 2015.

Twitter has deleted more than 70 million accounts engaging in suspicious and “trolling” behavior throughout May and June, and shows no sign of slowing down in July. This should make the platform more trusted by users and brands, but the effects on its stock price and opportunities for user growth are up in the air.

President Trump’s selection of William Shine as deputy chief of staff for communications is another example of how the commander-in-chief continues to rewrite traditional PR tactics. For the most part, the revisions have served the president well. The same cannot be said of their effectiveness for ousted EPA chief Scott Pruitt.

Facebook’s acquisition of Bloomsbury AI spells big things for communicators as they increasingly rely on automation tools in order to better interface with audiences. But there are two applications of Bloomsbury’s tech in particular that will help Facebook regain its recent lapse in trust with communicators and consumers alike.

During crisis moments, PR professionals tend to focus on how stakeholders and audiences view their brand or client. But of growing concern is what search engines see when a negative news story hits. Whether you’re focusing on crisis proactively or after the fact (and most PR pros would agree you really should be doing both), search engine optimization has a crucial role to play. Here are four ways communicators can learn from Verizon’s SEO practices when it comes to preparing for, monitoring and addressing crises.

Scarlett Johansson’s in hot water for accepting the role of a transgender character in the upcoming film “Rub & Tug.” Critics on social media and elsewhere contend the role should have gone to a transgender actor. The water temperature rose considerably after Johansson issued a curt reply to critics. Traditional PR recommends a more apologetic approach. Will Johansson’s rejoinder work?

Now that Instagram has surpassed its billion-user mark, competition for attention on the platform is heating up. Instagram content must be positioned even more strategically in order to cut through the din.

Casie Shimansky, social media manager at the technology company’s talent recruitment brand @WeAreCisco, notes that Instagram’s growth has her team of two constantly testing their approach to content.

Assuming your communications team is already incorporating measurement into your daily operations—and if you’re not, you should definitely start—you must then make sure you’re measuring as much as you possibly can. Many PR pros focus solely on media relations measurement, without taking into consideration all the other aspects of a PR program. This is a mistake. Here we explain the importance of looking at your communications measurement holistically in order to truly prove the value of PR to the bottom line of the business.

In a recent PR News survey of more than 400 media relations professionals, nearly everyone said email is their top pitching method. Just four respondents said Twitter is their first choice. These results do not entirely negate social media’s importance to media relations pros—55% of survey respondents said Twitter is their second-most effective method of connecting with reporters. But caution on social should prevail at all times.

More than a hollow and cookie-cutter corporate document, “Toward a Vision for Racial Equity & Inclusion at Starbucks: Review and Recommendations” reads as a realigning of perspectives and priorities. This is the work of a brand that has taken a hard, honest look at itself and is ready to share what it has learned.