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The Week in PR

May 22nd, 2018 by

Our weekly roundup of trends, news and personnel moves in communications and marketing. This week’s stories include the royal wedding’s PR lessons, a Novartis lawyer is a victim of hiring Michael Cohen, Michigan State University and more than 300 gymnasts who suffered under Dr. Larry Nassar’s abuse agree on a $500 million settlement, but how will the school pay?

coffee mug reading "keep calm and prepare for GDPR"

A 5-Step GDPR Crisis Plan

May 21st, 2018 by

With the GDPR looming, it’ll soon become clear which organizations have prepared for Europe’s legal framework for the collection and processing of personal data and which companies are struggling to comply by the May 25 deadline.

The regulations stipulate that data breaches must be reported to European regulators—and to customers—within 72 hours, which makes it essential for organizations to plan ahead for the inevitable data breaches that are happening with increasing frequency.

Quick Checklist for Using Live Video During a Crisis

May 21st, 2018 by

With information spreading via traditional media and social media at ever-increasing speeds, speaking out about a crisis right from the start can help you shape the story and make clear that your organization is on top of the situation. And one of the best ways to do that is with live video on your social feeds, especially if your crisis may impact public safety.

How to Find and Create Great Visuals If You’re a Social Media Army of One

May 18th, 2018 by

Whether you’re in marketing or PR or both, if you’re responsible for social media engagement then there’s a good chance “team” roughly translates to “just little old me.” In those cases, creativity and time-management skills can only get you so far. What you need are some shortcuts.

Why You Should Avoid Artificially Inflating Earned Media Measurement

May 18th, 2018 by

While most C-suite executives are still working to grasp the full value of earned media, they are getting savvy about data mining and analytics. The smart ones will begin asking pointed questions about PR measurement. And they will question reports relying on ad tech-based attribution that artificially inflates PR results. Beware.

facebook stories new archive feature 2018

3 Reasons Communicators Will Love the Facebook Stories Update

May 17th, 2018 by

Three new Facebook Stories features are being tested in India, but are due to roll out in the U.S. soon. These updates could be useful enough for professional communicators to warrant making Stories a new priority in their Facebook strategy.

Why Brands Should Fear Using Bots to Gain Influence

May 17th, 2018 by

Late last week, U.S. Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller delivered two subpoenas to Jason Sullivan, a social media and Twitter marketer employed by former Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, raising the question as to whether or not incorporating bots into your social strategy is worth the risk.

How to Conduct a Media Tour: A Trio of PR Pros Provides Tips

May 16th, 2018 by

Social media can be a wonderful tool for media relations professionals, as we know. Yet it is only one of several ways to communicate with journalists. Face-to-face meetings, which you can arrange for brand executives during a media tour, can help build a personal relationship with journalists. We asked communicators about their must-haves and tips for conducting successful media tours.

Facebook, Not Twitter, Is the Customer Service Platform of Choice for Most Brands

May 15th, 2018 by

An overwhelming majority of brands choose Facebook as the front lines of their customer-service efforts. And while many organizations seek to resolve questions or complaints as quickly as possible, about a quarter of brands still take up to 24 hours to respond. Those are just two of the findings of a recent survey conducted by The Social Shake-Up Show and Lithium Technologies.

Uber Grabs the Wheel and Tries to Steer Its Media Narrative

May 15th, 2018 by

The ride-share company has announced that it will no longer force victims of harassment and sexual assault into private arbitration. The move by Uber raises two questions: How far does this change in policy go toward repairing Uber’s reputation, and what does this mean for other companies with arbitration clauses?