It’s probably safe to say that everyone interested in brand communications has watched the infamous Pepsi commercial that was swiftly yanked from the internet after savage criticism on social media. It was deeply bad in several ways, a perfect storm of bad decisions. You might think you’re savvy enough at PR to avoid such a confluence of mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune from making one or another of them from time to time. So let’s break down a few of the lessons we’ve learned.
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Georgia-Pacific’s Secrets of Effective Storytelling
April 6th, 2017 by Drew Neisser, Social Media ExplorerStorytelling, as explained by Douwe Bergsma, is indeed a different way of looking at marketing communications, one that requires new processes, metrics and staff. Bergsma, CMO of Georgia-Pacific—the paper goods giant behind the Brawny, Quilted Northern and Dixie brands—offers some fascinating details that often separate a good story from a great one, including three secrets to crafting a successful marketing story.
How to Move From Multichannel to Omnichannel Marketing
April 5th, 2017 by Erin Everhart, The Home Depot, Inc.A multichannel structure can be likened to the swim lanes in a pool: We line up our channels, the gun bangs and they each swim off in their own lanes, doing their own thing. The problem is, none of the channels are collaborating because they’re so focused on beating each other. And that creates a “Hunger Games” situation. But if multichannel means staying in a swim lane, then omnichannel is basically one big pool party.
8 Tips for Working With Twitter Ambassadors
April 5th, 2017 by Ian James WrightWhen brands communicate on social media, there’s a built-in trust and understanding gap between professional communicators and a skeptical public. Finding a way to bridge that gap is crucial. Nation Hahn, digital director at Blueprint for Athletes and chief growth officer at EdNC.org, has found that for the right brand and the right campaign, a great way to make the connection is by working with third-party ambassadors to intertwine the brand’s story with the stories of real people.
How to Communicate in Today’s Charged Atmosphere
April 4th, 2017 by Jackie Kolek and Jacqui Emerson, PeppercommFew companies are trying to make a Starbucks-like statement in today’s highly politicized communication environment. Many brands want to respect the diverse opinions of their employees and customers and avoid becoming a target of unanticipated backlash. Here are a few ways communicators can help brands navigate today’s highly charged environment. Fortunately, most of them are basic tenets of PR and communications. Brushing up on the basics can be especially useful in today’s climate.
As ‘PR’ Fades From Job Titles, Communicators Ask: Does PR Need Better PR?
April 3rd, 2017 by Sophie MaerowitzSomething we’ve observed at PR News in recent years: We don’t see “PR” in job titles quite as often as we used to. One reason may be that so few communicators today are restricted to traditional PR functions like media relations and crisis management. In 2017 they are tasked with so much more, from content creation and social media management to email marketing and brand development.
3 Ways the Children’s Defense Fund Drives Online Engagement
April 3rd, 2017 by Jerry AsciertoBefore she measures the success of any campaign, January Williams begins with the question, “What am I asking the audience to do?” Williams, the director of online communications and outreach for the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), doesn’t try to be all things on all platforms. While some initiatives, like increasing the CDF’s number of followers, are easy to measure, most of what the organization does—when issuing legislative calls to action or fundraising, for example—is all about engagement. Here are three ways she uses analytics to drive action.
How Coca-Cola’s Quest to Measure Engagement Led to a New Metric
March 31st, 2017 by Natalie A. Johnson, The Coca-Cola CompanyMost of us are familiar with the core KPIs of Google Analytics such as users, sessions, page views, bounce rate, average time on page, search and CTR. These metrics are important to The Coca-Cola Company too. But do they provide the holistic view the company needs? The answer is, no, because they alone do not capture engagement. So, the company created its own KPI.
Nonprofit PR Award Winners & Honorable Mentions Celebrated at PR News’ Spring Awards Luncheon
March 22nd, 2017 by Sophie MaerowitzEach year, PR News celebrates the individuals and teams making a positive impact through nonprofit PR, marketing and communications campaigns at PR News’ Spring Awards luncheon in Washington, D.C. At this year’s luncheon, held March 22 at the National Press Club, PR News honored the winners and finalists of its Nonprofit PR Awards.
The Week In PR
March 20th, 2017 by Seth ArensteinOur weekly roundup of trends, news stories ad personnel moves in PR and communications. This week includes stories about a rogue tweet at McDonald’s, an update on Wells Fargo and Volkswagen and WE’s acquisitions in Asia.