Latest Posts

#MadeByGoogle Drives Home Shift From Mobile-First to AI-First World

October 4th, 2017 by

Artificial intelligence took center stage at today’s #MadeByGoogle launch event. The company unveiled a plethora of products aimed at an AI-focused future, including enhanced voice and visual search features in the Pixel 2 smartphone and Google Home device, as well as a beefed-up virtual reality headset, highlighting the company’s shift from “a mobile-first to an AI-first world.”

Tillerson Disses the Boss: What the Morale Cleanup Might Look Like

October 4th, 2017 by

Let’s make the alleged Tillerson “moron” comment a PR question. You are the person responsible for building and maintaining the reputation of a brand. A senior official makes a derogatory comment about the CEO that eventually becomes public. What do you do? If the senior official leaves the company shortly after making the comment, what message do you convey to staff and stakeholders to keep morale high? What if the senior official remains with the brand?

3 Common Social Media and Site Measurement Mistakes

October 3rd, 2017 by

When measuring social media and website efforts, few metrics can be taken at face value. Every major platform has some form of native analytic tool, and Google Analytics provides a wealth of information on the factors that affect a website’s performance. But by accepting the numbers you’re given and not digging any deeper, metrics can mislead. Here are three common mistakes communicators can make by looking only at the tip of the metrics iceberg.

How Using a Communications Autopsy Can Benefit Your Campaign

October 3rd, 2017 by

As communicators we are told to be in the moment. Yet after the moment has passed and the campaign is over, do we take enough time to reflect on what we could have done better or differently? After Bank of America made a disastrous decision, it created a communications autopsy that its communications team applied to future efforts. You can adapt this autopsy for your brand’s needs, too.

50 Game-Changers of PR: Jim Abernathy

October 3rd, 2017 by

PR News recently asked its community to tell us who should be listed among the top game-changers of PR in the last few years. Here, we look at game-changer Jim Abernathy. After an 18-year career in corporate communications with media outlets like CBS, Warner Communications and ABC, he co-founded Abernathy MacGregor, one of the world’s leading strategic and financial communications firms, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston and a network of 51 partner offices around the globe.

The Week in PR

October 3rd, 2017 by

Our weekly look at trends, news and personnel moves in PR, marketing and communications. This week’s stories include Wells Fargo back on Capitol Hill; Equifax makes its maiden voyage to the Hill; the former Uber CEO makes a hill of trouble; and Southwest Airlines’s CCO Linda Rutherford climbs a hill.

geoffrey giraffe, toys 'r' us, entrance, augmented reality

Snapchat and Toys ‘R’ Us Signal Renewed Interest in Augmented Reality for Brands

October 2nd, 2017 by

While some communicators may argue augmented reality’s relevance to brands has faded along with Pokémon GO fervor, recent developments at Snap Inc. and Toys ‘R’ Us indicate otherwise. Both companies have unrolled augmented reality (AR) offerings that encourage audience interaction with their products and drive a surprise-and-delight factor with users.

Las Vegas Shooting: Locals Offer Help, Support

October 2nd, 2017 by

Facebook’s Crisis Response tool is facing its first sad test in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States. A gunman fired into the crowd of a country music festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, leaving more than 50 dead and more than 400 injured.

Exterior view of the Richard C. Shadyac ALSAC Tower

How St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Uses Instagram to Make Science Fun

September 29th, 2017 by

For Carrie Strehlau, turning a complex subject into an engaging story is part of her everyday challenge. Strehlau, a senior social media specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has found Instagram Stories to be a great vehicle for highlighting and humanizing the hospital’s work. In this Q&A, she shares her approach to the platform, how she measures success and why spontaneity can be just as important as prep work when it comes to Instagram Stories.

3 Ways to Break Your PR Silo and Land Better Media Coverage

September 29th, 2017 by

As PR practitioners, it’s easy to forget the multitude of ways that other fields—such as social media and influencer marketing—can improve and enhance other core aspects of the job, such as media relations. Social media can offer a treasure trove of stories because it brings you closer to those who are using and loving your product. And influencers can also make for great brand ambassadors on platforms other than social media. Here are three ways you can mine these areas to take your storytelling to the next level.