Latest Posts

The day-to-day of communications work can wear on a practitioner. Pro bono work can be a nice distraction. In addition it can help build morale, community spirit and assist with recruitment. More important, of course, is the satisfaction and joy that giving back can bring.

Joe Biden’s campaign was all but dead just weeks ago. Today he’s the frontrunner for a chance to unseat the president. Working with few resources and little infrastructure in Super Tuesday states, Biden communicators honed their messages and turned to garden-variety earned media and social media. It worked.

Check back here for the latest updates on our coverage related to communications, public relations and the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Linking diversity and inclusion to crisis is not something communicators think of often. Yet, when an organization’s PR team does not reflect the ethnic makeup of its consumers, there is a tremendous opportunity for failed risk assessments. Simply put, less diversity can mean more bad judgement calls

Brands must be held responsible for the work they distribute, particularly when it revolves around an international cause or recognition day. National pizza day is one thing, but when the messaging revolves around something meaningful that can make a global impact, like International Women’s Day on March 8, a serious pause for thought and results needs to be considered.

In a PR crisis, consistent messaging is important. In communicating about a potential health crisis, consistent, factual messaging becomes paramount. The country’s coronavirus situation is rapidly rising beyond politics. It is imperative for all communicators, including the president, to speak from the same script.

Since they are roughly half the population, women should be quoted about half the time in the media. A recent analysis shows women are cited in content only about one-third of the time, however. With Women’s Day approaching, PR pros can help rectify this issue in a variety of ways, from mentoring to formal industry efforts.

The Houston Astros, as many know, are a baseball team. Without wanting to, the franchise and Major League Baseball have supplied a classic case study for PR education in the field of crisis communications. Most likely the outcome of the team’s disastrous crisis response will continue to be written during the coming baseball season and beyond.

In the ever-evolving world of digital, there’s little doubt that social media professionals should stay on top of algorithm changes, new social apps and shifts in user behavior and appetite. As Social Shake-Up 2020 host Brian Fanzo, CEO of iSocialFanz puts it, “I wish there was a pause button for every new social media app. But there isn’t one, so we have to focus our goals on how to address that.”

In this continuing series about lessons in career and life, a senior communicator at a relatively unknown but major aluminum company explains why he left a very good position at a much larger firm. It was the best career move he’s made, he says.