Digital & Technology

What can AI do for communications measurement? Plenty, is the short answer. The larger question, of course, is whether or not AI will replace humans or augment them. Edelman Intelligence’s global measurement lead Pauline Draper-Watts weighs in on this important discussion.

Our regular roundtable feature includes honorees from the 2018 PRNEWS Platinum PR awards and speakers from The Social Shake-Up. Among the questions we put to them: What qualities does a successful communicator need? With the onslaught of technology, how can brands ensure customers have a human experience? And what social media trends are you eager to learn more about during the Social Shake-Up?

By now, we all know the power of video in communications and delivering a brand message—particularly to younger audiences. You probably already know how to shoot video, edit it, do Facebook Live. But in a cluttered world of branding, do you know how to make sure your video content rises to the top through SEO?

The social media platform Pinterest went big time on April 18, announcing its initial public offering at the New York Stock Exchange. ‘PINS’ are now not only being traded between user boards, but investors as well. Pinterest serves as the fourth most popular platform for U.S. adults, only surpassed by Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Go big or go home does’t necessarily apply to innovation, says Scott Steinberg, author and business consultant. Armed with knowledge about their customers, communicators can advocate for brands to make small, tactical changes to products and services that can yield significant results. Steinberg discussed his ideas about thinking small to go big during PRNEWS’ Measurement Conference in Washington, DC.

Adidas and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) used Apple’s AirDrop to distribute free sneakers at Coachella. To those who accepted Glover’s AirDrop invitation, it was a highly personalized experience that ended with free Adidas. For others, it was a creepy use of an app designed for people who actually know each other.

There’s much PR pros can learn about communicating the intricacies of AI from a story this week. It seems Amazon’s Alexa indeed is listening to our conversations. In fact, the hockey-puck-looking device has an army of 1,000 humans who listen to what it picks up in homes around the world. One lesson is that communicators need to urge brands to be transparent in their AI activities.

As we look to next week’s PRNEWS Measurement Conference in Washington, DC, we asked several scheduled speakers to prognosticate about PR measurement’s future. Up ahead, they said, is more data integration and testing of well-established ideas. In addition, tools will be smarter and (thank goodness) easier to use, which will encourage the use of measurement for decision-making.

Bots and automation can help communicators with audience research and faster response times, and fake followers can make you look important. But consumers are smart and want to find a brand they can put their trust in.

Communicators know words mean everything. What you say in a press release, advertisement or tweet can make or break a brand. So it’s not a surprise that search engine optimization remains an important strategic tactic on a digital level. Proper SEO makes sure brands get noticed in that continuous quest to the first page of Google, Yahoo or Bing.