Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

In the wake of calls for social justice last summer, it seemed as though every brand issued a statement or a black square. Indeed, there were plenty of brand posts about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

We talked to PRNEWS Top Women in PR honorees about the advancements of women in the workforce, the importance of mentorship and how the industry can help tackle the challenges of working women.

Societal unrest during the summer of 2020 led many businesses to take a hard look at what they represented to their audiences in terms of diversity and inclusion. Since then we’ve seen many organizations make statements and promises to practice greater inclusivity on everything from hiring to campaign content and representation. Whether or not these promises resulted in real change remains to be seen.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Matthew and Tammy Tsang, co-founders of &Humanity, an inclusive marketing agency. We discussed the importance of diverse perspectives in messaging and communication.

‘Bring your true self to work’ is an often-used phrase. For David Brown, it’s a lesson he learned as a youth and carried with him into adulthood. Today, he imparts it daily to students and fellow PR professionals. Yet, he’s constantly reminded of its importance. For example, during the country’s recent racial reckoning and on a visit to his 100-year-old grandmother.

No company, not even timeless luxury brands, is immune to today’s social, racial and political movements. While luxury brands once were able to float above social issues, that’s not the case today. How should these ‘timeless classics’ navigate the current landscape? In short, much the same way other brands do.

As hiring freezes are (hopefully) lifted amid the COVID vaccine’s arrival and (hopefully) economic rebound, the Biden team’s latest cabinet announcements raise a timely question for PR pros: How should brands announce new or incoming leadership?

PRNEWS is pleased to announce this year’s Top Women in PR honorees. Our honorees demonstrated significant passion for their work even beyond their (virtual) office doors, often taking on pro bono communications work, in addition to advancing women leadership and/or diversity initiatives, both inside their respective organizations as well as in volunteer capacities outside of office hours.

PRNEWS welcomed Aba Blankson, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the NAACP, as the keynote speaker for this year’s Media Relations: Next Practices Virtual Event. The NAACP thoughtfully handled a barrage of communications challenges in 2020, from COVID to social justice and race relations, always keeping in mind the needs of its audience—the Black community and its advocates. 

For many in PR, because of their own day-to-day experiences, the thought of accessibility for an audience may not register when strategizing communications. But the truth is that 61 million Americans live with a disability, according to the Center for Disease Control. And that is a sizable number to acknowledge when trying to release important information.