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The goal of crisis management is to return as quickly as possible to business as usual, right? Actually, regaining public trust might be a better target. However, regaining the public’s trust takes time. In addition, it requires a change story that’s communicated consistently during the transition to normalcy. A good example is Chipotle, which continues to communicate its change story. The brand is a Wall St darling again.

AstraZenica committed classic crisis PR mistakes last week with its initial announcement about its coronavirus vaccine. Its incomplete reporting to the media led to several subsequent statements that could degrade trust in the company and its vaccine.

The PR industry might need to come up with a new term for Internal communication now that so many staffers are working from home. For HPE CCO Jennifer Temple the issue seems permanent. In a wide-ranging interview she tells us nearly half her company’s 62,000 global staff probably will not return to the office on a regular basis after the pandemic. Temple tells us how her team plans to engage a segmented employee base.

One of the most enjoyable parts of PR and communication is that you’re constantly learning, even when doing pleasure reading. In this post from Crisis Insider, we learn about two novels with fictional PR crises at their center. While these novels offer fictional crises, the lessons they offer PR pros are real and useful.

It’s not news that Thanksgiving 2020 will look different for many families across America. But brands should not confuse different with indifferent. Americans remain hungry for turkey and all the holiday traditions. For brands that read the room, Thanksgiving offers potential opportunities to engage the public, writes veteran PR pro Mike McDougall.

Sherwin-Willians seems to have missed out on a primary opportunity to not only utilize clever content, but promote employee creativity. The 154-year-old paint company surprised many consumers, not to mention Tik Tok users, when it fired a college senior after he garnered a large social media audience with paint-mixing videos. 

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. 

PRNEWS is pleased to announce the honorees for this year’s PR People and Rising Stars Awards. From internal communications and community relations to crisis management, media relations and beyond, the individuals recognized this year cover the wide breadth and depth of the industry.

It’s not an easy time in general. Perhaps more so for media relations pros, who are pitching against several dominant stories and an eclectic pastiche of other items. Still, PR pros are nothing if not resourceful. The best are finding opportunities in the crowded field. Here are a few on November 19, 2020.

‘Tis the season to break out of the COVID-19 doldrums and deck the halls. The holidays seem to be arriving even sooner, as many look to find joy via decorating, music and fixating (or trying to) on the spirit of the season, rather than 2020’s awful news. Queue the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which arrived a bit worse for the wear. So, do you ignore its raggedy appearance or lean in and have fun?