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As the pandemic has changed many aspects of life and business, it’s natural to think communicators are adjusting their messages and how they’re delivered. Nicole Schuman of PRNEWS found PR pros at brands and organizations are making subtle and significant changes in the wake of the pandemic.

Each August, PRNEWS celebrates the opening of universities and colleges. We continue that tradition despite pandemic-fueled uncertainty surrounding the status of the first semester. As a result, you might have expected US colleges to reduce their social content. In fact, Shareablee data shows schools bolstered their Instagram posting 8 percent vs the same period last year.

More than a decade after the advent of hashtags, trendjacking may be evolving into a longer-term play. In the wake of social unrest, brands have begun chiming in on issues unfolding over a course of weeks or months rather than days. Sophie Maerowitz looks at the evolution of trendjacking and visits with brands and organizations that are using the tactic to enhance awareness.

Both The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Hearst publications were caught flatfooted after allegations appeared in the media that their brands’ values failed to equate with reality. In her regular Image Patrol feature, Katie Paine analyzes the slow response to each PR crisis and provides tips for how brands should handle such issues.

Like a Nancy Drew page-turner, Sunday’s mystery of the vanishing baseball player took a shoddy communication road not many PR pros would care to ease on down. Yoenis Céspedes, an outfielder and DH for the New York Mets, chose to opt out of the rest of the 2020 Major League Baseball season. But before that acknowledgement, the Mets issued a statement suggesting the blockbuster player was missing. 

With all the changes the pandemic has imposed on consumers and businesses, it’s not a surprise that brand communicators have had to adapt their goals and strategies. Fortunately, the basics continue to work: monitoring the news and social media, crafting relevant messages and employing thought leadership, among other things. Being nimble and flexible also are key components.

No doubt the pandemic has narrowed choices for brand communicators, especially those accustomed to decamping to Las Vegas every January for CES. With the task of creating and maintaining brand images, communicators will have to change their PR plans for all-digital events, such as CES. A CES veteran, communicator David Wolpert offers tips on how to do this successfully.

When your brand is built on being kind, it’s important to actually be kind. Ellen DeGeneres is learning this lesson the hard way. Staff have come forward to claim the culture at her eponymous talk show is anything but kind. In a letter dangerously close to a non-apology apology, Ellen says she’s committed to fixing what ails her staff, though she offers few details. Time will tell if this PR crisis has caused significant damage to her kind reputation.

For many, it’s difficult living through an economic downturn. No doubt, times are hard, but there are signs that despite the chaos, some communication and marketing executives continue to look ahead with a positive attitude. We bring you several examples of PR and media pros who are confounding the naysayers and establishing new businesses in the midst of the pandemic and its economic morass.

Premier Daniel Andrews released the type of statement that could serve as a sympathetic guide for other government officials who need to deliver difficult news. Andrews’ tone is succinct and forward, but also personable and easy to read—clear of most medical jargon.