Topics

Toni Morrison’s Lessons on Storytelling and Communication

August 7th, 2019 by

Communicators who love what they do often speak of good PR as storytelling. To that end, some of Morrison’s greatest quotes help distill what makes strong storytelling tantamount to good communication—bridging the distance between writer and reader, between us and them. Like good communication, good storytelling creates an authentic connection with your audience that cannot be shaken. Here’s a look at some of Toni Morrison’s most powerful quotes on storytelling.

5 Ways to Make Your Social Good Great

August 6th, 2019 by

Corporate commitments to the big picture confer a halo that transcends commerce. So how do you get that halo? One of the most common—and effective—ways is via a CSR campaign. Here are some tips that can help you use these to connect with your audience and not just inspire loyalty, but inspire change.

How to Create the Perfect PR Person

August 6th, 2019 by

Veteran PR pro Arthur Solomon assembles a checklist comprising the traits he thinks would make the perfect PR pro. The idea for this exercise is based on an assignment a brand executive gave him years ago, when he was with Burson-Marsteller. Despite the myriad changes in PR since that time, the traits he chose then don’t seem very different from those he says he’d pick today. They include a mix of media relations skills, integrity, and creative thinking.

How to Research the Reporters You Want to Pitch

August 5th, 2019 by

When it comes to pitching reporters, the more things change, the more they stay the same. While Twitter and contacts saved to your phone replace Rolodexes, much of the work to land impactful placements remains developing solid relationships with reporters. Software offerings can give you a list of potential media contacts in a few minutes, but seasoned pros still caution against blasting reporters with generic emails.

YouTube Has More Daily Users Than Facebook in 2019, and Other Revelations [INFOGRAPHIC]

August 2nd, 2019 by

The popularity of various social media platforms across different demographics is constantly in flux, as illustrated in this new infographic from Jones PR. “The Demographics of Social Media in 2019” begins with the revelation that Instagram and Snapchat are rapidly gaining popularity among users under 30, threatening to unseat YouTube and Facebook, which still rank among the most popular platforms.

Audi Fails to Recover Trust in Second Emissions Crisis for Volkswagen

August 1st, 2019 by

Four years ago, Volkswagen received extensive punishment for lying about noxious levels of their diesel vehicles’ emissions. The company is back in the news as German prosecutors charged Rupert Stadler, former chief executive of Audi, the luxury arm of VW, with fraud for his role in another emissions cheating scandal.

Want to Be the Perfect Public Speaker? Follow These 10 Rules

August 1st, 2019 by

It’s not all about eye contact or presence. Public speaking is like an expensive watch: There’s an almost incalculable amount of highly intricate machinery working behind the scenes to keep it running smoothly. The speaking—like telling time—looks effortless, but it takes many highly coordinated pieces to function. If you are representing your brand on stage, here’s how you make sure you’re doing it right.

New FleishmanHillard Chief Strategy Officer Urges Brands to Use Data to Align with Audiences

August 1st, 2019 by

The new Chief Strategy Officer at FleishmanHillard, Marjorie Benzkofer, talks to us about how she keeps 4,000 employees working in concert and why brands continue to struggle aligning their values and actions.

5 Powerful Data Integration Approaches for Strategic PR Campaigns

August 1st, 2019 by

Since the dawn of PR as a profession, the sector has been fighting for the right to exist. If you’ve been considering how to reframe PR functions as part of a broader business strategy, here are five ways to stay focused.

PR Pros, Academics Say Grads Need Business Acumen, Tech, Refined Writing to Succeed

August 1st, 2019 by

With school beginning soon (yes, the summer has flown by), we turn to educators, most of whom are or were PR pros, to tell us what areas of the profession communications students need additional training in. Then we ask PR pros to give us their assessment of incoming PR candidates and their training needs.