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In a new survey small businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, are shown to be fairly large proponents of SEO. Some 55% of small businesses surveyed said they use SEO, a slight increase from 2017. More than 90% said last year they would be using SEO, according to Clutch, a B2B researcher.

Katie Paine compares crises at Oxfam and KFC in her regular Image Patrol feature. In this edition she explores how transparency and even humor can be prime tactics for managing crisis.

With the March for Our Lives set for Saturday at venues around the country, what should brands be doing, if anything, to prepare? We asked Barie Carmichael , a senior counselor at APCO Worldwide and a former communicator at iconic brands. In sum, it’s a delicate dance and one size does not fit all.

The Global RepTrak 100, the gold standard of corporate reputation, shows corporate reputation declining for the first time since 2009. Why has it declined and what can brands do about it? We answer those questions and more in our coverage.

Facebook is nursing yet another bruise to its reputation as it manages the fallout from a scandal involving leaked data from nearly 50 million users. The latest incident regarding Strategic Communication Laboratories and its political research arm Cambridge Analytica will likely amplify calls for increased regulation and further erode public trust in the platform.

There’s much to see, hear and do during the 11-day marketing cavalcade known as South by Southwest (SXSW), which ended Saturday evening. Beyond the celebrities, glitz and music, what can a brand marketer take away from the multi-level experience? David Wolpert of Bell shares some of the trends and lessons he learned during his trip to Austin, Texas.

A Snapchat ad promoting the game Would You Rather?! asked players if they would rather “slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown.” Rihanna was not amused by this reference to the 2009 violent assault by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. How did this disturbing ad make it onto the app in the first place? A representative from Snap Inc. explained their ad review process, which might need a few tweaks.

Are communicators evolving quickly enough to adapt to today’s data-driven workplace? What about the workplace of tomorrow? These are questions Andrew Bowins, executive director of corporate reputation and digital engagement at KPMG, plans to address at PR News’ Measurement Conference April 16-18 in Philadelphia, where communicators will gather to discuss and learn how best to quantify and qualify the success of their efforts. Here, he offers a quick overview of the evolution of digital communications, and a glimpse of what’s to come.

In the spirit of the NCAA basketball tournament, PR News offers its own version of March Madness with the 2018 Most Overused PR Words & Phrases Tournament. Take a look at the second-round picks and vote on Twitter for the overused words from each pairing that you’d like to see advance. We’ll announce the third-round picks next Thursday, and every Thursday through the end of the month until we crown a champion.

At SXSW 2018, thanks to immersive experiences showcasing the massive advancements in augmented reality and virtual reality, attendees were afforded the opportunity to experience firsthand how close we are to the seemingly distant future we saw in movies like “Back to the Future Part II” and “Minority Report.” That future now seems to be only 22 months away.