The Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story underscores a question faced by many corporate communications and HR pros: What steps should be taken to prevent that kind of behavior among top executives? It starts with education and a culture of accountability, as well as instilling a reporting structure that ensures employees won’t fear retribution.
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Google Says PR Measurement Is About Quality Over Quantity
October 6th, 2017 by Samantha WoodWhen it comes to measuring your PR and communications efforts, more is not always better. Janneke van Geuns, head of insights and analytics at Google, says that she has seen communicators who try to collect and track an overabundance of metrics. But collecting more data isn’t going to bring about better insights, she says. Instead, communicators should break through the clutter of unnecessary (and just plain meaningless) metrics to focus on the ones that truly matter to you and your organization.

Celebrity Endorsement Fumble: Dannon Backs Away From Cam Newton
October 5th, 2017 by Steve GoldsteinBack in January 2015, it seemed like such sweet pairing: Dannon and NFL quarterback Cam Newton. Dannon had just made a deal to be the official yogurt of the NFL, and made a side deal with Newton, who would serve as the lead pitchman for Dannon’s new Oikos Triple Zero. What could possibly go wrong? Brands make deals with celebrities and influencers all the time, and we all know that once a deal is signed, the celebrity or influencer will be super, super careful not to do or say anything that might reflect badly on the brand.

How PR Pros Can Help Their Brand’s Job Application Process
October 5th, 2017 by Peter Osborne, Friction-Free CommunicationsDoes the process of applying for a job at your company align with the brand message that you are crafting to attract customers? It should, as research shows those who have a positive interaction with your brand will remember it. Applicants who have a bad experience with your brand’s H.R. process also are likely to recall it. Here are some ways communicators can help H.R. provide job seekers with a positive brand experience.

Tillerson Disses the Boss: What the Morale Cleanup Might Look Like
October 4th, 2017 by Seth ArensteinLet’s make the alleged Tillerson “moron” comment a PR question. You are the person responsible for building and maintaining the reputation of a brand. A senior official makes a derogatory comment about the CEO that eventually becomes public. What do you do? If the senior official leaves the company shortly after making the comment, what message do you convey to staff and stakeholders to keep morale high? What if the senior official remains with the brand?
Tillerson Disses the Boss: What the Morale Cleanup Might Look Like
October 4th, 2017 by Seth ArensteinLet’s start with a question for PR practitioners: How would you, as the person charged with building and maintaining your brand’s reputation and internal morale, deal with a senior official’s derogatory comment about the CEO that… Continued

3 Common Social Media and Site Measurement Mistakes
October 3rd, 2017 by Jerry AsciertoWhen measuring social media and website efforts, few metrics can be taken at face value. Every major platform has some form of native analytic tool, and Google Analytics provides a wealth of information on the factors that affect a website’s performance. But by accepting the numbers you’re given and not digging any deeper, metrics can mislead. Here are three common mistakes communicators can make by looking only at the tip of the metrics iceberg.

How Using a Communications Autopsy Can Benefit Your Campaign
October 3rd, 2017 by Peter Osborne, Friction-Free CommunicationsAs communicators we are told to be in the moment. Yet after the moment has passed and the campaign is over, do we take enough time to reflect on what we could have done better or differently? After Bank of America made a disastrous decision, it created a communications autopsy that its communications team applied to future efforts. You can adapt this autopsy for your brand’s needs, too.

Facebook’s Russia About-Face Is Costly; So’s Equifax’s Crisis Avoidance
October 3rd, 2017 by Katie PaineFacebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is eating crow as the situation with Russian ads on Facebook has amounted to more than the nonsense he called it initially. Equifax, of course, has committed nearly every error possible in terms of its early crisis management to its summer data breach. Katie Paine grades the two brands’ crisis response efforts.

Snapchat and Toys ‘R’ Us Signal Renewed Interest in Augmented Reality for Brands
October 2nd, 2017 by Sophie MaerowitzWhile some communicators may argue augmented reality’s relevance to brands has faded along with Pokémon GO fervor, recent developments at Snap Inc. and Toys ‘R’ Us indicate otherwise. Both companies have unrolled augmented reality (AR) offerings that encourage audience interaction with their products and drive a surprise-and-delight factor with users.