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With the current new cycle’s emphasis on crises, the need for brands and their CEOs to respond with appropriately has become paramount. Sadly, many times these crises call for communicators to craft expressions of grief. One issue, though, is that some phrases can be overused to the point of losing their effectiveness on listeners or readers. This is known as semantic satiation. Here are tips to help communicators be more effective with the words they use to express grief in public statements.

Influencer marketing can come in many shapes and sizes. Some companies utilize outside influencers, and some focus on employees. For Tatiana Holifield-Arthur, senior director of social media marketing strategy at BET Networks, influencer marketing means using its on-air talent to achieve a multiplier effect with the network’s huge following.

If you’ve forgotten the power of Twitter, or ever doubted it, we can look at examples from the #Resistance movement this week to find evidence of the platform’s might. In the wake of Charlottesville, here are four things brands should consider when determining how/if they should take a stance.

In a crisis, a solid framework can make sure you’ve touched on all the major areas you need to communicate and that you haven’t overlooked something major. When the goal is to demonstrate responsibility and leadership, these “5 C’s” can cover all your bases for a reassuring and competent response.

If you’ve just started working in PR no doubt you’ve learned that the life of a PR pro means juggling a lot of tasks and skills. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed. Worry not. Veteran communicator Andrew Blum has tips and tactics to help as you get acclimated to professional life. And while it’s unlikely your first job in PR is glamorous, it can be a steppingstone to the rest of your career.

We all knew that eventually brands and, in particular, CEOs, would reach a point where they would have to react publicly to a statement or action taken by an unfiltered president who is supremely skilled at lashing out at critics. Senior communications pros, take notice: Your CEO needs you.

There probably isn’t a single American CEO who’s not quivering right now, wondering if he or she is going to have to make some kind of statement about President Trump’s strongly expressed conviction that both… Continued

You’ve got a great story to tell and a media representative ready to listen, but your company’s gun-shy leadership doesn’t want to engage with the press. While staying away from the spotlight can be the right call at times, we know earned media can help burnish your company’s reputation and make it more resonant. Try taking small steps with your executives to demonstrate that not all media members are looking to attack them and the brand.

Similar to a good newspaper or news site, a good content strategy is a combination of structure and spontaneity. We talked with Grubhub’s social media director Mallorie Rosenbluth to find out the brand’s recipe for creating such delicious content that’s both planned and spontaneous.

The upside of technology is obvious. But when things go wrong on the tech side it can create havoc for a technology dependent brand. That was the case for Southwest Airlines last summer, when a computer malfunction grounded a slew of its flights and left thousands stranded. See how the brand used Facebook Live and other social media to keep its passengers and employees informed.