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Org Chart: An Integrated PR Team Built to Thrive in a Complex Landscape

April 18th, 2016 by

There’s little doubt that successful communicators need to constantly adapt to myriad changes in content creation and distribution.

“The digital age has not made [being a communicator] simpler,” says Erin Streeter, SVP, communications, National Association of Manufacturers(NAM). “The talent and infrastructure needed to be successful is greater and more complex than ever,” she says. Her org chart illustrates this.

How Speakers Can Capture an Audience Fast and Craft an Unforgettable Ending

April 18th, 2016 by

In my experience, it’s often helpful to save writing the opening of the speech for later in the process, rather than trying to start with some engaging anecdote or shocking fact and then trying to build your speech around your opening.

5 Hashtag Tips to Help You Promote Your Brand Without Stumbling Into Dreaded Inauthenticity

April 18th, 2016 by

Brands and organizations from Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) to the member unions of the AFL-CIO last week hopped on one of the week’s trending hashtags #EqualPayDay, celebrating a holiday that brings attention to the disparity between the pay of men and women in some sectors.

To Compete in an Omni-Channel World, Adopt a New Mindset

April 15th, 2016 by

Omni-channel marketing is no longer the buzzword du jour. It’s time to dispel the confusion over what it is and adapt to the new world it’s creating for public relations practitioners. Omni-channel is often confused with holistic or integrated marketing communications. It’s different. Forward-thinking clients and CMOs consider it the future and you should, too.

2 Rebranding Tips to Help Refresh Your Image

April 15th, 2016 by

Rebranding is never easy. What is really behind a rebranding effort is an attempt to uproot deeply held misconceptions about a brand; a mere facelift isn’t going to fix these communications problems. As many communicators know, perception can be a powerful force when it’s working against you.

6 Conversational Habits That May Be Hurting Your Professional Career

April 14th, 2016 by

Conversing one-on-one is like writing by hand—they’re both modes of communication that have been eroded by the electronic screens that are perpetually in front of our faces. There’s an important distinction to be made between these two modes. Poor penmanship is not likely to hurt your career, but poor conversational skills likely will hurt your career, particularly if you classify yourself as a professional communicator.

Verizon CEO Responds Promptly to Sanders in LinkedIn Post

April 14th, 2016 by

After facing heavy criticism from Bernie Sanders, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam took to LinkedIn the same day to set the record straight. In a post called “Feeling The Bern of Reality — The Facts About Verizon and The ‘Moral Economy,'” he said “The senator’s uninformed views are, in a word, contemptible.” He went on to rebut claims that Verizon underpays taxes and doesn’t help America with its profits.

6 Conversational Habits That May Be Hurting Your Professional Career

April 14th, 2016 by

Conversing one-on-one reminds me of writing by hand—they’re both modes of communication that have been eroded by the electronic screens that are perpetually in front of our faces. There’s an important distinction to be made… Continued

5 Tips for Launching Your Brand on Instagram

April 14th, 2016 by

Instagram isn’t just for companies with visually appealing products. Every brand—even B2B, nonprofits and associations—can use this optically intense platform. It’s an established fact that visual storytelling yields the highest rate of engagement, and there’s no better place to do it than Instagram. These tips can help you shift some of your brand communications away from text and toward visuals.

Rise of the Machines: Facebook Adds Bots to Messenger App

April 13th, 2016 by

As tech companies continue to invest in bot technology, automation is on the road to becoming the default way customers interact with businesses in a variety of different ways. Facebook announced that the company is set to begin a broad implementation of bots into its already incredibly popular Messenger app. With its access to more than 900 million users and 50 million businesses already on the platform, Facebook’s move could be seen as the most viable shift to bring bot technology into the communications mainstream.