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Twitter shares soared to $49 on Monday, up 9% to their highest level since the social blogging network went public in early November. The spike in share price comes just a few days after Twitter rolled out a new ad program. The move gives PR pros yet another excuse to condition themselves to paid media programs.

It’s year-end and time to think about what will make this next chapter different than the last. Growth goes hand in hand with evolution, and standing still is rarely an option.

It’s one thing when brands try and align their message with “Hallmark” holidays such as Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s Day. But it’s another thing when brands try and leverage solemn anniversaries, such as last weekend’s 72nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, as Cambell’s soup brand SpagettiOs has now learned the hard way.

What happens if spam filters catch your press release? The answer is simple: nothing.

Authenticity is all the rage these days. According to the social media gurus, you have to be authentic if you want to have followers and likes. The crisis communications experts will tell you that authenticity is key to recovery in a crisis. But there are times when authenticity just doesn’t work.

Used properly, social-media platforms can be extremely efficient at uncovering trends, discovering influencers, tracking coverage and building a brand, all things that PR is accountable for. But it takes time to use social media well.

Buckle up. Change in the PR field has been accelerating at a rapid clip in the last several years and 2014 will be no exception. As PR moves closer and closer to the core of strategic marketing, C-level managers increasingly expect PR pros to demonstrate their value and align communications with the organization’s overall goals and objectives, financial and otherwise.

In a Dec. 6 PR News webinar on writing relevant, share-worthy press releases, Myra Oppel, regional communications vice president for utility company Pepco Holdings, and Jana Telfer, associate director, communication science, for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tackled the thorny question of whether the news release is dying—or already dead. Their answer: it’s toast. […]

Nelson Mandela’s words have inspired millions. Here are some quotes that resonate with PR communicators.

Paul Walker’s death in a fiery high-speed car crash raises some tough PR questions for Universal. Universal already had a “do as I say, not as I do” PSA starring Walker in the can. As of this morning, the PSA had only 16,593 views on YouTube. Should Universal promote that PSA harder? Make more Walker PSAs?