Reputation

The digital era is wonderful in many ways, though social media can sink a brand that runs a tone-deaf ad campaign quicker than you can say, ‘Why didn’t we have a PR pro at the table in the first place?’ Here are seven tips for PR pros to consider that will help brands avoid cultural missteps when they roll out ad campaigns.

You think it’s too early to begin preparing for Halloween? What a ghostly thought. In fact, Halloween is a wonderful time to dig up some fun for your brand and its followers. Accordingly, here are three scary tips for injecting some excitement into your brand on October 31 that even the devil will find thrilling.

In an interesting twist, Uber announced the launch of a new app, for the gig-economy, starting in Chicago. Some may see this as a sign of getting back to its roots. Uber Works will allow temporary workers to search for jobs in bartending, stocking and cleaning, amongst others.

Brands need to be certain their values align with the actions they take. For nonprofits that means being cognizant of the sources of donations. As the venerable Royal Shakespeare Company in the U.K. learned this week, hell hath no fury like students with tickets that an environmentally-unfriendly brand subsidized.

Neumann stepped down from his role as CEO on September 24th, and less than a week later, on Monday, September 30th, WeWork’s IPO was halted indefinitely. For PR pros working in a startup environment, WeWork’s very public fall from grace holds many lessons to take back to the open office. Let’s look at a few things that communicators at any startup can take away from WeWork’s problems.

New-product specialist Kip Knight says a significant majority of launches fail owing to a lack of strategic planning. He offers six questions all marketers need to ask before launching a product or brand to market.

Everything old is new again. The nation’s largest public transport system has turned to a newsletter to keep commuters informed and entertained as they learn about the latest developments concerning The L-Train Project. NYC commuters love it.

Admit it, we all know Girl Scout cookies. On the other hand, do we know the important role Girl Scouts play in encouraging young girls to become interested in science, math and technology? Do we appreciate the organization’s history? As the Boy Scouts rebrands and accepts girls in its ranks, the Girl Scouts must respond. Rebranding is the organization’s best way forward.

Working on communications for a startup has its joys and issues. Veteran startup PR pro Shana Starr offers guidance for the communicator who’s just stepping into the startup space. She recommends extensive research, which will inform a solid media relations plan and help PR pros position a startup in the market.

Anything can be politicized, however, it takes a very serious turn when the safety of people is at stake. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, home of the National Weather Service, continues to be at odds following a tumultuous week with the White House on the communication of disinformation regarding Hurricane Dorian and the state of Alabama.