Social Media

Many companies struggle with if and when to respond to things that happen in the news or on social. For ExxonMobil, a confusing presidential monologue late yesterday prompted a response. Abandoning corporate niceties and jargon, the company stated plainly that a conversation between its CEO and the president never happened. It was a savings of $25 million. Hypothetically.

Sometimes, when a company fails to take full stock of its actions—particularly around internal operations—activist employees take to social media to call out their organization. When an employee’s post goes viral, PR pros are expected to pick up the pieces. So, what is the best course of action when an employee puts a company on the stand regarding DEI, the election or another hot-button topic? Experts weigh in.

On Oct. 6, Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes posted his version of the latest viral video craze to hit TikTok, which has since racked up more than 1.3 million views. His video is a spin on a Sept. 25 video posted by TikTok user 420DoggFace208, the handle of Idaho warehouse worker Nathan Apodaca, 37. Squeezing some extra earned media juice, Hayes’ company donated a red pickup truck filled with bottles of Ocean Spray to Apodaca. The surprise gift video has seen more than a million views on Instagram, exhibiting cross-channel appeal.

Sephora has a competitive program for influencers that includes mentoring, education and other opportunities. We look at several other trends that emerged from our annual social media conference, The Social Shake-Up, which was held virtually Sept. 28 through Oct. 1.

It’s not news that 2020 seems destined for the history books. A global pandemic, protests against systemic racism and a critical election are some of reasons consumers insist brands take stands. Ben & Jerry’s and… Continued

The celebrity influencer, with millions of fans in tow, is dead, right? Perhaps not. Especially if you want to bolster a nation-wide campaign and can find an influencer like Eva Longoria, who has history with your cause.

You can’t stop what you don’t see coming. The internet is comprised of thousands of small, hyper-connected sub-cultures. Many will use brands to further their agenda. To protect her brand, the communicator needs to understand what motivates these online groups so she can spot a disruptive narrative in its earliest stages.

Social media is getting a bit long in the tooth, which has spawned many ‘rules’ about creating great content. Forget them, Lego Group’s social chief James Gregson told a Social Shake-Up session. Instead, focus on the basics. Social’s fundamentals have not changed, he said.

A seasoned expert in communications knows how to provide the right words for any situation. However, the explosion of social platforms led to an ocean of content, and the real issue now is how to stand out from the endless scroll. Leah Feygin, head of U.S. creator content solutions at Twitter’s creative arm—ArtHouse—advised Tuesday’s Social Shake-Up participants on the craft of unforgettable content.

Ahead of this year’s Social Shake-Up virtual social media conference, we spoke to #SSU2020 speaker Alanna Bass of Okayplayer. Whether you are trying to communicate with a diverse audience or jump into a trending conversation, Bass says to keep these things in mind in tumultuous 2020 and beyond.