Stories by Nicole Schuman

For most people working in PR and communications, 2020 will forever be known as a crisis. That’s it. Continual crisis. And while crisis stymied many industries this year, it made communication more essential. When clear delivery of information becomes a necessity, the communication industry should grow. While the advertising world watched agencies shrink due to client losses and budget cutbacks, some PR shops expanded. We look at several examples of growth.

Sherwin-Willians seems to have missed out on a primary opportunity to not only utilize clever content, but promote employee creativity. The 154-year-old paint company surprised many consumers, not to mention Tik Tok users, when it fired a college senior after he garnered a large social media audience with paint-mixing videos. 

For many in PR, because of their own day-to-day experiences, the thought of accessibility for an audience may not register when strategizing communications. But the truth is that 61 million Americans live with a disability, according to the Center for Disease Control. And that is a sizable number to acknowledge when trying to release important information. 

‘Tis the season to break out of the COVID-19 doldrums and deck the halls. The holidays seem to be arriving even sooner, as many look to find joy via decorating, music and fixating (or trying to) on the spirit of the season, rather than 2020’s awful news. Queue the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which arrived a bit worse for the wear. So, do you ignore its raggedy appearance or lean in and have fun?

Upon first glance, you might think pharmaceutical companies are in a race to become the first to develop and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. This belief strengthens with every announcement coming out from Pfizer last week or Moderna, as we saw today. But communicators might want to look a little deeper, as a race can completely devalue the important, strategic work healthcare communicators do. The power of collaboration, rather than competition, emerges as the true message sent with each news release.

The Ring recall may prove daunting, as it appears to place responsibility on the consumer. Not only is support information hard to find on Ring’s website, but the company blames faulty installation for any fires, not the doorbell.  

DEI initiatives permeate the PR industry. Are they effective? A recent survey finds 74 percent of respondents saying they are optimistic about their organization’s commitment to DEI. However, only 53 percent say DEI training is required, and 40 percent report their organization’s budget does not fund DEI. The enthusiasm for DEI exists, but the industry has a long way to go. 

PRNEWS welcomed Sean Sullivan, PR liaison at Wreaths Across America. We discussed how the non profit is honoring veterans this year by adapting annual events to be COVID-safe.

While the election showcased a deeply-divided nation, president-elect Joe Biden’s acceptance speech Saturday called for unity and healing. He set a precedent with the tone and content of his speech, acknowledging battles affecting every citizen across the nation. Bringing people together seems to be a systematic goal for the incoming administration. Letting people know out loud was one way to adhere to that promise.

Unless you’ve been living on Mars with no access to a livestream of Earth, there’s no denying that American’s emotions run the gamut right now. Many citizens’ stress levels, due to an elongated presidential election, have hit their peak. However, when things get tough in the U.S., some of our best and brightest creative coping mechanisms come through. Laughter is the best medicine for tense times, and social media is providing some of the most hilarious election memes, tweets and videos for comfort.