Stories by Nicole Schuman

The White House hosted a master class yesterday in how not to do crisis communications. Following the release of notes of a July telephone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, some Democrats received a surprise—the GOP’s talking points about the call. Along with other mistakes this week, the incident emphasizes the importance of PR pros double-checking their work.

Important lessons can emerge from tragedy. For Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO at Pure Performance Communications, the loss of a young family member inspired her to look at the communication gaps between millennials and other generations. Breakenridge will keynote PRNEWS’ Top Places to Work and Agency Elite Awards in November.

While Europe holds responsibility for the creation of GDPR regulations, ripple effects can be felt around the world. “The right to be forgotten” allows the public to request that a company remove content deemed as inaccurate or old. These requests can be based on varying levels of offense, and without strict regulation could wreak havoc on not only the free press, but the heartbeat of content configuration—the Google search.

Today’s Global Climate Strike includes the involvement of more than 7,000 brands, finding a kindred social responsibility with the upcoming generation. The event reveals a possible escalation within corporations to become more involved in promoting social good, and that’s getting noticed. We look at how brands are participating in the Global Climate Strike.

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), the nonprofit formed to educate and help prevent gun violence in schools, pulled no punches with the launch of its latest PSA, “Back-to-School Essentials.” The minute-long video highlights the excitement of new backpacks, clothing and art supplies, which jarringly transform into tools of protection during a school shooting. Within hours the video reached more than 1.2 million views.

More than 500 award-winning brand, agency and nonprofit communicators gathered last evening (Sept. 17) to celebrate the PRNEWS Platinum PR Awards. Our most prestigious honors salute top campaigns and leaders in a variety of categories including advocacy, branding and social media. PRNEWS also inducted campaigns from Nike and Sandy Hook Promise into the Platinum Hall of Fame.

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.

With the continual introduction of new platforms and instant response, management and moderation becomes a key skill for any brand. Contrary to popular belief, the titles social media manager and community manager are not interchangeable. Both work towards the positive promotion of a brand underneath the direction of the marketing department, but the similarities really stop there.

The 100th season of the National Football League got underway earlier this week, with the sort of pomp and circumstance this television behemoth is known for generating. Yet professional football, America’s most popular sport, is showing more than a few cracks. You’d not know it, however, to listen to the vague responses to real issues that emanate from the league office in NY.

Trying to plan out or refurbish a social strategy can seem overwhelming. Gone are the days where brands can set and forget a strategy for a year. A social plan evolves with not only brand changes and promotions, but also platform innovations and announcements. Before you sit down and decide on content and where to post that content, you need to take a look at the intended audience and goals.