The thought of Black Friday brings to mind images of huddled shoppers braving the cold at 5 a.m., waiting for the doors of their favorite store to open so they can barge through, trampling anyone who gets in their way. This year, holiday shoppers are seeing Black Friday deals starting before Thanksgiving and, for the most part, remaining available until Christmas. Here’s a look at some of the brands turning the day into a week- or month-long affair, as well as a brand that is taking a strong stand against the madness.
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Black Friday: Some Brands Win by Extending It, Some by Sitting It Out
November 22nd, 2017 by Samantha Wood
Uber’s Messaging on Cyber Breach Scandal Leaves Much to Be Desired
November 22nd, 2017 by Jerry AsciertoUber’s response to its cyber breach crisis has raised more questions than answers, allowing speculation and coverage to increase and brand equity to erode, according to crisis expert Sam Huxley, senior vice president with Washington, D.C.-based agency LEVICK.

3 Tips From Klein Tools for Earning More Video Budget From Senior Leaders
November 21st, 2017 by Samantha WoodWe recently talked to Vince Wasseluk, video producer, and Clare Furman, associate marketing manager, at Klein Tools—who will be speaking about their video strategy and production tactics at the Video Boot Camp, Dec. 6 in D.C.—about what metrics they bring to senior leaders to prove their successes and earn more video budget.

This Week In PR
November 21st, 2017 by Seth ArensteinOur weekly roundup of trends, news and personnel moves in communications and marketing. This week’s stories include analysis of Charlie Rose’s #metoo statement, growth at Weber Shandwick and Ruder Finn and Harlan Teller comes to APCO Worldwide.

Cutting Through the Communications Data Wilderness: When Big Data Equals Big Answers
November 21st, 2017 by Seth ArensteinThis second article in a 5-part series about measurement we compile cases where communicators have moved beyond the fundamentals of measuring data to prove ROI and instead focused on using insights mined from data to change the way they operated their business. The series is produced with partner PublicRelay, a media monitoring and analytics firm.

Trump vs. LaVar Ball, and UCLA Loses
November 20th, 2017 by Sophie MaerowitzUCLA’s and Pac-12’s extended media moment following the incident in China is nothing new in an era in which not responding—as UCLA did by declining to take questions from the press—is a form of response in itself. We can now add UCLA to the list of brands ensnared in our divisive cultural and political climate.

The Importance of Measurable Public Relations
November 20th, 2017 by Mark WeinerMeasurement is said to be PR’s albatross. Heck, many PR pros entered the field specifically so they could avoid working with numbers. Fortunately, measuring and mining data for PR insights are far less complicated operations than measurement naysayers would have you believe. Advocating for measurement programs, our author says you can begin a measurement effort simply and inexpensively.

2017 PR People Award Finalists Announced by PR News
November 17th, 2017 by Jerry AsciertoAt the PR People Awards luncheon, which will be held Dec. 5 at the historic National Press Club in Washington, D.C., PR News will announce the winners of categories such as Crisis Manager of the Year, Digital Leader of the Year, Marketer of the Year, PR Intern of the Year and Media Relations Professional of the Year, among others. And as we celebrate these champions, we’ll also raise a glass for the future and shine a spotlight on the 2017 Rising PR Stars.

3 PR Lessons From the ‘Summer of Hell’ at Penn Station
November 16th, 2017 by Samantha WoodThe infrastructure renewal plan for New York’s Penn Station could’ve been a PR nightmare for Amtrak, which owns the station. But after the work was completed and service resumed as usual in early September, commuters seemed to come through the other side unscathed. Amtrak’s communications team can claim some of the credit for that success.

Week 5 of #MeToo: It’s Al Franken’s Turn to Apologize
November 16th, 2017 by Steve GoldsteinLet’s start with this morning’s initial apology from a powerful man accused of sexual assault: “I certainly don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.”