Latest Posts

Facebook Takes First Steps Into Food Ordering, Job Hunting

October 16th, 2017 by

Facebook wants to be your everything. Think about all the features that have been added since the days when you couldn’t do much more than post a status or picture: games, trending news, classified ads, fitness tracking, movie tickets, ride hailing, the list goes on. And now, the social media giant’s latest endeavors include food delivery and a LinkedIn-like resume feature.

Does PR Have a Role in a Weinstein-Type Situation?

October 16th, 2017 by

The insidious nature of the Harvey Weinstein situation has become clear. Not only have the alleged inappropriate actions of Mr. Weinstein caused the apparent downfall of one of Hollywood’s top producers, the scandal also has touched the company he co-founded as well as NBC News, the Clinton Foundation and Amazon. James Corden, Woody Allen, Mayim Bialik and Al Michaels also were caught in the thicket. Can communicators do anything in situations like these when the boss and founder of a company is alleged to be a deviant?

Does PR Have a Reputation Problem With the Media?

October 16th, 2017 by

Every day, PR is doing its job rather well. Communicators are masterfully engaged in storytelling, managing reputations and fostering relationships with its various and varied constituencies. But one major constituency it’s still suffering reputation problems with is the media. Is there a misunderstanding that PR is called in only when all else is lost, when it “comes to that”?

PR Measurement Is More Than Just a Report Card

October 13th, 2017 by

Reporting the data from a communications campaign is more than just writing up a tally of various metrics. Too many communicators try to use measurement simply as an end in itself, a gauge of how well a campaign performed after it’s over. Rather, analytics should inform every stage of the planning process, says Carrie Schum, executive vice president of strategic planning, analytics and research at Porter Novelli.

Communications Week Highlights Challenges of the Fake News Era

October 13th, 2017 by

“Truth in Communications” is the theme for this year’s Communications Week, to be held Oct. 16-20 in New York City, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. In an age referred to as the post-truth era—when media outlets are under attack and “fake news” is a trending hashtag—the topics of transparency, integrity and ethics in communications increasingly need an airing out. And at this annual event, a collection of PR, communications and media pros will come together to dissect everything from media brand reputation to PR’s role in a world of spin.

Twitter’s Leadership, Judgment Questioned as Rose McGowan’s Account Suspended

October 12th, 2017 by

Twitter just can’t seem to get a handle on its moderation issues. Rose McGowan is the latest to get caught up in Twitter’s uneven attempts to enforce civility. The actress’ account was temporarily suspended without an immediate explanation—and the eventual explanation from Twitter only raised more criticism.

Three Must-Haves for Effective Customer Emails

October 12th, 2017 by

Say what you will about the latest social platforms, email continues to be the old reliable when it comes to marketing. Email yielded a median ROI of 122%—more than four times higher than other marketing formats, including social media, direct mail and paid search—per a 2016 US marketers survey. On the other hand, most peoples’ inboxes are more crowded than a subway train during rush hour. The challenge is breaking through the noise. We provide three tips to help your marketing email rise above the din.

2 New Desktop-Based Social Media Tools to Try

October 11th, 2017 by

Social media pros looking for ways to make their lives easier have some new options this week. Twitteriffic and Windowed offer users working on desktop or laptop more powerful and feature-laden experiences for Twitter and Instagram, respectively.

What ESPN’s Suspension of Jemele Hill Means for Your Brand’s Social Media Guidelines

October 11th, 2017 by

ESPN’s social media guidelines boil down to “if you wouldn’t say it on our TV or website screens, don’t say it in social.” That leaves a lot of room for interpretation, especially in today’s highly charged climate, but it’s a rule of thumb most of us understand. We all know it’s much easier and safer to express fury and strong opinions on social media than it is to express them in face-to-face situations or on, say, national television. But still—there’s that gray area between personal expression in one’s own social media accounts and one’s responsibility to an employer.

Snapchat Rolls Out Context Cards, a New Marketing Feature, Escalating Its Battle With Instagram

October 10th, 2017 by

The battle between Instagram and Snapchat for more users and marketing dollars continues its heated pace. This morning, Snapchat introduced a new marketing tool called Context Cards giving Snapchat users a way to get instant information about a business featured in a Snap. Meanwhile, Instagram announced a couple of new features in the last week, including an interactive polling sticker for Stories that closely resembles Snapchat’s third-party Polly feature.