With so many software choices and cascades of data, the question changes from ‘Which platform(s) do I buy?’ to ‘How do I manage the tool(s) and interpret the data?’ Communicators eventually find themselves bumping up against the limitations of what technology alone can do. In response, tools are neglected and investment is wasted.
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Encourage Empathy, Active Listening En Route to Bolstering Employee Trust
June 1st, 2021 by Kate O'Sullivan, Managing Director, ADPRWhile it’s unclear what comes next, it seems certain change is imminent. Moreover, building and maintaining a corporate culture, or, perhaps rebuilding one for the post-pandemic environment, will occupy a large majority of businesses and organizations. Among the tasks ahead for internal communicators will be gaining, or regaining, employee trust. In addition, motivating and engaging staff will occupy internal communicators. Of course, none of this will happen overnight. And leadership buy-in is critical.

There’s a Rise in Accountability on ESG Issues Coming; Here’s How Companies Can Handle It
May 25th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinYou’d think environment, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues might suffer during the pandemic, when survival takes priority. Yet Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ new SVP and lead of its Better Impact consultancy Cathy Resler says ESG is thriving. The global crisis, she says, led people to look at their values. This collective gut-check allowed some companies to re-think how they act, including on ESG issues.

How PR Communicates Topics Some Consider Uncomfortable
May 7th, 2021 by Nicole SchumanWhile TV shows and novels tend to focus on the glamorous side of PR, it’s important to remember that in reality communication also is necessary to raise awareness of topics some may find uncomfortable.

Advice for the First George Floyd Anniversary: Communicate Authentically and with Purpose
May 5th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinThe one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s killing occurs this month. In anticipation, communicators are pondering several scenarios.

PR Headed in Right Direction on Diversity, Empathy and Ethics, Though Long Road is Ahead
May 5th, 2021 by Taylor Voges, Sara Ervin, Solyee Kim, and Jeong Hyun (Janice) Lee, PhD Students, Crisis Communication Coalition Research Group, University of GAAt a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should be the norm in organizations, it is not. A new survey from the University of Georgia (UGA) and PRNEWS shows a consistent shortfall on diversity-related efforts.

FleishmanHillard Chief: Companies Can’t Remain Neutral; Must Choose Issues They’ll Address
May 5th, 2021 by Seth ArensteinJohn Saunders, president and CEO of FleishmanHillard, believes organizations are stronger now than before COVID-19 because of the ascension of corporate values; the visible action taken on critical issues; and an unprecedented perception of the importance of communication

The Six-Step Philosophy Makes PR a Fact-Based, Successful Activity
May 5th, 2021 by Mark WeinerFor those interested in approaching PR as a research-and-reality-informed process, there is a simple framework: ‘the Public Relations continuum.’ The six-step cycle drives continual improvement, versus objectives and against competitors, to provide opportunities for refinement with every rotation.

Influencers Rule on Mother’s Day Promos, But 2021 Consumer Engagement Off 60% vs 2019
May 5th, 2021 by Erika BradburyShareablee data for 2021 show an 18 percent increase in consumer engagement versus 2020. Yet 2021’s consumer engagement was off a whopping 60 percent from 2019’s pre-pandemic figures across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Out of Touch: The Super League and Hollywood Foreign Press Association
May 5th, 2021 by Katie PaineThere are a number of organizations that are not in tune with their constituencies. The most obvious recent example is the European Super League, which went from a press release to dissolution in four days. It took longer for all the problems plaguing the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and its signature awards, the Golden Globes, to emerge. But both PR disasters resulted from being totally out of touch with stakeholders.