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John 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

For 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.

We know that PR can be a powerful tool to complement marketing efforts. However, within some technology companies, teams may downplay the importance of PR–often because they think it’s not as tangibly measurable as other activities.

Diversity and inclusion continue to be at the forefront of necessary change in the PR industry (and beyond). As such, communicators should be crafting inclusive messaging. Among their considerations should be race, gender and identification, sexual orientation, religion and disability, along with other factors. To create inclusive messaging, PR pros need to look beyond their unintentional biases.

When pitching, we must reframe our approach to effective emailing—which ultimately is defined not by how we communicate, but by how we connect with our words. Only after adopting this approach can we begin to master the art of communication and build genuine rapport in digital exchanges across cultures.

Research is more accessible now to more professional communicators. What’s more, communication technology platforms are ubiquitous and at many price points…some cost nothing! With free and low-cost technology, the decision to measure, even with a modest budget, is a matter of willingness rather than ability.

With the arrival on April 22 of Earth Day, our History column looks at the largely unknown role several PR pros played in developing awareness for environmental CSR.

There’s one thing you can say about social media–sometimes it helps remove doubt. It goes to a principle that communicators know well: Nothing disappears once it’s posted on social media.

Creativity and authenticity also are at the heart of Ninja’s social media search for a Smoothie Bowl Sommelier. After a nationwide search in late January, Ninja chose Gillean Barkyoumb, a registered dietician with 8,000 followers on Instagram. We asked Sasha Hartman, SVP, director, global creative and digital at SharkNinja, about why Ninja chose a micro-influencer and specifically Barkyoumb.

Companies sometimes struggle to connect CSR with their corporate values. The story below illustrates an innovative way a pharmaceutical translated its interest in offering patients creative solutions into a CSR effort.