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The useful PR book includes a lively presentation and imbues traditional themes with interesting insights or unique interpretations. We provide reviews of some books for summer reading.

Several brands are looking to short films as a tactic for connecting with customers. Infiniti has tapped Kate Hudson to star in its short film introducing the QX60 SUV. Its target customer is busy dealing with myriad issues, Infiniti says. That customer will relate to the multi-talented Hudson and the film reveal, Infiniti’s GM for global marketing Phil York says in an interview with PRNEWS.

What is the significance of the APR, those letters you see behind the name of some PR pros? Is the time and energy needed to attain the APR accreditation worth it in terms of better jobs and salary? Does it attract business? Do seasoned communicators need it? We asked PR pros with the APR and those without it for their views.

It seems standard practice that companies must act, or at least speak, on social and political issues. In addition, it’s generally held that CEOs, often the face of a company, have a duty to take stands on issues. The deeper you go, though, all this appears more complicated.

We asked Alex Slater, founding partner, The Clyde Group, and Christina Ferraz, founder, Thirty6Five how they’re advising companies around Pride month and what role PR should have in advancing careers of those in the LGBTQ community.

For some business executives, media relations is simple: ‘Get me in the NY Times/Wall St Journal/Washington Post.’ However, if the past year of media consumption during COVID-19 has shown anything, it’s the importance of local media.

How does a large organization like Philip Morris International keep all internal stakeholders on the same page during a pandemic and in normal times? That’s some of what we asked PMI’s head of global internal communication Bessie Kokalis Pescio. In addition, we asked how internal communicators at small companies should approach their work.

Have you audited SEO practices around your communication efforts lately? If not, the spring and summer months might be a good time to do so. As such, PRNEWS offers insight from search optimization pros to help.

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.

While 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.