Branding/Reputation

Laughing is good medicine. It’s appreciated when brand communicators add to the upbeat chorus and raise awareness with fun campaigns.

We’re living in a time of company callouts. Companies are speaking more frequently on social and political issues because some customers want to purchase from, and partner with, businesses that take stands. Yet one wrong move and social media will blast a company for statements perceived as clueless or hypocritical.

Freedom can mean many things. And with July 4 approaching, after a year of societal turmoil, many Americans may find their views on patriotism shifting.

Veteran sports PR pro Arthur Solomon believes Olympics sponsors are vulnerable. In response, they should prepare PR plans that position them as tolerant of peaceful protests.

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.

It seems inevitable that prices for raw materials, labor and other fees will rise as the pandemic recedes. Consumers usually bear the pain of such price increases. Companies can either hide the fact that consumer/customer prices will rise or discuss it openly. There are a few ways communicators can try to ease the pain in these unpleasant situations.

Recent attacks have become bolder and more sophisticated and include invasions of government agencies, healthcare providers, schools and organizations of all types and sizes, including the likes of Twitter and Microsoft and the National Basketball Association. But while most attacks are against large, well-known brands, small business also is a big target for bad actors. The ransomware attack on one of the United States’ largest fuel pipelines is an all-too-frequent reminder that more needs doing. Now.

This month’s Crisis Averted shows how a terrific campaign for a lucrative product can go awry quickly. The story touches on a bevy of things: crisis readiness, immediate and more measured reaction to crisis, #MeToo, cancel culture, media, social media, tremendous irony and a large cast of characters.

The market’s volatility makes it more important to have PR in at the earliest stages of products and campaigns. When a misstep can result in a public backlash, getting PR’s input at the outset of product development and message creation is tantamount to having an insurance policy.

Although Musk incorrectly claimed to be the first SNL host with Asperger’s Syndrome, a behavioral disorder that falls on the “high-functioning” spectrum of autism, the billionaire’s disclosure lent an unexpected moment of vulnerability to his SNL debut.