Digital & Technology

Seven years ago, Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin launched TheSkimm from their living room couch. Both were 25 years old, working in the news industry as producers, and found themselves in the midst of a crisis: How could they move forward in an industry that they loved, but in which they didn’t see a lot of innovation or routes upward?

Andrew Davis humorously pointed out we have a “FOMOOASP” problem: fear-of-missing-out-on-another-social-platform. “The marketing pie isn’t getting bigger, it’s just getting sliced more ways,” he said. He noted that brands’ budgets and time haven’t kept pace with audiences’ multi-channel content diet.

Are you neglecting email marketing in pursuit of shiny objects (like social media)? Jon Chang, global product marketer for IBM Watson and lecturer on NYU’s adjunct faculty teaching social media and web analytics, still sees email as a crucial channel for marketers and communicators in 2019. Here are seven of Chang’s tips and reminders for communicators looking to strengthen their chops as email tacticians.

Search and location tools can provide help for consumers according to their saved data preferences. Your browser always seems to find the right ads for you for things you may want to buy, but don’t necessarily need at that moment, thanks to search data. Data can be useful to consumers, but can feel kind of icky, when users realize where it is going.

What can AI do for communications measurement? Plenty, is the short answer. The larger question, of course, is whether or not AI will replace humans or augment them. Edelman Intelligence’s global measurement lead Pauline Draper-Watts weighs in on this important discussion.

Our regular roundtable feature includes honorees from the 2018 PRNEWS Platinum PR awards and speakers from The Social Shake-Up. Among the questions we put to them: What qualities does a successful communicator need? With the onslaught of technology, how can brands ensure customers have a human experience? And what social media trends are you eager to learn more about during the Social Shake-Up?

By now, we all know the power of video in communications and delivering a brand message—particularly to younger audiences. You probably already know how to shoot video, edit it, do Facebook Live. But in a cluttered world of branding, do you know how to make sure your video content rises to the top through SEO?

The social media platform Pinterest went big time on April 18, announcing its initial public offering at the New York Stock Exchange. ‘PINS’ are now not only being traded between user boards, but investors as well. Pinterest serves as the fourth most popular platform for U.S. adults, only surpassed by Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Go big or go home does’t necessarily apply to innovation, says Scott Steinberg, author and business consultant. Armed with knowledge about their customers, communicators can advocate for brands to make small, tactical changes to products and services that can yield significant results. Steinberg discussed his ideas about thinking small to go big during PRNEWS’ Measurement Conference in Washington, DC.

Adidas and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) used Apple’s AirDrop to distribute free sneakers at Coachella. To those who accepted Glover’s AirDrop invitation, it was a highly personalized experience that ended with free Adidas. For others, it was a creepy use of an app designed for people who actually know each other.