Digital & Technology

Pandora, the largest streaming music provider in the U.S., published a list of the most notable instances when users added songs to their personal Pandora stations around specific events, showing just how strongly audiences associate music with milestones.

The brands on Spotify’s “The Year in Advertising” differ, but they all have one thing in common: They leveraged Spotify’s unique insights into user behavior to target audiences where and when they listen. Spotify has amassed a vast collection of data over the years, having integrated with other personal data collectors like Facebook and Instagram. Here are three highlights from the 2018 list, along with the user behavior insights behind each campaign.

Brands are still learning how to assess positives and risks when working with influencers. In light of this report, however, new questions emerge: How do brands protect themselves by properly vetting influencers, and what do they do when someone is falsely posing as a legitimate brand influencer?

We’ve all been there. You click on a product, perhaps even buy it. And then ads for that product and similar ones chase you around the internet. Things are particularly bad when these targeted, programmatic ads follow people who are grieving. That’s a position no brand wants to find itself in. Here’s what communicators need to know in such cases.

Entering for industry awards is often a major part of PR professionals’ work, but it poses significant challenges. How do you ensure your entry copy will stand out among a slew of other awards entries? And how to best discern exactly what judges are looking for? Lucky for you, the PR News editorial team judges its fair share of industry awards each year, and offers up the following tips for strengthening your industry awards entries.

Tis the season for listicles. With every holiday party or cup of eggnog poured comes a treasure trove of lists recapping significant marketing and communications developments from the last year, along with forecasts for 2019. Among them, Boston-based agency Pan Communications has shared a roundup of what 19 notable CMOs and influencers are expecting for their fields in 2019. Here are some of the list’s top takeaways.

The future appears bright for PR as advertising will cede its authority, a panel of veteran PR executives says. Yet PR pros must be prepared to grab the mantle, bolstering their knowledge and use of technology and working strategically. In addition, communicators must continue to build relationships with clients.

AI will greatly affect the communications business, whether we understand it or not. Just last week, the Chinese Xinhua News Agency debuted the world’s first AI news anchor. AI clearly has big plans for communicators, but how do communicators plan to use AI?

PR professionals are in the business of influencing public opinion. But the methods around that influence have changed with the times, says Andy Cunningham, PR entrepreneur, author of “Get to Aha!” Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition” and PR News’ 2018 Digital Awards Luncheon keynoter. Cunningham, who helped Steve Jobs launch the original Macintosh, shared best practices for establishing a digital footprint using memes and a special kind of content marketing in an exclusive Q&A with PR News.

Communicators and marketers are continually adapting and learning new digital strategies to expand their brand reach and recognition. And each year, PR News’ Digital PR Awards recognize the year’s top digital communicators and campaigns in… Continued