Reputation

Much like people, brands and organizations can find themselves in a funk, putting out the same messaging year after year, which, while reliable, can lose the attention of a fickle populace. 

One thing economic historians likely will include in their accounts of Jan. 6, 2021, is the reaction of some of the country’s largest companies. It started with several blue-chip firms denouncing the violence and the 147 lawmakers who voted in favor of overturning election results.

On January 6 at 2:55 p.m.—about 20 minutes after insurrectionists breached the Capitol building—beauty influencer Amanda Ensing tweeted, “There’s not enough popcorn in the world for what’s about to happen.” Ensing has long been vocal about her political and religious views on social media. Sephora, partnered with the influencer on a skincare campaign, was forced to answer for its choice of brand ambassador.

You never know where you’ll find a PR takeaway. Even during the pandemic, you can spot media coverage on the walls of your local Five Guys. And it’s often coverage from national and local outlets. In addition to a dangerously delicious burger and fries, some PR lessons are on the menu.

“Trust” could easily win as an early word-of-the-year in 2021. After a deluge of misinformation campaigns through the 2020 presidential election, confusion from the top when it comes to battling COVID, and a recorded public skepticism for media, many organizations, brands and public figures see trust as a fundamental need to reconnect with communities. It’s a necessity in messaging, and it’s on communicators to figure out the best way to delive

Proving that there’s no time off for some PR pros, we asked those on Twitter Sunday, right after Dr. Deborah Birx’s interview on “Face the Nation,” about how they’d advise her. More than one dozen PR pros gave her a lot of good communication, crisis and reputation advice for free.

With emergency approval of vaccines, the need to communicate the importance of prompt vaccination seems obvious: Without 75-80 percent of Americans vaccinated, herd immunity, leading to a return to normalcy, will not be reached. And now, with the discovery of an additional, more contagious virus strain, getting Americans vaccinated promptly seems even more critical.

It’s not news that Thanksgiving 2020 will look different for many families across America. But brands should not confuse different with indifferent. Americans remain hungry for turkey and all the holiday traditions. For brands that read the room, Thanksgiving offers potential opportunities to engage the public, writes veteran PR pro Mike McDougall.

PRNEWS is pleased to announce the honorees for this year’s PR People and Rising Stars Awards. From internal communications and community relations to crisis management, media relations and beyond, the individuals recognized this year cover the wide breadth and depth of the industry.

Upon first glance, you might think pharmaceutical companies are in a race to become the first to develop and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. This belief strengthens with every announcement coming out from Pfizer last week or Moderna, as we saw today. But communicators might want to look a little deeper, as a race can completely devalue the important, strategic work healthcare communicators do. The power of collaboration, rather than competition, emerges as the true message sent with each news release.