Reputation

June is Pride month. We asked Kim Matsoukas, senior manager, corporate social responsibility & sustainability, at Vans, the shoe and apparel company, how the brand will celebrate the moment.

We see more and more agencies preparing for life after the pandemic by establishing practices and offshoots dedicated to post-virus communication and strategy. We asked M Group chief Jay Morakis to dive into the thinking behind establishing such a practice.

Skittles pledged to honor LGBTQ Pride Month by removing the rainbow colors from its signature product in 2020. “Only one rainbow matters during pride,” greyscale candy wrappers read; individual candies will temporarily be leeched of color. Skittles will donate $1 per pack of its all-white Skittles to LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD. Here are communications takeaways to consider as Pride month—amid nationwide protests against racial inequality—begins.

The PRNEWS staff comes across many examples of brand advertising and communications every day. We have compiled a weekly assessment, with staff members providing their choices of the most notable, good or bad. We hope these brief examples will provide a learning experience about what works and what to avoid.

One of the pandemic’s few bright spots is that it has been a catalyst for communicators’ creativity. Examples abound, including a virtual red-carpet/press screening that National Geographic Channel staged for a new series recently.

In the wake of events of the past few days, we’ve decided to slow or suspend many of our activities on this site so we can reflect on diversity and inclusion. As one of the authors of the essay, Angela Chitkara, said, “People are hurting. We need to take a good look at ourselves and ask what kind of society and organization do we want to be.”

Some organizations have taken a risky approach, building digital or earned media campaigns that stand in for the usual awareness-building events—in-person rallies, press conferences or protests—now limited by bans on public gatherings. Two notable efforts of brand activism have stood out over the course of the pandemic; one local, one national: a mask-wearing campaign in Chicago, and political statements from longtime mercantile activist Patagonia.

The pandemic shows it’s impossible to predict a crisis. On the other hand, assessing likely risks, preparing a response plan in advance, understanding processes and practicing regularly will ensure success during most crises.

It seems that no industry can escape coronavirus economic fallout, with the gig economy especially feeling the pain. As citizens shift their daily activities to become more home-centered, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft see… Continued

On May 11, President Trump proclaimed the U.S. would “transition to greatness” in his administration’s push to reopen the economy. The problem? Googling the slogan yields a website featuring an open casket visual, a count of total coronavirus cases and deaths, a link to the CDC website and several feature-length articles listing evidence around the Trump administration’s failure to manage the crisis.