Reputation

Despite the difficulties CEOs and brands experienced in 2018, they emerged victorious in the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer, released late last month. The public trusts businesses and CEOs most to right the ills of society. “My employer” was the most-trusted entity.

It’s great when you’re so famous, your name is just one word. Cher is wonderful, so are Messi and Madonna. But what about not even needing words? Everyone knows it’s Nike by the swoosh. A piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it shows who made your laptop. Now Mastercard joins the small fraternity of iconic brands with wordless logos.

Breaking through the noise arguably is the Holy Grail of PR. Here are five campaigns that silenced the competition, grabbed attention and created plenty of social buzz in 2018.

2018 was a difficult year for CEOs and brands, yet the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer found “my employer” is the most trusted entity. In addition, the 33,000 responders in 27 countries expect CEOs, not government leaders, to help right society’s ills.

Apple has built its reputation for preserving users’ privacy is by putting CEO Tim Cook at the forefront. Cook’s thought leadership has been apparent in myriad op eds and interviews, having recently penned an article for TIME on how users can act to take their privacy back from bad actors. There’s no question a well-written missive from the C-Suite can make or break company reputation and goodwill with stakeholders. Here are three ways to get it right.

This week Gillette launched “We Believe,” a timely screed against toxic masculinity that updates its decades-old tagline to “The Best Men Can Be.” Its former tagline is reframed as a question: “Is this the best a man can get?” With more than 4 million views already, the ad has audiences divided on whether or not the campaign is a genuine push for social good, an opportunistic rebranding, or both.

On the tranquil island of Santorini, Greece, hugging the cliffs overlooking the azure blue Aegean Sea, it’s one person’s job to touch-up a boutique hotel’s white exterior. Every day; and it’s a full-time job. The hotel spends $29,000 annually on white paint. The hotel’s pristine exterior makes guests feel special, part of something luxurious. Does your brand’s image need a fresh coat of paint?

It wasn’t long ago when brands were told to steer as far away as possible from politics and social issues. The situation is more complicated today. Some consumers expect brands to take stands and will reward them for it. Several brands in the Washington, D.C., area are reacting to the government shutdown with acts of kindness. Will they be rewarded?

PR News’ regular Roundtable feature asked senior communicators to discuss what they believe will be the toughest challenge in 2019. Perhaps concerned with the headlines of the day, many of them had trust and integrity issues on their minds. Others mentioned breaking through the clutter to get their narrative heard.

Industry icon Jack O’Dwyer has died at 85. A respected journalist and publisher, he founded his O’Dwyer’s Newsletter 50 years ago. That led to other publications that became industry must-reads. A journalist’s journalist, O’Dwyer was a fixture at industry events for decades, carrying his reporter’s pad and pen. “He was one of a kind,” says veteran communicator Andy Gilman.