As the communications landscape evolved at breakneck speed in 2024, PR professionals adapted with ingenuity, determination and a deep commitment to excellence. Finalists in the PR Daily Awards stood out by rising to these challenges, using their expertise to ensure that their organizations and clients got the recognition they deserved.

PR professionals have had to rethink every aspect of their work, from media relations to stakeholder engagement. Their dedication to finding innovative solutions, harnessing the power of technology and maintaining a steadfast commitment to ethical practices has helped their clients weather the storm. Ragan’s PR Daily Awards recognizes these PR professionals, marketers, agencies, brands and campaigns of the past year.

All of these finalists will be celebrated at the upcoming PR Daily Awards ceremony, held in December at the Chelsea Pier City Winery in New York City, where the leaders, trailblazers and rising professionals who have shaped the future of public relations will be honored and category winners will be announced.

Also part of this year’s event, PR Daily will recognize the Top Agencies honorees. These leading industry agencies have redefined the standards of innovation and excellence, demonstrating their talent for elevating brands, campaigns and client partnerships to new heights.

“Congratulations to the finalists in our 2024 PR Daily Awards and to the Top Agencies Honorees,” said Brendan Gannon, senior marketing manager for Ragan’s and PR Daily’s Award programs. “This was the largest and most impressive group of entrants that we’ve ever seen, and your recognition is a credit to your compelling campaigns, creativity and teamwork.”

Congratulations to all the finalists and honorees for their remarkable achievements. We look forward to seeing them all in New York City.

Click these links to jump to each section.

2024 Top Agencies

TOP AGENCIES • AGENCY IMPACT AWARD • TOP AGENCY WORKPLACES

PR Daily Awards

Finalists: Grand Prize

PR Campaign of the Year

Finalists: GENERAL CAMPAIGNS

B2B Campaign • B2C Campaign • Brand Reputation Campaign • Branding Campaign • Cause-Related Marketing Campaign • Community Relations Campaign • Content Marketing Initiatives • Corporate Communications Campaign • Crisis Management • DE&I Communications • Employee Relations • Employer Branding • ESG Communications • Event PR or Marketing Campaign • Excellence in Social Media • Executive Communications • External/Internal Communications Campaign • Global PR Campaign • Guerrilla Marketing • Influencer Campaign • Integrated PR & Marketing • Marketing Campaign • Media Event • Media Pitch • Media Relations Campaign • Media Strategy • Multicultural Campaign • Newsjacking • Nonprofit Campaign • Original Research • PR on a Shoestring Budget • Product Launch • Public Affairs Campaign • Publicity Stunt • Re-branding or Re-positioning Campaign • Social Justice/Advocacy Campaign • Social Media Campaign • Social Responsibility • Storytelling Initiatives • Thought Leadership Communications • Use of Data and Measurement • Use of Generative AI • Video Communications • Video: Single Video • Visual Storytelling Initiatives

Finalists: CAMPAIGNS BY INDUSTRY

Arts, Entertainment and Media Campaign • Consumer Packaged Goods Campaign • Education Campaign • Food and Beverage Campaign • Hospitality and Tourism Campaign • Manufacturing Campaign • Professional Services Campaign • Retail Campaign • Sports Campaign • Technology and Information Services Campaign • Various

Finalists: HEALTHCARE PR AND MARKETING

Marketing Campaign of Year • PR Campaign of Year • Social Media Campaign of Year

Finalists: PEOPLE AND TEAMS

Agency of the Year • Executive of the Year • Marketing Professional of the Year • Media Relations Professional of the Year • PR Professional of the Year • PR Team of the Year • Social Media Professional of the Year • Young Professionals of the Year

Finalists: PODCASTS, PUBLICATIONS AND MORE

Annual Report • Blog • Digital Publication • Podcast • Print Publication • Special Reports • Website

Finalists: PR EVENTS (LIVE OR VIRTUAL)

Community Event • Employee Event • Experiential Campaign • Influencer Event • Pop-Up Event or Experience • Press Event or Media Tour

TOP AGENCIES

1Milk2Sugars

5WPR

Airfoil Group

All Points PR

Alloy

APCO

Ascend Agency

Autumn Communications

Berk Communications

BODEN Agency

BPM-PR Firm (Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR)

Caliber Corporate Advisers

Channel V Media

Coyne PR

Dittoe Public Relations

Fight or Flight

Firebrand Communications

Fortier Public Relations

French/West/Vaughan

Greenough Communications

HAVAS Formula

Haymaker Group

HUNTER

Identity

JPA Health

Just Drive Media

Kaplow Communications

KLG PR

KWT Global

MediaSource

MikeWorldWide

Mission Control Communications

Moore

Mower

North Strategic

Paquin Public Relations

Peppercomm

Porter Novelli Latin America

Quarter Horse PR

Real Chemistry

RF|Binder

Sachs Media

Sharp Think

Silverline Communications

SMITHHOUSE

Snackbox

SourceCode Communications

TEAM LEWIS

The Bliss Group

The Brand Agency

The Hoffman Agency

The Levinson Group

The Sway Effect

The TASC Group

Tier One Partners

Treble Public Relations

Vested

Vision360 Partners

Weber Shandwick

AGENCY IMPACT AWARD

All Points PR

Edit Media Group

KWT Global

Moore

Quarter Horse PR

Vanguard Communications

TOP AGENCY WORKPLACES

Dreamday

Fight or Flight

Identity

IZEA

Kaplow Communications

KWT Global

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment

Montieth & Company

The Key PR

GRAND PRIZE

PR Campaign of the Year

Current Global, an IPG PR Company: Reframing MS with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Novartis

Disney Cruise Line: Unlocking the Disney Treasure

NASA, Lockheed Martin, the University of Arizona and Department of Defense Public Affairs: OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Communications Campaign

PATRÓN Tequila: PATRÓN Tequila’s Formula for Fame: A Mexican Heritage Victory Lap at F1

SAG-AFTRA: SAG-AFTRA 2023 Strike Campaign

Sony Electronics: For the Music Campaign

Tequila Don Julio/DIAGEO: Projecting Tequila Don Julio to New Heights

The Brand Guild: Minnetonka Thunderbird Launch

UScellular: UScellular’s Global Day of Unplugging Campaign

GENERAL CAMPAIGNS

B2B Campaign

Big Valley Marketing: Enabling AI

Bospar: SignalFire: From Seed Stage to Front Page

Diffusion PR: Elevating Brand Awareness of alliantgroup Through Strategic Thought Leadership

Fight or Flight for Frontify: Spot the Brand

Firebrand Communications: Perceptyx: Decoding Work

Look Left Marketing: Aerospike: Disrupting a Decades-old Database Market

PwC: The Trust Academy

B2C Campaign

Coldwell Banker Realty: Coldwell Banker Dream Campaign

Next PR: Next PR and Ossia CES Campaign

PepsiCo Beverages North America — STARRY: STARRY Dial a 3

Samsung: S24 in Space

Transportation Energy Institute: TEI Geo-Targeting Campaign

UScellular: UScellular’s Global Day of Unplugging Campaign

Visit The Woodlands: Pathways Magazine

Brand Reputation Campaign

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and APCO: Treat the Cause

Endo: New Brand Identity for the New Endo

LSG: Made Possible by Your Children’s Hospital

PwC: The Trust Leadership Institute

Branding Campaign

ECMC Group: Empowering Teens to Question The Quo in Choosing Their Future Education Path

Endo: New Brand Identity for the New Endo

HII Mission Technologies: Mission Ready Means — Delivering the Advantage

Sony Electronics: For the Music Campaign

The Archer School for Girls: The Archer School for Girls Rebrand

Wellabe: Wellabe Brand Launch

Cause-Related Marketing Campaign

Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A Shared Table Program

Sherlock Communications & Mindray: Juntos Por Una Sonrisa

UScellular: UScellular’s Global Day of Unplugging Campaign

Community Relations Campaign

American Airlines: 80th Anniversary of D-Day

Campbell’s Digital Workplace Team: Campbell’s/Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center Adult Fun Fiesta

Lendmark Financial: Climb to Cure Campaign

Suburban Propane: SuburbanCares

Content Marketing Initiatives

Daversa Partners: Marketing & Communications Team

Jackson Spalding: Buzzing Engagement: Driving Conversions with Content Marketing

PwC US: Content Marketing Initiative: PwC US People Campaign

Corporate Communications Campaign

Children’s Health: ‘Expanded Space, Expanded Care’ Communications Plan

Intesa Communications Group & San Diego Tourism Authority: Summer of Economic Power: Celebrating San Diego’s Tourism Industry

L’Oréal: CES 2024

PwC: My AI

Siemens: Positioning a Leading Technology Company

UL Solutions: IPO and First Earnings Report 2024

Crisis Management 

Sacramento Municipal Utility District: Storm Response

SAG-AFTRA: SAG-AFTRA 2023 Strike Campaign

University of California, Davis: Crisis and Emergency Communications Training

DE&I Communications 

Brighton Health Plan Solutions: Marketing Communications Team

Nissan Motor Co.: Nissan DEI Champion

Open Plaza: Autism Friendly Space

Sallie Mae: National Scholarship Month

Visit Lauderdale: Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

Employee Relations

Amgen: Because It Matters: Amgen Mission Week 2023

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: You Make a Difference Campaign

Chevron: San Ramon HQ Move

City of Hope Orange County: Hope is at Work

Cognizant: 2024 Impact Awards

HII Mission Technologies: Mission Starts At Home

Employer Branding

Brighton Health Plan Solutions: Employer Branding Campaign

HII Mission Technologies: Mission Starts at Home

The Bliss Group: The Bliss Group for CareOne

ESG Communications

Consolidated Asset Management Services: Annual ESG Report

FischTank PR: Climate Media Relations for Sublime Systems

Kite Hill PR: Sapphire Technologies

Mastercard: ESG in Action

Event PR or Marketing Campaign

Bader Rutter: McCain Foods EPIC Throwdown

BML: 44 Years in the Making: A Total Media Sweep Sets the Stage for Supercross’ Anticipated Return to Philly

FINN Partners: Into New Action Sports Festival in Virginia Beach

Georgia Commute Options: Biketober 2023

INFINITI USA: INFINITI Reveals All-new 2025 INFINITI QX80

JSA + Partners: The Madden NFL Championship Series

MikeWorldWide: The Kentucky Derby

Pratt Institute: The New Village: 10 Years of New York Fashion PR Campaign

ROX United: Golfzon Social Brooklyn

Supernal & Edelman: Supernal Air Taxi Takes Flight at CES 2024

Tequila Don Julio/DIAGEO: Projecting Tequila Don Julio to New Heights

Excellence in Social Media 

Help at Home: Help at Home’s Social Media

Just Drive Media: Social Media Strategies Built on Insight and Artistry

Mower and 84.51˚: Elevating 84.51˚’s Social Media Presence

Peterbilt: Peterbilt Social Media

PwC: Excellence in Social Media

Relatable: ScratchPad Pro

Samsung: S24 in Space

Executive Communications

Daversa Partners: Marketing & Communications Team

KWT Global: Navigating Change, Driving Results

University of California, Davis: Checking In with Chancellor May Email

External/Internal Communications Campaign 

Advocate Health: Nurses Week

Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages: Fizzing with Excitement — Building Employee Engagement

Arkansas Children’s Strategic Marketing: Arkansas Children’s

Atrium Health: MoMo Twins

JSI: International Women’s Day 2024 Campaign

Metrolinx: Ontario’s One Fare Program

PepsiCo: No Lay’s, No Game

UW Medicine Strategic Marketing and Communications: Center for Behavioral Health and Learning

Global PR Campaign

Allied Universal: World Security Report

CeraVe: CeraVe Schools Influencers From Around the World to Clear Up Acne Confusion

Hilton: Hilton’s Global 2024 Trends Report: Spotlighting Generational Insights for a Fresh Look at Travel Trends

Guerrilla Marketing

Chesapeake Regional Healthcare: The Lifesavers of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare

DB Schenker: TPM24

Electronic Payments Coalition: Donut Touch My Rewards — EPC’s Donut Food Truck Campaign

Influencer Campaign

American Dental Association: ADA Lobby Day 2024 Influencer Campaign

Bader Rutter: McCain Foods EPIC Throwdown

Biosector 2: Using Valued Voices to Vaccinate a Nation

CMP: Find Your Beat

FCB Health New York, an IPG Health Company: My Time, My Way

Hoffman York: Wahl Clipper Corp. and AreYouKiddingTV

Kaplow Communications for GESKE German Beauty Tech: Elevating Cutting-Edge Skincare Technology Via A Star-Studded Global Launch

M&C Saatchi FABRIC North America: Samsonite Iconic Explorers Creator Program

Mars Wrigley: Skwinkles Chunks

MiraLAX: MiraLAX Exposes the Gut Gap

National Peanut Board: A Common Comfort

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers: Burgertini

Sanofi and Ruder Finn: Launching The 1 Pledge Movement

Visit Lauderdale: Laudy Dayo

Warner Bros. x IZEA: Hey Barbie: Welcome to the Dreamhouse

Integrated PR & Marketing 

BetMGM: BetMGM Super Bowl

Current Global, an IPG PR company: Reframing MS with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Novartis

Edelman: Casey Andrews

Friends of the High Line: High Line 15th Birthday Campaign: One Path, Infinite Dreams

HUNTER: Tequila Don Julio Toasts to the Stars at the Oscars

JBL Harman: JBLiens Ear-n-vasion

Nissan: 2025 Nissan Kicks Reveal

Samsung: S24 in Space

Sanofi and Ruder Finn: Launching The 1 Pledge Movement

Marketing Campaign

FCB Health New York, an IPG Health Company: My Time, My Way

HII Mission Technologies: Mission Ready Means — Delivering the Advantage

JBL Harman Industries: JBL Fest — Authentics Brand Launch

Legend: Delsyn Brings Comfort Home

Sacramento Municipal Utility District: Contact SMUD First

Sony Electronics: For the Music Campaign

Media Event

Behr Paint: Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year

Best Buy Canada: Best Buy Game Day Viewing Party

City of Hope Orange County: The Younger Face of Cancer

French | West | Vaughan: FWV Energizes Largest Indian Company Investment in U.S. EV Market

INFINITI USA: INFINITI Reveals All-new 2025 INFINITI QX80

National Geographic: Queens Ball

Spelman College and Jackson Spalding: Spelman #100for100

Media Pitch 

Children’s Hospital Colorado: Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Call to the Community Saves Patients’ Lives

Doe-Anderson: Maker’s Mark Women’s History Month Label Promotion

Northwestern Mutual: Loud Budgeting

TVP Communications: Fast Track Advantage: Turning FAFSA Delays Into Enrollment Gains

Media Relations Campaign 

Antenna Group: From “Yuck” to “Yum”: The Epic OneWater Brew Campaign

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Tackles Youth Mental Health Crisis

Diffusion PR: Cooking Up a New Household Name — Diffusion x Dreo

Goody PR: American Paper Optics/EclipseGlasses.com Public Relations Campaign

LaunchSquad: Changing San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’ Narrative

Legend: Delsyn Brings Comfort Home

PAN: HireClix

SEGA of America: SEGA’s Sonic Superstars Reimagines Classic 2D Sonic the Hedgehog in an All-New Adventure

Siemens: Elevating Siemens’ Technology Story

Signify: Philips Hue: Illuminating the Future of Smart Living in 2023

Spelman College and Jackson Spalding: Spelman #100for100

Susan Davis International: ABMC Centennial Commemoration Campaign

Swinerton/Timberlab: Timberlab’s Expansion in Cross-Laminated Timber Manufacturing

Media Strategy

5WPR: 5WPR x The Lumistella Company

Dreamday: Dieux Agency Engagement Campaign

FleishmanHillard: A Paid Media Content Engine

TVP Communications: Shining Brightly and Eclipsing the Competition in Media Coverage

Multicultural Campaign 

Johnson and Johnson: Save Legs. Change Lives.

McDonald’s USA x BODEN Agency: Tapping Hispanic/Latino Anime Culture Through WcDonald’s

PepsiCo Multicultural: PepsiCo Donates $250,000 to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Help Tackle Food Insecurity

Newsjacking

Felix Cat Insurance: Cat of the Year

Jewish National Fund-USA: Israel Resilience Campaign

The Bliss Group: The Bliss Group for RapidRatings

The Lake House on Canandaigua: A Solar Eclipse Spectacle for The Lake House on Canandaigua

TVP Communications: Fast Track Advantage: Turning FAFSA Delays into Enrollment Gains

Nonprofit Campaign 

Campbell’s Digital Workplace Team: Campbell’s/Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center Adult Fun Fiesta

ECMC Group: Empowering Teens to Question The Quo in Choosing Their Future Education Path

Jackson Spalding: One Spokespeach, 7 Languages: Helping 2.8 million Georgians Stay Informed and Stay Covered

Jewish National Fund-USA: Israel Resilience Campaign

Landis Communications for Save the Redwoods League and Giant Sequoias Lands Coalition: Doctor’s Check-up for General Sherman Tree

Outward Bound: The Big Rappel

The V Foundation for Cancer Research: Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!: The 30th Anniversary of the V Foundation for Cancer Research

Original Research 

Ares Management Corporation: Philanthropy, Purpose and Professional Development: Why Workplace Volunteer Programs Matter

GLAAD: Where We Are on TV

Jackson: Security in Retirement Series

New York Life Insurance Company: Wealth Watch Research

PR on a Shoestring Budget 

American Dental Association: Advancing Public Health Through Clinical Practice Guideline Campaign on Acute Dental Pain Management

Campbell’s Digital Workplace Team: Campbell’s/Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center Adult Fun Fiesta

Pratt Institute: Transit Art Tour

Product Launch 

Baldwin and Obenauf: CenTrak and BNO’s Seamless Dual Product Launch Strategy

Diffusion PR: Capturing New Frontiers and Audiences — Diffusion and GoPro

Evorus Group: Daytona Supply Co Style Products Launch

Hilton: Hot Off the Iron: Hampton Showcases Breakfast Innovations with Paris Hilton in ‘The Year of the Waffle’

Hoffman York: Wahl Pro Series High Visibility Trimmer Launch

HUNTER: Tequila Don Julio Toasts to the Stars at the Oscars

JBL Harman Industries: JBL Fest — Authentics Brand Launch

Nissan: 2025 Nissan Kicks Reveal

Penske Truck Leasing: Catalyst AI

Perrigo x HAVAS Red: The Smart, Sexy and Seriously History-Making Launch of Opill

Planit: Current Backyard Launches the Current Model G at CES 2024

Public Affairs Campaign

American Medical Association: Mifepristone Work

Defense Intelligence Agency: DIA UAV Campaign

Lodestone: InvestHER

LSG: Made Possible by Your Children’s Hospital

RLF Communications: NC Medicaid Expansion

Arkansas Children’s: Arkansas Children’s

Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey: Eat. Hug. Love. Campaign

Utah Department of Commerce: Knights of Scamalot

Publicity Stunt

Dr. Squatch: Dr. Squatch’s Ball Care Campaign

INFINITI USA: INFINITI Reveals All-new 2025 INFINITI QX80

Legend: Mucus Disappearus with Mucinex and Penn & Teller

Outward Bound: The Big Rappel

Tequila Don Julio/DIAGEO: Projecting Tequila Don Julio to New Heights

Re-branding or Re-positioning Campaign 

7-Eleven and Edible: 7-Eleven Brings Slurpee to a New Generation

American Association for Debt Resolution: American Fair Credit Council Relaunch as the American Association for Debt Resolution

Bospar: Paul Smith’s College: Sustainability and Adventure in the Adirondacks

Endo: New Brand Identity for the New Endo

LaunchSquad: Changing San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’ Narrative

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers: Red Robin’s Better Burgers

Social Justice/Advocacy Campaign

Better Together: Better Together Insight Report: Navigating Biases in Generative AI

Community Health Resources: Real Life, Real Hope Moments

Social Media Campaign

Converse: Find Your Beat

KWT Global: How Illumina Created #GenomicsTok

Medela: Answering Breastfeeding FAQs

Merz Aesthetics: Community Building and Engagement

Nissan Motor Co.: Nissan — Japan Mobility Show

PAN: Nuance Communications Instagram Campaign

Warner Bros. x IZEA: Hey Barbie: Welcome to the Dreamhouse

Social Responsibility

DraftKings: DraftKings 2023 Tree Planting

Heatcraft Refrigeration Products: Cool to be Kind

Las Torres Patagonia: Calling All Travelers: Las Torres Patagonia Announces “10 Volunteers for 10 Days”

Open Plaza: Autism Friendly Space

SpartanNash: Helping Hands Day

SpartanNash: Water Donation

WorldMark by Wyndham: Planting Seeds

Storytelling Initiatives

Behr Paint: Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year

Cutline Communications: eharmony’s Dating Diaries

Identity: Look No Further Than Sterling Heights, Michigan

Las Torres Patagonia: Calling All Travelers: Las Torres Patagonia Announces “10 Volunteers for 10 Days”

PepsiCo’s Global Foods Group: PepsiCo’s Quaker Brand Celebrates Unsung Heroes in First Global Campaign Initiative

Travere Therapeutics: RKD & Me

Thought Leadership Communications

ASIS International: 2024 ASIS International Blog

Help at Home: Advancing Home Care for the Better

Peppercomm for Wilmington Trust: Peppercomm for Wilmington Trust

PwC: The Trust Survey: Bringing the Business Case for Trust to Life

RSM US LLP and FleishmanHillard: Thought Leadership Campaign: RSM x FH

TRIMEDX: Becoming an Industry Authority by Pivoting Thought Leadership Strategy and Execution

Use of Data and Measurement

5WPR: 5WPR x Adzuna AI Jobs

Bospar: SignalFire: From Seed Stage to Front Page

FINN Partners: Allianz Partners’ Vacation Confidence Index Earns Media Dividends

Orlando Health with MediaSource: The Test & Learn Approach: Quantifying the Business Impact of Earned Media in Healthcare

NeuroStar: Breaking Barriers with NeuroStar Depression Barometer

Use of Generative AI

Better Together: Better Together Insight Report: Navigating Biases in Generative AI

Providence: Providence Communication Team

Video Communications

AbbVie Oncology: Blood Cancer, Explained Episode 3: A Global Mission to Improve Lymphoma Care

Pendleton Whisky: Empowering Veterans, One Sip at a Time: Pendleton Whisky Teams Up with Bob Woodruff Foundation

PwC: Trust in Action

South County Tourism Council: This Is South County, Rhode Island

Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association: Help Us Help You

Visit Lauderdale: Hidden in Plain Sight

Video: Single Video

Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages: Big Red Truck: A Musical-Inspired Ad for A Texas Bottler

CMP: Signs From the Ocean Documentary

Middlesex Water Company: Welcome to Middlesex Water Company

Mouser Electronics: Forbidden Places

Opera Norway AS: Tabfulness Guru

Skillable + Gantry: Meet Skillable

UC Davis Health: Care Team’s React Video

Visual Storytelling Initiatives

Fight or Flight for Frontify: Spot the Brand

Kyowa Kirin: Ripple Effect of Parkinson’s Disease

Northwell Health with MediaSource: Integrated Visual Storytelling Campaign Captures First-Ever Medical Breakthrough

PwC: “I am PwC”

CAMPAIGNS BY INDUSTRY

Arts, Entertainment and Media Campaign

829 Studios: NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet 2023 Tour

Converse: Find Your Beat

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities: Legacy: Civil Rights At 60

Houston First Corporation: Theater Week 2023

Lambert by LLYC: SXSW “You Can In Michigan” Event Activation

Media Minefield: Modern Artifact Campaign

MikeWorldWide: The Kentucky Derby

National Geographic: A Real Bug’s Life

National Geographic: Genius: MLK/X

National Geographic: Queens

National Geographic: Secrets of the Octopus

Noisy Trumpet Communications: ATG Entertainment: “Frozen” San Antonio

Warner Bros. x IZEA: Hey Barbie: Welcome to the Dreamhouse

Consumer Packaged Goods Campaign

PETERMAYER: Zatarain’s Smoked Sausage Mardi Gras Campaign

TUMS/Haleon: TUMS Fuses Food, Fashion and Heartburn Relief Through Limited Edition TUMS Bag

Education Campaign

Bospar: Paul Smith’s College: Sustainability and Adventure in the Adirondacks

Sallie Mae: National Scholarship Month

Samsung Electronics America: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow National STEM Competition

Texas Tech University: Eyes on the Horizon: Texas Tech University Centennial Celebration

TVP Communications: Shining Brightly and Eclipsing the Competition in Media Coverage with Indiana University

Food and Beverage Campaign

BML: A Total Eclipse of the Marg: BML Helps Applebee’s New Margarita Shine During Historic Eclipse

Ignite Social Media: PEEPS Easter

Jack in the Box and Small Girls PR: Jack in the Box and Small Girls PR

Krispy Krunchy Foods: Food and Beverage Campaign

Life Cereal and FleishmanHillard: Life Cereal #ifykyk

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment North America: Busch Light Pit Stop Wedding

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers: The Juicier Collection

siggi’s: siggi’s digital detox

Tequila Don Julio/DIAGEO: Projecting Tequila Don Julio to New Heights

The Brand Guild: Sweetgreen x Steak

Hospitality and Tourism Campaign

Disney Cruise Line: Unlocking the Disney Treasure

Hilton Toronto: Relaunch of Hilton Toronto and the Grand Opening of Frenchy

Hilton: Hilton’s Global 2024 Trends Report: Spotlighting Generational Insights for a Fresh Look at Travel Trends

KWT Global: Bringing Four Seasons Brand Campaign to Life with Love and Kindness

MikeWorldWide: The Kentucky Derby

Pace: Serving Careers

Visit Lauderdale: Welcome Everyone Under the Sun

Manufacturing Campaign

imre: STIHL Weather Program

Lambert by LLYC: Integrated Communications Plan Advancing Global Manufacturing

Professional Services Campaign

Havas Formula: Sterling Thought Leadership

PwC: SEC Climate Rules: Turning a News Moment into a Business Opportunity

UL Solutions: IPO and First Earnings Report 2024

Retail Campaign

7-Eleven and Edible: 7-Eleven Brings Slurpee to a New Generation

Diffusion PR: Cooking Up a New Household Name — Diffusion x Dreo

Sports Campaign

BML: Bases Loaded: A Grand Slam Media Relations Campaign for the Sultan of Swat!

Johnnie Walker: Johnnie Walker “Watch Women’s Sports” Campaign

LA Clippers: Unveil New Uniforms, Logo and Brand Look

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment North America: Busch Light Pit Stop Wedding

PepsiCo: No Lay’s, No Game

Technology and Information Services Campaign

Bospar: SignalFire: From Seed Stage to Front Page

Diffusion PR: Conquering Misconceptions in AI-Guided Mental Health Services — Diffusion x Wysa

PepsiCo: Doritos Silent

Touchdown PR: Exabeam Threat Detection, Investigation and Response Report 2023

Various

Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A Shared Table Program

Driftwood Capital: Driftwood Capital Media Campaign

Felix Cat Insurance: Cat of the Year

Four Hands: Launch of Amber Lewis x Four Hands

Padilla: Agoro Carbon Alliance: Reducing Ag’s Carbon Footprint — 1 Million Acres at a Time

Wrangler: French/West/Vaughan and AMP3 Public Relations PR Campaign for Wrangler x Barbie Collaboration

HEALTHCARE PR AND MARKETING

Marketing Campaign of Year

Aspire Indiana Health: MACY (Mobile Access Care for You)

FCB Health New York, an IPG Health Company: My Time, My Way

Jackson Spalding: One Spokespeach, 7 Languages: Helping 2.8 Million Georgians Stay Informed and Stay Covered

Mediktor: Albany Med AI-powered Lead Generation Campaign

PR Campaign of Year

Advocate Health: Nurses Week

Astellas Pharma and Ruder Finn: Raising Awareness About GA with Eric & Jamey Stonestreet

Current Global, an IPG PR company: Reframing MS with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Novartis

Jackson Spalding: One Spokespeach, 7 Languages: Helping 2.8 Million Georgians Stay Informed and Stay Covered

LSG: Made Possible by Your Children’s Hospital

Social Media Campaign of Year

Merz Aesthetics: Community Building and Engagement

Smarty Social Media and Treace Medical Concepts: Treace Medical Concepts Celebrates Inaugural National Bunion Day

The Bliss Group: The Bliss Group for CareOne

PEOPLE AND TEAMS

Agency of the Year

Berk Communications

Bospar

CCOMGROUP

Coyne PR

DEY. Ideas + Influence

Evins Communications

EvolveMKD

French/West/Vaughan

Identity

IFP Communications

Mindset Consulting

The Bliss Group

The Hoffman Agency

Executive of the Year

Rick French, French/West/Vaughan

Phil Nardone, PAN

Trey Sarten, Anywhere Real Estate

Cortney Stapleton, The Bliss Group

Marketing Professional of the Year

Allie Bostwick, PATRÓN Tequila

Ibby Hussain, Vested

Jarno Oostingh, Nebo

Media Relations Professional of the Year

Tommaso Di Giovanni, Philip Morris International

Christopher Hippolyte, Syneos Health

Christopher Licata, PwC

PR Professional of the Year

Allie Bostwick, PATRÓN Tequila

Tommaso Di Giovanni, Philip Morris International

Adeena Fried, EvolveMKD

Marissa Padilla, Global Strategy Group

Kyna Willis, American College of Rheumatology

PR Team of the Year

National Geographic, National Geographic PR Team

Providence: Providence National Communication Team

Sotheby’s International Realty: Team of the Year

Supernal & Edelman: Supernal Air Taxi Takes Flight at CES 2024

Wasabi Technologies: Wasabi Technologies In-House PR Team

Social Media Professional of the Year

Nancy Anderson: HAVAS Red

Haley Norton: Nebo

Young Professionals of the Year

Amanda Akin, EvolveMKD

Erin Berst, CURA Strategies

Olivia Clarke, Nebo

Caroline Cox, Wasabi Technologies

Victoria Hill, Health+Commerce

Jessica Mara, Dow Jones

Sarah Mann, The Levinson Group

Tess Pawlisch, Needle PR

PODCASTS, PUBLICATIONS AND MORE

Annual Report

Arkansas Children’s: Arkansas Children’s

Aspire Indiana Health: Aspire Indiana Health 2023 Annual Report

Global Strategy Group: The Las Vegas Raider’s Impact Report

MD Anderson Cancer Center: A Leading Light: MD Anderson’s FY23 Annual Report

Providence: Annual Report to Our Communities

Tier One Partners for Ally Financial: Fundamentally: The 2022 Ally CSR Report

Blog

Amplify Credit Union: Amplify Credit Union Blog

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and APCO: Changemakers

Digital Publication

General Building Contractors Association: Construction Today

Marquette University: From Print to Digital, an Omni-Channel Approach to Six Magazines

PwC: Reimagining PwC Inside: A Modern and Personalized Internal Newsletter

Warner Music Group: Top Stories

Podcast

AAA Mountain West Group: The Via Podcast

AARP California: In Clear Terms with AARP California

American College of Rheumatology: ACR on Air Podcast

Big Valley Marketing: Pressing Matters Podcast

Pfizer: Science Will Win Season 3

PwC: PwC Pulse Podcast: A Business Podcast for Executives

Print Publication 

Hofstra University: Hofstra Magazine Spring 2024

Muscular Dystrophy Association: Quest Media Print

SpartanNash: People First Digest

St. Thomas University: Contact Magazine 2024

Special Reports

Bristol Myers Squibb: ESG 2023

Consolidated Asset Management Services: Annual ESG Report

ServiceNow: DEI 2023

Website

Endo: Endo.com: New Website for the New Endo

Host Hotels & Resorts: Reimagining the New Corporate Website

LMI Consulting: SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program

Nissan Motor Co.: Nissan Corporate Website & Newsroom

PwC: HQ: Creating a Personalized and Connected Experience for Our People

UC Davis Health: Health Library

PR EVENTS (LIVE OR VIRTUAL)

Community Event

Acadia: The Rett Family Council

Campbell’s Digital Workplace Team: Campbell’s/Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center Adult Fun Fiesta

City of Hope Orange County: A Beam of Hope: Hospital Topping Off Ceremony

PepsiCo Multicultural: Pepsi Hosts Community Day Event with Surprise Appearance by Mary J. Blige

Employee Event

Amgen: Because It Matters: Amgen Mission Week 2023

Eaton: Eaton’s LiveWire Experience

Johnson & Johnson and Porter Novelli: Global Learning Day

PwC: Leaders in Action

SpartanNash: Summit and Circle of Excellence

Experiential Campaign 

Autumn Communications: Amazon Customer Trust Event

CCOMGROUP: Neutrogena’s SPF & Padel Event: Driving Awareness Towards the New Sports Body SPF During Melanoma Awareness Month

Clemson University: It’s a Clemson World — Artisphere 2024

National Geographic: Queens New York Fashion Week – National Geographic

Texas Tech University: Eyes on the Horizon: Texas Tech University Centennial Celebration

Influencer Event

Bader Rutter: McCain Foods EPIC Throwdown

Barcel – Takis: Takis Hexas Launch

CeraVe: CeraVe Schools Influencers From Around the World to Clear Up Acne Confusion

National Geographic: Queens Safari

Responsibility.org: 2024 Responsibility.org Parenting Influencer Summit

Television Bureau of Advertising: TVB’s Countdown to Election Day Event 2024

Pop-Up Event or Experience

Autumn Communications: Amazon Customer Trust Event

Hoffman York: Wahl Manscaper Pop-Up Events

KFC: KFC Saucy Nuggets Dispensary

Morinaga America: HI-CHEW Bite-Size Candy Shop Tour

Orangetheory Fitness: Orangetheory’s “WTF is OTF?! Comedy Event” Blended Humor and Fitness to Ease Gym-timidation

Tequila Don Julio/DIAGEO: Projecting Tequila Don Julio to New Heights

Press Event or Media Tour

Antenna Group: Launching Berkeley Space Center at NASA Research Park

Discover The Palm Beaches: Flair for Fashion

LA Clippers: 2023-24 Media Day

San Diego Clippers: LA Clippers G League Team Relocates and Rebrands

The post PR Daily Awards and Top Agencies finalists and honorees announced: See the full list appeared first on PR Daily.

We may be heading into a holiday in the United States, but there are still plenty of social media updates this week. From AI bots that mimic Instagram creators to a wealth of new safety tools for young Snapchatters, here’s what you need to know about today.

Facebook

Broadcast channels are now available for eligible pages with more than 10,000 followers on Facebook. These channels allow pages to share content directly with thousands of users who opt-in, including early access to channel content. It’s a handy way to foster a more personalized connection to fans.

Facebook is also experimenting with A/B testing for Reels posted by pages. The automated tests would try “various captions, covers and more and distribute the top performer for you” in a bid to maximize performance.

Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Instagram will begin testing AI versions of 50 popular creators. These clearly labeled bots will allow creators to “interact” with fans in a scalable way, since it isn’t always practical for larger creators to respond to every message received. This is still a beta test and will certainly have bugs to work out. Creators should be hyperaware of the brand safety risks inherent in outsourcing some aspects of your personality and following to a robot, but this will be a fascinating test to watch. Zuckerberg said more use cases for the AI will roll out in the future.

In another move to increase engagement in Instagram messaging, the app is testing chat widgets that can offer pinned content, a countdown clock and a time zone tracker.

Threads

Threads, already deeply inspired by X, is now taking a page out of Snap’s book and testing threads that disappear after 24 hours – including replies.

It’s also testing the addition of a media tab to profiles. Assuming it works similarly to the X media tab, this would organize a user’s video and photo uploads.

X

X continues to revamp its analytics, both for posts as well as for ads. Sid Rao, an engineer at X, shared a sneak peek of the app’s revamped ad analytics dashboard. “We’ve designed it to be snappy and super intuitive so businesses can view every key metric in a single glance,” he posted. The update will be rolled out “soon.”

The app will also add time engagement analytics to its post stats page, so creators can better time their content to when users will be online and ready to interact.

And X also announced it will move a feature behind its Premium paywall. Only paying subscribers will be able to livestream content on the app.

YouTube

YouTube is also beefing up features for those willing to pony up a little extra cash for a subscription. YouTube is tempting users to its Premium tier with new features including:

• The ability to automatically jump ahead to the good parts of a video. This will be powered by a combination of AI and viewership data to determine exactly where you want to go.
• Watch Shorts as picture-in-picture while using apps so you never have to live a second of your life without short-form video content.
• Get early access to YouTube experiments.

Pinterest

Pinterest is making a big move to get its boards out into the public eye. Now, you’ll be able to share auto-generated videos of your public boards on other social networks so everyone can see the ~ aesthetic~.

Snapchat

Snapchat, a perennial favorite app for teens and creepers alike, has introduced several new safety features. These include:

• Expanded warnings when a user receives a message from someone who is frequently blocked, reported, or is outside the geographic area where the user is typically located.
• Prevent friend requests from being delivered specifically to teens if they have no mutual friends and if they are located “has a history of accessing Snapchat in locations often associated with scamming activity.” This will apply whether the teen is the sender or recipient of the request and is designed specifically to cut down on sextortion scams.
• Simplifying the process of choosing which friends to share locations with and sending more frequent reminders to ensure they’ve recently reviewed that sharing data.
• Now when you block a user, it will also block all subsequent friend requests from accounts that were created on the same device – a move intended to cut down on bullying.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post New social media features and updates to know this week appeared first on PR Daily.

The 2024 Employee Communications and Top Places to Work Awards highlighted an impressive cohort of internal communicators who, during another year where the only constant was change, were once again central to cultivating culture and engaging employees.

We celebrate the campaigns, content, people and teams that helped their organizations tell timely stories, unite their workforce across great distances, navigate change with empathy and always put people first.

Ragan Communications hosted an awards gala on April 18th at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel, where attendees were excited to gather and celebrate fellow employee comms champions.

“The winners in this year’s Employee Communications and Top Places to Work Awards show that the real work starts from within,” says Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan. “Winners demonstrated how communicators can demonstrate results and position themselves as strategic advisors who grow the business, reinforcing trust upping the ante for what’s possible in the role.”

Ragan congratulates this trailblazing group of communications leaders.

Grand Prize

Best Overall Intranet

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: The Hub Intranet Redesign

AbbVie: My AbbVie

Amerant Bank: The Insider

Denver Water: Employee Intranet & Mobile App: Inflow

Moderna: myModerna: Company Intranet

Samuel, Son & Co.: A New Era of Employee-Centric Excellence at Samuel, Son & Co.

Southwest Gas Corporation: Southwest Gas Communications Hub

Tarion: MyTarion – A Re-invented Employee Experience

Employee Communication Campaign of the Year

T-Mobile: Magenta Giving 2023

Ahold-Delhaize: 2023 Open Enrollment Communications

Discover Financial Services: Love Wins Culture & Engagement Campaign

Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey

IBM: IBMer watsonx Challenge

Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)

Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: Unveiling the Future of America’s Defense and Deterrence

RBC: Make It Yours

TransUnion, Inc.: TransUnion Internal Communications Team

Employee Communications Team of the Year

Genesys: Comms Driving Company Strategy

BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms

CHG Healthcare: Corporate Communications

Delta Dental of California: Executive & Internal Communications Team

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Team Member, Digital, and Creative, Reimagining the HPE team member experience

IMA Financial Group: IMA Internal Communications Team

Intel: Employee Communications and Employer Brand Team

Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)

ServiceNow: Employee Communications and Engagement

symplr: Internal Communications Team

TE Connectivity: TE Global Internal Communications Team

Communications Campaigns/Initiatives

Alignment with External Communications

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications

Aflac: Aflac Employee Communications

Delta Dental of California: Senior Oral Health

Southern Company Gas: Southern Company Gas and National Excavator Initiative Get Dirty with Mike Rowe Safe Digging Campaign

Annual Report

Providence: Providence Annual Report to Our Communities

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: 2022 AAOS Annual Report: Better Together

Exelixis: Exelixis 2022 Annual Report

Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s 2022 Nursing Annual Report

Article Series

Discover Financial Services: Inclusion Matters

The SEFA Group, LLC: Veteran Spotlight Articles

Benefits Communication

Sonic Automotive, Inc.: Internal Communications for the Launch of Gympass, an Employee Well-being Application

AAA Northeast: For Your Benefit Video Series

ChenMed: ChenMed Benefits Me

Kalamazoo College: K College OE Campaign

Best Remote Work Experience/Culture

Businessolver: Workspace Anywhere

Tealium: Our WOW Culture

The Lifetime Value Company (LTVCo.): Fostering a People-First and Inclusive Remote Work Culture: The Lifetime Value Company’s Journey

Walgreens: W Connect team member app

Blog

Cisco (We Are Cisco): We Are Cisco Blog

Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect

Change Communication

TransUnion, Inc.: TransUnion Internal Communications Team

BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms

Benesch: Key Tower Office Move

bswift LLC: bswift Transition to Standalone Organization

Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation

MSU Federal Credit Union: Microsoft 365 Launch

STV: Acquisition of AEI

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications

Community Relations

Wray Ward: EmpoWWer Service-Grant Program

ABB: ABB U.S. Community Relations

Royal Canin North America: Royal Canin Celebrates 7,000th Adoption from Missouri Puppies for Parole Program

Stewart Information Services Corporation: Stewart Title Foundation

Syngenta Crop Protection: Syngenta has a heart!

CSR/ESG Report

JK Design: The Children’s Place 2022 Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) Report

Southwest Gas Corporation: Southwest Gas Corporation ESG Report

Email Communication

Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s Email Communications: Evolving Every Day

Franco: Thoughts From the 313

Hackensack Meridian Health: Connecting and Inspiring Team Members Through Email Communication

Employee-Generated Content

International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division

Cisco (We Are Cisco): #WeAreCisco

Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Rolling Stock

Seattle Children’s Hospital: Workforce Members Share Their Stories as Patients

TE Connectivity: Orange Day

Employer Branding

Orbia: One Orbia – Where Purpose Comes To Life

Children’s Health: The Children’s Health Difference

Sonic Automotive, Inc.: Amplifying the Sonic Automotive Employer Brand through LinkedIn

Executive/Leadership Communication

Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch

Aflac: Aflac Corporate Communications

Delta Dental of California: Brushing Up with Our SVPs

e.l.f. Beauty: Tarang Amin, e.l.f. Beauty

Hagerty: Culture & Caffeine

NeoGenomics: Chris’ Corner CEO V-Blog

Ozinga: Ozinga Townhalls

Reddit, Inc.: Clarity Through Communicative Leadership

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Communications

UC Davis Health: CEO David Lubarsky’s TEDx Folsom talk on January 21, 2023

Feature Article

Brooks Running: BrooksLife Feature Story

Horizon Therapeutics, now a part of Amgen: Feature Article

HR Communication

The Kroger Co.: 2023 Open Enrollment Campaign

Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch

Innovation in Internal Communications

3M: 3M Forward Virtual Fairs

Discover Financial Services: Discover Day

Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey

International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division

Mastercard LAC: The Passion Challenge in LAC

Model N: Ignite 2023: Employee Kick-Off Event

Peraton: Enterprise Communications Team Innovation

Royal Canin North America: The Game Plan for Growth: Leadership Summit

Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect

Viettel Group: Innovative-me

Internal Email

Campbell’s: What the Tech? Email Campaign

Aflac: Aflac Employee Communications

Bon Secours Mercy Health: BSMH Associate Communications Evolved Email Strategy

Magazine

Dennis Group: Bread & Butter Magazine

Northrop Grumman: One Magazine

Pacific Dental Services: PDS Life Magazine

Texas Department of Transportation: TN Magazine

Manager Communication

Delta Dental of California: Upleveling Our Leaders

Retail Business Services: Manager Minute

Measurement and Data

Hilton: Global Internal Communications

Cisco Global Communications: Cisco Employee Communications

Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey

U.S. Postal Service: Mapping Social Media Increases Happiness

Mission and Values Communication

CBRE: Serving Up Ethics with Creativity, Innovation & Espresso

Bekaert: Introducing a Bold New Bekaert

Bucketlist Rewards: Bucketlist Goal Getters

Park National Bank: Tailgate Tuesday

Newsletter

Prologis: The Weekly – Building a Culture of Communications

AARP Foundation: AARP Foundation Insider Newsletter

American Institutes for Research: AIRWeekly Newsletter

Appspace: This Week at Appspace

Citi: Information overload: How a 210 -year-old bank is using technology and tenacity to revolutionize the corporate newsletter

Inovalon: Internal Newsletter

Metropolitan Transportation Authority: ‘Going Places’ Newsletter

Syner-G: Inspiring News Newsletter

Partnership with Human Resources

CBRE: Effective Allies in Engaging, Supporting and Inspiring Employees

Navy Federal Credit Union: Human Capital Management (HCM)

SAP: I’m In for SAP

Sonepar: Sonepar 2023 Communications Awards

Podcast

Optus: Internal leadership podcast

ConnectiveRx: CRx Voices: Using the Power of Podcasts for Sales Training

Horizon Therapeutics, now a part of Amgen: The Horizone Podcast

UPMC Health Plan: Inspire Employee Podcast

Pulse Survey

Honeywell PMT: Tag Your Voice

Xperi: Xperi Internal Communications Engagement Survey

Recruitment

Payoneer: Recruitment Video Feed

Lincoln Financial Group: Comeback Campaign

Social Media

Cisco (We Are Cisco): 2023 #LoveWhereYouWork Contest

United States Postal Service: Promote, Don’t Punish: USPS’ Social Media Ambassador Program

Storytelling

Children’s Hospital Colorado: DifferenceMakers Storytelling Campaign

American Medical Association: Together we Thrive

UC Davis Health: Patient Painter

Visual Storytelling

Honeywell Process Solutions: Weekly #SafetyMoment

Campbell’s: What the Tech? Workplace Group

ConnectiveRx: Countdown to Launch

Employee Experience Campaigns/Initiatives

Amazing Workplace Culture

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Grilling Around the Globe Video Series

Amgen: Women Find Purpose – and Support – at Amgen

N-able

Nissan: Great Place to Work employee pride campaign

Brand Ambassador Program

Nissan: Nissan INSIDERS

Cisco (We Are Cisco): 2023 #LoveWhereYouWork Contest

Noblis: Ignite the Spark

DEI & ESG Commitments

Infineon Americas: Diversity & Inclusion Commitment

AAA Northeast: 10-Day Racial Equity Challenge

Alkermes: A Culture Built on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

ConnectiveRx: ConnectiveRx DEI – Empowering Teammates with ConnectiveRx Employee Resource Groups

Honeywell PMT: PMT Sustainability Month

Horizon Therapeutics, now a part of Amgen: National Minority Health Month

N-able

SCAN Health Plan: SCAN Health Plan, DEIB Internal Communications Campaigns

symplr IQ: uniquely symplr

Employee Education/Training Program

Mastercard LAC: Decrypted Series in LAC

Campbell’s: QuickHelp Education Platform

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Devereux ASCEND

J&J MedTech: MT TranSCend

Employee Engagement

Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: Unveiling the Future of America’s Defense and Deterrence

University of Miami: Powered by You, University/UHealth Marketing and Communications Team

Ares Management: Ares in Motion – Employee Engagement and Volunteer Program

Cox Enterprises: 2023 Come As You Are: ERG Membership Drive

Endo: Championing Engagement Excellence: Endo’s Data-Driven Journey

Hackensack Meridian Health: Hackensack Meridian Health Engages with Team Members through StandOut

International Monetary Fund: Internal Communications Division

Mastercard LAC: The Passion Challenge in LAC

Navy Federal Credit Union: Navy Federal Serves

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises: 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup & 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Telemundo

Orbia: Orbia – Where Purpose Comes To Life

Royal Society of Chemistry: Connect

Employee Recognition or Reward Program

PepsiCo Beverages North America: ‘She Is PepsiCo’ National Campaign Spotlights Women on the Frontline and Illustrates Why Representation and Recognition Matters

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.: Konica Minolta Recognition and Rewards Program

Pacific Dental Services: You Make Us Smile

Power Design: CRUSHED IT Program

Sandia National Laboratories: 2023 Employee Recognition Awards

Employee Resource Groups

Syngenta: Syngenta for FFA: Supporting the next generation in agriculture

ConnectiveRx: ConnectiveRx DEI – Empowering Teammates with ConnectiveRx Employee Resource Groups

ServiceNow: Cultural Moments

Employee Volunteer Program

Ares Management: Ares in Motion – Employee Engagement and Volunteer Program

Noridian: Vitalizing Employee Paid Time off to Volunteer

Employee Well-Being Program

Telemundo: Health & Wellness: Tu Bienestar

Atrium Health: Mental Health Awareness

Cox Enterprises: Five Pillars of Wellness

Gallagher: LiveWell @ Prisma Health

Mower: Fierce Friends Move for Mental Health

Pacific Dental Services: You Make Us Smile

Hybrid Workplace Strategy

Providence: Co-Caring Nursing Model

American Medical Association: Together we Thrive

BAE Systems, Electronic Systems: ES TeamComms

Campbell’s: QuickHelp Education Platform

Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation

SAP: I’m In for SAP

Internal Event Strategy

ServiceNow: ServiceNow Live and Employee Kickoff

AbbVie: 2023 All-Employee Meeting

BVI Medical: New Manufacturing Building Inauguration

IDB Invest: KW23

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.: FY23 Kickoff Event

LeasePlan: 60 Years of LeasePlan

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications

U.S. Department of Labor/OCIO: Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022

Leadership Development Program

Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch

Power Design: Licensed to Lead Program

UKG: Lead Forward: 2023 UKG Leadership Immersion & Development Program

Intranet Campaigns/Initiatives

Employee Engagement

CBRE: Connecting Our Employees, Wherever They Work

Andersen Corporation: Access for Everyone through Andersen’s Circle Intranet & Mobile App

Campbell’s: What the Tech? Workplace Group

Launch or Relaunch

Andersen Corporation: Access for Everyone through Andersen’s Circle Intranet & Mobile App

Horizon Therapeutics, now a part of Amgen: The Pulse

Tarion: MyTarion – A Re-invented Employee Experience

Zebra Technologies: zConnect Modernization Project

Intranet Content

QI Group: QI Quiet Heroes: Unveiling the Unsung Heroes of the QI Group

Cox Enterprises: Flexing Forward: The Cox Atlanta Campus Renovation

Organon and Ruder Finn: Connection to Mission Campaign: Understanding Our Impact

Intranet Design/Redesign

symplr: Internal Communications Team

Amerant Bank: The Insider

Link Logistics: The Link

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: The Hub Intranet Redesign

Remote Culture Campaigns/Initiatives

Virtual Employee Engagement

Hagerty: Leader Livestream

Samuel, Son & Co: A New Era of Employee-Centric Excellence at Samuel, Son & Co.

Syner-G BioPharma Group: Morning Brew

Virtual Events/Celebrations

U.S. Department of Labor/OCIO: Federal Tech Day 2023

Retail Business Services: Remote Culture – Virtual Events – RBS Friendsgiving

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications

Virtual Onboarding

Foundation Medicine: A new era of onboarding

Royal Canin North America: New Associate Orientation Exceeds in Engaging through a Virtual Setting

Virtual Town Hall

Orbia: Where Purpose Comes To Life – Virtual Town Hall

Appspace: Appspace Town Hall & All Hands

Capital Insurance Group: Live with Leadership

Prologis: Virtual Town Hall

Reddit, Inc.: All Hands & Hearts

Xperi: Xperi Virtual Global Town Halls

Tech

Best Employee App

Ontario Northland: ON Dispatch App

Ryman Hospitality Properties: Adopting a Mobile-First Employee Communication Strategy

Southwire: Southwire Circuit Launch

Walgreens: W Connect team member app

Video Campaigns/Initiatives

Humorous Video

Salesforce: Marketing Cloud Edge TV

SAS: SAS campus but make it a Wes Anderson film

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Internal Communications

Informational Video

Mastercard LAC: Decrypted Series in LAC

Gallagher: Video Series: Highlighting the key features of Anywhere Real Estate’s well-being program

Lincoln Financial Group: Education Series on Lincoln’s Enterprise Strategic Objectives

Organon and Ruder Finn: Connection to Mission Campaign: Understanding Our Impact

Sonepar USA: 2023 Safety Month

Inspirational Video

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Grilling Around the Globe Video Series

Baptist Health South Florida: Baptist Health Everyday Heroes

Bethany Children’s Health Center: PK graduates after life-altering vehicle collision

TE Connectivity: Employee Appreciation Day Video

Interview Video

Retail Business Services: We are RBS

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: My Story Video Series

Perituza Software Solutions: Perituza’s Early Careers Program Spotlight | Dharani Rajasinghe, SharePoint Administrator

Leadership Video

CarMax: Under the Hood

Corvias: Leadership Development Program Launch

Infineon Americas: An Introduction to President Maher Matta

Infineon Americas: Rainer Hoehler’s Engagement Pulse Check Video

ServiceNow: Keeping it Real

Outstanding Video Communications

ServiceNow: Top 10 Training

Amgen: A Passion for Science; A Love of Culture

Caliber: Artisans of Caliber

Payoneer: One Payoneer. Endless Stories

Seattle Children’s Hospital: Seattle Children’s Connecting to Mission Recruitment Videos

ServiceNow: Our World Our Work

Employee Communications Professionals of the Year

Kakie Atwell: IMA Financial Group

Desiree Elsharif: ServiceNow

Alejandra Fehrmann: Nissan

Giselle Heraux: AutoNation

Reed Horanburg: TE Connectivity

Meghan Keating: 3M

Wes Milligan: St Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Alice Nagle: Genesys

Jennifer Nelson: Prologis

Janisse Cuevas: University of Miami

Janet Rivera Hernandez: Mastercard LAC

Brigitta Witt: T-Mobile

2024 Top Places to Work

5WPR

Aadi Bioscience

Aspectus Group

Bell

Boden PR

Cincinnati Children’s

Corporate Ink

Coyne PR

Hager Sharp

Henry Schein, Inc.

Horizon Therapeutics

Hotwire

HUNTER

Identity

iQ 360 Inc.

Kaplow Communications

KCSA Strategic Communication

Marathon Strategies

McCownGordon Construction

Merz Aesthetics

Meteorite

Mower

Next PR

Pace Public Relations

Peppercomm, a Ruder Finn company

PwC

Red Hat

Sachs Media

Sage Communications

Schmidt Public Affairs LLC

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Sharp Think

SourceCode Communications

The Kroger Co.

The Levinson Group

Vault Communications

Vested

Zeta Global

For more information on our winners, check out their profiles.

The post Ragan honors the 2024 Employee Communications and Top Places to Work Awards in Chicago: list of winners appeared first on PR Daily.

Alina Morozova is chief account manager at ITCOMMS, an international PR agency.

The country of Georgia is well-known for its hospitality and friendly nature, but it’s important to recognize its distinct local features in the PR realm right from the start.

Business environment

Georgia has become a top destination for business development and relocation. The country boasts a welcoming business environment. It’s possible to register a company in just one day, and there are four free economic zones to take advantage of. Special conditions for businesses include exemption from corporate tax, and there are no minimum capital or investment requirements. Additional benefits include virtual office services and the option to register from anywhere. In addition, you can stay in Georgia without a visa for a year, and it is enough to cross the border to start a new countdown of this period.

Since 2010, there has been significant advancement in the country’s economic development, as observed by the World Bank. According to estimates, Georgia’s GDP hit $24.6 billion in 2022, marking a 10.1% increase. However, this growth rate is expected to decline by the end of 2023.

Since 2022, more Russian and international companies like Playrix and EPAM have started doing business in Georgia. In 2021, revenue from high-tech exports totaled $153 million. The country boasts dynamic IT communities, such as GITA (Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency) and the Startup Community, along with programs in collaboration with the Business and Technology University.

Media consumption in Georgia

The World Bank reports that 79% of Georgia’s population has access to the internet. Most people in the country typically learn about the news from television broadcasts or via social media platforms. The Colab Medios Project’s 2021 report highlights that in Georgia, television is particularly popular with the over-35 age group, with a notable 78% of residents tuning in regularly. The results of a CRRC Georgia survey indicate that the three most popular TV channels are Imedi with 59%, Rustavi-2 with 53%, and Mtavari with 42% viewership.

Facebook, now under the umbrella of Meta which has been declared an extremist organization and banned in Russia, is widely used among social media platforms, with 67% of users logging in at least once a week. YouTube holds the second spot in popularity with 57%, while Instagram follows in third place at 25%. An additional 16% of users are on TikTok, while X has a 4% user base. Sixty-five percent of people regularly use messaging apps. Viber and WhatsApp lead in popularity with 35% and 30%, respectively, while Telegram holds the interest of only 4%.

In Georgia, there’s a noticeable shift from print to digital media. The country has a developed market for English-language media. When working with the media, it is important to keep in mind that their credibility in the country is very low. According to a study by Caucasus Barometer, trust in the media in the country gradually decreased from 50% to 20% between 2008 and 2019. The same data indicate that one in five Georgians does not trust the media.

The media is often highly politicized, with owners frequently dictating editorial content. The media environment in Georgia is marked by intense social strains that involve issues of religion, LGBT rights and Russian influence.

Public relations in Georgia: Main characteristics

Public relations is an evolving field in Georgia, where PR specialists are relatively scarce. Typically, only sizable corporations, like TBC Bank, have dedicated PR departments.

The official language is Georgian, meaning all media materials require translation into this language. However, English may be used when engaging with journalists. It’s preferable for the company’s spokespersons or official representatives to be local, native speakers. Some companies, such as Spar and Coca-Cola, opt to replicate their names in the Georgian language.

Essential tips for excelling in PR in Georgia

1. Customized content. Ensure that all press releases and expert materials are relevant and connected to the regional backdrop. Journalists often welcome news that involves partnerships between local businesses and state departments. Analytical reports and materials should highlight the impact on the local market.
2. Networking. Georgia is a nation characterized by strong horizontal ties,  where recommendations from friends and personal communication are highly valued and play a crucial role in the fabric of society. Investing time in networking is crucial. Make an effort to connect with journalists, share your story, and seek opportunities for face-to-face interactions. Establishing a relationship with one well-respected journalist could potentially open doors to their entire network within Georgia, often described as being just one handshake away.
3. Focus on the top media. The region hosts only a few media outlets, all with limited reach. As a result, it is crucial to prioritize engaging with the major, widely distributed ones. It is also important to point out the near absence of highly specialized media outlets in Georgia. During my 18 months in this industry, I’ve encountered several media outlets that cover cryptocurrency, but none that specialize in IT. Discover television opportunities to showcase your expertise by securing spots on business-focused TV programs.
4. Events are a linchpin. They hold a special appeal for local businesses and journalists. Whether it’s a press conference, a company anniversary, a press breakfast, or a brunch, events serve as a valuable opportunity to nurture relationships and offer something the media can appreciate. TV is the prime choice for event coverage.
5. Allocate funds for presents and subscription-based publications. Agreeing to free, unpaid media coverage is a feasible strategy, but I would still suggest allocating a budget for paid publications. On average, posting an article in a major media outlet costs $500. Not only does paying for publication secure your spot in the media, but it also fosters better relationships with them. Similarly, giving gifts can achieve this objective. Journalists particularly value personalized gifts or corporate items that feature the company’s logo.Gifts help to cope with the same task.

Journalists are open to collaborating with Russian PR specialists and firms, with their main focus being on the quality of the content. It needs to be both informative and engaging for readers. Use LinkedIn to search for journalists’ contact details. Ensure you research the journalist’s areas of interest in advance and provide news and expert content that aligns with those topics.

Here’s what you need to understand when collaborating with Georgian journalists.

• The pace of work can be slow. It’s important to expect that any discussion about the news may extend over several days. This often applies even to urgent news about your company, as journalists typically do not hurry to release such information.
• News embargoes often fail. Despite sending news with an embargo, journalists may not comprehend it fully. In the best-case scenario, the journalist might notify you of any misunderstandings, but in the worst case, they might release the information prematurely.
• Journalists generally show little interest in clickbait headlines. There’s a sense that competition is lacking within the Georgian media landscape. Traffic numbers don’t seem to concern them, nor do they pursue sensational headlines. They remain untroubled when their colleagues scoop stories before them.
• The opportunity to comment appears limited. Possibly this happens because of minimal competition and slow work pace. However, the reality is that you shouldn’t expect to swiftly post a comment on published news.
• Journalists often edit press releases. In Central Asia, news is usually published without changes, while in Georgia, it is normal for the content to be edited. Nevertheless, journalists are generally willing to make changes to articles that have been published already.
• Journalists appreciate exclusive content. Providing them with unique, exclusive material will ensure they prioritize preparing and publishing it promptly and to the highest standard.

Key takeaways

• Georgia’s PR market is in its formative stages, yet it offers opportunities to establish strong, trustworthy media connections.
• The media landscape here is sparse and not all outlets are considered reliable. Therefore, it’s wise to focus on major international media right from the start. This approach can swiftly boost your company’s visibility in the market and facilitate the achievement of your objectives.
• Leveraging materials and partnerships with local businesses can secure media mentions. Additionally, networking and face-to-face interactions with media professionals will solidify your success.

The post Shaping public relations strategies in the country of Georgia appeared first on PR Daily.

Once upon a time, being laid off or fired from a job was something to be endured silently, an awkward scarlet letter that came up in job interviews and dinner parties, acknowledged with murmured sympathies and downcast eyes, as if the misfortune might be contagious. 

But there’s a sea of change happening now. Empowered by social media, employees (largely Gen Z and Millennials)  who identify the warning signs of a termination are documenting the experience on platforms such as TikTok, from their anxiety in the hours before, right through the meeting itself and into the painful aftermath. 

Axios cites a number of these viral videos, including a woman who began a countdown of the hours until she believed she was going to be laid off (she was correct) and another who recorded her firing for performance reasons at the hands of HR managers she did not know.  

Erin Grau, cofounder of Charter, a future-of-work company, told Axios that the videos act as a way of “holding companies, HR teams and managers accountable to conduct more humane layoffs.” 

Why it matters: Grau said it best: “HR is the new PR.” 

No longer will employees meekly accept terminations that are carried out with a disregard for the humans who have their lives upended during a 15-minute Zoom call.  

To be clear, both layoffs and firings are sometimes a necessary evil in the business world. There is no way to entirely remove the sting of hearing one is losing their livelihood. But there are certainly ways to make it easier on both sides.

These viral termination videos once again show the need for PR to be involved in every major decision-making process in a company. When layoffs are on the table, PR needs a seat at that table, helping craft the internal layoff announcement (which will inevitably leak and become an external statement). They can also help recommend best practices based on missteps of other companies and be prepared to monitor social media for fallout.

These situations are never easy. But with PR acting as the voice of the audience, including those being laid off, the pain can be eased for both those who are gone and those who remain with the organization. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• After a wave of deepfakes depicted Taylor Swift in the nude, X has banned searches for the megastar’s name on the platform, to mixed success. The Verge reported that searching for “Taylor AI Swift” or even putting quotation marks around her name was enough to evade the block. Nonconsensual deepfakes are pernicious and difficult to root out. On the other, X’s gutting of its moderation team certainly makes this problem harder to get under control. The real victim is Swift, who has her image distorted at a time when she is in the spotlight for her Super Bowl-bound boyfriend and the resumption of her “Eras” tour. 
• The IRS is piloting a program that would allow many Americans to calculate their taxes for free, without turning to paid software like TurboTax. At the moment, only Americans who resided in 12 states in 2023 are eligible, and their tax returns must be relatively simple. But it signals a sea change for an industry that has been pay-to-play for years. Accountants and tax software makers attempted to battle the program in Congress, NPR reported, but now that it’s in progress, they must fight to show why they’re worth paying for. They still have a few years before the program is potentially rolled out to the entire country and publicized. The time to ramp up PR around your software’s value add is now.  
• Proving once again that inclusivity is good business, the BBC reports that more and more travel destinations are adding – and promoting – features that serve those with disabilities. From Fort Wayne, Indiana’s wheelchair-friendly water splash pad to backpacks that vibrate to concert music for the Deaf in Trentino, Italy, these investments are attracting the 16%  of persons worldwide who live with a significant disability. These investments are win-win-win: they help people, they bring new business and they generate feel-good media stories. The BBC story notes these investments needn’t even be costly, as in the case of the 3D-printed miniatures of landmarks that can be felt by the visually impaired.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Employees are silent on layoffs, firings no more appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on Oct. 10, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

This past weekend the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, the latest escalation in a conflict that’s led to the deaths of more than 1,500 Israelis and Palestinians in just a few short days.  Organizations around the world have been grappling with how to issue statements addressing the war—and whether to say anything at all. 

Many have taken a quiet, wait-and-see approach. Others have addressed only logistical challenges in the regions or statements of support for their employees in the region. And a small number have voiced vocal support for Israel and condemnation of the attacks. 

Here are some of the responses. 

Logistics and employees 

Some organizations with operations in the Middle East have issued statements that say little about the conflict itself, focusing instead on how their business is impacted. 

For instance, many major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Tel Aviv. Their statements are simple, fact-based  updates on the situation for passengers, as the AP reported. UPS issued a similarly operations-focused statement on parcel delivery.  

Delta CEO Ed Bastian went farther,  using LinkedIn to share updates on the airlines’ decision to cancel flights in and out of Tel Aviv through the end of October while reiterating its efforts to repatriate Americans stranded in Israel. Then the post turns more personal, recalling an anti-hate Town Hall held earlier this year.  

“Rabbi (Larry) Sernovitz reminded us of a beautiful saying, ‘Because I see you, I have an obligation to you.’ We all have an obligation to one another during this difficult time and it’s crucial that we come together to deepen our understanding and care for each other. Our hearts are with everyone impacted by these tragic events.” 

Other statements also straddled the line between expressing either sympathy or support for affected stakeholders while also giving updates on events in the region, such as Nvidia’s cancellation of its upcoming AI Summit in Tel Aviv.  

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the situation,” the statement reads, in part, while skimming over what “the situation” is. “The safety and wellbeing of our participants are our top priority, and we believe this is the best course of action to ensure everyone’s safety.” 

CEOs tie responses back to corporate values 

Some companies relied on more personal statements from CEOs in the form of memos or posts on LinkedIn over broad corporate releases.

CNN obtained several memos from the leaders of international companies with employees in the area that leaned more into the human angle. 

“This past weekend’s attack on Israel and its people and the resulting war and bloodshed are a terrible tragedy,” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon wrote in a memo. “We stand with our employees, their families and the people of Israel during this time of great suffering and loss.” 

 Dimon’s memo also went farther, extending prayers and offering an explicit call for peace. “The human cost of wars and terrorism are enormous, with too many lives lost and changed forever,” he continued. “We join together in our hope to one day see the end of violence and for there to be peace throughout the Middle East.” 

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon sent a similar memo, also obtained by CNN. ““All of us at Goldman Sachs are thinking of you and your families in the face of this shocking aggression directed at the people of Israel,” he wrote “The dynamics in the Middle East have always been difficult and complex. But, these attacks are terrorism and violate our most fundamental of values.” 

Both CEOs emphasized that all employees in the area were safe and that the offices would operate as work-from-home for the foreseeable future. 

Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla shared his own memo to Israeli colleagues on Linkedin. 

“At Pfizer, we are committed to protecting and saving lives, and dedicated to the health and well-being of people around the world,” his LinkedIn post read, with the ideas echoed in the memo. “Actions that are geared towards inflicting bloodshed, harm and death are antithetical to our work and to our values. “ 

Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO of Fortune 500 staffing company ManpowerGroup, was unequivocal in his public LinkedIn statement.  

“We stand firmly behind Israel, where we have operated for more than 60 years, and its people. We are learning of the direct and tragic impact on our colleagues, and our leaders and teams on the ground are working tirelessly to provide support. The safety and well-being of our team and their families are our top concern, and we know the uncertainty of the coming days will be very challenging for all. 

Corporate shows of support 

Other organizations showed support for Israel and condemnation of the terrorist attacks through a variety of mediums—from social media to light shows. 

In New York City, the Empire State Building lit up in in blue and white to show solidarity, while American Eagle turned its billboard into the Israeli flag. 

Tonight from 10-11PM the Empire State Building will shine in the colors of the Israeli flag pic.twitter.com/1yU4HDbSVA

— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) October 7, 2023

Some companies offered brief, simple messages.  

But others were more impassioned. 

The major U.S. sports leagues shared similar statements, down to their black backgrounds. 

pic.twitter.com/N3acvFr2A2

— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2023

pic.twitter.com/caMWxl0R0E

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2023

pic.twitter.com/mNByBXlf0E

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 9, 2023

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce not only condemned the violence, but also outlined its concrete actions for helping – a rare move so far.  

And many more organizations chose to remain silent, either because they are not directly involved in the region, have no official stance or simply do not see a need. 

We’ll continue to cover the response to this ongoing tragedy.  

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post Top stories of 2023: Statements and social media posts from global companies on Israel appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on Jan. 25, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

PR and communications have lived under the marketing umbrella for years. The team-up has traditionally made sense: all three functions contribute to brand, and brand is ultimately the responsibility of marketing. Plus, many communications and marketing efforts are similar, often revolving around content creation or communications strategy.

But placing communications under marketing leadership can create friction. Marketing and PR have very different value propositions. While marketing most frequently seeks to drive demand and generate pipeline on a short-term, scalable basis, PR is all about the long game of brand awareness and thought leadership. These initiatives have overlap, but marketing and communications professionals know the difference by heart and toe the line of their responsibilities daily.

These considerations will be top-of-mind for executives in 2023, especially those in organizations facing the challenge of budget cuts and this ever-looming recession. And with communications leadership often acting as crucial strategic counsel during times of organizational crisis or uncertainty, restructuring will likely include the creation of a chief communications officer or VP of communications. Here’s why.

Marketing teams are already task-logged

Marketing is a crowded category. Marketers can expect to own creative output, including design and content, plus demand gen, analytics, SEO, PR, product growth, customer success and — depending on organizational structure — even entry-level sales roles. Add to these considerations the burden of hiring top talent in the current market, and marketing leaders are left burnt out or failing to meet KPIs (or both).

The problem here is that overworked marketing departments often act as a catch-all fix for one-off market opportunities. Did a competitor perform well on social media using an influencer campaign? If it caught a sales executive’s eye, the marketing department may be tasked with carrying out a similar campaign. That leaves other essential initiatives, including communications support, by the wayside — especially if communications falls under the purview of a chief revenue officer (CRO).

CROs, and oftentimes CMOs, are directed to prioritize demand gen and product growth over communications. And as tech valuations continue to fall and a possible recession threatens marketing departments everywhere, the importance of demand has skyrocketed, only widening the chasm between marketing and communications initiatives.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with marketers focusing on demand — that’s the right move. But it’s also the right move to allow communications to operate independently of non-demand tasks, such as internal messaging, restructuring announcements and DEIB updates. And this is not possible without a communications leader with the seniority and authority to make bold decisions independent of marketing buy-in.

Additionally, turnover is usually higher in marketing departments comprised of several non-collaborative teams. This configuration leaves team members to work in silos, which is unproductive at best and detrimental at worst. Besides, it’s often the case that marketing shouldn’t be privy to the information comms teams handle — especially as modern communications becomes increasingly tricky.

Communications operates in a separate sphere from marketing

Once handled by separate roles, internal and external communications have slowly unified.  Leaders now recognize the importance of strategic internal messaging, and for good reason. A recent wave of reductions in force and company exposés act as a reminder that internally distributed messages can significantly impact an organization’s public image. Announcements made in poor taste or with improper wording — regardless of how well-intended — can damage a company’s reputation.

It shouldn’t need to be said that authentic, empathetic communication is key when it comes to announcing hard decisions. Company reorganizations affect employees’ lives, and communications professionals must handle such announcements sensitively. But no organization exists in a vacuum, and all internal messages will be read by external audiences sooner or later. Look no further than the fiasco at Twitter for evidence of how a company’s communications can quickly become trending news.

Modern communications professionals have to juggle all sides of messaging. This has turned an already difficult task into a complicated, high-level process with huge stakes. Handling difficult communications tactfully has become an art form, and doing it perfectly requires strong, unified leadership and collaboration.

Communications teams need to work closely with HR to nail sensitive and accurate internal messaging. HR and communications share a goal: productive messages that contribute to happy and healthy employees. Sure, marketers probably share this goal personally, but it’s not their job to see it through. Furthermore, it may be inappropriate for marketers to access pertinent HR information ahead of an official internal statement.

The consequential nature of this information also suggests that communications, and communications leaders especially, have reached a new professional level.

Communications guidance has become critical for the C-suite

The reality is that communications isn’t just a marketing function — it’s fundamental to the everyday operations of the business. Executives rely on communications leaders for strategic counsel on nearly everything, from thought leadership and internal messaging to restructuring guidance and tips on responding to societal issues. Before a top-tier interview, without fail, executives will be briefed by a communications professional. And before addressing employees during an all-hands meeting, they’ll seek advice on what talking points to hit (and which to avoid).

Let it be known that crafting a standout communications strategy and receiving executive buy-in is no small feat. It requires experience and excellence, not to mention seniority. Without it, communications leaders will find themselves gridlocked by improper access to C-suite execs. And as social media expedites the speed at which news travels, other C-suite members will realize the utility of a unilateral communications decision-maker – a chief communications officer.

Grace Williams is BLASTmedia’s senior vice president.

The post Top stories of 2023: Why 2023 is the year of the chief communications officer appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on Aug. 23, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

Gillian Janicki is an account associate at Inspire PR Group

In the world of pop culture, few artists have achieved the level of success and adoration that Taylor Swift has. Taylor Swift has not only captivated audiences worldwide with her music but has also caught the attention of devoted fans and non-Swifites alike through effective PR tactics. Behind her massive success lies a strategy that revolves around values-based messaging, audience understanding and building genuine connections with fans. In this blog, we’ll explore how PR has contributed to Taylor’s unwavering fan base and immense popularity.

One of the most significant factors contributing to Taylor Swift’s success is her values-based messaging. Throughout her career, Taylor has seamlessly integrated her personal growth and experiences into her music, transforming her albums into heartfelt narratives that resonate deeply with her audience. From the innocent and relatable tales of young love in her early days to the powerful anthems of self-empowerment and acceptance in later years, Taylor’s songs become a mirror for her fans’ own lives.

Taylor Swift’s values-based messaging not only attracts her existing audience but also draws in new fans who share similar beliefs and ideals. Her authenticity shines through, making her more than just a pop star; she becomes an advocate for her fans’ interests and concerns. For example, the release of her song “You Need to Calm Down” led to a spike in donations to GLAAD. By continuing to address social issues, promoting kindness and standing up for individuality, she positions herself as a relatable role model.

During her Era’s Tour, Taylor Swift’s values-based messaging has come full circle. As each “Era” represents a unique chapter in her life, they are used as a platform to convey important messages to her audience. From advocating for individuality and self-expression to promoting equality and confidence, the Era’s Tour has become more than just a concert; it’s a grand expression of her core beliefs and principles, allowing her to connect with her fans on a profound level.

Understanding her audience: the key to building connections

Taylor Swift’s remarkable PR expertise extends beyond aligning her messaging with values; she also possesses a deep understanding of her audience. No matter the age, she connects with her fans on a personal level through her music and communication.

During the “Debut,” “Fearless” and “Speak Now” albums, Taylor wrote about the experiences of a teenage girl moving away from home and adjusting to life in the spotlight. As she matured both musically and personally, her “Red” and “1989” Eras captured the complexities of young adulthood, addressing themes of heartbreak, growth and self-discovery. With the “Reputation” and “Lover” Eras, Taylor delved deeper into themes of self-acceptance, love and resilience, resonating with fans of all ages. “Folklore” and “Evermore” became beacons of hope for her fans during the challenging times of the pandemic.

In the digital age, social media plays a crucial role in building and maintaining a fanbase. Taylor Swift has leveraged various platforms to connect with her audience on a more personal level. From heartfelt Instagram posts to candid Twitter interactions, she provides glimpses into her life and makes her fans feel like they are part of her journey. Taylor actively engages with her fans, liking their posts and even surprising them with thoughtful gestures. This level of interaction fosters a sense of community and loyalty among her fans, making them feel valued and appreciated.

Taylor Swift has also used her social media power to spotlight issues within the music industry, resulting in policy reforms from Spotify and Apple Music, and has educated fans about intellectual property and artists’ rights.

Adapting and evolving: the secret to longevity

Another aspect that sets Taylor Swift apart is her ability to adapt and evolve her strategy over time. She stays attuned to changes in her audience’s preferences and societal trends, ensuring her music and messaging remains fresh, even as she re-records her old albums. This flexibility has allowed her to maintain her relevance in an ever-changing industry, appealing to new generations while still cherishing her long-standing fans.

Her innovative digital efforts, such as Midnights Mayhem with Me, were part of her strategic communications campaign to promote her newest album, “Midnights.” At midnight on August 29, 2022, Taylor announced the new album via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Tumblr. The day the album dropped, “The Anti-Hero Challenge” was announced on YouTube Shorts, encouraging fans to post videos using sound clips from the song with the hashtag #TSAntiHeroChallenge.

By staying consistent with her value-based messaging, forging deep connections with her fans and continually evolving, Taylor Swift has grown an unwavering and devoted audience. PR professionals can learn valuable lessons from her journey, reminding us that meaningful connections and authentic values are the key to building a legacy in any field.

The post Top stories of 2023: The core of Taylor Swift’s PR strategy is values-based messaging appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on May 3, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

There are tons of outside forces that can influence your writing and keep you from turning in your best work. A last-minute deadline or an unclear assignment can trip up even the best writer.

But that’s not what we’re going to talk about today.

Today, let’s focus on the ways you get in your own way. These are all easy traps to fall into — but ones we can find our way back out of with a little awareness and thought.

1. You don’t have a clear goal.

Good writing starts with good thinking. And in most cases, that means understanding why you’re writing. If you don’t have a firm understanding of the purpose behind whatever piece of content you’re creating, you’re most likely going to end up with writing that’s aimless, disconnected from an audience and overall meh.

If you’re struggling to define your goals, ask yourself these questions:

• Who is this for?
• How will they receive this information? (Email, social media, after a Google search?)
• What do I want that person to know/think/do after they read this?
• How will I know I’ve achieved the above goal? (We’ll come back to this one)

Taking just a few minutes on the front-end to answer these questions can make the entire writing process so much easier.

2. You overthink it.

When it’s just you and a blank document, it’s so easy to get into your head — to doubt yourself, to doubt your goals, to just feel paralyzed by that blinking cursor that demands so much from you.

Maybe you over-research, going over the materials you need to write the piece until everything blurs together into a soft fuzz. Maybe you procrastinate on social media or by doing literally anything else, including organizing your emails from 2019.

We’ve all been there. You’re not alone in those feelings.

But reassure yourself that there’s a reason you have your job. Whatever the challenge is, you can face it. The most important thing is to start writing. Get out of your head and put words to the page.

Only once you have something on the page can you make those words not suck.

3. You don’t have a style guide.

This might sound like an oddly nitpicky thing that can sabotage you. Is a style guide really that important?

Yes and no. On an organizational level, it’s important for consistency. But on a personal level, it eliminates some of the grammatical uncertainty you can face when writing.

Oxford comma or no Oxford comma? Do compound modifiers need hyphens? Do any words need unusual capitalization?

When you try to address these questions one by one, they can chip away at your mental energy. Each one is a tiny road bump between you and smooth writing that’s more focused on messaging than form.

If your organization doesn’t have its own in-house style guide, or a preferred guide that they use (ahem, AP style), pick one, if only for your own sanity.Consult it for those questions rather than using your precious brain space to make those individual decisions.

4. You don’t give yourself enough time to let it sit.

Congratulations, you wrote something!

Unfortunately, the hardest work is just beginning.

You need some distance from a piece to be able to accurately see if it’s meeting your goals. You need to emotionally disengage from your writing so you can begin making it better, sharper, tighter.

Whether you have another person editing or you’re going it solo, always try to build in some time to let a piece simmer before you go over it again. This could take as long as a week or as little as the time it takes you to go make a cup of tea. The more the better, but this pause is vital to re-set your brain and allow you to move forward with improvements.

5. You aren’t doing post-evaluation.

You’ve finally got the piece finished, edited, approved and sent out into the world. Now you never have to think about it again!

Nope. Take this outlook and you’re setting future you up to make the same mistakes all over again.

Remember when you set those goals at the beginning? Now it’s time to evaluate how well you achieved them.

Sometimes this might be simple. How many bites did you get off the press release or pitch? How many clickthroughs on your email? These are quantitative metrics that can give us instant feedback on our success or room for improvement.

But sometimes it’s more subtle. Maybe it’s asking a mentor for feedback on the deck you presented to leadership, even if the C-suite had poker faces while you were talking. Maybe it’s simply re-reading the piece after publication and asking yourself: Did this really speak to my audience? If I’d never seen this before, would I walk away with a different perspective?

The intent of this exercise isn’t to beat yourself up. It’s to celebrate what you did well and identify what you can do even better next time.

So stop being your own saboteur. Get your head on straight and write copy that resonates.

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post Top stories of 2023: 5 ways you’re sabotaging your own writing appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on July 11, 2023, so it’s really the most interesting brands on Threads five months ago. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

In less than a week, Threads has signed up 100 million users. For comparison, Twitter has about 535 million monthly active users, The Verge reported.

Of course, among Threads’ 100 million users are many brands who are taking to the new platform to build audiences and make their mark.

Given the network’s roots in Instagram, it’s no surprise that many of the organizations making the biggest splashes so far are B2C brands. Many already had substantial followings on Instagram that were ported over to Threads, which gave them a ready-made following. If you see a great B2B strategy on Threads, let us know in the comments.

Many organizations on Threads are cleverly taking advantage of Threads’ algorithm with engagement-boosting tactics that will get them in front of even more people — who hopefully, in turn, will become new followers. One style of post that is working effectively is self-referential humor, focusing largely on how new Threads is and its ongoing beef with Twitter.

Early strategies appear to favor a combination of Twitter and Instagram tactics, with a lighter tone than Twitter but fewer visuals than Instagram. The platform is less than a week old, so it’s expected that new features will be added, algorithms will shift and the platform will quickly develop a unique identity.

In the meantime, let’s look at some of the most interesting brands on Threads right now.

Wendy’s

Wendy’s has long been one of the most dominant brand voices on Twitter, known for its irreverent, self-referential humor and willingness to roast competitors. Unsurprisingly, it’s been an early adopter of Threads and has kept up the same brand voice on the new platform.

Indeed, their account has attracted the attention of both Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, even leading the latter to insult the former in crude sexual terms and suggest a contest over the size of their genitalia.

Wendy’s response is relatable to anyone following the bickering billionaires.

Read more: What comms pros should know about Threads

Anthropologie

Retailer Anthropologie is using a time-honored technique to gain followers: giveaways. While this technique was popular in the early days of Facebook, it can sometimes lead to large but low-quality followings. However, in this case, quickly getting a large amount of responses is a way of gaming the algorithm to place their content in front of more people. Still, be careful with this tactic, lest you wind up with strong vanity numbers but low engagement.

Anthropologie isn’t just relying on giveaways, however. They’re also amplifying followers who are showing off their clothes and jumping on timely trends, like asking for Taylor Swift lyrics. Their tactics have already earned the brand more than 235,000 followers.

National Geographic 

Even after they laid off their remaining staff writers, National Geographic is nonetheless making a strong splash on Threads, with more than 4 million followers (likely due in part to their 281 million Instagram followers).

The magazine benefits from its stunning photography, long a hallmark of the brand. They’re combining that with a strong emphasis on audience engagement, asking for captions, answers to broad questions and more. It’s a simple yet effective strategy.

You’ll also frequently see NatGeo responding to other threads and interacting with other users. Again, the algorithm makes it easy for their social media managers to discover relevant content and engage directly.

Journalists

One reason so many PR professionals have stuck with Twitter even during its descent into chaos is because the platform has remained a favorite posting spot for journalists. But at least some journalists are indicating Threads might be a more welcoming alternative for them, too.

CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski noted that Twitter’s declining usefulness in reporting is leading him to seriously consider Threads as a tool for both sharing content and sourcing ideas.

While journalists may be intrigued with Threads, the feeling isn’t really mutual. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram and Threads, said that despite all appearances, the app’s goal isn’t to replace Twitter — especially when it comes to hard news and politics.

Still, even Mosseri recognizes that news will eventually arrive on the platform, so be prepared to use Threads as a media relations tool, even if you don’t have an active brand page. Next steps for PR pros will be to find and follow reporters who work in your space, and start building relationships, just like you may have done in the glory days of Twitter.

What brands do you think are killing it on Threads? Let us know in the comments.

The post Top stories of 2023: The most interesting brands on Threads right now appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on Jan. 3, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

The tension between “hacks” and “flacks” is well documented: journalists and PR pros have a long history of criticizing each other. But this year seemed different. Media layoffs and closures drove PR-to-media ratios to new heights while reducing the number of outlets and potential placements. Meanwhile big stories — election! recession! Elon! FTX! — came in waves, dominating journalists’ time and attention, no matter their assigned beat.

 My takeaway? It’s really hard to be a journalist right now, and we PR pros need media friends more than ever. 2023 promises to be equally challenging, so with that in mind, I went back through numerous journalists’ Twitter feeds to review the tips and requests they’d shared this year. Thankfully, they were generous with advice. Here are 10 tips to up your PR game in 2023. 

• Speed up

1. 1. • It’s really true — journalists are busier than ever and slow response times understandably drive them crazy. Ask about deadlines and try to meet them. And anything you can do to reduce back and forth (such as having exec availability on-hand  and including options when you first offer a briefing) will be appreciated.

• Articulate your value

1. 1. • No one wants to be the journalist taken in by the next FTX. Media are looking for founders and PR folks to be able to explain what a company is doing, how it makes money, and how it differs from competitors, including those that are better funded and better known. And the explanation should also be clear and concise. 

• Take exclusivity seriously

1. 1. • Original content means just that: content that’s original, that hasn’t been published elsewhere, and that’s unique to the publication. When pitching a byline, give editors time to respond and don’t submit the same byline to multiple publications. 

• Hold the line on embargo times

1. 1. • This isn’t a moral issue, it’s just a practical one. Journalists get hundreds of emails. If they’ve agreed to an embargo time, and you change it, there’s no guarantee they’ll see the updated time. Make everyone’s life easier and stick to an embargo time once you’ve started pitching.

• Ease up on protectionism

1. 1. • Asking for more context about the story or for questions in advance when the media inquiry is inbound is one thing. Asking for questions in advance when you’ve pitched a journalist won’t fly. If your exec is nervous enough that this is an issue, consider some practice sessions before putting them forward.

• Exercise caution on trends

1. 1. • The trend is your friend if you’re first to the party, but within days — sometimes hours — it will be over. For example, the metaverse and quiet quitting were legit trends that turned into big stories this year, but journalists were overwhelmed with the number of pitches they received long after these trends were no longer new.

• Focus on the new

1. 1. • A journalist can only write a story once, and isn’t going to write the same story that a rival journalist wrote, so offering commentary that could have fit into a story they or another journalist has already written is a non-starter. Instead offer something new, or something that genuinely builds on what they’ve done.

• Know your journalist

1. 1. • Pitching someone who’s just been laid off or is on family or sick leave, pitching a journalist an “introduction” when they’ve already written about the company or executive, sending pitches to journalists no longer at publications, pitching a story to someone who never covers that topic (or did so only temporarily as a pinch-hitter) — these all signal to media that you haven’t done your homework. 

• Choose your channel

1. 1. • “PR folks in my DMs on IG, you’ve gone too far. You’ve been led astray. Seek help.” With more journalists using multiple channels (Mastodon, Post, WhatsApp and Signal come to mind) be mindful of how they prefer to use these channels. Some journalists appreciate receiving messages on LinkedIn while others hate it. Mixing up personal and professional channels is a particular frustration, so don’t use a journalist’s personal email address or DM them on Instagram unless you’re positive that’s how they want to be contacted.

• Slow down

1. • The complaints are legion, the stories cringe-inducing:  the mass-merge email that still contains a placeholder (“with your coverage of X…”), the pitch on privacy and security that cc’d dozens of rival journalists on the same email, the pitch sent from an email address that blocked responses, the cold pitch with read receipts visible, the automated follow ups that continue despite the journalist having given you a clear yes (or no) — in 2023, take a breath. Slow down. Take the time to test a mass email, to double-check links and the spelling of names, to make sure your pitch is as concise and clear as it can possibly be. Your journalist friends (and your clients) will thank you.

If this sounds daunting, take heart. Many journalists appreciate the value of PR, if grudgingly. Some, like veteran journalist Alex Kantrowitz, occasionally even recognize common ground: “Me when a PR email comes in with its fourth follow-up: Take a hint!

Me trying to land an interview after five unanswered emails: sends a sixth”. In 2023, make it your goal to expand that common ground.

Beth Haiken is EVP, Method Communications.

The post Top stories of 2023: 10 tips from journalists for better media relations appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on Oct. 16, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

Nearly a week later, organizations of all descriptions are still struggling to find words to respond to the unfolding tragedy in Israel and Palestine.

Universities find themselves in a unique position. As academic and community centers, many have an obligation to offer empathy and clarity in an uncertain time. As leaders of diverse groups of students and faculty, they must balance safety, free speech and support. 

And sometimes all those competing interests can fall apart and create a communications crisis. 

The current poster child for these difficulties is Harvard University. The prestigious school is facing criticism on two fronts: its delay in issuing a statement condemning Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians and their slowness in responding to a controversial letter from student groups that blamed Israel for the attacks.  

PR Daily sat down with Sandy Lish, principal and co-founder of The Castle Group and an expert in higher education crisis response. She shared her thoughts on Harvard’s delayed response, potential paths to recovery and which universities handled the situation with more grace. 

‘A communications failure’ 

Lish minced no words when it comes to how Harvard handled — or failed to handle — its response to the attacks. 

“It’s fascinating to watch an institution like Harvard that has all the resources in the world have the biggest blunder,” she said.  “It’s astonishing, really, because there’s no reason for it.” 

Its biggest mistake, in her opinion, was not keeping it simple in the initial response. 

“This was, first and foremost, a terrorist attack that needed to be called what it is, decried for what it is,” Lish said. “Every institution of higher learning every corporation, every company, has diverging opinions on the geopolitical issues. That’s just a fact. But conflating all of that into one message is where the problem was.” 

A statement issued on Monday, Oct. 9 and signed by Harvard President Claudine Gay and other school leaders reads, in part: “We write to you today heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend, and by the war in Israel and Gaza now under way.”

For Lish, this message reads as a failure of “groupthink” watering down and complicating what should be simple messages. The best way to mitigate, she said, it is through a strong crisis comms playbook that is put into place well before it’s needed. It keeps heads cooler and helps to reduce the urge to please everyone in a single statement. 

Lish doesn’t fault Harvard for the timing of its initial statement, which came two days after the attack on Israeli civilians. If waiting another day would have yielded a better statement, she would have urged that. But a crisis playbook likely would have sped up response time, she said. 

But timing became a factor because there was another curveball at play: a letter signed by student groups blaming Israel, not Hamas, for the terrorist attacks. 

The letter 

The open letter was published over the weekend by a coalition of student groups and faced intense blowback from politicians, the business community and even a former president of Harvard. 

But Harvard did not respond to the letter until Tuesday, the day after its initial response to the attacks in general. 

A statement signed only by President Gay read: 

“As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Such inhumanity is abhorrent, whatever one’s individual views of the origins of longstanding conflicts in the region. 

Let me also state, on this matter as on others, that while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.” 

That response left Lish baffled. 

“Why not say that right out of the gate? Why not?” she questioned. In her view, these simple, clear statements would have been better placed in the first response. 

But some universities did get it right — in very similar circumstances to Harvard’s. 

‘The moral high ground’ 

While Lish made it clear she hasn’t read every statement out there, she did point to positive examples, too. 

In a statement Wednesday, University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins issued a statement that addressed both the attacks and a planned campus protest by a group that endorsed Hamas’ actions: 

“As a public university, we have both the obligation and the opportunity to support and defend free speech and open dialogue. We recognize that the First Amendment protects speech and demonstrations, even for ideas and opinions that most find objectionable or hateful. 

I want to be clear that SJP is not speaking on behalf of our university. But they have the constitutional right to hold their views and to express them in a safe environment.” 

Lish praised Robbins’ restatement of university values, as well as his ability to balance students’ right to free speech at a public college with clarity about the institution’s stance. 

“It just felt like he really took the moral high ground, but he did not try to equivocate,” Lish said. 

Where Harvard goes next 

Harvard is now in full-fledged crisis mode — and as Lish points out, there’s no “quick fix” for this. 

This is a moment for Gay, who stepped into her position as president earlier this year, to step up. 

“She has an opportunity to lead and say, ‘this is what we stand for as an institution,’” Lish said. “’Our people need to feel safe. We decry terrorism. We support free speech. How do we heal as a community?’ Listen to people. Take feedback.” 

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post Top stories of 2023: Crisis communications lessons from Harvard’s response to attack in Israel appeared first on PR Daily.

This story was originally published on March 1, 2023. We’re republishing it as part of our countdown of top stories of the year. 

Samantha Rideout is a strategic marketing leader passionate about telling stories about influential brands. She is the product marketing lead at a health tech startup.

It landed in my inbox with the LOL emoji. That’s not how any brand wants an earnest post to be shared. In this case, the post was a self-congratulatory mosaic of female faces paired with a claim about their female-friendly workplace. Anyone who Googled the organization could see the stark absence of women in leadership roles, or really any diversity in upper management. But the post was especially laughable because we had worked for that brand and felt first-hand the lack of support for women. We knew the post was a lie.

Brands get rewarded for authenticity. It’s an important factor for 86% of consumers. On the flip side, brands are punished for faking it. Nearly a third of millennials (30%) unfollowed a brand on social media because they felt their content was inauthentic.

When you peel back the layers of most cringey Women’s History Month posts, the problem boils down to a lack of authenticity. Authenticity is the thread connecting this cautionary tale to the following four blunders brands make each March.

 Technology brings insincere posts to their knees.

It’s fun for the marketing team to brainstorm ideas to fill the social media calendar, but before starting a mind-mapping exercise, consider the organization’s pay gap.

Francesca Lawson, a copywriter and social media manager, and Ali Fensome, a software consultant, created an automated account (aka a bot account) to hold brands accountable. The verified Gender Pay Gap Bot leverages publicly available pay gap data and retweets brand posts with: “In this organisation, women’s median hourly pay is [insert percentage] lower than men’s.”

“The bot exists in order to empower employees and members of the public to hold these companies to account for their role in perpetuating inequalities,” Lawson told the New York Times. “It’s no good saying how much you empower women if you have a stinking pay gap.”

A quick scroll through the @PayGapApp feed shows many retweets with the sheepish notice that: “This Tweet was deleted by the Tweet author.” Instead of taking an introspective pause to consider the authenticity of their message relative to their embarrassing pay disparity, many reposted their tweets using a different variation of an International Women’s Day (IWD) hashtag.

Fortunately, another industrious Twitter user, Madeline Odent (@oldenoughtosay), saw this attempt to dodge accountability. She started keeping track of brands who deleted tweets after being called out by the bot. Brands can’t escape the paper trail left behind online.

 Generic posts trying to speak for all women miss the opportunity to amplify the voices of any women.

A templated post that splashes up a generic claim about “breaking the bias” or “embracing equality” will blend in with the other noise. Sharing a unique perspective from an individual woman, especially an employee, will tell a better story than a vague, blanket post. Attempting to reach everyone runs the risk of resonating with no one. Yet a relatable personal story can reach into the experience of many and create meaningful connection.

People are posting the content your brand needs right now. User-generated content (UGC) is unpaid content published on social media or other channels that brands can leverage. Social campaigns that incorporate UGC see a 50% lift in engagement, according to Salesforce.

How to encourage employees to join the Women’s History Month conversation:

Provide writing prompts, examples, best practices, and reminders for the women in your organization.

What happens when a brand shares its employee’s posts?

• Increased visibility helping employees build their personal brands.
• More authentic content for the brand account.
• More effective content for the brand account.
  • Millennials believe that UGC is 35% more memorable than other media.

 Bad jokes can charbroil brand reputation.

This list started with content that became the butt of the joke due to misalignment with company culture. But what about intentional humor? Three out of every four consumers appreciate humor from brands. Comedy is excellent but vet your jokes.

Burger King learned this lesson the hard way in March 2022 when they tweeted, “Women belong in the kitchen” on International Women’s Day. The tweet was quickly deleted, and an apology issued, but a sea of responses and reactionary memes flooded in nonetheless.

Many situations require corporate apologies, but no one wants it to be because of their inappropriate joke.

 Communications can’t be the only department that cares.

Look around your office and ask a hard question. Who cares about Women’s History Month?

External communications should not be the only thing your brand does for Women’s History Month. Think back to the first fumble on this list and consider the experience of women at your organization. Will employees laugh or roll their eyes at your post?

Saying nothing is better than saying something hypocritical. Yet silence can’t be a permanent solution. Women’s History Month is an opportunity for a cross-functional executive discussion about what it’s like to be a woman in your organization. Implement change like employee resource groups (ERGs), advancement and mentorship programs, or other diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) efforts that are broader than a single month.

Bottom line: Even the best communicators can’t fix an institutional problem with messaging. It has to go beyond communications.

Avoid becoming a cautionary tale or being flagged by a bot, and consider how your brand can add value to the Women’s History Month discourse.

The post Top stories of 2023: How to un-cringe your Women’s History Month communications appeared first on PR Daily.

In a year marked by challenges and rapid shifts in the communications landscape, PR professionals have demonstrated resilience, creativity and unwavering dedication to their craft. Finalists in Ragan’s PR Daily Awards have risen to the occasion, leveraging their expertise to ensure their work and that of their clients got the attention it deserved.

PR professionals have had to rethink every aspect of their work, from media relations to stakeholder engagement. Their dedication to finding innovative solutions, harnessing the power of technology, and maintaining a steadfast commitment to ethical practices has helped their clients weather the storm. Ragan’s PR Daily Awards recognizes these PR professionals, marketers, agencies, brands and campaigns of the past year.

All of these finalists will be celebrated at the upcoming Ragan’s PR Daily Awards ceremony, held in December at the National Press Club in D.C., where the leaders and trailblazers who have shaped the future of public relations will be honored, and category winners will be announced.

Congratulations to all the finalists for their remarkable achievements.

GRAND PRIZE

PR Campaign of the Year

AARP: Lunar New Year

AARP: Mann Family Experience Tour

GOLD PR: Launching a New EVOlution in Vision Correction

Instacart: Instacart Health

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

McCormick for French’s Ketchup: French’s Ketchup Ice Pop

Schmidt Public Affairs: Schmidt PA – NOPAIN Act Campaign

Technica Communications: Technica Communications

Wasserman: The Successful Effort to Bring Brittney Griner Home

CAMPAIGNS BY INDUSTRY

Arts, Entertainment and Media Campaign

Fender Musical Instruments Corp.: American Vintage II

Hallmark Media Communications Team: 2022 Countdown to Christmas Media Campaign

LaRue: LaRue

Education Campaign

Bellevue University: Tuesday Takeaways Education Campaign

Bellevue University: Tuesday Takeaways Influencer

NC State College of Veterinary Medicine: Shaping the Future of Veterinary Medicine

The Archer School for Girls: The Archer School for Girls x James Dyson Foundation: Teardown Tuesday

Finance/Banking Campaign

Amplify Credit Union: Amplify Credit Union exceeds metrics following one year of fee-free banking

Citizen Relations: Coast Capital Talk Money to Me

Lincoln Financial Group: Start Asking Advertising Campaign

Food and Beverage Campaign

5WPR: 5WPR x Brewing the American Dream

Almond Board of California: Almond Month 2023

Crowe PR: Crowe PR x Skrewball Whiskey 100ml Can Launch

HelloFresh: Buddy the Elf Spaghetti presented by HelloFresh

Jackson Spalding: A Partnership Powered by Pure Joy: Mendocino Farms X La La Land Kind Café

McCormick for French’s Ketchup: French’s Ketchup Ice Pop

O’Malley Hansen Communications: Old Wisconsin Sausage Celebrates 75 Years

Pizza Hut: Pizza Hut Melts are Not For Sharing

Popeyes: Blackened Chicken Sandwich

Quaker/Cap’n Crunch: Cap’n’s Commute

Hospitality and Tourism Campaign

5WPR: 5WPR x Harvest Hosts Aleblazer

Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Celebration Christening is the Icing on the Cake of Carnival Cruise Line’s Year-long 50th Birthday Party

Discover The Palm Beaches: The Golden Age of Travel

Hilton: 2023 Global Trends Report

TimeZoneOne: Illinois: The Middle of Everything

Professional Services Campaign

CSAA Insurance Group: Rick Astley PR Campaign

Greentarget Global Group: BRG M&A Disputes Research Report

Retail Campaign

Diffusion PR: As DTC Dies, Burrow Blossoms – Burrow x Diffusion

Diffusion PR: Reframing the Eyewear Game – Eyebuydirect with Diffusion

Old Navy: Old Navy – Price ON-Lock Launch

Sports Campaign

Athelo Group (Athlete/Sports Management + Communications): “Frankie in the Fastlane:” Child Star Frankie Muniz’s Reinvention Into a Pro Racecar Driver

DIAGEO / CÎROC: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence in Sports Media with #CIROCStands Platform During Super Bowl LVII

French/West/Vaughan: Steph Curry’s Underrated Golf Tour: Changing the Future of Golf through Equity, Access and Opportunity

Wasserman: The Successful Effort to Bring Brittney Griner Home

Technology and Information Services Campaign

Diffusion PR: Capturing Content and Competitors – Diffusion and GoPro

Hotwire and Adobe: Hotwire and Adobe Deck the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results

IW Group: McDonald’s Lunarverse

Peppercomm: Rosenberg Space Habitat

GENERAL CAMPAIGNS

B2B Campaign

Channel V Media: Breaking BreezoMeter into the U.S. Market and Carving a Spot in the Media for Climate Tech

Crenshaw Communications: A Hot Brand In A Small Sector, Chili Piper Makes Its Mark On The World

Jackson Spalding: Agnes Scott College Demonstrates How Businesses Win Through Strategic Partnerships

Mouser Electronics, Inc.: Empowering Innovation Together

O’Malley Hansen Communications: Manna Pro Products Rebrands to Compana Pet Brands

Sage Communications: SpyCloud Brand Awareness and Thought Leadership Campaign

B2C Campaign

CSAA Insurance Group: Rick Astley PR Campaign

Kaspersky: Kaspersky-Parents campaign

Lincoln Financial Group: Start Asking Advertising Campaign

Brand Journalism

Nissan Motor Corporation: Brad Nevin

PepsiCo: PepsiCo’s “People of PepsiCo” series

TD: TD Stories

T-Mobile: Love in the Time of Texting

VCA Animal Hospitals: Sammy and the Landslide

Vizient, Inc.: 2022 in Review: Lessons Learned in Supply Assurance Lead to Increased Collaboration, Ingenuity

Branding Campaign

ECMC Group: ECMC Group Elevates Student Voices with its Question the Quo Campaign

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

Cause-Related Marketing Campaign

DIAGEO / CÎROC: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence in Sports Media with #CIROCStands Platform During Super Bowl LVII

DIAGEO North America: Johnnie Walker Red Carpet Strides

French/West/Vaughan: CCA NC Save Our Fisheries Marketing Campaign

Jackson Spalding: L.L.Bean Goes “Off the Grid” for Mental Health Awareness Month

MyWhy Agency: Give Big, Get LIT: Bridging the Gap Between Literacy and Storytelling

Community Relations Campaign

DDC Public Affairs: Build With Strength

GENYOUth: Mission 57: End Student Hunger

Humana: Honoring Senior Athletes at the 2022 National Senior Games: The Humana Game Changers

Mouser Electronics, Inc.: STEM Education – Community Outreach

PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos: PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos x Super Bowl 2023

Prudential Financial: Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Content Marketing Initiatives

Florida Realtors®: + Photofy

Ivanti: Press Reset: A 2023 Cybersecurity Status Report

Dallas ISD: This is Home

Corporate Communications Campaign

BVI Medical: OneBVI

Eaton: Powering what matters: Eaton’s 100 years on the NYSE

FORVIS: The FORVIS Way

GE HealthCare: GE HealthCare Founders Day

Instacart: Instacart Health

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year old company

Covid-19 Communications Campaign

Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care: COVID-19 Vaccination Under 5 Campaign

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

VANCE/SIDDALL: Virginia is for Helpers: COVID-19 Ambassadors Program

Crisis Strategy

Dallas ISD: A crisis response to the Robb Elementary School tragedy

University Health: University Health’s Public Relations Response to the Uvalde School Shooting

Wasserman: The Successful Effort to Bring Brittney Griner Home

DE&I Communications

Atrium Health, Now Part of Advocate Health: Atrium Health’s Online Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Calendar

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation: Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Black History Month Commemoration

DIAGEO / CÎROC: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence in Sports Media with #CIROCStands Platform During Super Bowl LVII

Experience Columbus: Accessibility Guide

FTI Strategic Communications: Tailored Brands DE&I Mobilization

Otter PR: Wynne Nowland

TD: TD Stories

Email Communications

Completely KIDS: Circles email

Identity: Email Communications Lead the Launch of Spartan Storage Fund 1

Mouser Electronics, Inc.: Purchasing Resource Library

Employer Branding

BVI Medical: Eyeconic

BVI Medical: OneBVI

Hager Companies: Hager Companies Brand Awareness

Hotwire Global Communications: Trolling Millions of TV Viewers with an Ostentatious Demonstration of Work-Life Balance at Televised MLB Games Before Summing It All Up in Fast Company

Infosys Limited: Forward with Infosys

Infosys Limited: International Women’s Day 2023

Media Profile: 3K Work Away

SPX FLOW: Solution City

ESG Communications

Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS): CAMS ESG Program

DDC Public Affairs: Voices for Public Transit

FTI Strategic Communications: Abercrombie & Fitch Materiality Assessment and ESG Goal-setting

Geotab Inc.: Geotab: Unlocking the Power of Data for a Sustainable Future

Hotwire and Delphix: Planting the Foundation for a Sustainability Nonprofit with a Foundational Network of IT Leaders

Infosys Limited: ESG Is An Opportunity

Votorantim Cimentos: 2022 Integrated Report

Event PR or Marketing Campaign

Audible: Audible Sound Studio

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation: RNG Facility Groundbreaking

Cloud Native Computing Foundation: KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2023

French/West/Vaughan: FWV Secures Record-Breaking Media Interest for Global Pet Expo 2023

Green Giant with Gillian Small PR: Green Giant Partners with Corn Kid to Make Corn the Star of the Thanksgiving Table (and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!)

Illinois Office of Tourism: Travelers, start your engines for the Enjoy Illinois 300!

Pizza Hut: World’s Largest Pizza

Prudential: Prudential x Curtain Up!

Stanley and Kaplow Communications: Stanley Brings its Digital Hype to IRL in Partnership with Kaplow Communications

T-Mobile: We’re Not Going to Take It!

Financial Communications/Investor Relations

Citizen Relations: Coast Capital Talk Money to Me

Eaton: Powering what matters: Eaton’s 100 years on the NYSE

Lincoln Financial Group: Start Asking Advertising Campaign

Global PR Campaign

Mouser Electronics, Inc.: Expansion of Global Distribution Center

Sotheby’s International Realty: Sotheby’s International Realty Luxury Outlook Report

Influencer Campaign

CeraVe: CeraVe Cleans Up Cleansing Confusion on Social Media and Shows Consumers How to #CleanseLikeaDerm

Cisco Systems: Cisco Live Amsterdam 2023 Social Media Influencer Program

ECMC Group: Connecting with Gen Z on pathways after high school

French/West/Vaughan: APPA’s Pets Add Life Influencer Campaign Reminds Consumers to “Recharge” with Pets

Hooters of America: Innovative Hooters Offensive Lineman Influencer Campaign Connects Unsung Heroes to Brand Fans

Mars Pet Nutrition: Pedigree Gasolin

Mars Wrigley: Snickers Insurance

McDonald’s USA: McDonald’s Celebrating World Cup “Latinisms” with Marcello Hernández

Westchester County Tourism & Film: Westchester: Beyond the Everyday

Integrated PR & Marketing

Almond Board of California: Almond Month 2023

American Cleaning Institute: Class of Clean: The College Student’s Guide To Cleaning

Bayer Consumer Health: Alka-Seltzer and T-Pain Help Hangover Symptoms Fizzle

CCOMGROUP INC.: Neutrogena’s Make A Splash Campaign

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages: CCSWB 2023 Hiring Campaign

Harper Muse: Without a Hitch Book Launch

Hilton: Hilton. For the Stay

Narrative: KFC Buckets are Life

The Alzheimer’s Association: Music Moments

Valley Water: Say Yes to Saving Water

Marketing Campaign

Avocados From Mexico: Super Bowl Campaign

French/West/Vaughan: APPA Encourages Consumers to “Recharge” with New Campaign for Pets Add Life

Media Pitch

Aurora Health Care: Dancing Grannies Media Pitch

Baldwin & Obenauf, Inc. (BNO): The Media Pitch Heard Throughout the Industry

Defense Intelligence Agency: DIA Corporate Comms

Northeastern University: “Polly Wants a Video Chat”

United States Postal Service: Power of the Postmaster

Media Relations Campaign

ADP: Leading Labor Market Data

Breakaway Communications: PR 101 to PR 1001 in One Year: Media Relations Win for Phenom

Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Celebration Christening is the Icing on the Cake of Carnival Cruise Line’s Year-long 50th Birthday Party

City of Hope Orange County: Hope Is Here

Consumer Attorney Public Relations (CAPR): Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC)

Diffusion PR: As DTC Dies, Burrow Blossoms – Burrow x Diffusion

Instacart: Instacart Health

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

M Booth: Behr’s 2023 Color of the Year

Marathon Strategies: U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund

Mars Pet Nutrition: Pedigree Gasolin

Palin Communications: Reshaping Australia’s attitude to death, dying and end-of-life planning: Dying to Know Day 2022

Schmidt Public Affairs: Schmidt PA – NOPAIN Act Campaign

Sēd: Bare Zero Proof: Changing the state of sober socializing

Signify: Shining a Spotlight on Philips Hue in 2022

Treble Public Relations: Treble

Mixternal Campaign

DDC Public Affairs: Norton Healthcare Engage

Inova: Safe@Inova – Workplace Safety Awareness Campaign

SPX FLOW: Solution City

Multicultural Campaign

AARP: Lunar New Year

Amazon: Living La Vida Prime Telenovela

H&S: Rémy Martin Mixtape Vol. 3

McDonald’s USA: McDonald’s Celebrating World Cup “Latinisms” with Marcello Hernández

McDonald’s USA: Spotlight Dorado: McDonald’s Empowers Latino Filmmakers

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

Nonprofit Campaign

Jackson Spalding: Shepherd Center: Pursuing Possible

Palin Communications: Reshaping Australia’s attitude to death, dying and end-of-life planning: Dying to Know Day 2022

Planit: SECU MD Foundation 2023 Scholarship Awards

Segal Communications: Building a PR Toolkit for Community Science Initiatives

Susan Davis International: National Desert Storm Memorial Groundbreaking

The Archer School for Girls: The Archer School for Girls x James Dyson Foundation: Teardown Tuesday

The Home Depot Foundation with Big Red Rooster, MSL, PullSpark and Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis: Operation Surprise 2022

Original Research

BlackBerry Limited: ChatGPT Original Research

City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department: Affordable Housing Research and Report

Fors Marsh: Using Quick-Turn Survey Results to Inform a COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

Ivanti: Press Reset: A 2023 Cybersecurity Status Report

LevLane Advertising: Understanding Consumer Behavior During Inflation: Leveraging Original Research for Successful PR Campaign

Marathon Strategies: Corporate Verdicts Go Thermonuclear

Sotheby’s International Realty: Sotheby’s International Realty Luxury Outlook Report

PR on a Shoestring Budget

H&S: Teletubbies x Christian Cowan Capsule Collection

Luxome: Luxome “Cozies” Up to Tastemakers with Giftable Product Suite

The Archer School for Girls: The Archer School for Girls x James Dyson Foundation: Teardown Tuesday

Pro Bono Campaign

Montieth & Company: Project: Making St. Louis a Second-Chance Destination for Afghan Refugees

Next PR: Brewability Campaign

Product Launch

AXE: Axe Fine Fragrance Collection Launch

Black Tomato: Black Tomato x 007

Bobcat: Bobcat CONEXPO Product Launch

Florida Realtors: + Photofy

GOLD PR: Launching a New EVOlution in Vision Correction

HelloFresh: Buddy the Elf Spaghetti presented by HelloFresh

Kaplow: quip and Kaplow Communications Make a Splash with the Rechargeable Cordless Water Flosser Launch

Pizza Hut: Pizza Hut Melts are Not For Sharing

TEAM LEWIS: Schneider Electric x Life Is On

Unistellar: Unistellar eQuinox 2 Smart Telescope Launch: Leveraging the World’s Most Influential Tech Show to Capitalize on Media Connection and Drum Up Product Interest

Public Affairs Campaign

AAA – The Auto Club Group: Move Over for Me

Big Communications: Winning ‘Big’ with The Game Plan

Instacart: Instacart Health

Marathon Strategies: Creating Awareness to Protect Millions of Taxpayers From a Tsunami of IRS Tax Forms

Marino PR: Innovation QNS

Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications: CHIPS Campaign: Supporting Intel’s Investment in U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing & CHIPS and Science Act Passage

Schmidt Public Affairs: Schmidt PA – NOPAIN Act Campaign

Public Service Campaign

Alliance for Automotive Innovation & Forbes Tate Partners: Pediatric Heatstroke Awareness Campaign

iQ 360: Protect Your Pack: Hawaii Department of Health Promotes Bivalent Boosters

Marathon Strategies: Knowledge on the Ballot: Educating and Empowering Voters On Alaska’s North Slope

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

Re-branding or Re-positioning Campaign

BVI Medical: Website

Grainger: Grainger Business Resource Group Re-Branding

Harris County Resources for Children and Adults: Rebranding

Identity: Rebranding Pentastar Aviation to Soar to New Heights

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

Lantheus: Lantheus—A new purpose comes to life

Montieth & Company: Conifer Systems Website and Rebranding

O’Malley Hansen Communications: Manna Pro Products Rebrands to Compana Pet Brands

Social Media Campaign

Cisco: Cisco Live

Dallas ISD: Dallas ISD YouTube

ECMC Group: Connecting with Gen Z on pathways after high school

IW Group: Marvel Studios + Disney

IW Group: McDonald’s Lunarverse

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

Mouser Electronics, Inc.: Elevating Instagram Engagement

Novartis Pharmaceuticals with BCW: Telling the Heart Failure Story on TikTok

Storytelling Initiatives

Baldwin & Obenauf, Inc. (BNO): Patient Support and Advocacy Through Storytelling

Cherokee Nation: Anadisgoi: The Official News of the Cherokee Nation

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages: Recognition Roadtrip: Internal Communications with Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

Wells Fargo: Doing Gets it Done: Building Trust One Story at a Time

Thought Leadership Communications

Havas Formula: RE/MAX CEO Thought Leadership

Mindgruve: First Horizon Bank Corporate Communications Campaign

Mission Partners: Advancing Social Justice Through Thought Leadership

Prudential: Prudential Pulse

Sēd: Bare Zero Proof: Changing the state of sober socializing

T-Mobile: Project 10Million CEO Thought Leadership Campaign

UC Davis Health: CEO of UC Davis Health

VANCE/SIDDALL: Putting the Crisis in Context: Virginia Doctors Lend their Voices to Public Health

Use of Data and Measurement

Diffusion PR: The Streaming Wars: Phenix x Diffusion Tackle Unfortunate Reality of Streaming Delays from the 2023 Super Bowl

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

Video Campaign

ASTM International: Why ASTM?

French/West/Vaughan: 2022 Military Limited Edition: We’ve Got Your 6 Campaign

IBS Software: IBS Software’s 25th Anniversary

Takeda: Takeda: Where Science Is

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA Voice 100

Visual Storytelling Initiatives

DDC Public Affairs: Voices for Public Transit

Mulberry MC: Sofidel Ocean Pollution Infographic

TimeZoneONe: All In Illinois ‘On The Fence’ Campaign

HEALTHCARE PR AND MARKETING

Healthcare Marketing Campaign of Year

Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care: Cold, Flu and COVID Virtual Health Social Media Campaign

Cape Fear Valley Health: Cape Fear Valley Kristin’s Transformation (Bariatric Surgery Campaign)

Jackson Spalding: How One Georgia Peach is Helping 2.7 Million Medicaid Members Stay Informed About Their Health Care Coverage

Healthcare PR Campaign of the Year

American Medical Association: Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians

Biote: Menopause Awareness: Impact in the Workplace

CSL Seqirus and Palin Communications: Raising awareness of influenza in Australia

GOLD PR: Launching a New EVOlution in Vision Correction

Pacira BioSciences, Inc.: Smashing Records with iovera° at the National Senior Games

Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications: Elevating Interim HealthCare’s Jennifer Sheets as the Home Health Industry’s Champion

Schmidt Public Affairs: Schmidt PA – NOPAIN Act Campaign

SGA: Lexie Hearing Captures OTC Hearing Aid Market

UC Davis Health: Cultivating Health Blog

VCA Animal Hospitals: Pet Rehab Week

PEOPLE AND TEAMS

Team of the Year

Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care: Multi-Channel Health Care Communications Experts

City of Hope Orange County: Hope is Here

Curaleaf: Curaleaf’s Marketing Team – Expanding Entry Points for New Cannabis Consumers With Launch of JAMS Edibles Brand

FORVIS, LLP: FORVIS Strategic Communications Team

Sotheby’s International Realty PR Team: Sotheby’s International Realty

PR Agency of the Year

BODEN Agency

CCOMGROUP INC

Comprise

Coyne PR: Better 2gether

Factory PR

French/West/Vaughan

Global Strategy Group

Identity

Luquire: Luquire’s PR Team

PAN Communications: We Move Ideas Together.

ROKK Solutions

Sling & Stone

The Bliss Group

Communicator of the Year

Linda Goldstein: CSAA Insurance Group

Amanda Feich: The Fletcher Group

David Oksman: Samsonite

Nicole Pappas: Clyde Group

Gemma Puglisi: American University

Veronica Rodriguez-Greene: H&S

Rachel Rosenblatt: FTI Consulting

Mustafa Tameez: Outreach Strategists

PR EVENTS (LIVE OR VIRTUAL)

Community Event

919 Marketing: Diapers to Dorms Dash Campaign

AARP: Mann Family Experience Tour

DDC Public Affairs: Norton Healthcare Engage

Narrative: Converse Soundskates

Employee Event

DDC Public Affairs: Norton Healthcare Engage

French/West/Vaughan: French | West | Vaughan Celebrates 25 Years of Client Success

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year old company

Influencer Event

Cisco Systems: Cisco Live Amsterdam 2023 Social Media Influencer Program

Prudential: The Budgetnista: Black Wealth Aspirations

siggi’s yogurt: siggi’s – less sets you free

Press Event or Media Tour

French/West/Vaughan: Wrangler Taps Long Standing AOR French/West/Vaughan to Celebrate 75th Anniversary with Riveting Western Press Trip

Identity: A Tour Bus Intro to Motown Museum’s Motortown Revue Anniversary Installation

Lightspeed PR/M: American Dream

MSC Cruises: MSC Cruises <3 New York – Brand’s Takeover of the Big Apple

Pollock Communications: Sixth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health

Prudential: Prudential x Curtain Up!

PODCASTS, PUBLICATIONS AND MORE

Report

Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Report

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Debuts “People Report” to Showcase the Children’s Health Difference for Current and Prospective Employees

Elevate: Elevate 2022 Annual Impact Report

Geotab Inc.: Geotab: Unlocking the Power of Data for a Sustainable Future

Identity: Aimbridge Accelerates: A Report for the ALIS Hospitality Conference

MD Anderson Cancer Center: MD Anderson Cancer Center’s FY22 Annual Report

Newsletter

Completely KIDS: Circles newsletter

Dallas ISD: The Beat

Optum: Monthly Insider

Podcast

DDC Public Affairs: Build With Strength

Novant Health: Podcast: Beating Incurable

Pollock Communications: The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast

Sterling Communications: Own a Podcast, Own the Conversation:  Sterling Communications and Health2047’s So You Want To Transform Healthcare Podcast

The Conference Board: CEO Perspectives

T-Mobile: Mobile Diaries Podcast

VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA Voice Podcast

Print Publication

Cherokee Nation: Anadisgoi: The Official News of the Cherokee Nation

Consult-Master, LEC & Vittore: Anuário ORIGEM LATAM 2022

PRSA: 75 Years of Impact and Influence: People, Places and Moments in Public Relations History

UC Davis Health: Health Magazine

UC Davis Health: UC Davis School of Medicine 2022 Year in Review

Website

BVI Medical: Website

Fors Marsh: We Can Do This Website

Kenvue: Launching Kenvue: A brand-new 135-year-old company

Nissan Motor Corporation: Brad Nevin

Nixon Peabody LLP: Nixon Peabody Digital Transformation

The Conversation: The Conversation

The post Ragan’s PR Daily Awards finalists announced: See the full list appeared first on PR Daily.

The 2023 Social Media and Digital Awards celebrated an impressive group of finalists who, during a year when social media’s legitimacy and business utility were called into question, demonstrated the power of a sound digital and social strategy. We applaud the agencies, leaders and campaigns that made the most impact across platforms and industries.

Ragan Communications hosted an awards gala on June 14 at New York’s storied Yale Club in the heart of Manhattan, where attendees were excited to network and lift up fellow social and digital stars.

“While the digital and social media landscapes are always in flux, these winning campaigns prove that engagement, education and brand elevation still have power to help organizations cut through the noise,” says Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications and PR Daily.

Ragan congratulates this trailblazing group of communications leaders.

Grand Prize

Agency of the Year

IW Group: Agency of the Year

Ascend Agency: Ascend Agency

North Strategic: North Strategic

Campaign of the Year

CCOMGROUP INC.: Make A Splash with Neutrogena Campaign

Curia Global: 2022 Social Media Strategy

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

kglobal: #WhenWeValueWomen

Precision Strategies and Brennan Center for Justice: Midterm Disinformation and Voter Education Influencer Campaign

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Journey Through

The Ritz-Carlton: 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix

Team of the Year

AKASA: AKASA Communications Team

Connected Nation: Connected Nation Team

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: United States of Nursing

Campaigns and Categories

Annual Report

Nemours Children’s Health: Well Beyond Medicine: 2021 Annual Report

Moody Foundation: Moody Foundation Biennial Report

SafeWise.com: Package Theft Report 2022

Augmented/Virtual Reality

IW Group: McDonald’s Hall of Zodiacs

Elev8 New Media: Vuzix Showcases Ultralite Smart Glasses Platform at CES 2023

Blog

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Blog

Bohemian Foundation: Bohemian Stories

Qontigo: Blog

UC Davis Health: Cultivating Health Blog

Brand Awareness

Cross Country Healthcare: I Am Cross Country

CARF International: Social Media Engagement

Deep South Climate: DSCEJ Social Media Management

FortisBC Energy Inc.: Summer corporate positioning

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – Content Strategy

Three Rings Inc.: #ShareAnywhere Campaign

Cause Marketing

embecta: embecta’s All In – World Diabetes Day Campaign

3M: PR & Integrated Media

Celebrity Cruises & Good Relations New York: The All-Inclusive Photo Project

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

HUNTER: Grape-Nuts’ 125-year legacy of fueling adventure

Imagem Corporativa: #salvejegue

Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition: Hey, Mama

The University of Kansas Cancer Center: Multicultural Campaign to Increase Clinical Trial Awareness

Collaborative Social Media Communications

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

La Rabida Children’s Hospital: Believe in Miracles. Believe in La Rabida

Power Design, Inc.: Brand and Marketing Team

Targus: Targus

Community Engagement

Carol H. Williams Advertising: Chevrolet Discover The Unexpected

City of Hope Orange County: Carrying Messages of Hope

5WPR: 5WPR x ThriftBooks

AAA – The Auto Club Group: Move Over for Me

Curia Global: Curia’s 2022 Social Media Strategy

Content Marketing

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – Content Strategy

Alex&Co: Smashing Conversion Goals with Content and Camping

Curia Global: Curia’s 2022 Social Media Strategy

HUNTER: Grape-Nuts’ 125-year legacy of fueling adventure

Northwell Health // Revmade: The Well by Northwell Health, with Revmade

Park National Bank with support from Slide Nine: Content marketing you can take to the bank

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Journey Through

The Ritz-Carlton: Artisans’ Tales with Hearst

Crisis Management

US Postal Service: Using Social Listening to Deliver During COVID

Banco Atlántida: Seguimos Firmes

CSR/ESG Communications

Medela: Medela Launches #MomsUnite4Milk to Support Families Impacted by the Formula & Human Milk Shortages

Harsco Corporation: Harsco’s ESG Social Campaign

Windsor Door: Vincent Miranda

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Campaign

Johnnie Walker: Johnnie Walker ‘First Strides’ Initiative

Advocate Aurora Health: Hispanic Heritage Month: Highlighting our diverse communities

Carol H. Williams Advertising: Chevrolet Discover The Unexpected

DonorsChoose: Equity Focus & Inclusive Calendar

TNAA: #facesofTNAA

Email Communications

FortisBC: Email marketing – Energy Moment

Identity: Email Communications Lead the Launch of Spartan Storage Fund 1

VSP Vision: VSP EnVision

Employee Engagement

Walgreens Boots Alliance: W Connect Employee App

Cross Country Healthcare: I Am Cross Country

McDermott Will & Emery: Pro Bono Month Communications: Packing a Punch

Teleperformance: For Fun Festival

Employer Branding

Guthrie: A Career in Full Color

Transdev: Living Our Purpose

Facebook

Hallmark Media: Hallmark Channel’s When Calls The Heart – Season 9 Facebook Lives

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: United States of Nursing

Healthcare Marketing Campaign

BCW: Utilizing 70s Game Show Nostalgia to Reach Heart Failure Patients

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: National Nutrition Month® 2022

argenx and Health + Commerce: argenx and Health + Commerce

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

Georgia Department of Human Services: Medicaid Unwinding: Stay Covered. Stay Informed.

MCS Healthcare Public Relations on behalf of Cross Country Healthcare: The Future of Nursing: A Profession in Crisis

ModMed: It’s About Time

Northwell Health // Revmade: The Well by Northwell Health, with Revmade

Outreach Strategists: The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Maternal Child Health Unit Safe Infant Sleep and Breastfeeding Campaign

Influencer Campaign

SheSpeaks: Fidelity/SheSpeaks Women Talk Money Influencer Activation

Westchester County Tourism & Film: Westchester: Beyond the Everyday

City of Miami Beach Marketing and Communications: Take Care of Our City

EvolveMKD: Sientra Supports: Breast Cancer Awareness Month Activation with Miranda McKeon

IW Group: Avatar: The Way of Water

SheSpeaks: Hershey Celebrate SHE

Smokey Bones: Smokey Bones x Big Green Egg

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – Tastemakers

W Hotels: W Hotels x Cercle

Instagram

W Hotels: W Hotels Instagram

MGC Latam: Grido

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – Content Strategy

Interactive Content

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: United States of Nursing

JW Marriott: Stillness Video Series

VSP Vision: VSP & You Quiz

Intranet

Allied Solutions: My Allied

LinkedIn

Trend Micro: #LetsTalk Series

AvaFin Holding: LinkedIn brand awareness campaign

Curia Global: Curia’s 2022 Social Media Strategy

MGC Latam: Linkedin Falabella

Marketing Campaign

Penn Medicine Princeton Health: Get Back to Being You

Ivanti: The Everywhere Workplace -Ivanti

JW Marriott: Lily Kwong x JW Garden

MGC Latam: Tinder Lee

The Ritz-Carlton: Artisans’ Tales with Hearst

TNAA: #facesofTNAA

TV One: Never Would Have Made It

Media Relations Campaign

EvolveMKD: Sientra Supports: Breast Cancer Awareness Month Activation with Miranda McKeon

Atrium Health: Enhancing a Brand: Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute

City of Hope Orange County: Hope is Here

Masonite: Masonite M-Pwr Smart Doors

MCS Healthcare Public Relations on behalf of Cross Country Healthcare: The Future of Nursing: A Profession in Crisis

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Communications Team

SPM Communications: Nothing Bundt Cakes 25 Years of Bringing Joy

UPMC Health Plan: UPMC Neighborhood Center Grand Opening

Metaverse

T-Mobile: Logan McIntosh

IW Group: McDonald’s Hall of Zodiacs

Mobile App

Advocate Aurora Health: LiveWell – Delivering a holistic, seamless, personalized experience

Heatcraft Refrigeration Products: Refrigeration Toolkit

Primerica: Primerica Social App

Multichannel Campaign

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

ColinKurtis Advertising: Sunkist Sauces Summer Sweeps

Maryland Health Connection: Unexpected

rbb Communications: Invicta Stores

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Journey Through

The Ritz-Carlton: Artisans’ Tales with Hearst

TNAA: Nurses Week 2022

Online Event

W Hotels: W Hotels x Cercle

IEEE-USA: IEEE-USA

MGC Latam: Linkedin Live Falabella

Online Newsroom/Brand Journalism

UC Davis Health: News Website

Northeastern University: Northeastern Global News

Paid Social Media Campaign

W Hotels: W Hotels x Cercle

5WPR: 5WPR x CaratLane

Advocate Aurora Health: Cold, Flu, Covid Virtual Health Campaign

SCORE: SCORE Success Story Video Promotion

The Ritz-Carlton: 2022 F1 Travel Poster Series

Pinterest

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Journey Through – Pinterest

Podcast

VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA Voice Podcast

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: Public Health Review Morning Edition

UPMC Health Plan: Health Break

Public Affairs Campaign

AAA – The Auto Club Group: Move Over for Me

Deep South Climate: DSCEJ Social Media Management

SEO Strategy

Northeastern University: Northeastern University SEO Strategy

Advocate Aurora Health: Anytime, Anywhere: SEO Strategy

Heatcraft Refrigeration Products: Heatcraft SEO

Northwell Health // Revmade: The Well by Northwell Health, with Revmade

UC Davis Health: Omicron Variant Content

Social Justice

Vote Run Lead: How Reflective is Your State Legislature?

Deep South Climate: DSCEJ Social Media Management

Social Listening and Real-Time Response

Cisco: Cisco Live

5WPR: 5WPR x Orveon

US Postal Service: Mapping Social Media Increases Happiness

Social Media Campaign

Cisco: Cisco Live

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Journey Through

BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital: Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week

Citizens: The Living Portrait NYC

Hallmark Media: Countdown to Christmas 2022

Horizon Therapeutics: “It’s Personal” Video Series

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: Best Address Video Series

Tacoma Public Utilities: What’s in the Watershed?

The Luxury Collection: The Luxury Collection – A Letter From Calvin Royal III

The Ritz-Carlton: 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix

Three Rings Inc.: #ShareAnywhere Campaign

TV One: Hillman Homecoming: A Different World 35th Anniversary

TV One: Never Would Have Made It

W Hotels: W Hotels x Cercle

Social Media Campaign – Healthcare

Ingenovis Health: Nurses Week 2022

Atrium Health: Lights for Levine Children’s Social Media Campaign

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Launches Social Media Strategy to Generate Awareness for Pediatric Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: United States of Nursing

La Rabida Children’s Hospital: Believe in Miracles. Believe in La Rabida

Specialty Campaign

MCS Healthcare Public Relations on behalf of Cross Country Healthcare: Aging in Place: Assessing Seniors’ Understanding of Home Healthcare Options

Atrium Health: Children’s Mental Health Awareness Campaign

CableTV.com: Horror Trivia Contest

Thought Leadership Campaign

theSkimm: theSkimm’s #ShowUsYourLeave Movement

City of Hope Orange County: Talking Hope

SRF Limited: #GrowingTheBetterWay

TikTok

Northeastern University: Northeastern University

El Pollo Loco: Shredded Beef Birria

UPMC Health Plan: UPMC HealthPlan TikTok Launch

Twitter

Lockheed Martin Space: LMSpace Twitter Team

Deep South Climate: DSCEJ Social Media Management

PriceWeber: Laziest Twitter Account in History

Video

W Hotels: W Hotels x Architectural Digest: Suite Talk

FLEETCOR: FLEETCOR News Brief

Horizon Therapeutics: “It’s Personal” Video Series

Maryland Health Connection: Unexpected

Nissan: Nissan Foundation 30th Anniversary

Power Design, Inc.: Brand and Marketing Team

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: Best Address Video Series

The Ritz-Carlton: Signature Video Series

Visual Storytelling

Vote Run Lead: How Reflective is Your State Legislature?

The Ritz-Carlton: 2022 F1 Travel Poster Series

Dudek: Tribal Water Stories Graphic Novels

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: Bloody Mary IG Stories Series

The Ritz-Carlton: Signature Video Series

Website

Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing: Mapping out tomorrow’s health care (Fall 2022)

MGC Latam: Doña Rosita

Wellness Campaign

MyFitnessPal: Amanda Mahan

Delta Dental of California: National Smile Month: Healthy Teeth from Crib to College / Mes Nacional de la Sonrisa: Dientes saludables desde la cuna hasta la Universidad

JW Marriott: Stillness Video Series

For more information on our winners, check out their profiles here.

The post PR Daily honors the 2023 Social Media and Digital Awards in New York: list of winners appeared first on PR Daily.

Social media sites continue to roll out new features at a furious pace in 2023. Many of these are minor quality of life improvements (hello, scheduling LinkedIn newsletters!), but others continue to shake up how we view verification on the sites, combat misinformation or help transform you into a singing loaf of bread.

Read on for more.

LinkedIn

The professional social network has rolled out several new updates to how you choose to display and prioritize content on your profile.

In a blog post, the app announced that users can now choose what kind of content will display first on the activity tab of their profile — for instance, posts, videos, comments, documents, images and more. This is a helpful tool for, say, graphic designers or photographers who can now show off their own work first, or prodigious commenters who can show off their connection skills.

Additionally, LinkedIn has introduced scheduling options for newsletters and added a one-click subscription option. A new feature that will allow you to optimize your LinkedIn article titles for SEO is also in place. Finally (whew!), you can now star message threads for easy reference later.

That’s a lot of features! Which are you using?

Meta

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is rolling out two new features, both seemingly cribbed from other apps.

First, in a clear echo of Twitter, Meta is testing paid verified badges. Unlike Twitter Blue, these do involve some actual verification that you are who you say you are via a government ID check. Those who subscribe to the monthly service ($11.99 when purchased on the web, $14.99 via iOS and Android) will get a verified badge, proactive account monitoring to combat impersonation, access to a human customer service representative, increased visibility and reach, and “exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.”

Currently, this service is only available for people, not organizations or businesses. It’s currently in testing phases in Australia and New Zealand.

TechCrunch reported that Meta is also testing a feature that seems to draw inspiration from BeReal. Roll Call works in Messenger group chats. One person can start the roll call by adding a photo or video and asking the other group members to share their own in response to show what they’re doing right now. There’s a timed countdown and only those who share their own images can see the rest of the group’s.

Roll Call is still an internal prototype, but something to keep an eye on.

YouTube

YouTube is currently running an experiment to allow users to create podcasts in Studio. They can also mark existing playlists as podcasts and will have access to new analytics tools for measuring podcasts. While it’s just a test, this seems like a great way to easily get more traction out of a podcast without a lot of additional work.

Snapchat

Snapchat is expanding its Sounds feature to offer recommendations to pair with AR Lenses, the app announced in a blog post. For instance, if you want to use a Lens that turns your face into a slice of bread, the app might suggest a sound called “Daily Bread” to accompany it.

Another feature, Sounds Sync for Camera Roll, will help pair still photos to be in rhythm with the chosen sound.

Monday, Snapchat made another big announcement. It will be rolling out its own integrated version of ChatGPT. Dubbed My AI, The Verge describes it as a fast, mobile friendly version of the main ChatGPT service, albeit with more restrictions on swearing, politics and other touchy subjects.

“The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day,” Snap CEO Evan Spiegel told The Verge. “And this is something we’re well positioned to do as a messaging service.”

Initially, the service will only be available to Snapchat Plus subscribers, who pay $3.99/month.

Twitter

Finally, Twitter will now notify users if a tweet they engage with has a Community Note (their newish factchecking function) attached later, informing them when they may have interacted with a tweet that wasn’t correct.

Starting today, you’ll get a heads up if a Community Note starts showing on a Tweet you’ve replied to, Liked or Retweeted. This helps give people extra context that they might otherwise miss. pic.twitter.com/LIcGgl2zdJ

— Community Notes (@CommunityNotes) February 21, 2023

Which feature are you most excited about?

The post 10 new social media features you should know about this week appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: We are re-running the top stories of 2023 as part of our year-end countdown. This story was our third most-read. 

LinkedIn has grown beyond a platform for personal connections and networking to become the largest opportunity for businesses to connect with potential sales prospects, extend their brand reach, connect with employees, recruit, and engage in industry-wide conversations.

The more visibility you and your company have on LinkedIn, the more people will know who you are. Salespersons that share content regularly on LinkedIn have a 45% likelihood to surpass their sales target.

It’s easy to understand the benefit of LinkedIn for the individual, but some companies are still exploring how they can further leverage the platform in a more targeted way. In May 2022, LinkedIn rolled out a major algorithm update. Here’s how that affects your company page, as well as a hot little trick just released by LinkedIn that will save you time, build engagement and help your B2B social.

The LinkedIn Algorithm – What it means for brands

LinkedIn works the same way many other social networks do – the audience for a company page is limited to those currently following the page or those following hashtags that are used. The success of a company page really relies on its employees to share the company content and boost its exposure. Simply resharing a company update alone boosts that content to a whole separate network of followers.

In fact, content that employees share has two times more engagement in comparison to those shared by the company. This is because the LinkedIn (LI) algorithms are designed to highlight individuals over company profiles. When employees comment on company communications, the visibility of that post to larger networks increases. The more company page followers, the higher the page will rank in LinkedIn search results, sparking greater reach and potential interaction with its content. The more engagement a post receives (“likes” or other post reactions), the more it is prioritized in the news stream by LinkedIn. This also applies to any engagement from the poster themselves, such as commenting “Thanks for giving it a read,” to a colleague that provides kudos on a blog with your byline.

The LinkedIn algorithm makes content go through a series of filters. Each post gets placed into one of three categories: spam, low quality, or qigh quality (clear). If your content is considered “not spam,” then it gets posted to the audience to decide how popular the content will be. First it is shown to small groups of followers. If the post receives more engagement, LinkedIn ranks it higher and the post will continue to be seen by more people. This also applies to engagement by a poster themselves. It’s important that you’re making sure your company and personal profiles are up to date because LI ranks those profiles higher as well. Ensure that your personal page meets the “All Star Profile” qualifications from LI. Research has shown that these profiles are also prioritized in the algorithm.

But just like everything on social platforms, the algorithm is always changing and in May 2022 the algorithm went through a pretty significant update to make it more complex and therefore less easy to game.

What’s new and how can you optimize your content?

Engagement is still the number one thing that gets a post prioritized by the algorithm. Posts are favored if they are considered quality content and if they generate interactions. However, LinkedIn has introduced new penalizations that will flag LI to sort a post as spam or low quality and de-prioritize it in the news feed. LinkedIn posted its own blog on the new algorithm here.

Stand out

This might go without saying, but since I see a lot of variety out there, I’ll say it: Brands must create eye-catching content. Everything must be well written, use proper grammar and should include images or video (LinkedIn loves the carousel posts), specific typography, and emojis to break up text while drawing attention to specific areas.

Short presentations are also useful for generating engagement – just make sure the font isn’t too small and the slides aren’t too cluttered for it to be showcased well on the platform.

Asking for likes

New in the LinkedIn Algorithm, if you ask for likes, follows or comments, your post will be demoted in the feed. LinkedIn clarifies: “We’ve seen a number of posts that expressly ask or encourage the community to engage with content via likes or reactions – posted with the exclusive intent of boosting reach on the platform. We’ve heard this type of content can be misleading and frustrating for some of you. We won’t be promoting this type of content and we encourage everyone in the community to focus on delivering reliable, credible and authentic content.”

Outbound links

LinkedIn favors keeping everyone on the platform. Therefore, outbound links are frowned upon and the new algorithm will now penalize posts even more for outbound links that take users away from the platform. Hootsuite did an experiment that showed that posts without outbound links got six times more reach then posts with links. What can brands do about this? You can post links in the comments, but that means you need to create custom graphics. You can also just start conversations with your audience – you don’t always have to be talking at them.

Golden hour

Choosing the right time to post is very important. There has been a lot of research about when to post,, but it’s most important to post content when it is most likely that your audience will be online. Locations and time zones do make a difference – as do people’s daily habits. Do some tests to see when you get the most interaction from your brand’s own audience. Most research Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. are good times.

Why does this matter so much? There is something that many LinkedIn marketers call, “The Golden Hour,” which is the first 60 minutes after content is posted. This is considered the most crucial time for determining if a post will succeed or not. If no one reacts within the first 60 minutes, then your post is going to get downgraded and deprioritized in the feed. The best possible way to ensure a post’s success is to get engagement on it in the first hour.

One way to do this is to internally alert staff that a post has gone up. Caster uses Slack to alert team members that a new post has gone up to engage with. Some clients prefer that we tag employees on LinkedIn so that they are included in the post, can engage with it from there, and get recognition for their contributions to the content. However, the algorithm says don’t tag more than 3-5 people, and if those people don’t engage with the post, then it is more points against the content. Only tag people that will engage quickly.

Another way to engage people with your content is to include hashtags. Experts say between 3-5 hashtags is best.

Finally, don’t post and ghost. If someone engages or comments on your post, you should respond – join conversations and be active on the network because each interaction brings it back up in the news feed and increases the chances for people to see the post.

Bottom line

The algorithms are always changing and we can try strategies so our quality content doesn’t get left in the dust, but the core truth never changes — people reading your content are just people. If you write for real humans and not only to outsmart an algorithm, then you will have success with your content. Consistency and relevancy are what matter most.

The LinkedIn Engagement Toggle

Now when you see a post that you’d like to engage with (comment, like, share), you can toggle from your personal profile to a company page that you are an admin of and engage as the company. This is brand new! Before, you were only able to comment on the posts of other people or companies if that post specifically tagged your company. This is a major update and a big time saver. Happy toggling everyone!

Alex Crabb is the SVP at Caster Communications, a boutique global tech PR agency. She can be reached at @AlexCrabb on Twitter.

The post Top stories of 2022: How May LinkedIn algorithm updates affect your company page appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: We are re-running the top stories of 2023 as part of our year-end countdown. This story was our fourth most-read. 

Be real. Be authentic. Be true to yourself.

That all sounds like great advice, but it’s often difficult to do so on social media, when you’re faced with photos and videos of influencers’ expensive vacations and a constant barrage of ads and sponsored posts. What would a social media platform without influencers look like?

The app BeReal, whose user base has skyrocketed over the last few months, aims answer that question.

“Your friends for real,” the BeReal website tagline reads. “A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” The app has grown its monthly active users by 315% since the start of 2022.

(Image via)

Users are prompted at different times each day to simultaneously snap a photo of themselves and their surroundings using their phone’s front and back cameras. No filters. No face-altering software. Just you and whatever you happen to be doing when you get notified that it’s time to post.

“Push notifications are sent around the world simultaneously at different times each day,” the company said in a statement published by CNN Business. “It’s a secret on how the time is chosen every day; it’s not random.”

(Image via Emma Atkinson & BeReal)

Axios calls BeReal “an antidote to the pressure young users now face to be creative and look perfect online,” noting that the bulk of the app’s users are members of Gen Z, followed by millennials.

BeReal’s setup doesn’t lend itself to brand accounts or influencers, and using the app for advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited in the app’s terms and conditions.

From CNN Business:

In a statement, BeReal says its goal is to create “an alternative to addictive social networks” that focus on amassing influence, it says.

“BeReal is your chance to show your friends who you really are,” the company says. “BeReal won’t make you famous, if you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”

The challenge for brands

This presents a unique challenge for comms pros: How do you build a presence on an app that explicitly prohibits product promotion?

It all goes back to earned media. Some PR pros might tend to think of earned media in a traditional sense — stories in legacy media outlets like The New York Times or targeted trade publications. But if the only way to get your product or service talked about on a particular platform is for users to promote it organically, you’ll have to shift your influencer marketing strategy quite a bit.

Combining earned media strategy with marketing practices will be crucial to the success of your brand on a platform like BeReal. Heavily branded pay-to-play influencer marketing is waning in popularity with younger generations — and comms pros will likely have to work twice as hard to earn Gen Z’s approval of your products and services.

But don’t rush to put all your eggs in the BeReal basket. It’s very possible that, like some other social media apps, BeReal is simply a passing fad.

Social media analyst Matt Navarra told NBC News that BeReal’s popularity could be fleeting.

“I’d be surprised if it’s around in a year’s time,” he said. “Much like the viral apps before it, they could fail for a number of different reasons.”

So don’t fire all your Instagram influencer partners just yet. But perhaps consider the positive impact that generating more organic buzz around your brand could have.

The post Top stories of 2022: What PR pros should know about BeReal appeared first on PR Daily.

Grabbing the media’s attention — and by extension, your audience’s — is harder than ever. Traditional news outlets are shrinking and new media outlets are splintering, making capturing the right coverage an exercise in research, patience and .

The winners of PR Daily’s Media Relations Awards demonstrated skill in this challenging environment, making a big impact with the help of media partners.

“In an increasingly fractured media landscape, this year’s honorees showcased agility, creativity and innovation to tell their brand’s story,” says Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications. “With these annual awards, PR Daily looks forward to amplifying the hard work of thousands of communicators worldwide.”

Dozens of finalists gathered at the Yale Club in New York City Monday to celebrate their hard work.

Ragan and PR Daily are pleased to recognize the success of these winners and honorable mentions:

Grand Prizes

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Over $50,000

Winner: UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Honorable mentions:

• Diageo / CIROC Vodka: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence & Entrepreneurship Through #CIROCStands Platform
• Endo International, plc: Launching the First and Only FDA-Approved Injectable for Cellulite
• Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan
• Travel + Leisure Co.: Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas Holiday Suites by Club Wyndham

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $50,000

Winner: Tic Tac and Golin: Tic Tac Launches into Space

Honorable mentions:

• Bospar: Bospar Delivers Stratospheric Coverage for Unistellar
• Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer
• Ernst & Young LLP and M Booth: Emphasis on Empathy – EY 2021 Empathy in Business Survey
• Herbalife Nutrition: Global Thought Leadership Strategy: Building Consumer and Investor Trust in Pandemic Times
• Pugh & Tiller PR: Raising Awareness for ProNavigator, the Google for Insurance
• The Home Depot: Exposing the Issue of Organized Retail Crime

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $10,000

Winner: Gillian Small Public Relations: TWIX® Shakers Seasoning Blend Launches with Viral Chicken Wings Recipe

Honorable mentions:

• Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas
• Hollywood Agency: Media Relations Campaign for ‘Bounty’
• Identity: Hudsonville Ice Cream x Little Debbie: The Two Billion Impression Scoop
• IMA Financial Group: Who will insure the metaverse? Campaign
• Stuntman PR: Parmigiano Reggiano Day is born stateside

Grand Prize: Media Relations Professional of the Year

Winner: Danny Chi: ESPN

Honorable mentions:

• Marsha Archer: M-Squared Public Relations
• Amanda Brooks: ESPN
• Tommaso Di Giovanni: Philip Morris International
• Ashley Goncena: Crafted Communications
• Jennifer Non: The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
• Liz Reilly: Next PR
• Nidhi Sinha: Boston Consulting Group
• Daniel Zielinski: Insured Retirement Institute

Campaigns

Brand Messaging or Positioning Campaign

Winner: UPS: UPS Peak Hiring Campaign – 2021

Honorable mentions:

• Cerner Corporation: Cerner Government Services Brand Positioning Campaign
• Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan
• Kellogg´s Latin America: World Food Day
• Linhart PR: Building Chipotle Brand Love in NYC with Culturally Relevant Media Relations
• McDonald’s: McDonald’s Opportunity Here Campaign
• MGC: #LaUltimaBotelladeAgua by Wrangler
• Techwave: Brand Refresh
• The Fletcher Group: Driving brand awareness from startup to well-established Canadian fintech

Cause Marketing Campaign

Winner: Diageo / CIROC Vodka: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence & Entrepreneurship Through #CIROCStands Platform

Honorable mentions:

• Peppercomm: Dole Malnutrition Labels
• Porter Novelli in partnership with MusiCares: MusiCares Person of the Year
• Prudential Financial: Prudential Financial and the New Jersey Devils Help Black Small Businesses Win – On and Off the Ice
• THON and Four Diamonds: Penn State THON 2022
• Tier One Partners: Ally Teach Kids Money Lessons in Minecraft
• UScellular: Cause Marketing & Community Relations

Community Relations Campaign

Winner: The Home Depot Foundation with Big Red Rooster: MSL and Sunshine Sachs, Operation Surprise 2021

Honorable mentions:

• ECMC Group: ECMC Group’s GO! Program: Connecting to employees and communities
• ESPN: ESPN’s 15th Annual V Week for Cancer Research
• MnFIRE/Bellmont Partners: Rallying Support for Our Hometown Heroes
• Nickerson People Relations: Weston Community Relations Project
• UScellular: Cause Marketing Campaign & Community Relations Campaign
• Violet PR: Revitalizing Newark Symphony Hall

COVID-19 Communications Campaign

Winner: ChenMed: COVID-19 – #VaxTheNation Integrated Campaign

Honorable mentions:

• Atrium Health: Atrium Health COVID-19 Mass Vaccinations
• Children’s Health: Children’s Health Educates and Empowers Parents, Physicians with COVID-19 Media Relations Campaign
• Providence: Communicating the Pandemic: How Providence Handled the First U.S. Patient

Crisis or Reputation Management Campaign

Winner: Identity: Guiding the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office During the Oxford High School Shooting Crisis Response

Honorable mentions:

• Big Valley Marketing: Russia Cyber-Attack Against Ukraine
• Lightspeed PR & M: Lightspeed PR/M – MacKeeper Reputation Reboot

Data-Driven Media Relations Campaign

Winner: Cisco: The Quarterly Business Review and Outlook Model (QBRO)

Honorable mentions:

• Amendola Communications: Long-Covid Research Study raises Arcadia’s Profile
• Dittoe Public Relations: 2021 Recruiter Nation Report Launch
• ECMC Group: ECMC Group Helps Teens Question The Quo in Education
• Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results
• Ipsos Public Affairs North America: Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2021 Global Survey
• Navy Federal Credit Union: “Best Of” Campaign

Global Media Relations Campaign

Winner: Carnival Cruise Line: Cruise Reboot: Carnival Cruise Line Resumes Cruising Operations for the First Time Since March 2020

Honorable mentions:

• Bohemian FC & Wise Up PR: Music Meets Sport: Immortalizing Bob Marley’s An Afternoon in the Park Gig On Bohemian FC’s Shirt
• PGIM: Weathering Climate Change
• Proofpoint: CHASING CRISES: WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST THE TOUGHEST CYBERCRIMINALS AT TIMES OF GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY
• SCHOTT AG: SCHOTT Xensation® α – A New Era of Smartphone Cover Glass
• SlicedBrand: Generating Real-World Buzz for Metaverse Land Sales
• UPS: Circle of Honor

Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations Campaign

Winner: Children’s Hospital Colorado: Youth Mental Health State of Emergency: “Their Tanks are Empty”

Honorable mentions:

• Adept: Stone Foltz Anti-Hazing
• Relevance International: Affirmation Tower: Building a Better Future From the Ground Up
• TechNet: TechNet
• The Home Depot: Exposing the Issue of Organized Retail Crime
• The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange: Nevada Health Link Open Enrollment Campaign
• Violet PR: Selling Pittsburgh International Airport’s Transformation

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

Winner: ChenMed: COVID-19 – #VaxTheNation Integrated Campaign

Honorable mentions:

• INK Communications Co.: One Million Acres Campaign
• MGC: #Soapa$500 by Tenpo
• OMNIVISION: The Big Reveal
• Rachel Kay Public Relations: Bubbies Treat Wave Campaign

Purpose-Driven Campaign

Winner: Mars Petcare US: Better Cities For Pets Adoption Weekend

Honorable mentions:

• Global Strategy Group/Black Economic Alliance: Advancing the Mission of the Black Economic Alliance
• Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas
• Children’s Health: Children’s Health Expands Diversity & Inclusion Program to Support and Empower Employees, Patients and Community Members
• Hollywood Agency: Media Relations Campaign for ‘Bounty’
• Landis Communications: Landis Communications – Fish Run Place
• MGC: #LaUltimaBotelladeAgua by Wrangler
• NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund: Marshall-Motley Scholars Program

Social Media Campaign

Winner: Almond Board of California: Almond Day 2021

Honorable mentions:

• Advantest: ESG Campaign
• Hollywood Agency: @SouthShoreBear joins Twitter

Thought Leadership Campaign

Winner: Global Strategy Group/Black Economic Alliance: Advancing the Mission of the Black Economic Alliance

Honorable mentions:

• Amendola Communications: Amendola Helps HSBlox Educate the Market on Value Based Care
• Apptio: CxO Campaign
• Arketi Group: Arketi Group Helps NCR Corporation Share Its Story Running Restaurants & Stores
• Asylum Public Relations: Global Warming Heats Up the Insurance Industry
• Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas
• Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results
• Proofpoint: VOICE OF THE CISO 2021: THE AFTERMATH OF A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER FOR SECURITY PROFESSIONALS
• Prudential Financial, Inc.: PULSE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER SURVEY
• Snackbox: Shaping the Influence of the Convenience Store Industry

Events

New Product or Service Launch

Winners: Citi: Citi Custom Cash Card, Kaplow Communications: Stanley Turns #Hydration Into Quarantine’s Hottest Trend

Honorable mentions:

• Accela: SolarAPP+ – Helping Governments Make Solar Permitting Easier, Cheaper and Faster
• American Airlines: Silver Spoon Desserts
• Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer
• Endo International, plc: Launching the First and Only FDA-Approved Injectable for Cellulite
• Gillian Small Public Relations: TWIX® Shakers Seasoning Blend Launches with Viral Chicken Wings Recipe
• The Langham, Boston: The Langham, Boston: A New American Classic

Press Event or Media Tour

Winner: Intel Corporation: “If we can drive here, we can drive anywhere.”

Honorable mentions:

• Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Community Music Center Announcement
• Macon-Bibb County: AMPhitheater Rocks Groundbreaking
• Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment: Sun Wine Food Fest 2022
• The Home Depot with MSL and Hartmann Studios: How to Sleigh the Holidays: The Home Depot Halloween & Holiday Program 2021
• UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Stunt or Special Event

Winner: Tier One Partners: Ally Has NYC #TotallyCovered

Honorable mentions:

• Convoy: Co-Founder Ride Along to 50th Anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky
• Gillian Small PR: Green Giant® Partners with PEEPS® to Pull The Ultimate April Fool’s Day Prank: Green Giant® Cauliflower-Flavored PEEPS®
• Intel Corporation: “If we can drive here, we can drive anywhere.”
• Jackson Spalding: TK Elevator Grand Opening
• Planit Advertising: Glen-Gery Global Flagship Brickworks Design Studio Opening

Virtual Event

Winner: BetterUp: Inner Work Day

Honorable mention:

• The Home Depot with MSL and Hartmann Studios: SkeleTON of Fun: Halloween and Holiday Virtual Media Showcase 2021 by The Home Depot

Media Relations Strategy

Exclusive Content Strategy

Winner: Jackpocket: Jackpocket

Honorable mentions:

• Cone Health: 50-Year-Old, First-Time Mom
• Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan
• Ipsos Public Affairs North America: Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2021 Global Survey
• Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System: Strategic Media Relations
• SlicedBrand: Assembling a successful outreach campaign for IOTA

Innovation in Media Relations

Winner: Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer

Honorable mentions:

• 5WPR: Sinclair Broadcast Group
• Experience Columbus: Holiday Gift Box

Media Relations Video

Winner: McDonald’s: McDonald’s Opportunity Starts Here Video

Honorable mention:

• Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Newsjacking

Winner: Tic Tac and Golin: Tic Tac Launches into Space

Honorable mentions

• Hollywood Agency: @SouthShoreBear joins Twitter
• M:7 Agency: AERAS Bridge Collapse
• Pure Storage: Pure Storage’s Newsjacking Campaign: Meta’s AI Research SuperCluster
• Spool Marketing and Communications: Airheads Candy Chicken Sandy
• The Fletcher Group: How America Gives Gifts: Helping Retailers Prepare for Holiday 2021
• Touchdown PR: Rapid Response

Pitch

Winner: Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Honorable mentions:

• American Airlines: Silver Spoon Desserts
• Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas
• Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer
• Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results
• Intel: EyeQ Ultra is not your everyday AV chip
• The Fletcher Group: How America Gives Gifts: Helping Retailers Prepare for Holiday 2021

Research

Winner: Ernst & Young LLP and M Booth: Emphasis on Empathy – EY 2021 Empathy in Business Survey

Honorable mentions:

• Bospar: Bospar Delivers Stratospheric Coverage for Unistellar
• Navy Federal Credit Union: “Best Of” Campaign

Traditional and New Media Integration

Winner: UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Honorable mentions:

• 5WPR: Samsung SmartThings
• Dropp: Kite Hill PR for Dropp
• HUNTER: Honey Bunches of Oats “Makes a Bunch Happen”

Use of a Celebrity or Personality

Winner: INFINITI: INFINITI QX60 Launch

Honorable mention:

• 5WPR: Mandy Moore x Lansinoh

Use of Measurement

Winner:

ADP: Leveraging Data-Driven Pitches to Increase Share of Voice

Honorable mention:

• ECMC Group: ECMC Group Helps Teens Question The Quo in Education

The post Winner’s circle: PR Daily’s Media Relations Awards appeared first on PR Daily.

Today’s media landscape is more challenging than ever. Breaking through the increasing noise to an ever-shrinking group of media is no mean feat. But the finalists for Ragan’s Media Relations Awards have found a way to stand out and share their message.

All the finalists will be celebrated and winners will be announced Dec. 12 during a special awards luncheon at the Yale Club in New York City.

Congratulations to all the finalists.

Grand Prizes

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Over $50,000

Diageo / CIROC Vodka: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence & Entrepreneurship Through #CIROCStands Platform

Endo International, plc: Launching the First and Only FDA-Approved Injectable for Cellulite

Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Travel + Leisure Co.: Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas Holiday Suites by Club Wyndham

UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $50,000

BCENE PR: FOREO

Bospar: Bospar Delivers Stratospheric Coverage for Unistellar

Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer

Ernst & Young LLP: Emphasis on Empathy – EY 2021 Empathy in Business Survey

Herbalife Nutrition: Global Thought Leadership Strategy: Building Consumer and Investor Trust in Pandemic Times

Pugh & Tiller PR: Raising Awareness for ProNavigator, the Google for Insurance

The Home Depot: Exposing the Issue of Organized Retail Crime

Tic Tac and Golin: Tic Tac Launches into Space

Grand Prize: Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $10,000

Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas

Gillian Small Public Relations: TWIX® Shakers Seasoning Blend Launches with Viral Chicken Wings Recipe

Hollywood Agency: Media Relations Campaign for ‘Bounty’

Identity: Hudsonville Ice Cream x Little Debbie: The Two Billion Impression Scoop

IMA Financial Group: Who will insure the metaverse? Campaign

Stuntman PR: Parmigiano Reggiano Day is born stateside

Grand Prize: Media Relations Professional of the Year

Marsha Archer: M-Squared Public Relations

Amanda Brooks: ESPN

Danny Chi: ESPN

Tommaso Di Giovanni: Philip Morris International

Ashley Goncena: Crafted Communications

Jennifer Non: The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

Liz Reilly: Next PR

Nidhi Sinha: Boston Consulting Group

Daniel Zielinski: Insured Retirement Institute

Campaigns

Brand Messaging or Positioning Campaign

Cerner Corporation: Cerner Government Services Brand Positioning Campaign

Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Kellogg´s Latin America: World Food Day

Linhart PR: Building Chipotle Brand Love in NYC with Culturally Relevant Media Relations

McDonald’s: McDonald’s Opportunity Here Campaign

MGC: #LaUltimaBotelladeAgua by Wrangler

Techwave: Brand Refresh

The Fletcher Group: Driving brand awareness from startup to well-established Canadian fintech

UPS: UPS Peak Hiring Campaign – 2021

Cause Marketing Campaign

Diageo / CIROC Vodka: CÎROC Vodka Celebrates Black Excellence & Entrepreneurship Through #CIROCStands Platform

Peppercomm: Dole Malnutrition Labels

Porter Novelli in partnership with MusiCares: MusiCares Person of the Year

Prudential Financial: Prudential Financial and the New Jersey Devils Help Black Small Businesses Win – On and Off the Ice

THON and Four Diamonds: Penn State THON 2022

Tier One Partners: Ally Teach Kids Money Lessons in Minecraft

UScellular: Cause Marketing & Community Relations

Community Relations Campaign

ECMC Group: ECMC Group’s GO! Program: Connecting to employees and communities

ESPN: ESPN’s 15th Annual V Week for Cancer Research

MnFIRE/Bellmont Partners: Rallying Support for Our Hometown Heroes

Nickerson People Relations: Weston Community Relations Project

The Home Depot Foundation with Big Red Rooster: MSL and Sunshine Sachs, Operation Surprise 2021

UScellular: Cause Marketing Campaign & Community Relations Campaign

Violet PR: Revitalizing Newark Symphony Hall

Covid-19 Communications Campaign

Atrium Health: Atrium Health COVID-19 Mass Vaccinations

ChenMed: COVID-19 – #VaxTheNation Integrated Campaign

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Educates and Empowers Parents, Physicians with COVID-19 Media Relations Campaign

Providence: Communicating the Pandemic: How Providence Handled the First U.S. Patient

Crisis or Reputation Management Campaign

Big Valley Marketing: Russia Cyber-Attack Against Ukraine

Identity: Guiding the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office During the Oxford High School Shooting Crisis Response

Lightspeed PR & M: Lightspeed PR/M – MacKeeper Reputation Reboot

Data-Driven Media Relations Campaign

Amendola Communications: Long-Covid Research Study raises Arcadia’s Profile

Cisco: The Quarterly Business Review and Outlook Model (QBRO)

Dittoe Public Relations: 2021 Recruiter Nation Report Launch

ECMC Group: ECMC Group Helps Teens Question The Quo in Education

Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results

Ipsos Public Affairs North America: Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2021 Global Survey

Navy Federal Credit Union: “Best Of” Campaign

Global Media Relations Campaign

Bohemian FC & Wise Up PR: Music Meets Sport: Immortalizing Bob Marley’s An Afternoon in the Park Gig On Bohemian FC’s Shirt

Carnival Cruise Line: Cruise Reboot: Carnival Cruise Line Resumes Cruising Operations for the First Time Since March 2020

PGIM: Weathering Climate Change

Proofpoint: CHASING CRISES: WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST THE TOUGHEST CYBERCRIMINALS AT TIMES OF GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY

SCHOTT AG: SCHOTT Xensation® α – A New Era of Smartphone Cover Glass

SlicedBrand: Generating Real-World Buzz for Metaverse Land Sales

UPS: Circle of Honor

Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations Campaign

Adept: Stone Foltz Anti-Hazing

Children’s Hospital Colorado: Youth Mental Health State of Emergency: “Their Tanks are Empty”

Relevance International: Affirmation Tower: Building a Better Future From the Ground Up

TechNet: TechNet

The Home Depot: Exposing the Issue of Organized Retail Crime

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange: Nevada Health Link Open Enrollment Campaign

Violet PR: Selling Pittsburgh International Airport’s Transformation

Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign

ChenMed: COVID-19 – #VaxTheNation Integrated Campaign

INK Communications Co.: One Million Acres Campaign

MGC: #Soapa$500 by Tenpo

OMNIVISION: The Big Reveal

Rachel Kay Public Relations: Bubbies Treat Wave Campaign

Purpose-Driven Campaign

Black Economic Alliance: Advancing the Mission of the Black Economic Alliance

Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Expands Diversity & Inclusion Program to Support and Empower Employees, Patients and Community Members

Hollywood Agency: Media Relations Campaign for ‘Bounty’

Landis Communications: Landis Communications – Fish Run Place

Mars Petcare US: Better Cities For Pets Adoption Weekend

MGC: #LaUltimaBotelladeAgua by Wrangler

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund: Marshall-Motley Scholars Program

Social Media Campaign

Advantest: ESG Campaign

Almond Board of California: Almond Day 2021

Hollywood Agency: @SouthShoreBear joins Twitter

Thought Leadership Campaign

Amendola Communications: Amendola Helps HSBlox Educate the Market on Value Based Care

Apptio: CxO Campaign

Arketi Group: Arketi Group Helps NCR Corporation Share Its Story Running Restaurants & Stores

Asylum Public Relations: Global Warming Heats Up the Insurance Industry

Black Economic Alliance: Advancing the Mission of the Black Economic Alliance

Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas

Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results

Proofpoint: VOICE OF THE CISO 2021: THE AFTERMATH OF A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER FOR SECURITY PROFESSIONALS

Prudential Financial, Inc.: PULSE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER SURVEY

Snackbox: Shaping the Influence of the Convenience Store Industry

Events

New Product or Service Launch

Accela: SolarAPP+ – Helping Governments Make Solar Permitting Easier, Cheaper and Faster

American Airlines: Silver Spoon Desserts

Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer

Citi: Citi Custom Cash Card

Endo International, plc: Launching the First and Only FDA-Approved Injectable for Cellulite

Gillian Small Public Relations: TWIX® Shakers Seasoning Blend Launches with Viral Chicken Wings Recipe

Kaplow Communications: Stanley Turns #Hydration Into Quarantine’s Hottest Trend

The Langham, Boston: The Langham, Boston: A New American Classic

Press Event or Media Tour

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra: Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Community Music Center Announcement

Intel Corporation: “If we can drive here, we can drive anywhere.”

Macon-Bibb County: AMPhitheater Rocks Groundbreaking

Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment: Sun Wine Food Fest 2022

The Home Depot with MSL and Hartmann Studios: How to Sleigh the Holidays: The Home Depot Halloween & Holiday Program 2021

UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Stunt or Special Event

Convoy: Co-Founder Ride Along to 50th Anniversary of the Mid-Atlantic Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky

Gillian Small PR: Green Giant® Partners with PEEPS® to Pull The Ultimate April Fool’s Day Prank: Green Giant® Cauliflower-Flavored PEEPS®

Intel Corporation: “If we can drive here, we can drive anywhere.”

Jackson Spalding: TK Elevator Grand Opening

Planit Advertising: Glen-Gery Global Flagship Brickworks Design Studio Opening

Tier One Partners: Ally Has NYC #TotallyCovered

Virtual Event

BetterUp: Inner Work Day

The Home Depot with MSL and Hartmann Studios: SkeleTON of Fun: Halloween and Holiday Virtual Media Showcase 2021 by The Home Depot

Media Relations Strategy

Exclusive Content Strategy

Cone Health: 50-Year-Old, First-Time Mom

Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Ipsos Public Affairs North America: Ipsos LGBT+ Pride 2021 Global Survey

Jackpocket: Jackpocket

Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System: Strategic Media Relations

SlicedBrand: Assembling a successful outreach campaign for IOTA

Innovation in Media Relations

5WPR: Sinclair Broadcast Group

Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer

Experience Columbus: Holiday Gift Box

Media Relations Video

Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

McDonald’s: McDonald’s Opportunity Starts Here Video

Newsjacking

Hollywood Agency: @SouthShoreBear joins Twitter

M:7 Agency: AERAS Bridge Collapse

Pure Storage: Pure Storage’s Newsjacking Campaign: Meta’s AI Research SuperCluster

Spool Marketing and Communications: Airheads Candy Chicken Sandy

The Fletcher Group: How America Gives Gifts: Helping Retailers Prepare for Holiday 2021

Tic Tac and Golin: Tic Tac Launches into Space

Touchdown PR: Rapid Response

Pitch

American Airlines: Silver Spoon Desserts

Bospar: Bospar Messes With Texas

Bospar: NEON: Making NFTs Accessible to the Common Consumer

Hotwire: Hotwire Decks the Halls with Record-Breaking Media Results

Intel Corporation: New CEO Hits the Ground Running with Turnaround Plan

Intel: EyeQ Ultra is not your everyday AV chip

The Fletcher Group: How America Gives Gifts: Helping Retailers Prepare for Holiday 2021

Research

Bospar: Bospar Delivers Stratospheric Coverage for Unistellar

Ernst & Young LLP: Emphasis on Empathy – EY 2021 Empathy in Business Survey

Navy Federal Credit Union: “Best Of” Campaign

Traditional and New Media Integration

5WPR: Samsung SmartThings

Dropp: Kite Hill PR for Dropp

HUNTER: Honey Bunches of Oats “Makes a Bunch Happen”

UPS: UPS Vaccine Communications Planning

Use of a Celebrity or Personality

5WPR: Mandy Moore x Lansinoh

INFINITI: INFINITI QX60 Launch

Use of Measurement

ADP: Leveraging Data-Driven Pitches to Increase Share of Voice

ECMC Group: ECMC Group Helps Teens Question The Quo in Education

The post Ragan and PR Daily announce Media Relations Awards finalists appeared first on PR Daily.

PR isn’t a career as fierce as Olivia Pope makes it seem on “Scandal” or as sexy as Samantha Jones portrayed on “Sex in the City,” but those in the industry love what they do.

It’s also an industry with opportunities for growth.

U.S. News & World Report ranked PR as the No. 3 best creative and media job, writing:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for public relations specialists will grow 6 percent between 2014 and 2024. During that time period, 14,900 new jobs will need to be filled.

PR is also becoming more important to marketing efforts, which opens even more opportunities.

Advertising Age reported:

Public relations has always played its part in the marketing mix, even if it was added to plans late and rarely recognized like other disciplines. But the emergence of skippable, blockable, opt-out-able advertising, not to mention ever-more integrated campaigns, means PR can suddenly demand more than a supporting role—and maybe even take center stage.

Considering a career in PR? Here are six signs that the industry is right for you:

1. You are constantly looking at your phone.

Forget Candy Crush—most PR pros have their phones nearby to answer incoming emails, take a reporter or client call and respond to social media followers.

PR is not a 9-to-5 job, especially if you work on digital campaigns; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat run 24/7. If you’re OK being interrupted during your favorite prime-time TV show and can swivel quickly to hook up a reporter with a source for a breaking news event, you’ll excel in public relations.

2. You thrive on deadlines.

PR pros often feel the pressure of client and executive expectations, such as quotas. As newsrooms shrink, PR pros can help shoulder the load, but they face ever-tightening deadlines—and those who can keep pace will come out on top.

Great PR pros don’t crumble under pressure, but instead are motivated to solve problems and produce ideas, press releases and connections to reach their goals under the wire.

3. You’re a master at building relationships.

Though it’s a misconception that all PR pros are extroverts , successful communicators are skilled in creating and maintaining relationships with customers, clients, partners, vendors and other parties that organizations require for success.

PR pros also often must collaborate with their counterparts in marketing, advertising, human resources and the executive suite.

If you listen well, understand what motivates particular partners and excel at bringing people together, PR is the right field for you.

4. You focus on the details.

You set measurable campaign goals and objectives. At your organization’s press conferences, you ensure that reporters’ press packets are filled with proper information and that the audio-visual equipment is functioning properly.

PR pros understand that the big picture comprises many crucial details.

Though a career in PR allows you to be creative, savvy communicators are also adept at tying business objectives to PR efforts, triple-checking their work and making sure they can measure their value.

5. You write well.

You don’t have to be Faulkner or Shakespeare, but PR pros who can deftly turn a phrase will find themselves with more career and client opportunities.

Cultivating effective writing habits and having a solid handle on AP style not only can advance your media relations efforts, but also will boost your social media prowess, open the door to guest blogging and help you become an outstanding brand journalist and storyteller for your organization or clients.

Cision reported that in 2014, only 60 percent of PR pros have a content marketing plan in place, and only 35 percent of surveyed communicators saw blogging as an important distribution method. Kapost reported that in 2015, two-thirds (67 percent) of B2B organizations rated content marketing as a high priority, but fewer than half (44 percent) had a documented strategy.

The number didn’t improve much over the last year: Hubspot reported that only 60 percent of marketers were prioritizing blog posts in 2016. There’s room for improvement, and those who write well and generate relevant, desirable content will find themselves in high demand.

6. You can handle rejection.

Get used to hearing “no”—or hearing nothing at all—from reporters to whom you send pitches, especially if they’re filled with non-news or irrelevant subject matter.

Rejection for PR pros extends beyond rejected pitches, of course. Communicators can get turned down by clients or find out that their shiny new campaigns aren’t getting results.

If you’re the type to take a “no” as a challenge to dig in and do better, you can find your persistence and determination will pay off.

What other qualifications would you add to the list, PR Daily readers?

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The post 6 signs a PR career is right for you appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.

Adapting quickly and learning continually are essential to a successful PR career.

Whether you’ve been out of school for two years or 10 years or are completely self-taught, you must stay up on industry trends and continue honing your craft. Consider these 10 books on public relations, from tomes about the profession to works that can help you improve your technical skills.

Check out the list below and add these to your Kindle wish list:

1. “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” by Jonah Berger

This New York Times bestseller takes a stab at explaining why certain products and ideas go viral.

Author and Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger argues that, contrary to popular belief, advertising isn’t what makes something popular, but rather the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission of ideas. This book provides a set of actionable techniques for helping information spread, perfect for any PR pro hoping their story will catch on.

2. “Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley

Author Ann Handley believes that everyone is a writer, whether you’re posting on social media, publishing a blog post or crafting a media pitch.

In her guide to creating “ridiculously good content” she offers lessons and rules that apply across all digital platforms, from websites to blog posts to emails and more.

3. “Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age” by Gini Dietrich

Known throughout the industry for running one of the most popular PR blogs in the world (and one of our favorites), Gini Dietrich has collected all of the cutting-edge tips and tools for effective and ethical communications she’s learned into an actionable guide for business leaders and PR pros.

In her book, you’ll learn how to share your story more powerfully, humanize your organization, create fresh content and more.

4. “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott

Our digital world creates a whole new set of rules for professional communicators.

In this book, David Meerman Scott shows you how to leverage the potential of online communication, including how to use it to speak directly with customers or clients and build long-lasting relationships with those who make your company work.

5. “Writing Tools: 55 Essentials for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark

An oldie-but-goodie, Roy Peter Clark’s Writing Tools whittled down 30+ years of experience in journalism, professional writing and teaching into a series of short essays on different aspects of writing.

Although not necessarily published as a book about PR, Writing Tools has become a classic for writers of all industries since its original publication in 2008. Get a copy of the revamped 2018 edition, which includes five never-before-shared tools.

6. “The Business of Persuasion” by Harold Burson

Lauded as the “must-read book on public relations,” The Business of Persuasion is a business memoir of the 96-year-old founder of Burson-Marsteller.

In its pages, readers will learn what public relations really entails through personal and professional examples.

7. “The Little Book of Big PR: 100+ Quick Tips to Get Your Business Noticed” by Jennefer Witter

A successful PR pro can help a business gain attention from potential customers and build brand credibility, and this book helps to give eager communicators the tools to get there.

Written for small business owners and entrepreneurs not fluent in the art of PR, this book still has plenty to share with novices and experts in the field, from how to craft the perfect pitch to tips for dealing with reporters.

8. “Known” by Mark Schaefer

Perfect for PR pros looking to break out on their own, “Known” is a collection of case studies, exercises and personal branding stories from some of the world’s most successful people spanning industries like banking, education, fashion and more.

Although not necessarily written for public relations professionals, “Known” provides a path to establishing a personal business and experiencing success in the digital age.

9. “Social Media: Marketing Strategies for Rapid Growth Using Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube” by John Williams

In today’s digital landscape, a list of industry works without mention of social media would be missing a significant piece of the puzzle.

Williams tells readers how to grow a supportive following across social networks and strategies for telling brand stories in a way that engages audiences, making it one of our favorite books on public relations.

10. “On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction” by William Zinsser

Another work that is not necessarily a book about PR, “On Writing Well” has been praised as a book for anyone and everyone who needs to learn how to write or improve their craft.

Zinsser offers the fundamental principles as well as the experience he’s gleaned throughout his distinguished career as a writer and teacher. As one of the most powerful tools in any PR pro’s arsenal, On Writing Well is a valuable resource for improving skill and increasing effectiveness.

*Bonus* The AP Stylebook

Did you really think we’d make it through a list about books for PR professionals without mentioning the classic AP Stylebook?

PR pros need to think (and write) like journalists, making the AP Stylebook a must-have for every communicator’s desk.

What are your favorite books about PR?

Jessica Lawlor is the features editor for the Muck Rack blog and handles content initiatives and social media for Muck Rack. A version of this article originally appeared on Muck Rack, a service that enables you to find journalists to pitch, build media lists, get press alerts and create coverage reports with social media data.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in 2018.

The post 10 books every PR pro should read appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.

The communications industry experienced a transformation in stature and scope during the last 12 months, a wide-ranging new survey indicates, as the public health, economic, and social-justice crises that engulfed the country underscored the need for messaging management and strategic direction at organizations across the U.S. and around the world.

Comms pros found their role more vital than ever as they helped keep organizations focused and moving forward, according to the research. Communicators saw access to the C-suite increase throughout 2020, and forged important new alliances with peers in other departments, including HR, finance and workplace wellness.

These are among the key findings from Ragan’s third annual Communications Benchmark Report, an exclusive study from Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. Culled from more than 750 respondents, the results reveal a range of sentiments and best-laid plans during a very dynamic time.

The pandemic accelerated business change within organizations, propelling communicators into a critical role as they shaped and delivered messaging through their organizations, often around the globe. The Benchmark Report reflects that dizzying pace, but more, it provides communicators with a blueprint for 2021 and beyond.

According to the research, the pandemic remains a communications priority. An overwhelming majority of Communications Benchmark Report respondents—66%—said they anticipate remote or flexible-work arrangements will be a permanent option going forward. Only 14% said that won’t happen at their organizations.

All of this is occurring against a backdrop of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected communicators themselves. The short answer? It’s been a challenge. Nearly 80% of respondents said COVID has led to an increased workload. More than 20% said the pandemic forced budget cuts, and 15% said it led to layoffs.

But COVID has also led to some valuable new organizational dynamics. For example, 42% of respondents said they’ve forged stronger relationships with other departments, and a quarter said they’ve gained a seat at the table in strategic decision making. More than 20% said they have better access to the CEO.

The Communications Benchmark Report surfaced a variety of other communications priorities. Comms pros are focused on the burgeoning field of workplace wellness. They’re formulating messaging around when employees will come back to work, and shaping policies that address diversity, equity and inclusion.

Then there’s technology. It was already the fastest-changing aspect of global work life, but 2020 accelerated adaption and now there’s no looking back. Communicators see an increased reliance on mobile communications going forward. They see an increase in virtual communications and in the use of artificial intelligence. Technology, communications professionals believe, will play a sometimes disorienting role in how they ply their craft. “We have way too many platforms,” one respondent said. “I like adopting new tools when it makes sense, but, it’s confusing when we have way too many of them. There is a disconnect.”

Ragan’s Communications Benchmark Report is based on responses to an online survey conducted between Jan. 13, 2021-Feb. 7, 2021. The survey yielded 755 qualified responses from internal and external communicators worldwide.

Some key findings

• Communicators see dramatic changes coming in the next three to five years, and not just a few. There will be an increased focus on communicating with remote workers. There will be a greater reliance on social media. Workplace wellness will occupy a large role for communicators, though a shared role with other departments. There will be more personalization.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will especially increase as a focus.
• Technology will change the landscape in dramatic ways. Artificial intelligence will rise in importance, as will mobile communications.
• Respondents are increasingly pleased with their organizations’ communications efforts. This year, 52% rate their efforts as above average or excellent, an 11 percentage-point gain from last year. But some saw room for improvement. “We need more integration of internal and external efforts, was a typical response. “We need to be more focused on storytelling,” was another.
• Overall, 78% of respondents measure their communications effectiveness. They’re measuring their work more frequently, and also are more satisfied with their measurement efforts—41% say they are satisfied with their efforts this year, compared to 28% in 2020.
• For respondents, there are many obstacles to producing more effective communications, but the most significant—by a wide margin and across both internal and external comms and large and small companies—is too many last-minute requests. Other obstacles include lack of staff, lack of budget and too many distractions.

Download a copy of Ragan’s third annual Communications Benchmark Report executive summary here. To obtain a full copy of Ragan’s 2021 Communications Benchmark Report become a member of the Communications Leadership Council. Click here for more details.

The post Report: The role of communications pros expands dramatically amid relentless global crises appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.

What are brands doing to drive the perception of ESG investment? A recent report from the Association of National Advertisers tries to identify which big brands are having the biggest impact.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) has become the new phrase that embodies corporate investment in social responsibility. The phrase has become popular as climate change, global racism and corporate governance issues have become differentiators for businesses.

In order to drive profits, corporations must now show their positive impact on the environment, invest in the communities in which they operate and prove that their operations are ethical, serving all stakeholders fairly. It’s a problem that is increasingly falling in the lap of communicators, particularly as it pertains to brand reputation. As the old proverb goes, if a brand isn’t communicating about its ESG investment, does it really exist?

So, what brands are doing ESG well—and why? ANA offers top brands in seven different categories: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), health care, insurance, retail, finance, travel and entertainment. Let’s break down the leading performers from each category:

1. FMCG: Welch’s

The cooperative that creates products like Welch’s grape juice is an example of how showing stakeholder ownership can help bolster your brand reputation.

“Welch’s is a co-op owned by farming families across the country who bring their best to every harvest. From their farms to your table, they go the extra mile to deliver a difference you can taste,” it writes on its website. The company goes on to profile some of its farmers and shares health information about the grapes that make its products. The company also invests in worker well-being with programs like paid parental leave for both parents when a child is born.

Welch’s has also made investments in sustainability, with 83% of its primary packaging being recyclable and office buildings using more efficient LED lighting.

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 2. Health care: Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) sets itself up as more than a hospital system, but rather the standard-bearer for a new kind of care.

“This whole-person cancer treatment approach combined with a compassionate, nurturing environment is now known as the Mother Standard^® of care and provides a patient-centered approach to cancer treatment,” it writes on its website.

It’s this focus on education, advocacy and support for the patients and their loved ones that the CTCA serves that creates the perception of being a different kind of organization and perhaps is what has helped vault the organization to the top of the ANA’s ESG list for health care.

CTCA also highlights how it gives back to the community through charitable actions that support both cancer research and treatment and other community challenges.

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3. Insurance: State Farm

Based in Bloomington, Illinois, State Farm leads the insurance category for its ESG work and proudly touts its achievement in a 2020 report.

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State Farm promises to improve the environment with efforts like going paperless, promoting recycling and cutting down on plastic use by the organization. Office buildings have been LLED certified and other improvements have been made to increase energy efficiency.

When it comes to social investment, State Farm awarded nearly $44 million in charitable awards to schools and nonprofits in 2020. Another $13 million helped fund grants for scholarships. Like many others, State Farm made investments to fight racism and inequality in 2020, donating $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and $1.65 million to support Black-led organizations, such as the National Urban League. DE&I also played a role in governance issues with pledges to increase supplier diversity.

4. Retail: Amazon

The global online retailer has set itself up as an ESG leader by making key investments on sustainability. The company has pledged to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2040 and power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.

It has a $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to invest in companies creating products and services to help protect the planet.

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When it comes to governance and social investment, Amazon has a more complicated story to tell. While it had a high-profile labor dispute in April over a union drive at an Alabama distribution center, the company has been able to continue to tell a story about investment in employees. It raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018 and pledged to continue to improve the employee experience at the company.

5. Finance: Visa

Global credit card company Visa led the ESG rankings for the finance sector with its investments in its people. In its 2020 ESG report, Visa includes employee compensation and benefits as part of its pledge to end poverty in all its forms. It’s a remarkable admission from an employer that its own compensation model is part of the key to solving poverty in its communities. The company is also committed to addressing representation at the company, improve employee well-being and retain diverse talent.

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When it comes to protecting the planet, Visa pledges to continue sourcing 100% in renewable energy for its operations, maintain LEED certification for its offices and buildings, reduce GHG emissions and support a transition to a low-carbon economy. It also pledges to reduce waste sent to the landfill and other practices.

As for governance, its well-being investment is paying dividends for workers. Ninety-four precent of employees say they believe their well-being is a top priority for Visa, per its ESG report.

6. Travel: Marriott Hotels

The travel industry has had a remarkably difficult year in 2020 and Marriott is no exception. On top of COVID-19, the profit losses and layoffs across the company, the organization lost its beloved leader Arne Sorenson to cancer. Still, the company has been able to an emphasis on service to its many stakeholders.

The 2020 ESG report focuses mostly on 2019 achievements—which were substantial at the time.

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More than $130 million has been raised by Marriott for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals since 1983 and more than $48 million has been raised for UNICEF since 1995, per the report. Marriott is an example of what happens when a company makes long-term investments over time to its community and the world. When the bottom falls out during a global pandemic, audiences still remember all the good work it did in years past and that reputation is enough to carry Marriott to the top of the ANA’s list.

7. Netflix

Netflix joins Visa in showing 100% renewable energy sourcing for its operations in its 2020 ESG report. Then company endorses the UN Paris Climate Agreement and highlights its participation in efforts to meet those targets, explaining that only through policy and private action will those goals be attained. It has promised to have a net zero carbon footprint by 2022 and every year thereafter.

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When it comes to social and governance, Netflix joins other brands in focusing on efforts to reduce systemic racism and inequality, improve diverse representation at the company and more.

Netflix was able to report improvement on several key metrics when it comes to DE&I on-screen and in the organization, but it admits it has a long way to go. “Of the 22 inclusion indicators measured for film and series, 19 showed an improvement year-over-year,” it reported. “We are outpacing the entertainment industry in hiring women and women of color directors in films, and women creators in series. This had a positive impact in front of the camera: we achieved gender equality in leading roles across our films and series and exceeded proportional representation of Black leads, co-leads and main cast across the two years that were examined.”

It has pledged $100 million in investments with external organizations to help setup for success people from marginalized communities in jobs in the film and entertainment industry.

The company also operates something it calls “open compensation” to help fight pay gaps between different employees The top 1,000 leaders at Netflix can see how much every employee is paid, leading to what it says is a more open discussion about compensation and fairness. It also offers inclusive benefits, such as parental leave for both parents and comprehensive transgender and nonbinary care in U.S. health plans.

What ESG efforts have impressed you, PR Daily readers? Please share some of your favorites in the comments.

The post 7 highest-ranked ESG brands for 2021 appeared first on PR Daily.

Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.

As we prepare to enter a new year, we all wonder what lies ahead.

2020 was anything but predictable. But what can we learn and apply to our digital marketing and communications strategies in 2021?

Here’s how 21 influencers answer this question: What one piece of marketing advice would you offer to brands as we head into the new year?

1. 2021 will almost certainly be a big reset for human behavior across advanced economies. If the news is right, distribution of vaccines will start early in the year, and begin returning economic and interpersonal activity to 2019-like levels. Major elections and political cycles in the West are at a low point as well, and political/news media consumption will decline while other sources take their place. As such, the best advice I can give for marketers is to reinvest in getting to know your audiences. Their habits are going to change in 2021, probably substantially. The same messaging, content, and distribution channels you’re using now won’t work the same—so it’s time to re-learn who your audiences are, what they care about, and where/how they can be reached. Now.

– Rand Fishkin, SparkToro

2. If you’re in B2B like me, you’re probably putting a lot of energy into your demand gen stack these days. That’s great—but here’s my plea for 2021: Don’t forget the importance of a clear, strong, smart brand! Too many B2B companies have let their brands atrophy as they ramp up the money machine. I get why, but it’s not either/or—you need both. It’s no accident that the best brands tend to have the most effective money machines too. Branding works in B2B just as much as in B2C.

– Doug Kessler, co-founder, Velocity Partners

3. My advice would be to start off the year with an independent audit of all your digital channels and make your plan for the year around this.  Did you ever hear the expression you can’t see the wood for the trees? Our head is buried so deep into our own business it’s very hard for us to see even the obvious issues.  Our temptation is to try something new, but we may be better investing our time in making the things we have already in place better! An independent audit will uncover many great opportunities and give you the impetus you need to create a plan for 2021.

– Ian Cleary, founder, RazorAudit  

4. People should be especially sensitive to racial and other bias in their marketing and PR introduced by AI algorithms. Frequently, bias comes from social networking companies without marketers’ knowledge as the networks use AI to slice people into groups. I foresee a coming backlash to these programs that marketers need to be aware of now.

– David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “Fanocracy” 

5. Remember to align your values with your value, and use that as the guiding force for how you relate to consumers. If you’re here to make people smile, have fun and be funny. If you’re a helper brand, show empathy. With any luck, 2021 will be a rebound from what a mess of a year 2020 was for so many people and businesses; the best way to earn loyalty, acceptance, and forgiveness from your customers is to stay true to what your brand is all about.

– David Berkowitz, founder, Serial Marketers

6. Get your analytics infrastructure in order. So many companies are in terrible condition, analytics-wise, and if you’re a mess, then you can’t make data-driven decisions. You want to be data-driven. You want to make decisions rapidly under changing circumstances, which defined 2020 and will continue to define 2021.

The toughest part of any disaster is surviving it long-term. When that initial wave comes through, be it hurricane or pandemic, a lot of damage is done, and that damage takes much longer to clean up. The effects of this pandemic will probably last at least half a decade, longer in some parts of the world. You’ve got to have a finger on the pulse of your business and your industry—and that requires good data.

– Christopher Penn, co-founder and chief data scientist, Trust Insights

7. If you’re a company that’s been hit hard by COVID-19, you should be spending your time filling in any marketing gaps that you’ve been neglecting. For some people, that’s building stronger bottom-of-the-funnel content. For others it’s improving their backlink portfolios, or maybe getting a technical SEO audit. Whatever it is, strengthen your site’s foundation, so when people are spending money again, they’ll find your brand and trust what you have to say. In the short-term, to keep business rolling in, double down on what’s working, but then spend at least 10% of your effort experimenting to uncover new opportunities!

– Amanda Milligan, marketing director at Fractl 

8. Write an article that helps you sell, something you can send to prospects after a sales call, something you can send to cold leads and stalled opportunities, something your contact can share with other decision makers.

Too many content marketers focus on the top of the marketing funnel. But your most important audience left the sales funnel long ago. […] it’s not too late to use content to help close some business.

• It explains your approach in more detail than anything they expected.
• It answers an important question they didn’t ask.
• It includes examples.

Yes, it could be a case study, but that’s a bit obvious, isn’t it? They’re expecting that kind of story in that format. Try something more educational, more memorable.

We do web design and we have strong feelings about how that work should be done. We put a lot of our best advice into an article about B2B service pages. I couldn’t care less if it ranks or gets shared. Pageviews are irrelevant to me in this case.

Why? Because for bottom-of-funnel content, it’s about who, not how many. When the right person reads this article, they toss all of the other proposals and get out their signing pen.

– Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO, Orbit Media

9. My advice for 2021 is to shift your thinking from publish and promote to conversations and collaboration. Move past your direct teammates and schedule one-on-one conversations with new-to-you people in your industry to share ideas. Aerate ideas on LinkedIn by sharing your opinion and asking for feedback. Work on projects with other companies to bring in new ideas and help you extend the reach once something is published.  I think this is needed now more than ever as so many of us are working independently from home—and your marketing will be stronger as a result.

– Michele Linn, head of strategy, Mantis Research 

10. Heading into 2021, all brands must begin to invest in their purpose to move the communities where they operate forward. The time has passed for brands to release statements that yield no follow up and produce no measurable impact. We saw several brands participate in racial and social justice movements this year, and consumers will continue to hold them accountable in 2021. Beyond posting a black square on Instagram to show solidarity, brands should be investing in minority talent, establishing scalable partnerships, and diversifying their stakeholder ecosystem. 2020 was the year many brands joined the conversation and investing in purpose will be required for them to survive in today’s landscape.

– Sabrina Browne, account director, corporate, BCW Global

11. “Show, don’t tell.” I know, I know, our high school English teachers uttered these words years ago. Still, I think the counsel will be particularly relevant in 2021 when the world once again relegates hyperbole and who shouts the loudest to the back of the room. If there were ever an environment that would reward storytelling—as opposed to adjectives and adverbs—in communications, we’re going to see it this coming year.

– Lou Hoffman, president and CEO, The Hoffman Agency

12. 2020 threw us lots of curveballs, so the key to content marketing success in 2021 will be flexibility. As you think about the content you want to create and the stories you want to tell, keep in mind that you may need to change the format based on how our current reality evolves—or doesn’t. What you thought would be a great e-book may wind up needing to be a live video. What you thought would be a great live video may end up needing to be an infographic. If you start your contact brainstorms by getting clarity on the focus and purpose of your story, it will be much easier to adapt the format in which you deliver it, if you need to.

– Melanie Deziel, author of “The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas,” Contentfuelframework.com

13. Reinvent—don’t replicate.

We saw a tremendous number of marketers “adapt” their in-person events to a virtual format (myself included.) The results were not great. Not only did they make us miss in-person events more, they were frequently more costly, or lost more money than the tactics we used in pre-COVID times.

The key to 2021 will be to completely rethink your tactics—wahtever you’re doing—be it events, emails, Tweets, press releases, digital content or influencer marketing.  Go back to the business purpose and figure out how you can contribute to the business more effectively. The problem with replicating traditional tactics is that they can require new skills, new technology and new types of talent, so they may also need a bigger budget, in a time when many budgets are being cut. Use this time to reimagine your communications and be more creative and innovative in your approach.

– Katie Paine, CEO, Paine Publishing

14. When the pandemic hit, many marketing organizations reallocated their live event budget to content marketing. If virus concerns ease in 2021, marketers may feel pressured to swing money back to live events. In the rush to transition to another new priority, it’ll be all too easy to let your content efforts slide. This risks missing the return on investment you’ve already made in content marketing. I recommend leaders identify how content marketing can support live events and start making the case for it now. You’ll get more value out of both your content and events by focusing on the many ways these two line items can complement each other.

– Frank Strong, founder & president, Sword and the Script Media, LLC

15. My marketing advice for brands heading into the new year would be to focus less on traditional sales tactics and to spend more time and energy demonstrating, through the creation and distribution of content, how the thing they make or the service they provide is relevant to their current and potential customers. That’s the whole game right now. The old hard sales tactics—cold calls, cold DMs, traditional ads—just don’t work anymore. Create and share content that solves your customers’ problems and the leads will materialize.

– Warren Weeks, principal, Weeks Media

16. It seems to me that in 2020 marketers learned a lot (the hard way) about being fully digital, being agile, using data well, and about the importance of expressing brand values. Yet most campaigns were understandably reactive. The most important thing brands can do in 2021 is to take advantage of that digital transformation and use what they learned by investing in new ideas and initiatives. The brands who survived are stronger for it, and now is the time to double down by challenging their teams and agency partners to create innovative new campaigns with new ideas, to be bold and proactive and to take risks. For a while, marketers fell into a trap of prioritizing what is easy to measure (clicks, likes, follows, etc.) yet not always what is most valuable, which is the power of a differentiated idea that engages customers, employees, and partners. That will never go out of style.

– Dorothy Crenshaw, founder, Crenshaw Communications

17. Your marketing doesn’t exist for you, your team or your boss. It exists for your target audience. Why aren’t you spending more time with them? Double down on your audience in 2021. I can nearly guarantee that their challenges and their purchasing patterns shifted in 2020. Spend time with your audience to understand how those things shifted and adjust your marketing accordingly.

– Dennis Shiao, marketing consultant, Attention Retention LLC

18. My advice for 2021 would be to really make sure you throw your content a parade. Use it in as many channels that are relevant as possible and test new things. For example, if you decide to do a podcast, also use that podcast on a live stream and as the basis for an article. Maximize everything you do so you can increase your return on effort.

– Christoph Trappe, CCO, The Authentic Storytelling Project

19. Understanding your audience is a constant commitment. You can create personas and breakdown your target audience as much as you want, but you need to dive deeper and prepare for their behaviors to shift or change. We’ve seen many changes in 2020, and brands need to be prepared to watch, learn and adapt.

– Christina Garnett, senior insights strategist, VIZIT

20. I would say:

• Use digital marketing but don’t be afraid to use print, or audio, or magazines, or flyers, or sidewalk chalk…we have five senses in our brain and we use all of them to form memory.
• Be truly inclusive – this is way harder than it sounds.
• Create a sense of community, whether that’s geographic, psychographic, or any graphic. People who feel they belong to a social identity are far more willing to remember and select you.

– Doug Downs, managing partner, jgrcommunications.com

21. The advice I offer brands in 2021 is to listen to your customers and what their needs are. There has been a shift in customer expectations and how they engage with brands with digital leading the way. New programs and solutions need to meet the new behaviors, audiences need to see the value and convenience proposition and the experiences need to look at short term needs while building toward long term solutions and brand loyalty. You either stand apart or you get left behind.

– Bernie Fussenegger, chief strategy & engagement, B2The7

Michelle Garrett is a PR consultant and writer at Garrett Public Relations. Follow her on Twitter @PRisUs or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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