The Associated Press Stylebook is an essential tool for connecting to journalists and audiences alike. While many of these style suggestions have been in place for years, they change over time as culture does.

Mignon Fogarty, better known as “Grammar Girl,” noted that the latest update to the AP Stylebook ventures into AI for the first time, laying out definitions and offering general advice about ethical use.

To help communicators stay up-to-date, Fogarty joined Ragan recently for a webinar on the latest changes to the AP Stylebook.

Hyphens

The AP used to hyphenate most words with “semi” prefixes like “semi-automatic” and “semi-autonomous,” but now they write these words without a hyphen.

“The guidance is to use hyphens when they’re needed to avoid confusion,” Fogarty said. “They (AP) provide some great real-life examples to illustrate when hyphens are necessary, like the difference between a ‘tiny house fire’ and a ‘tiny-house fire.'”

The stylebook provides a list of prefixes and suffixes that almost always take hyphens:

• Prefixes: self, all, ex and half
• Suffixes: free, based and elect

AP style recently got rid of some hyphens, such as those in words where the letter “e” repeats, like “preempt” and “preexisting.” But it still recommends them for words that could be hard to read with double or triple letters, like “anti-intellectual” and “shell-like.”

Sometimes, there end up being little inconsistencies, Fogarty said. There’s a hyphen in “co-worker” but not in “coworking.” The AP says that’s because the hyphen makes it easier to understand. However, the coworking industry widely uses no hyphen and the AP wants to be in line with what the industry calls itself.

The AP Stylebook is more likely to recommend using a hyphen than not, Fogarty said. Ultimately, it comes down to using best judgment while maximizing readability and clarity.

“When you do decide how to write your word, add it to your house style guide so you can be consistent in the future,” she added.

Oxford comma

The AP has long recommended avoiding the use of Oxford commas (or serial commas) in simple series, such as “red, white and blue.” However, the AP continues to stress the importance of using them when they can improve the clarity of a list or sentence.

For instance, use the comma when the sentence has multiple elements that use conjunctions – “peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, and macaroni and cheese.” Also use it even if only one of the items has a conjunction: “I like peanut butter and jelly, ham, and cheese.”

The serial comma is also useful in simple sentences that can benefit from added clarity, Fogarty said. She provided the infamous internet meme as proof: “They invited the strippers, Stalin, and JFK.” Without that serial comma, it sounds like Stalin and JFK are the strippers.

Pronouns

In the last few years, most style guides, including the AP, have accepted the use of “they” as the singular pronoun in most cases. Its use has grown recently, especially among people who don’t identify as “he” or “she.”

“The AP notes that the singular they can sometimes confuse readers, but at the same time, trying to write without pronouns to avoid confusion can make people feel censored or invisible,” Fogarty said. “So, you have to balance these priorities.”

When using the singular “they,” make sure readers understand that it refers to just one person. If needed, add an explanation, like “Morales, who uses the pronoun they, said they will retire in June.” The AP says not to say someone’s pronouns are “preferred” or “chosen.”

If the copy requires a reflexive pronoun for someone who uses the singular “they,” the correct form is “themself,” not “themselves,” Fogarty said. But the word “you” takes a plural verb when used as a singular pronoun.

In general, writers should use the names and pronouns provided to them, Fogarty said. But the AP Stylebook discourages use of neopronouns such as “ze” or “zir” because of their infrequent use and likelihood of causing confusion.

“You could use them if you were using a direct quote, if you were directly quoting someone else, if it were in a direct quotation,” Fogarty said. “But you might want to explain the word choice to your audience in that case.”

Quotes

When quoting someone who’s speaking, format what they said in AP style as much as possible. For example, use “II” in “World War II” rather than the number two. In an address, still use the abbreviation for “street.” But when quoting a written source, use the exact wording, even if it doesn’t match AP style.

Fogarty advised not to use “sic” to call attention to misspellings or grammar errors as it’ll make the quoted person look bad. If a quotation requires a “sic,” paraphrase it instead.

A notable exception is when it comes to dialect spellings, like “gonna” or “wanna.” Change it to “going to” or “want to”.

Social media posts and text messages often include emojis that can provide important context. In those situations, describe them using words. For example, “Chavez posted a photo of Beyoncé with the goat emoji, suggesting the musician is the greatest of all time.” Don’t describe the emoji or meme in parentheses because it could make the reader believe the person wrote out the description, Fogarty said.

Again, it’s all about being clear.

“Be wary. Get other people’s input if you can,” Fogarty said. “When you use memes without understanding their origin… you could be conveying something you don’t mean.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post What Grammar Girl wants you to know about AP style appeared first on PR Daily.

Matt Purdue is senior strategist at Magnitude, Inc. 

On the morning of November 6, communications professionals woke up to a changed world. They learned that Donald Trump was returning to the White House, and the Republican party was on its way to taking control of the United States Congress.

Working effectively in this altered landscape has been a hot topic of conversation at Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference. Communicators who are not already preparing for the impact of this sea change in Washington risk being caught flatfooted when (not if) new policies and legislation affect their internal and external stakeholders.

A quick look at history shows that during the first 100 days of the Trump administration in 2017, the president signed 28 bills, 24 executive orders, 22 memoranda and 20 proclamations. This time around, expect more of the same beginning on Inauguration Day: Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Engaging with internal audiences

“Employees are now corporations’ loudest, largest, most active stakeholders,” Beth Archer, director of corporate communications for Constellation Energy, told the Future of Communications audience. Now is the time to connect with them to discern what political and societal issues they are most concerned about.

Joanna Piacenza, vice president of thought leadership with Gravity Research, offered a hint of what they may be thinking. She presented recent data from her company showing that executives feel most pressured to address LGBTQ rights, climate change, racial equity and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At the same time, employees are increasingly discussing politics in the office. Gravity Research data saw a 9-point jump in these occurrences between the second and third quarters of 2024.

How to manage this rising tide while keeping employees happy and productive? Archer and Piacenza advise to establish consistent guidelines for when your organization will speak out to employees versus staying neutral. It’s also important to teach leaders and managers how to watch for and handle touchy political topics by flipping destructive internal discussions into constructive dialogue.

Lean on your ERGs

Employee resource groups (ERGs) can be invaluable for successfully navigating internal communications. Piacenza pointed out that 73% of companies use ERGs to communicate internally on societal issues.

However, only 41% hold regular meetings between ERGs and leadership to talk about these topics. And only 11% have ERG representatives on leadership groups that make decisions about these issues. It’s smart for organizations to buck these trends, strengthen ties with their ERGs and use them to help make tough choices.

“Use ERGs to gut-check your communications strategy and statements,” Archer said. “Hold internal focus groups with your ERG leaders to ensure effective partnerships.”

Readying for external pressures

Communicators also need to focus on reputational risks with external audiences in what’s sure to be a polarized environment. Organizations are much more liable to be criticized for seeming to support particular politicians, candidates or issues.

To mitigate these risks, the key is to boost a company’s goodwill now before a problem bubbles up. Scott Radcliffe, global director of cybersecurity with FleishmanHillard, explained that if an organization is wrongly criticized for something it didn’t do, “proving a negative” can be very difficult. “That’s why it’s important to build up brand reputation ahead of time,” he said.

Simultaneously, companies must take a hard look in the mirror to identify their potential political and societal vulnerabilities and prepare crisis communications plans in case external stakeholders call them out. “So many companies say, ‘We are good. We don’t have any issues.’ But it’s malpractice to not do anything,” said Eleanor McManus, co-founder of Trident DMG. “You need to prepare and put your policies in place.”

McManus added that conducting a “crisis audit” involves pinpointing at least the top five issues that could cause problems for the organization, then developing protocols to communicate about them. Identify which external audiences you should engage with (media, business partners, regulators, shareholders, community members, etc.) and craft messages appropriate for each group.

The experts also advised assembling a group including communications, legal and human resources teams to evaluate risks and agree on crisis communications strategy long before it’s needed – with the comms team taking the lead. “Legal tends to not want to say anything. HR tends to say things that no one understands,” said McManus. “It’s up to us as communicators to be truthful, clear and authentic.”

The post Communicating successfully amid political and social dissent appeared first on PR Daily.

Braden McMillan is director of communications at the Business Council of British Columbia. 

“We need a press release!”

It’s a request that those of us in PR and communications hear all too often. If it’s not a press release, it’s “this should be on our website,” or my favorite: “this will go viral on TikTok.”

Whether in a corporate boardroom or on a call with a client, the fast-paced world of PR is rife with big ideas and demands for fast action. Yet, amid these pressures, it’s crucial to remember one thing: It’s strategy that delivers results, not tactics.

Tactics are an essential part of any strategy, but they should never be the sole focus or lead decision-making. Pursuing tactics without a strategy is like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it sticks. It might or might not work, but either way, you’re left with a disconnected mess.

While this might seem obvious in theory, it’s surprisingly easy to forget in practice. Even seasoned communicators can fall into what I call the “tactic trap,” where shiny, novel ideas overshadow strategic thinking.

Let’s be honest: who doesn’t want to jump at the chance to try something new or fire off a quick press release to appease a client? But at the end of the day, is that really what we’re here to do? I’d argue not. Our greatest value lies in the strategic insight we bring to the table. After all, even a baby can throw spaghetti at a wall.

So, how do you avoid the tactic trap? 

The answer lies in one word: Pause.

• Does your client want to showcase a new art collection exclusively on Bluesky? Pause — is that the right platform?
• Does your boss want a 30-second video on the history of brick architecture? Pause — is that the right format?
• Does your aunt want to invite media to her second wedding? Pause — is that something the media wants to attend? Is that something you want to attend? (I guess it depends on who they’re marrying, but probably not.)

Regardless of the ask, taking a pause and referring to your strategy will do wonders in keeping you on track. Ask yourself:

• Does this tactic align with my goals and objectives?
• Does it deliver the right message to my audience at the right time?
• Does this compliment the other tactics in my plan?

If something feels off, then — as Ross Geller famously said — pivot!

Remember your value

You weren’t hired because you know all the tricks in the comms playbook; you were hired because you know which ones to use and when.

When a client, boss, or even an estranged aunt suggests a less-than-ideal tactic, don’t shy away from giving your professional opinion. Explain why a different approach might work better and show how it aligns with your strategy. You might be surprised how often they’ll appreciate the guidance and adapt their plans.

And if you don’t have a strategy?

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of saying, “But I don’t have a strategy to refer back to,” then it’s time to take another pause — and create one. Good results start with a strong framework. Without it, even the best tactics are no better than spaghetti on a wall.

The post Avoiding the tactic trap appeared first on PR Daily.

Michelle Olson remembers the early days of her PR career, when researching a complex crisis communications plan would take hours. It was worth it to the client, she said, which is why they were OK with having it all billed back to them.

Today, however, thanks to AI, that initial research can happen in just a few seconds. While Olson or her teammates at Lambert by LLYC still need to fact-check for accuracy, they can complete many tasks faster than they did even two years ago, thanks to ChatGPT, she said.

None of her clients are asking for adjustments to their rates right now, Olson said. But given the rapid advancements in these technologies, she feels now is the time for firms to start thinking about not only how they’re billing clients but also how they’re proving their value to them.

“It’s really about viewing this opportunity to highlight that we’re much more than just ‘doers’ of tasks,” said Olson, Lambert’s chief client officer and a fellow at PRSA.

A discussion 20 years in the making

Olson’s firm still bills “pure,” or the actual time it takes to complete a work item. “If we have a retainer-type arrangement with our clients, we still (build) an hourly rate into that retainer.”

But she and PRophet founder and CEO Aaron Kwittken both said there have been conversations for more than 20 years about finding models to replace billable hours as the dominant method.

“I think the reason for the use of billable hours is that we’ve either been scared of or can’t define what success looks like,” said Kwittken, a “recovered agency guy” who pivoted to comms tech in 2022.

Olson noted that a much-discussed concept has been the value billing model based on the impact of the work rather than the time it takes to complete.

For instance, a quality pitch to the Wall Street Journal may only take a five-minute phone call – or about $5 on a $100 per hour rate – but the value of that placement could be “priceless” to a brand, Olson said.

It’s common for agencies to build in a certain number of hours per month, but Olson noted that this approach has flaws. “Our services aren’t utilized that way,” she explained.

“We’re crisis communicators. We’re issue managers. There’s something that happens every month that we don’t count on, that a communicator needs to help with,” she continued. “The hours are going to ebb and flow.”

How to readjust retainers

On the client side, teams want as much value as possible, Kwittken said. As such it’s about ways to rethink the billing process to highlight the works that’s taking place beyond press releases and website copy.

“(Clients) want to fix their costs and don’t want them to creep because they have a budget,” he added. “They want to pay for performance, not just activity reports. They want to know what we did to help them achieve their goals, like sales or shareholder valuation.”

The emergence of this tech may give PR agencies a chance to “productize,” not commoditize, what they do and assign specific costs or values to each task, service or deliverable against objective success goals, Kwittken said. He gave the example of tying PR’s impact on sales, employee morale, shareholder value, etc. directly into their client’s CRM.

To that end, Olson sees the potential for PR agencies to go back to the negotiating table and really drive home what they bring to the table in terms.

Olson’s hope is that while they may bill fewer hours for a particular project, AI is creating more time “to be in our clients’ heads about what they worry about every day.” That means there’s more time to do the analysis of social media audiences or strategize about campaigns.

“With those extra two, three hours we can figure out how to make a bigger impact for the client, so that the client benefits from us,” she said. “Maybe that’s another brainstorming session about an issue that they hadn’t told us about yet, because we’re not scoped for that.”

As part of the process, Olson suggested asking clients things such as what’s keeping them up at night and how they can help.

“We have a chance to become bigger strategic partners as an agency,” she said.

Finding the right solution for your firm

Olson noted that there’s no true challenger to the billable hour system. In fact she’s known only three agencies that have gone to the value billing model.

Two of them don’t even exist anymore.

That doesn’t mean value billing or another system won’t work, she said. It also doesn’t mean teams should avoid AI for the sake of taking longer to complete a job.

In fact, it’s just the opposite, Olson said. She believes the new data and insights that AI can provide will improve strategy and measure performance.

Firms need to evaluate their business operations and find ways where they can improve their high-level offerings. Doing so, Olson believes, will lead teams to hire more strategists, writers and data analysts.

“This is our moment to take the lead,” Olson said.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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For decades, many communications strategies focused on getting a story in the New York Times or creating catchy commercials that sparked conversations around the water cooler.

But times have changed, according to Amanda Coffee, a seasoned communications leader. Today, communicators need to focus just as much on authenticity and giving a glimpse into what brands stand for. A big part of that is providing reporters and customers alike with candid access to key company representatives.

“Access can mean meeting a CTO or CFO, but it can also mean meeting the people on the front lines,” Coffee said during Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference in Austin, Texas.

Coffee’s presentation – “Comms This, Not That: (and Tactics You Should Sunset)” – outlined a series of “what’s in, what’s out” elements ranging from the switch from press releases to social-focused strategies and moving from scripted messaging to content that’s more “real” as Coffee put it.

Audiences, especially the highly prized 16-to-24 age group, crave genuine engagement from companies and brands. Coffee believes this current generation is prone to dismissing corporate jargon from company spokespeople and slick social media content. So, instead, companies should tap into messaging and communications channels that allow them to engage their audiences in a more genuine way.

New media landscape is all about personalities

Coffee, who previously led global communications for brands like PayPal and Under Armour, believes the modern media landscape is making it easier to achieve engagement goals. The rise of podcasts, Substack and other nontraditional media platforms provides a way to connect with hard-to-reach audiences.

Journalists like Casey Newton and Taylor Lorenz, as well as podcasters like Alex Cooper, have the power to resonate with their audiences because they’re trusted messengers who tend to be more conversational and personal.

“What I love about podcasts is that there’s minimal editorial input,” said Coffee, currently a comms strategist. When working with traditional business media like the Wall Street Journal, the reporter typically covers the market or financial aspects of the story, which requires a certain level of tension.

An executive might provide a great quote that highlights the direction of a business, but reporters will put it in a broader financial context, causing the brand to lose some control over its messaging.

“When it’s a podcast, they really can’t add the editorial because it’s your spokesperson’s language, and you can really, like focus on the topics,” Coffee continued. She pointed to President-elect Donald Trump’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast and Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance on “Call Her Daddy.”

Coffee advises communicators to explore podcast, newsletter and social creators who align with company values or provide platforms for sharing their story. They should use social engagement figures and audience demographics to potentially change the minds of leadership who may not understand the value of these platforms as viable media channels.

“We’re moving away from the mindset of only wanting print coverage,” Coffee said.

Stories from the front lines

Traditionally, it’s leadership who appear in media interviews or social content. But Coffee believes empowering employees as brand ambassadors has real value.

In the past, she and her team identified “culture carriers” within the organization and provided them with the tools and resources to share their stories on behalf of the company. Coffee suggests looking at corporate values like innovation and inclusion, and then finding the people who best represent those values. Employee resource groups are a great place to find culture carriers, Coffee noted.

These individuals need media training, but they can share their stories on social media, and the company can amplify that content. By doing so, companies show they support their staff and give them a voice, emphasizing the “show, not tell” aspect of their corporate values.

Coffee gave the example of mothers who took a big career gap and returned to PayPal. The comms team media-trained these employees, and they went on to appear on the Today Show, Marie Claire, CNET and more to talk about their experiences with PayPal’s Recharge program, which provides paid training to female technologists reentering the workforce.

At Under Armour, Coffee highlighted designers and former athletes who created footwear and football uniforms. Not only were they able to provide more in-depth analysis about the product than an executive likely could, but it also kept the conversation on track.

“What I love about using subject matter experts is it’s low risk,” Coffee said. “They can’t ask you about a lawsuit or the last earnings call; they’re like, ‘All I know is how we made our football pants from yoga innovations.’”

Instead of looking for the most senior-level person, consider entry-level engineers and designers, or even interns, Coffee said.

“That’s who people want to hear from,” Coffee said. “If you have someone at the front of a trend sharing their story, you almost don’t need the CEO.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Believe it or not, it’s been just over a week since the United States headed to the polls to select a new slate of leaders.  Perhaps more so than in years past, the election of past-and-future President Donald Trump has elicited strong feelings, from elation to despair.

Caught in the middle are companies who have been trying to decide what — if anything — to say publicly about the election and its results.

Behind the scenes, titans of industry are courting Trump, just as they do with every incoming president. Some, especially in the tech space, have issued public statements congratulating Trump on his win. In another election year, these would be considered standard, dull statements, a necessary part of the political game for those who do business with the federal government. But this year, even the most anodyne have drawn attention.

Take the statement made by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on LinkedIn: “Congratulations to President-elect Trump on a hard-fought victory. We look forward to working with you and your administration on issues important to our customers, employees, communities, and country.”

“As a diverse female Amazon employee, this is demoralizing,” one comment read. “This post was not necessary and (a) way to create division within our company.”

“As a woman working for Amazon, I feel proud my CEO is willing to cooperate with our country regardless of the administration!” came a counterpoint.

A survey from Morning Consult conducted the morning after the election revealed complex emotions from employees about what their companies should do in the wake of this new administration. Similarly, the public is also far from united in their beliefs about how businesses should speak out (or remain silent) just now.

Here’s what the survey found.

A lack of consensus

Of the six questions Morning Consult asked employees about how their employers should respond politicly, no single item achieved a majority response, either for or against. The closest there was to agreement was 49% of employees who said that despite Trump’s clear stance against DEI initiatives, companies should nonetheless boost their diversity efforts. The least popular idea was that employers should “welcome political talk in the workplace,” which drew disagreement from 39% of respondents. Only 25% thought that encouraging political discussions was a good idea just now. When phrased differently, asking whether companies should discourage workplace discussion of politics, 41% agreed that was the best course of action.

Perhaps the most interesting item, however, was whether or not the company should support the new president’s policies if they benefit the company. This question was divided into two parts: one asking if the company should support the new administration’s economic policies, and the other asking if they should support its social policies.

Forty-one percent of respondents said it would be good to support economic policies, while 28% said it was fine either way. But there was less support for speaking out in praise of the president’s social policies, even if they benefit the company: 36% said companies should support the policies, while 30% were fine either way.

This lack of a consensus will make it difficult for organizations to navigate the waters. But let’s check in and see what consumers had to say.

Consumers want companies to stick to the basics

Overall, the general public was a bit more clear about what they expected of companies in this circumstance — and what they didn’t want.

Let’s start with the latter. The most unpopular thing a company could do right now is to comment negatively on the election results. Only 26% of respondents said that was a good idea, compared to 49% who said it was a bad idea (and 32% who would strongly disapprove of such a statement. By comparison, a full 50% supported companies commenting positively on the election results.

But in general, what the general public seemed to want most were fairly typical, bland statements about democracy — or nothing at all.

Seventy percent wanted to hear statements encouraging a safe, orderly transition of power. Sixty-four percent wanted companies to take a stand against political violence. And a full 63% just wanted companies to stay quiet altogether. That nudged just ahead of the 60% who wanted a simple, neutral statement on the election results.

The bottom line

The most difficult aspect of the weeks and months ahead may not be managing public perception — it may be handling internal expectations from employees. And remember that any internal statements should be expected to be made public, either through an intentional strategy or via leaks, so balancing these needs is critical.

Employees seem poised to push their employers harder for stances, while the general public is signaling they’re fine with a return to the kinds of political neutrality companies have exhibited in decades past.

Which impulse will win?

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

The post By the Numbers: Post-election, this is what the public wants from companies appeared first on PR Daily.

While Kobe Bryant’s posterizing dunks and game-winning shots made him a fan favorite, it was his legendary “mamba mentality” that made him a champion on and off the court.

Ashlee V. Davidson, VP of communications for Lockheed Martin, believes that communicators can apply the late basketball star’s approach to enhance their personal brands and excel in the professional world. The mamba mentality, Davidson explained, is about having no fear of failure and being resilient, committed and intentional about what you’re working for, no matter the cost.

“Your personal brand is how you’re remembered in a room when you’re not there,” Davidson said at Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference. “What do people talk about? What do people remember about you that makes you fantastic?”

Davidson said the method is useful whether in the boardroom or on a client call. One of the centerpieces of her talk was how to elevate a personal brand to stand out in the competitive field of public relations.

By embracing the mamba mentality, communicators can cultivate a memorable personal brand that showcases their unique talents and value. As Davidson noted, this starts with understanding your “superpowers” – the special skills and abilities that set you apart.

Davidson emphasized the importance of building a strong, visible presence in the industry, whether it’s on LinkedIn or taking part in conferences or networking opportunities.

“Aside from what you bring to the table as internal communicators and communications professionals, what are the sheer talents that separate you?” Davidson asked the audience to think about. “Really understand what those are and dig into that in everything that you do.”

But developing a strong personal brand requires more than just identifying strengths, Davidson said. It also demands a relentless commitment to continuous improvement, like Bryant had.

“It’s a constant quest,” Davidson quoted Bryant. “It’s an infinite quest to be the best.”

This means being willing to “do the work” day in and day out, even when it’s challenging. As Davidson explained, Bryant would often wake up at 4:30 a.m. to practice before the team’s morning session, driven by a determination to grow.

“Don’t overwork yourself,” Davidson said, “but keep that same focus on how you want to personify your craft and how you want to master the things that you’re doing to get better.”

For communicators, that means seeking out opportunities for professional growth and development, such as volunteering to be part of the rollout of a new AI pilot program, for example.

By embracing the mamba mentality of grit, focus and a growth mindset, communicators elevate their personal brands and excel.

“Take every shot. Live with no fear. Exhibit the mamba mentality,” Davidson said. “You never know where that’s going to get you, but sure enough, I hope that it helps to land you success.”

Watch the full presentation below.

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Parallel stories are playing out in Seattle with two legacy brands grappling with poor performance, employee issues and a loss of direction. Both Starbucks and Boeing are hoping that their new CEOs can turn things around – but both have their work cut out for them.

Jennifer George, SVP at The Aspen Group, sees similarities in how they’re communicating change under their new leaders, Kelly Ortberg at Boeing and Brian Niccol at Starbucks. Each of these companies is using the messaging around the hires to signal to the outside world that they’ll be going back to the services and brand characteristics that made them household names decades ago.

According to George, who has experience with leadership changes at brands like Shutterfly and Unilever, successful change leadership requires “brutal honesty about problems, deep respect for heritage, clear frameworks for action, authentic engagement with front-line teams and realistic timelines.”

Heritage as North Star 

Sometimes new CEOs want to make their mark by building something new, but they shouldn’t forget what made their organization great in the first place, George said. “Your company’s history and the DNA of that brand are really a strength.”

At Boeing, the comms team is focusing on returning to engineering excellence, while Starbucks wants to get back to its “coffeehouse roots.” In his hiring announcement, Niccol stressed a desire to see the “iconic brand” get back to exhibiting the “unique culture and commitment to enhancing human connections around the globe” that he has long admired.

“It’s clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers,” Niccol said in mid-October. “My experience tells me that when we get back to our core identity and consistently deliver a great experience, our customers will come back.”

Mellody Hobson, Starbucks’ lead independent director and a board member, described   Niccol as a “culture carrier.” She and the rest of the company’s board praised Niccol for turning Chipotle around by introducing menu changes and improving store employees’ quality of life, through higher wages and more benefits.

“Like all of us at Starbucks, he knows that a great customer experience starts with a great partner experience,” said Hobson. “Our board believes he will be a game-changing leader for our company, our people, and the customers we serve worldwide.”

In his early days as Boeing’s CEO, Ortberg made a deliberate effort to spend time on the factory floor, rather than in the executive suites: “I don’t think our people are close enough to the people in the labs, the people on the factory floor.”

The statement showcased Ortberg’s commitment to connecting with frontline employees who are the “lifeblood of the company,” George said.

In other statements, the former Collins Aerospace chief executive has tried to send a message to investors that Boeing was getting back to basics. He recently cited a desire to develop a new aircraft in the future but stressed a need to “reset our priorities and create a leaner, more focused organization.”

“There was no attempt to ‘reimagine aerospace solutions,'” George said. “It was, ‘We’re an airplane company; and we need to get back to what we do best, which is engineering excellence around airplanes.'”

Front-line first 

George emphasized that Niccol and Ostberg’s post-hire actions weren’t about making boardroom presentations, but rather about taking trips into the field. “Truth comes from where value is created, not headquarters,” George said.

Both CEOs have been clear about the importance of being in the trenches. Niccol did just that in his first 50 days, talking to folks all over the country on a listening tour.

As part of his “Back to Starbucks” plan, Niccol is simplifying the drink and food menus, restoring the condiment bar and bringing back the practice of writing names on beverage cups, among other changes, to reclaim the company’s status as “America’s living room.”

“To me, the fact that he’s turned what he heard into tangible changes in under three months sends a clear message about understanding the people doing the actual work and making it easier for them, which ultimately benefits customers,” George said.

They’ve also worked to show that commitment isn’t a one-off thing. Ortberg, for instance, moved from Florida to Seattle. Niccol is commuting by private jet from his family home in Southern California to be at the office a few times a week. Though, that work agreement with has raised some concerns about an apparent double standard as the company has pledged to enforce its return-to-office policy.

“The real challenge is the perceived inconsistency, whether it’s real or not,” George said. “As I always tell leaders, everything you say and do sends a message. Your job as CEO is to send the right message and inspire trust. To me, this doesn’t quite hit the mark.”

A Starbucks spokesperson said corporate expectations are for Niccol to work in the Seattle office at least three days a week in line with the company’s policy.

“It seems like they tried to do this with the right intention, but it still raises questions about consistency and fairness,” George said.

Framework, not frenzy

George praised both companies for their straightforward language in communications. “There are very few buzzwords or corporate jargon,” she said. “They’re willing to admit the hard truth, that they’ve made it difficult to be a customer.”

One example is Ostberg’s frank statements about the looming layoff of up to 10% of Boeing’s staff.

In the Q3 earnings report, he wrote:

“We are at a crossroads. The trust in our company has eroded; we’re saddled with too much debt; and we’ve had serious lapses in our performance across the company, which have disappointed many of our customers.”

“As communications pros, we often sanitize our leaders’ messages, making them meaningless and undermining trust,” she said. “Real trust is built on raw truth, not perfectly crafted statements.”

George noted that communications from Niccol and Ortberg, as well as their teams, have used simple, direct language that “calls out problems by name and strips away the corporate veneer.”

“They speak like humans, saying what’s wrong and how they’ll fix it, which has been really powerful for both of them so far,” she added.

George emphasized the importance of setting long-term expectations while trying to get back to the fundamentals and earning a few wins.

“Change is a process, not an event,” George said.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Dustin Siggins is founder of Proven Media Solutions. 

AI is getting all the headlines. But something more fundamental is happening for in-house communications departments that may mean even more – and bigger – changes.

What do you mean?

For years, communications officers have advocated for more meaningful roles in corporate leadership structures. They’ve had a front row seat to a dynamic consumer becoming more engaged in 2-way communication with brands and a penchant for basing trust and loyalty on overall brand perception – beyond just product and service quality. For years, communications professionals have advocated for a spot in the C-Suite, especially as consumers’ decisions to pay more attention to corporate practices has resulted in challenges to brand trust and loyalty. 

A viral June 2024 study shows that corporate boards are beginning to understand this, and are responding by finally giving communications teams seats at the C-Suite table. But this new class of Chief Communications Officers aren’t just being tasked with messaging strategies and media relations. They’re now also responsible for helping guide interdepartmental synergy and are accountable for overall organizational success. 

“I think you’re seeing a greater recognition that communications has a bottom-line impact,” said Jeff Berkowitz, founder of  political and reputational risk advisory firm Delve. “C-Suite executives are realizing that every part of a company impacts stakeholder reputation. Unless you have a lead communicator at the decision-making table, there won’t be someone in the room who understands how sales and operations tie into brand management. And that’s a mistake in an era when a single wrong step can cost a company sales and brand equity in one fell swoop.”

The growing emphasis on communications as an indispensable part of business planning and growth will certainly impact senior and mid-level in-house teams. And while many are slammed with short-term Q4 tasks, they need to be looking ahead to Q1 2025 to catch up with the trend that will undoubtedly mean more responsibility. 

More respect…and responsibility

Culture and policies roll downhill, and more respect for comms from the C-Suite means more respect commanded and assumed throughout an organization. It’s a significant opportunity to be integrated into the different departments and functions of the broader corporation. 

“Many corporate public relations teams already seek this integration – but a Chief Communications Officer makes it easier for it to happen,” said Nick Lagalante, a B2B corporate marketing and communications executive who has led global teams for technology companies. “This creates more opportunities for a higher quantity and quality of brand storytelling that impacts markets and drives the business forward.”

It’s easy to see where this is all leading: in-house comms teams will suddenly have twice the workload.

Casually skimming an engineering report’s Executive Study to prep answers for a “general business” beat reporter or new product press release is no longer going to cut it. Spokespersons will now need a comprehensive understanding of technical specifications to hold their own in interviews with top-tier trade outlet journalists who know every three- and four-letter acronyms in industry parlance. Gaining this mastery will require extensive new training and more rounds of technical editing on content, all while conducting outreach to a wider swath of media outlets.

Stephanie Roberts is Head of Global Communications for Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a company with over two billion dollars in annual sales and 9,000 employees. She said that this increased responsibility is the natural consequence of a business landscape that radically changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“External stakeholders have greater expectations about transparency and how a company functions,” she said. “Senior executives expect to share thought leadership and company news on social media, through SEO, and via webinars and conference speeches. Instead of being its own silo, communications now demands knowledge of operations, sales, finance, etc. as well as working relationships with those department heads to ensure alignment.” 

Public relations department and team leads, therefore, must take advantage of the boss’ new seat at the C-Suite table. Alan Shoebridge is Associate Vice President of National Communication for Catholic healthcare system Providence, which has 51 hospitals and a presence in seven states. He says communication leaders must build “a solution reputation and good relationships” to successfully advocate for a bigger team, more budget for outside help, and greater operational freedom. 

“It’s critical that leaders understand what resources the communication team needs to keep the lights on, continue the current level of service, or elevate to an even higher level,” said Shoebridge. “Effectively advocating for more resources – budget or people – requires showing a vision, clear goals, and a measurement plan to elevate the communications function and impact the business.”

CCO integration can make you indispensable today – and for the rest of your career 

Integration comes with another benefit: whereas once upon a time, comms people were viewed as mere guards at the branding gate, now we are designing Central Command’s design and strategic choices. 

This means that comms gets to be a part of making the decisions that determine how the PR soldiers will carry out their battle plan. But those soldiers will also become more embedded into the organization – and therefore indispensable and hard to fire or lay off. This means both short-term job security and opportunities for career acceleration because of the in-depth knowledge gained about corporate operations, sales, finance, HR, and other key aspects of business.

“Being seen as a primary guardian of reputation instead of a mere order-taker has major implications for PR team leads beyond their current roles,” said Jeremy Tunis, a fractional PR advisor to start-ups, conglomerates, and nonprofits who has worked in-house at Edelman and Amazon. “The more that CEOs integrate communications into everything the organization does, the more that PR team members will be tasked with complex matters like bridging internal communications friction between departments, and managing the inevitable crisis.The tactical skills of PR are important; applying those unique skills as a company-wide trusted business counselor is far more difficult and valuable.” 

Start preparing now for the brighter future

The authors of Four Disciplines of Execution pointed out that growth happens when leaders take 20% of their time to focus on one critical area of improvement. PR leaders are in Q4, with all the last-minute goals, holiday vacations, and other stresses associated with it. They can hardly stay ahead of the news cycle, never mind look a few months down the road.

But you must, or you’ll miss the CCO opportunity that’s going to deluge your department with opportunities and responsibilities. 

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In theory, getting homeowners to accept a free lead service line replacement should be easy. The new pipes can reduce the risk of lead in drinking water and increase property values.

But after launching its voluntary program in 2016, Greater Cincinnati Water Works had a hard time getting people to sign up.

Program managers Kevin Kappers and Bridget Patton found that several communication issues were holding them back from meeting their replacement goals. These include distrust of the government, people not answering calls from unknown numbers and struggles to explain the program to residents.

“Some people think it’s too good to be true,” Kappers said about the program, which focuses on areas where GCWW has already planned infrastructure projects, like water main replacements and sinkhole repairs.

“We’re calling to offer a free program that will increase your home’s value and remove a risk,” he continued. “To some people, that raises red flags – and you can understand why.”

That’s why the GCWW team has developed a strategy around a few key concepts: simple language, consistent messaging and community advocates.

But it all starts with building trust.

Trusted community partners

GCWW created its lead program in 2016 following the well-publicized incident in Flint, Michigan . Cincinnati hasn’t experienced anything like the Flint incident but lead pipes do exist. Usually, additives to the water supply protect people from lead, but if those lines get disturbed, the risk greatly increases.

That situation created a potential “mixed messaging” challenge, Kappers said. On one hand, they were telling people their water was safe; on the other hand, they were saying they needed to replace their line.

“The truth is, it’s a little bit of both,” Kappers said. “But we stress that this isn’t about suffering health consequences tomorrow if you don’t do the replacement.”

Initially, the Cincinnati program covered 40% of the replacement cost, up to $1,500. Because the customer still paid the majority, participation rates were low, around 35% Even after replacement became completely free in 2021, the public remained skeptical and customer participation only rose to 50%.

Kappers, a certified engineer, said the topic of lead in water can be a difficult notion to convey to someone who doesn’t have an engineering degree or a chemistry background, especially during a telephone call or in a single email.

To that end, GCWW has worked to simplify its messaging, changing most collateral material to rely on visuals and infographics instead of text. The copy that was kept foregoes technical jargon in favor of easy-to-follow, digestible information. For example, the lead team replaced a multi-page booklet explaining the program with a colorful, two-sided flier that is more visually appealing and much quicker to process.

GCWW’s outreach begins with a colorful postcard to catch their attention (“Something important is coming your way!”), then it sends the actual contract and details of the program via mail.

After that, there are a couple rounds of automated telephone calls to remind customers to check their mail as well as reminder emails and social media posts targeted at specific neighborhoods.

In total, there are about 10 direct touchpoints with homeowners.

“We’re going to blitz the area when we’re working in it, to try to get everybody,” Patton said. “We’re going to hit you with every possible way we can to get the message across.”

Being part of the community

The real key to success, according to Patton, lies in the program’s community-based outreach efforts.

GCWW has made a concerted effort to partner with trusted neighborhood entities to build on its credibility and have them share the program’s benefits with the community. This might include local community council members, church leaders or other respected neighborhood figures.

“We show up everywhere,” Patton said, from local council meetings to major festivals.

These community connections have proven invaluable, especially in reaching residents who may be wary of government outreach, Patton said.

“All of that builds goodwill and trust in the community,” Patton said.

The program’s success stories have also become powerful tools. They lean into those testimonials – using social media to share brief stories of the individuals and families affected on social media posts. They range from a couple thanking the utility making their home safer for their son to a woman outlining the ins and outs of the placement process.

“The lead service line replacement took less than a day,” said program participant Mandy Ackerman. “They dug up the shut-off valve at the street, tunneled under my yard to the house, cleaned up the basement, and came back the next day to seed around the valve.

The East Price Hill then went on to stress that the entire process is free and that there was no disruption to her yard.

“When someone stands up and says, ‘Yeah, I participated, and it was painless,’ that’s really powerful,” Patton said.

Consistent but targeted messaging

Homes affected by lead pipes include both those belonging to the wealthy and those living in poverty. People who’ve struggled financially often become disenfranchised, which has made them more distrustful, according to GCWW.

That’s where personalized outreach becomes important. Many of the residents prefer in-person contact and being able to ask questions in real time, Kappers said. But the key is to make sure it remains consistent.

Even with these strategies in place, the team at GCWW knows that their work is far from over. Reaching residents with language barriers or limited access to technology remains a persistent challenge.

“We’re a known entity for a lot of folks now,” Kapper said. “We show up, we’re there, we’re consistent. And that helps break down those barriers of distrust.”

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Nowadays, it seems like just about every social media user has taken an influencer’s opinion on something, whether it’s about trying a product or visiting a new restaurant.

Even if they don’t know each other in person, the time they spend watching videos creates a kind of relationship that lets them build a rapport, even a sense of trust.

“Influencer and creator platforms are built on trust,” said Blair Huddy, founder and CEO of Hudson Davis Communications. “Their audiences trust them for information, product recommendations and more. Part of what helps them build an audience is being authentic, which helps others relate to them.”

Recent data from Podcastle, a content creation platform powered by AI, supports Huddy’s comments. The survey reveals that users want authenticity more than ever from their influencers. In fact, 61% of Americans prioritize authenticity over everything else in the content they watch.

“Trust and authenticity go hand in hand, and that’s exactly why it’s rated so highly as a quality users want to see,” said Arto Yeritsyan, Podcastle’s CEO.

“Influencers create content, but what an audience buys into is the person, driven by their unique personality and worldview,” he continued. “Being relatable and credible is important for an influencer, whether they share knowledge-based content or try to be funny – users want to know that person has lived what they’re saying and can empathize with them.”

Building a genuine connection

Huddy believes that it comes down to people looking for genuine recommendations from someone they trust. “A lot of people feel like they know their favorite creators intimately, and when they push products in a way that feels inauthentic, those posts don’t do very well,” she said.

She gave an example of working with creators who typically get millions of views on posts, but when they post an ad, it only gets hundreds or thousands of views, so the audience can definitely tell when the content isn’t organic.

Huddy recently worked with lifestyle brand influencer @shondarogers on an air purifier post. While the creator’s posts tend to do really well, Huddy said her paid ads tend to see a noticeable difference, with far fewer views than her normal content.

What tends to work best for her, Huddy said, is finding ways to help an influencer’s authenticity come across. It doesn’t work when it comes off as an ad and you can tell they don’t care about your product or company.

To that end, you’re really looking for creators who are personally and professionally aligned with your brand, where the “endorsement” of your product or company makes sense. In short: Don’t just search for folks with the highest follower count.

“On the other hand, when you see people talking about and recommending a product they genuinely love, those posts tend to do really well,” Huddy said.

Huddy gave the example of an experience working with a user-generated content creator for a fashion brand called Rewash. The user was a frequent customer who happened to be chronically ill, and she shared her experiences in buying new clothes to look and feel better while combating her illness.

These posts had a much greater impact than other creators for Rewash, Huddy said, with a purchase-through rate of more than 50%, which is “insanely high for creator campaigns.”

Huddy attributed that success to the creator being genuinely supportive of the brand and her audience responding well to her feelings and recommendations about products.

Don’t create a digital pitchman

Huddy believes that if an influencer’s social channel starts to feel like a glorified entry point for a TikTok shop or some other platform, it can turn people off.

Podcastle’s numbers back that up. Yeritsyan noted that American social media users find it excessive when an influencer posts more than nine times a week, stating three new pieces of content per week are ideal for most creators.

If a product or angle is inconsistent with the brand they followed and if they oversaturate the market, seeming more like a pitchman than an influencer, users will lose interest, Yeritsyan said.

Podcastle found that people don’t want to watch content that feels inauthentic or staged (69%), features excessive brand partnerships (63%) and includes repetitive or unoriginal content (58%). The research showed that 81% of Americans will unfollow influencers who share videos that lack substance or value, emphasizing the need for authenticity.

Nearly 70% of users felt that when influencers post too frequently, it’s usually because they are trying to push a product or service.

Building a new influencer relationship

Ultimately, no one understands influencer audience data better than the creators themselves, Huddy said. She’s a firm believer in letting them have a controlling stake in the promotion.

“It should be a partnership,” she said.

Huddy recommended providing a general brief of what you’re hoping to do with the campaign. Then ask them to provide you with ideas for how they might get the campaign ethos across to their audience in a way that feels genuine to the rest of their work.

“That lends itself to a situation where you’re developing a genuine connection with the creator and helping them deeply understand your product and company and how it fits into the ecosystem they’ve created,” Huddy said.

While working with the brands Karma Wallet and Integrate, Huddy’s team found that the process was more beneficial when they allowed the creators to have creative input. One Karma Wallet creator, Tyler Chanel, even recommended a blog post over picture content because she thought it would perform better for her audience.

“Don’t be overly prescriptive; it can often come off as too scripted and unauthentic, making the entire strategy ineffective,” Huddy said. “If you want a shot-by-shot narrative, it would be better to create an ad than to work with a creator.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Few brands remain at the top of their field forever. They can coast on your past reputation for a while, but eventually, it will lose its luster. Then, creative communicators need to find new ways to show their value to new generations who might see them as old-fashioned or not think of them at all.

Public relations should be at the forefront of any reinvention strategy, according to Jacqueline Babb, a senior lecturer at Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University.

“Brand and reputation go hand-in-hand,” Babb said. “Being able to reshape stakeholder (customers and investors) perceptions is going to be critical to the success of any rebranding efforts.”

Breathing life into a tired brand

Sometimes a brand loses its cultural relevance – whether it’s because the imaging is a bit tired or perhaps the product itself feels antiquated.

That was the case for Anne Marie Squeo’s PR team while she was ​​chief communications and brand officer Xerox from 2019 to 2021. She described the company as having “receded from the zeitgeist for many years.”

In response, Squeo’s team decided to shift its messaging focus from its printers – “which weren’t very exciting” – to the colors they could create. With a series of videos that connected to relevant events, such as the US Open tennis tournament, holidays, fashion, etc., the team featured its print experts alongside external ones discussing various topics such as the perception of metallics and the real color of a tennis ball.

Taking a page out of paint companies’ playbook, Xerox announced it’d chosen “clear” as its 2020 color of the year. The revamped approach generated press coverage and brought a refresh to the brand, said Squeo, founder and CEO of Proof Point Communications.

Squeo said it aimed to “signal to the world that we were waking up the sleeping giant.”

Xerox experienced an immediate brand excitement, Squeo said. However, it struggled to sustain that success in part because the overarching brand failed to adapt its business model to consumer trends, leading to struggles and a “reinvention” of the company’s business operations.

This is a reminder that even great PR can only do so much in terms of driving sales. It’s important that communications objectives should flow from organizational objectives.

Reacting to a changed cultural landscape

One product Babb believes has done a great job reacting to changed cultural preferences is Crocs – the famously ugly, utilitarian clog that took the world by storm in the early 2000s.

The company originally found great success with its focus on comfort and practicality. However, after concerns about foot health risks stemming from the shoe and ridicule of  its no-frills design, the company was on the verge of going belly-up by 2009.

When Andrew Rees became CEO in 2017, he shifted the brand’s focus to making clogs cool and raising awareness about its other options, such as sandals.

The brand has turned to more over-the-top and silly product designs – such as clogs with heels and specialty themed footwear geared toward children, such as the “Wednesday Addams” edition. Crocs recently released footwear for dogs which sold out the same day.

“(Crocs) embraced ‘ugliness’ as part of its ethos, emphasizing joy and its unique style for leaning into a more unconventional aesthetic,” Babb said.

All social media images feature playful messaging that mirrors the relaxed, “who cares?” vibe of the products it now offers.  The company also tapped into a relationship with a range of influencers, such as musician Carter Vail and singer Post Malone – leading to a reemergence of the brand, especially among teens.

PR pros can use this as an example of taking a step back to look at their product and showcase how it best relates to the current cultural landscape.

The value of a brand

Babb described brands as “intangible assets with tangible value” for companies. A positive brand identity is likely the reason a consumer wants to associate with a company and makes them feel comfortable paying for a product.

A bad reputation will have the opposite, negative effect.

Abercrombie & Fitch is an example of a brand that has experienced both ends of that spectrum over the past few years.

After being voted America’s most hated retailer just eight years ago, Abercrombie worked to move away from an over-sexualized image, which didn’t resonate with Gen Z or even the millennials that had grown up with the brand. The brand’s PR leaned into shared media to announce #AbercrombieIsBack on social media, knowing the importance of changing customer perceptions of their reputation. Posts featured new, more relaxed fit clothing, such as sweaters and trendy cargo pants. 

And in that transition, the company managed to restore millennial love for the brand.

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“They decided to dig deep into customer insights about the millennial audience that grew up with and loved Abercrombie and are now young professionals,” Babb said.

However, much of that good work is now being undercut by a scandal involving its former CEO, Mike Jeffries, accused of various sex crimes. Its stock price has suffered.

Abercrombie has sought to distance itself from Jeffries and his association with the company. In social media posts, A&F highlighted that Jeffries hasn’t worked there in nearly 10 years and the company also has moved on from the image he created for the brand.

Babb expressed a belief that those types of efforts to distance from unsavory elements of a brand’s history are important to withstand continued blowback.

“In a world where everything is an ad network, from the top of a taxi to the televisions in Walmart, authentic messages from humans are essential,” Babb said.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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The emergence of generative AI has brought significant changes to many areas of the public relations sector. One gaining traction right now is “digital twins” – virtual replicas of target personas.

In essence, digital twins are similar to the character profiles used in communications and marketing plans for decades, according to Ephraim Cohen, global managing director of media, platforms and storytelling at FleishmanHillard. The key difference is that digital twins are more dynamic in that they can use a broader range of data, which leads to better insights based on real-world results.

Cohen’s FleishmanHillard team first delved into generative AI more than five years ago as part of its ongoing effort to better understand audiences. When ChatGPT and other next gen products burst onto the scene around 2022, the agency “almost immediately started looking at digital twins” to make harvesting those insights “much faster, much easier and much more cost-effective to develop” than the traditional personas created by hand.

Jon Lombardo, co-founder of synthetic research platform Evidenza, noted that digital twins  also offer enhanced flexibility, allowing teams to test multiple messages simultaneously and compare the responses to each version.

“Things that used to take months now take literally minutes,” he said.

Developing a program

FleishmanHillard assembled a team of about 50 people to begin developing and testing its digital twin frameworks. The initial approach involved training bots on datasets related to audience behaviors, preferences and online conversations.

Cohen couldn’t go into detail about specific types, but he said FleishmanHillard’s main focus has centered on B2B and B2C audiences.

“We didn’t want to do it with real people, because there are a lot of legal and ethical ramifications there,” Cohen explained. “So we started by taking data sets on how people behaved, their favorite brands, purchase habits and online conversations, and then training bots on those data sets.”

The agency also used qualitative data sources such as academic papers, books and news clippings to build a more comprehensive understanding of their target audiences. That gave insight into things like behaviors, word choices and even their general thought processes.

The goal was not only to gain deeper audience insights, but to also create interactive tools that could assist with media relations and content strategy, Cohen said. He shared that the agency has even experimented with creating profiles of journalists and influencers to better understand how to position stories and content in a “way that resonates.”

Digital twins have made the once static persona “come to life,” Lombardo said. They can have actual names, roles and financial information, allowing for in-depth questioning. By asking the virtual person questions, they can gain the immediate feedback needed to model customer preferences, motivations and pain points.

“(Digital twins can) model the entire sample and give you a more robust view of what the market thinks,” Lombardo said. He added that Evidenza’s clients have had the most success using the platform to reach hard-to-access communities.

“Most of the people that PR people want to impress are not taking surveys or picking up the phone,” Lombardo said. “And in some ways, the only way to talk to them or model them is to use AI.”

Another area digital twins can help with, Lombardo said, is narrative and message testing – understanding how different stakeholders will respond to new campaigns or messaging. Beyond just helping to generate ideas, Lombardo advised PR pros to start asking their AI personas if they like the story angle or the messaging and why they feel that way.

Not as effective with real-time analysis

While the technology is promising, Lombardo highlighted that digital twins have limitations, particularly in real-time situations, such as crises or campaign results as they’re coming in.

“It’s very good at things that have a broader view, like research or segmentation or narrative testing,” he said. “It’s not as good at things that depend on real-time, immediate assessment.”

Cohen largely agreed with those sentiments, especially for digital twin programs just getting started.

Digital twins won’t be perfect from the start, especially when it comes to real-time processes. This is largely because most standard platforms aren’t designed for real-time use, but rather to learn from past data.

Cohen said that many of the initial results from FleishmanHillard’s trials weren’t relevant to their work because they were based on outdated information. It’s possible to train tools and keep them up-to-date, Cohen said, but a team needs to constantly feed and update them with new information. While it’s possible in theory, Cohen said that in practice, most digital twins would require a custom application to draw on real-time data.

While the technology isn’t there yet, Cohen said he feels the technology is moving in that direction. He said many augmentation technologies, like APIs, that can connect to bring in real-time data to a gen AI application.

“As it stands, we’re not there yet,” Cohen said. “But we’ll get there.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

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There’s no such thing as surefire homerun when it comes to a product launch or campaign. No matter the quality of content or the product its promoting, sometimes things just don’t resonate with the target audience.

While no one likes to admit failure, there are important lessons that a PR team can learn from these situations. By understanding what went wrong, there’s a chance to make fixes that can salvage the effort.

“If you’re thinking about a PR campaign that’s supporting a product launch, but the sales aren’t there, then you’ve got to ask yourself why,” said Anne Marie Squeo, founder and CEO of Proof Point Communications.

Squeo experienced one of those challenges firsthand while a vice president of communications at IBM. By the time she joined the company, it had already  issued what Squeo described as “hundreds of press releases” about Watson, its AI-based offering. The focus of those communications was to highlight the company’s thought leadership in the still-emerging artificial intelligence space.

The technology famously beat trivia masters on Jeopardy in 2011. By 2016, then-IBM CEO Ginni Rometty boldly stated that Watson was on track for use in some form by a billion people by the end of the following year.

That didn’t happen.

The product was expensive to adopt, and it wasn’t the industry-changing, do-everything solution that it was made out to be. In fact, it didn’t work very well. As a result, clients openly expressed their disappointment to the press, and the narrative surrounding Watson as a breakthrough in artificial intelligence quickly turned into a PR and business issue.

“We really had to move quickly to understand why this was happening, what we had said, and how we had fallen short of our promises,” explained Squeo, a former vice president of corporate communications for IBM. One of her assignments had her oversee Watson, cloud & technology communications.

First things first: Determining where things went wrong

When facing a struggling campaign or product launch, the first thing to do is to perform a root cause analysis to diagnose why things didn’t go as planned.

At IBM, Squeo and her team started by examining all of its previous releases, public statements and advertising language related to Watson. The goal of the “autopsy” was to understand the extent of the problem and where the disconnect lay between marketing claims and actual product performance.

In the case of Watson, the product simply wasn’t meeting the hype surrounding it.

Often, companies blame marketing and PR when sales don’t come through, Squeo said, but if “you’ve got an amazing product, no amount of marketing and PR can hide its appeal.” She gave the example of the almost-overnight success of Dollar Shave Club.

“PR can’t fix it unless we understand and work to address the reason the story appeared in the first place,” she added.

Scale back communications to avoid brand damage

When facing a difficult campaign or product launch, Squeo emphasized the importance of limiting public messaging while working to address those internal issues to avoid doing additional damage to the brand.

Generally, if a product launch isn’t getting traction or is receiving criticism, the PR team should turn its outward-facing messaging to the successful business areas while reworking its approach to the field product, Squeo said. Any messaging about the struggling product or campaign should focus on facts and clarifying information.

Squeo left IBM in late 2018, so she wasn’t there for all the aftermath of the Watson fallout. From the outside, it felt like the company had stopped talking about Watson almost entirely. She agreed with the approach.

“I didn’t see many ads for it, and when I watched IBM’s investor days, they barely mentioned it,” said Squeo. “So, I think that’s a clear sign they’d moved on. They were focusing on other parts of the business instead.”

Don’t be afraid to try new things

Just because a campaign doesn’t hit right away, it doesn’t mean the product is bad or there isn’t a market for it. PR teams need to test and iterate, adjusting media strategies and messaging as needed based on data and feedback.

If traditional PR and marketing haven’t gotten many hits, it may be time to shift to a paid approach, where you don’t need to convince someone to promote your product, Squeo said. If the paid approach is done well, it might help the other side and make the media more receptive to pitches.

In some instances, the best strategy is simply giving more time for the campaign or product to find its audience. Some campaigns or products take longer to have an impact, especially if the product or service is expensive or a longer-term investment rather than a short-term necessity, Squeo said.

“If one thing isn’t working, you can try shifting your focus to see if you get better results by shifting your approach,” she said. “You should always be looking to learn and adjust.”

Be a thought leader, not just a ‘doer’

Rather than simply executing orders, Squeo stressed the need for PR professionals to take a more involved approach in the campaign analysis.

“It’s our responsibility to take that expertise and make it actionable and explainable to our internal partners, whether it’s the product development team, sales team, marketing team or CEO,” Squeo said.

“We need to clearly explain why we’re recommending a particular course of action, what results we expect to achieve,” she added. “If those results aren’t delivered, why that happened and how we’re addressing it.”

When facing a campaign or product challenge, it’s vital to collaborate across departments. PR teams should work hand-in-hand with the product development, sales and marketing teams to fully understand the challenges and to develop effective solutions.

“I don’t think you can do that alone,” Squeo said. “All those things play a role. It’s not just marketing and PR.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post How PR teams can help a brand rebound from a product flop appeared first on PR Daily.

The lines between marketing, advertising and public relations have become increasingly blurred. As a result, PR professionals can’t rely solely on metrics like media impressions to prove their value – the C-suite wants hard numbers that directly impact the bottom line.

Greg Swan, senior partner and Midwest digital lead for FINN Partners, believes it’s time for PR professionals to think with a marketing mindset. Swan suggests finding ways to own the customer journey from “awareness to action” to help quantify the impact of PR activities.

“If you can own the journey of how your customer hears about something, how they learn about it, and then how they get to the website or social, and then where the website or social will take them, you own the results,” said Swan. “If you own the journey, you own the results.”

Getting customers to self-volunteer data

PR often gets a bad rap for reporting results based on digital impressions, news clippings or qualitative impact, which don’t hold as much weight as conversions or sales lift, Swan said. But those social media shares, likes, website views, do matter – if they’re packaged with customer data.

During his 20-year career, Swan has found success harvesting information about would-be customers using clear calls-to-action to a specific link, typically to the brand’s website or social channels, in all PR efforts. These direct, actionable requests can come in the form of a custom URL, a QR code or a news story mentioning a specific website.

These allow a potential customer to self-identify their interest in the message or product while allowing the company to “cookie them” and gain valuable first-party data, Swan said.

Approaches could include creating a landing page with a lead capture form for consumers who see a brand featured on the morning news or ensuring a viral social media post directs viewers to a product page.

Swan recalled creating a PR campaign at a previous company that aimed to generate web traffic and increase email signups for a travel industry company. A focal point of the approach was a shareable contest widget that required an email address. Swan’s team matched the collected emails with new and current customers, expanding the audience databases.

To capture traffic from consumers who saw the earned media hit on TV news or a print outlet, the team adapted their search engine marketing terms to direct to the company’s website when they searched for more information on Google.

“We had now quantified earned media coverage,” Swan said.

Finding ways to integrate

Earned media isn’t always going to produce easily trackable data. Swan has worked on many campaigns where news stories in publications and on broadcast didn’t have custom links. Yet, even without embedded URLs, his teams managed to calculate their sales successes because they tethered their data to marketing figures.

For instance, PR pros can look at the timing of when a story ran on TV or online and compare it to search results and look for spikes in traffic on their website. Teams pitching a story or launching a campaign should tailor their search engine marketing keywords to match, Swan said. This way, when someone reads about it in a trade publication, sees it on TV, or hears about it from a friend and searches online, they’ll end up in a targeted search pool. Swan also suggests social listening tools should always be running and up to date.

After securing that data, cross-reference it against the marketing figures. Sales numbers are pretty straightforward. But there’s also “consideration and engagement phase” data – signing up for a loyalty program or visiting a website’s store locator – that can show a customer’s purchase intent. From a B2B perspective, that could be signing up to learn more or downloading a white paper.

Combined, that information offers a numerical snapshot of PR’s role in the sales process.

Swan gave the example of one of his campaigns that got featured on ABC News and was later syndicated to markets across the United States.

“You don’t have a link for it, but you have your social marketing and search engine marketing programs on,” Swan said. “When (the audience) saw it on the news, they picked up their phone and searched for your brand name or the promotion they just heard of, and then, bam, you’ve got them. Now we’re going to send social ads all around wherever they are, try to get their email address and maybe later they’ll find their way to your social pages.”

In these situations, marketing will target the same audience at the same time with similar messages to see if those people will engage with that content or share it.

“Sometimes, because there are lots of things that are measurable, it seems like the things that aren’t measurable in a similar way are broken or less than,” Swan said. “What I’d say is, those mediums haven’t changed, but how we measure does need to change.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post Own the customer journey to help prove PR’s role in driving sales appeared first on PR Daily.

A PR nightmare ignited in Springfield, Ohio, in early September when baseless claims about a surge of Haitian migrants into the community started spreading on social media. A few days later, Donald Trump added fuel to the growing crisis by repeating the already disproven rumors during a live presidential debate.

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump falsely said of the legal immigrants in the small community outside Dayton. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country.”

Although the Springfield Police Department had already debunked Trump’s message, the quote and the sentiment around it persisted in the political discourse as well as through widely shared memes and social chatter.

Following comments, the area experienced more than 30 bomb threats at state and local government buildings and schools, prompting closures and heightened security measures. Many local Haitians also voiced fear for their safety.

The Springfield team did a solid job of responding to the situation with correct information and positive talking points after the fact, said Kathryn Metcalfe, a former CCO of CVS Health and Deloitte, but said it felt like the city was caught off guard. She didn’t fault them. In fact, she said most organizations would be these days.

“Companies are not ready for misinformation and disinformation, and the American public isn’t really ready for how to determine if something is real or not,” she added.

The Springfield incident was a perfect storm of circumstances – a presidential election, a small town caught off guard, and a sensational narrative to share online. The speed and volume of misinformation should have been an “alarm bell for all communicators,” Metcalfe said.

For Springfield, the ordeal began after a lengthy Facebook post from local resident Erika Lee. End Wokeness, a politically conservative account on X, shared the post, which contained almost entirely bad information about a neighbor’s missing cat, things spiraled from there.

“Springfield is a small town in Ohio.\4 years ago, they had 60k residents.\Under Harris and Biden, 20,000 Haitian immigrants were shipped to the town.\Now ducks and pets are disappearing.”

These situations are difficult to handle for any organization. But Metcalfe said there are best practices that can help address them before they do real damage to their reputation or bottom line.

Establish a proactive narrative

Metcalfe, currently a professor at NYU, said the situation in southwest Ohio showed how quickly misinformation can spread, even when faced with factual refutation.

The falsehoods had been debunked before the debate, yet Trump shared them anyway. Debate moderated David Muir immediately corrected Trump on-stage. Yet the false information continued to spread.

This highlights the importance of having a “proactive narrative” in place to combat misinformation or bad headlines with the story you want to convey, Metcalfe said. That involves delving deep into an organization’s inner workings to identify potential vulnerabilities. Understanding those will allow you to come up with responses to questions or maybe even reframe the story. But that’s difficult when the organization in question is a town of 60,000 most had never heard of with a small communications staff.

Springfield did have a proactive narrative, to some extent. Days before the lies about immigrants hit critical mass, a major story ran in The New York Times that highlighted the immigrants – both the challenges and the successes. “By most accounts, the Haitians have helped revitalize Springfield,” the story noted.

After being thrust into the national spotlight, Springfield created a frequently asked questions page specifically focused on immigration. It sits prominently on its homepage. The page plainly dispels the unfounded rumors about eating geese as well as those about

Haitians committing crimes. It also provides a counter-narrative of why the city experienced an increase in migration, noting that it was primarily due to an influx of legal immigrants looking for a great place to live and find a job. Immigrants are working factory and warehouse jobs, according to the FAQ, and they’ve also started 10 businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores.

“Springfield is an appealing place for many reasons including lower cost of living and available work. These conditions are thought to be the primary reasons for immigrants to choose Springfield. Now that there are numerous immigrant families residing in our community, word of mouth is adding to our population, as this communal culture is sharing their positive experiences about living in our community with family and friends who are also seeking to leave the impoverished and dangerous living conditions of their home country.”

“Having your thoughts, story and data ready at a moment’s notice is crucial, because these situations move fast, as we saw,” Metcalfe said.

Leverage third-party messengers

Part of recovering from a reputational challenge like the one in Springfield is setting the record straight and advancing a different narrative. One way to do that is to identify key messengers and influencers who can help share your story with targeted communities.

In Springfield, those messengers included Lee, responsible for the original Facebook post about her neighbor’s missing cat. She went on national TV and stated on the record that she had no firsthand knowledge of an immigrant’s involvement in the disappearance.

“It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,” she told NBC News.

The city also received public support from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Springfield native. He wrote a more than 1,200-word guest column for The New York Times entitled “I’m the Republican Governor of Ohio. Here Is the Truth About Springfield.” The piece outlines that the city has faced challenges, but it remains a great community largely because of the residents, including the new Haitian arrivals.

“The Springfield I know is not the one you hear about in social media rumors. It is a city made up of good, decent, welcoming people. They are hard workers — both those who were born in this country and those who settled here because, back in their birthplace, Haiti, innocent people can be killed just for cheering on the wrong team in a soccer match.”

For a company facing a similar situation, Metcalfe emphasized working to identify the most important influencers, whether it’s through on-camera appearances, community meetings or social media, to help share your message in the New York Times.

“The mission disinformation problem is so big, it’s going to easily overwhelm any one company, organization or municipality,” Metcalfe said. “You can’t go it alone.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post PR lessons from falsehoods about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio appeared first on PR Daily.

OpenAI has entered into a content agreement with Hearst to allow the artificial intelligence company to use the publisher’s newspapers and magazines to train its products, including ChatGPT.

As part of the agreement, ChatGPT will include citations and direct links to Hearst content, providing transparency and easy access to the original stories, according to OpenAI. Hearst publishes over 40 newspapers, such as the Houston Chronicle and San Francisco Chronicle, as well as more than 20 magazines, including Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health.

Hearst will be paid for the use of its content, but terms weren’t disclosed.

Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst Newspapers, said that it’s “critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the heart of all AI products.”

News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, struck a similar content-licensing deal with OpenAI five months ago, which also has deals with the likes of Time, The Atlantic and the Associated Press. However, a number of media companies have accused OpenAI of using their content without any deal being in place.

Last December, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit claims that chatbots pose a threat to NYT’s business. Several other news outlets, ranging from local newspapers to Raw Story and The Intercept, have also filed similar lawsuits against OpenAI.

Why it matters: AI-powered tools are dramatically changing how users consume news and information.

With its content agreements, OpenAI will enhance not only its chatbot but also its prototype search engine, SearchGPT.

Right now, Google is the search king, commanding the overwhelming majority of market share. It’s estimated that about 40% of total traffic to all news sites is driven by Google search. But by establishing these integrated media partnerships, OpenAI is creating tools capable of yielding higher quality content derived from trusted news outlets and subject matter experts.

That could make OpenAI more valuable to media relations pros – especially as Google has threatened to remove links to news sites in California, New Zealand and other places that have considered charging technology companies for posting their content next to ads. As search challenges rise, it’ll be important to understand the ins and outs of those engines to optimize content – earned or not.

“Bringing Hearst’s trusted content into our products elevates our ability to provide engaging, reliable information to our users,” Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO, said in a statement announcing the partnership.

Put simply: AI models trained on high-quality content will result in better results.

These types of arrangements are going to have a major effect on earned media. Understanding this landscape is key to tailoring SEO and media outreach for maximum organic reach.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The White House is turning to Reddit to provide updates on Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida as well as ongoing efforts related to Hurricane Helene. The administration has stated it plans to target larger sub-Reddits, like r/politics and state communities. So far the account has posted in the Georgia, North Carolina and Hurricane Helene subreddits.The new approach is a response to social media users flooding Reddit, X and other platforms with misinformation and disinformation about the federal government’s response to Helene – including conspiracy theories about government-run “weather machines” and lies about funding and resources for those affected by the storm. This approach highlights the importance of reaching audiences wherever they are and providing information in a way that resonates with them. Reddit has become increasingly popular because it lends itself to user-curated conversations. It’s also been a hotbed for conspiracy theories, especially during the pandemic. By entering the belly of the beast, Biden’s team will be able to monitor misinformation as it develops and craft messaging to counteract it. Just as significantly, it will allow them to clarify information and respond directly to questions and criticisms.
  

  President Biden holds a briefing on Hurricane Milton preparation and Hurricane Helene response.
  byu/whitehouse inpics

• Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging that the short-form video platform is damaging the mental health of children. The main claim is that the platform aims to get kids hooked through the use of features such as targeted feed that encourage endless scrolling, buzzing notifications and face filters that create “unattainable appearances.” This legal challenge follows similar lawsuits against Meta’s platforms and YouTube, part of a growing movement calling out social media companies for their impact on young people’s lives. As a result, Instagram recently adopted account changes to protect teens on the app. As PR pros, these changes affect the PR industry on multiple levels. Young people are a key demographic for many brands and these changes will likely impact how they engage with them. But it’s also a crucial time to reflect on whether that approach is part of the problem. Behind each view, link and share is a person – often someone under 18. While reach and engagement matter, your approach is important, too.
• Pet food brand Meow Mix has created a 12-hour loop of its iconic jingle as a promotion that allows people to earn free cat food – more the longer they listen. Throughout the video, coupon codes appear as audio-only content, requiring viewers to listen carefully to claim them. The video, pre-roll on YouTube and available on the Meow Mix website, can’t be fast-forwarded or rewound. Those who make it to the end have a chance to win the “Ultimate Reward Pack.”  The Meow-a-thon taps into the brand’s iconic 1980s jingle and its audiences’ love for their pets by giving them a unique way to show their passion for them. (Watching a video for half a day for free food? That’s love.) The promotion launched Oct. 1 and thus far has mostly garnered industry buzz for its creativity. If it hits with the public, awesome. If it doesn’t? It was a low-risk proposition. Most importantly Meow Mix took a chance on something new. That’s worth celebrating.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Hearst-OpenAI deal highlights changing news ecosystem appeared first on PR Daily.

Artificial intelligence tools have opened up new possibilities for communicators to elevate their digital storytelling through advanced video and image creation.

Steve Salvador, APCO‘s creative director of brand programming, noted that image and video generation are in their early phases. However, he emphasized that the field is rapidly evolving, pointing out that ChatGPT only emerged two years ago.

“AI is seen as a future necessity, something that holds a lot of potential and should be embraced,” Salvador said during Ragan’s recent AI for Communicators Virtual Conference.

To help communicators new to AI, Salvador and APCO designer JT Toomer shared insights and best practices for using AI to create visual content. They demonstrated AI tools their firm uses, including Midjourney, Runway, Copilot, Pictory, invideo AI, Lumen5 and VEED.IO. They also highlighted design tools that have incorporated AI capabilities, such as Canva and Photoshop.

APCO has used each of these tools in different ways, leveraging their features to streamline workflows, enhance project quality and spark creativity:

Canva: Toomer described Canva as a great entry-level tool for learning AI in design work. He praised it as “an intuitive and user-friendly platform,” highlighting its “Magic Edit” and “Magic Media” tools, which use AI to add, remove and create images.

Photoshop: New feature Generative Fill lets users add or remove content from images using text prompts for realistic results. This feature is great for adding small details to stock images or removing background elements, according to Toomer. For instance, you can remove a logo from a T-shirt without affecting the shirt’s coloration. It’s especially useful when you need hard-to-find images. Toomer recalled working on a campaign that required a gas stove image. He put a photo of a couple cooking into Photoshop, added a prompt to add a gas flame under the pot’s burner and produced an image that was used in the ad.

Midjourney: This image generation tool is one of the original AI art generators. Toomer described it as “making waves in the industry” when it arrived on the scene. He highlighted the tool’s ability to allow users to create images using text prompts. The feature is similar to the capabilities of newer platforms, like Copilot, but many users believe Midjourney generate more dramatic images. It’s also less expensive. APCO uses Midjourney to expediate storyboarding process by fleshing out an idea or concept quickly.

Copilot: Comms pros can use this versatile tool to generate photos and videos. For instance, Salvador created a social media post based on a corporate social responsibility report from Starbucks. Given a prompt, Copilot quickly scanned the report, found a suitable section and turned it into a short video showcasing the company’s positive environmental impact. The video included an outline and linked to the relevant data in the report.

Pictory: Pictory has a video summarization tool that automatically pulls out the best parts from long webinars and podcasts, turning them into short, shareable videos. What sets it apart from others is its AI-powered Image Enhancement tool, which boosts the quality of images used in videos. With scripted video editing, users can edit videos simply by changing the script’s text.

“I would encourage you to start small,” Salvador said. “Begin with simple projects like social media posts or 30- to 60-second videos, where you can use AI to help digest the copy and ideate, and then use the tools to automate some of the video editing process.”

The post Tips for using AI for video, photo generation in PR appeared first on PR Daily.

There are times when your organization will have to turn down a media request.

Michael Perry, a vice president of external communications for the E.W. Scripps Company, noted that reporters typically understand that companies or individuals have to do what’s best for them. But the way an organization chooses to decline a request for comment or an interview can have an effect on not only that story but future stories down the road.

“Every organization has to do what’s best for them and their situation,” said Perry, who began his career in journalism. “But there is also a way to not comment that can show respect and professionalism and not damage relationships with media outlets.”

Deciding whether or not to respond

When possible, it’s best to offer a response to a reporter, Perry said. But there are times when that just can’t happen, especially when it comes to sensitive topics. In those situations, it’s important to consider two major questions:

• Is there value in sharing your side of a story or adding information that might not be known?
• Could an interview or comment hurt you or your company and how?

Perry noted that it’s vital the entire organization – investor relations, the legal department, human resources and the executive team – works in sync when deciding whether to respond.

“Thinking about how everything plays out later, including on social media, is important,” he said.

Another factor to consider is the organization’s past experiences with the media outlet and reporter. If the company has provided access to sources and information for years and there’s one time they can’t comment, that shouldn’t be an issue.

“I would have equity with you,” Perry said. “If we have never worked together, you might be more frustrated because you don’t know me.”

The dos and don’ts of saying ‘no’

Perry described responding to all media inquiries as “a must” – even if you can’t provide a comment.

His team always responds to calls and emails from reporters as soon as they can – whether they’re planning to issue an on-the-record response or not. If they can’t provide an answer, they let them know and, if possible, explain why.

“It’s a personnel matter, a personal matter, pending litigation, a privacy matter – those are legit reasons for not responding,” Perry said. “But at least offer an explanation as to why you’re not commenting.”

If you’re on the fence about taking part in a media request, it’s possible to respond to questions without really answering the question directly. Perry isn’t an advocate for that approach because he doesn’t think it’s particularly effective.  It happens though, and there’s an art to it.

“Listen to every Sunday morning news program and every coach’s press conference,” Perry said. He noted that good reporters will likely continue to try to ask that question or word it differently.

A simple “no comment” is sometimes unavoidable, Perry said. But he would “rather have an article say I responded and couldn’t comment versus did not return calls or refused to respond to emails.”

Perry said doing that is never ideal, though, regardless of the circumstances. Reporters and the public may interpret that as the organization being dismissive or evasive, or both.

Success measured in relationship strength

Of course, there are times when a PR professional has to turn down a request for an interview or comment even if they want to respond, perhaps due to a deadline issue.

If that happens, it’s always nice to at least email the reporter and let them know why they can’t take part in the story, Perry said. It’s about treating them like professionals with a job to do – and that includes being respectful and accessible, within reason.

“A reporter wants to be treated respectfully and with the understanding they have a job to do that sometimes conflicts with what you would like,” Perry said.

Journalists and PR practitioners often have a collaborative relationship, but sometimes there is a fork in the road where each needs something different.

Perry emphasized that the most obvious gauge of whether or not to decline comment or an interview request is the quality of coverage and whether there was fair treatment. But he also stressed that another important barometer is how the situation affects working with a reporter or an entire newsroom down the road.

“I know it’s easier said than done, but reporters and media relations teams should have tremendous respect for each other’s roles and understand what’s in the best interest of one might not be in the best interest of the other at any given time. And that’s OK.

“Everyone has a job to do,” he added. “Communicate with respect and know that a long-term relationship has value.”

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post The art of saying ‘no’ to media requests appeared first on PR Daily.

Kristin Zamani is senior account executive at Method Communications.

When working in PR, it’s hard to shut your mind off because the media never sleeps. While the constant flood of new information 24/7 can be overwhelming, it’s essential for PR pros to find new ways to source ideas for our clients.

While most people in our industry read daily newsletters, hunt for relevant Qwoted opportunities or even leave the news on in the background, there’s something to be said about finding PR inspiration in your personal life. Now, I am not saying you need to be on the clock 100% of the time, as that would deter you from a solid work-life balance. Instead, use personal tools to blend both your professional and personal life in strategic ways.  

Here are three tips that have worked for me: 

Become more active on LinkedIn 

Although many of us use LinkedIn to build connections with colleagues or find jobs, journalists have started leveraging the platform to find sources for stories they’re working on. With many journalists opting to leave the platform formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn has become a more popular and personal platform where reporters are not only seeking sources, but also showcasing their work and sharing new beats and publication changes.

Adding personal touches to your pitches, such as “I saw that you went to UNLV and graduated from Greenspun. Did you take any classes with XX professor?” demonstrates you’ve researched not only their coverage area but them as people. 

Since building connections in PR is key, be sure to add reporters to your network when you’ve connected with them via a pitch. If they end up including your client in their story, repost it to your page, thanking and tagging the reporter, and encourage your client to do the same. This not only helps the reporter garner views on their stories but helps position you and your client to become a go-to source moving forward. 

Sharpen your social media algorithm 

As publications adapt to how younger generations are consuming news, many have started posting pieces on their social media accounts. Lately, I’ve seen more and more reporters chatting about the circumstances of their stories via a video post that almost resembles a mini news broadcast. These are great touchpoints to build relationships with reporters and get to know them on a more personal level. To keep these types of videos in my algorithm, I make sure to like the post and read the full piece linked in the publication’s bio. If I find the piece is relevant to one of my clients, I’ll flag it to myself via email to discuss with my internal team. 

Proactive walks and routine 

Walks are a consistent morning routine thanks to my 90-pound Bernedoodle. However, I’ve made these walks productive from a PR perspective by catching up on the latest news podcasts, like Bloomberg Businessweek, The Daily from the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal’s Tech News Briefing. While I understand everyone’s morning routine is different, everyone has opportunities to catch up on the news via podcast, whether you do it while drinking your morning cup of joe or during your morning commute. For example, I came up with a rapid response idea around how to change your brand’s image for younger generations after listening to a podcast with the Mattel CEO discussing how the beloved “Barbie Movie” changed their brand. 

While work-life balance is extremely important, finding PR inspiration in your personal life is about blending your work with the world around you in a way that feels natural and sustainable. By leveraging LinkedIn, engaging on social media channels and incorporating proactive routines like listening to news podcasts, you can stay on top of trends and generate fresh ideas without feeling overwhelmed. The key is not to constantly seek information, but to build habits that integrate PR with your everyday experiences. This approach not only helps maintain a healthier work-life balance, but also adds a personal, authentic touch to your work that clients and journalists alike will appreciate.

The post Finding PR inspo in your personal life appeared first on PR Daily.

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.

With budget season upon us, communications leaders must get creative in making the case for securing the resources they need.

Because comms is often the coordinator and convener of cross-departmental campaigns and initiatives, it often means securing the resources required to do quality work is contingent on others who don’t sit at the same crossroads.

“In my experience, comms can be the land of ‘unfunded mandates’,” said Shannon Iwaniuk, a senior communications leader at a global life sciences company. “We are often pulled into supporting events, activities and leaders/corporate initiatives that haven’t been expressly on the plan or effectively accounted for in the budget. This is especially true for teams that are forming or growing.”

“Communications is often relegated to scrounging leftover cookie crumbs from the office budget party,” agrees communications leader and Ragan Advisory Board member Amanda Ponzar, adding that most comms leaders are understaffed, stuck with small budgets or see their budgets first to be cut because leadership doesn’t understand the value.

Iwaniuk sees this as a charge for communicators to think critically on what is needed to communicate effectively and consistently.

“As comms pros, we’re masters of pulling the rabbit out of the hat and making the impossible happen through sheer grit and will,” she continued. “That’s fine for a first time or an emergent situation, but the discipline comes when we do an effective and honest after-action report, when we plan for how to replicate and optimize for the future.”

Connecting needs to goals through correlation modeling

Addressing this starts with understanding your organization’s goals, then demonstrating how you’re helping meet those goals in measurable, tangible ways.

This process is the same whether you’re working in internal or external communications, PR or marketing.  But what those ways will depend on your business and industry.

“For nonprofits and smaller organizations, it’s almost always related to revenue or fundraising,” Ponzar said, “though many leaders love being featured in media articles. Seven or eight years ago, after our CEO was interviewed on the front page of USA Today, he asked me how much money it raised…and the answer was nothing…so I had to rethink everything.”

She began measuring ROI by looking at marketing/fundraising correlation modeling.

“I could show fundraising increased around the days we ran certain email marketing or social media campaigns, thus justifying the small investment in marketing/comms,” explained Ponzar.  “Last year, the funds raised in one large campaign increased significantly enough that the increase alone covered the marketing investment three times over—and the total raised was much higher than that.”

Asking for what you need

Ponzar used to receive an allocated budget, but for the past few years she’s instead been building detailed budgets in an excel spreadsheet a year out to make the case for investment.

This exercise underscores how “much of comms is related to keeping the communication lights on,” she said, listing a series of peripheral investments like website hosting sites and widgets, graphic design software, social media scheduling platforms, monitoring tools and more.

“This isn’t usually advancing communication initiatives. It’s just the building blocks.”

With today’s algorithms and competitive landscape, Ponzar found that paid media budget was also a necessary part of most initiatives. This required her to ask for a paid social budget or a satellite media tour.

“For each project, I’d build a comms plan or menu of options showing how we could use our owned channels—the ‘free’ social media, website, newsletter/email, etc—but also including all the paid options and recommending funding for those pieces.”

Iwaniuk adds that effective measurement is not just about the number of stories or posts, but also about demonstrating behavioral change.

“Have the courage to ask for what you need to deliver in a way that adds value to your organization and its leaders, supports the business and builds engagement and culture,” said Iwaniuk.

Asking for budget through this lens empowers you to draw a correlation between employee experience and culture, engagement and retention— an effective way to connect brand reputation back to tangible outcomes like productivity and retention.

Collaborating with other functions

It’s no secret that communicators are often uncomfortable with talking about numbers and budgets. This is when it might feel easier to outsource month-to-month budget needs to an administrative partner. But partnering with them instead will educate you on how they think and strengthen the likelihood of earning their support.

Ponzar advises communicators to establish a close rapport with their finance partners by knowing their numbers in advance of establishing a close rapport, even if it means seeking out business fluency resources online.

“I started by panhandling, asking my peers and other department heads who valued the work my team was leading to help fund us,” she said. One-on-one calls were most effective.

“When they saw how small our budget was and admitted they needed our help to achieve their goals as we’re interdependent, they almost had no choice but to fund our team’s work if they wanted publicity, promotions, advertising, etc.,” Ponzar continued.

Iwaniuk emphasizes that building alliances to get the funding needed begins with having a conversation.

“This means making the case at the executive level for a communications line item to be included in every new proposal, contract, memorandum of understanding (MOU) and project,” she said. “Otherwise, Comms is saddled with unrealistic asks, without the resources required to promote the project or achieve organizational, let alone department, goals.”

Iwaniuk draws a parallel between asking for budget and HR or Finance departments adding a percentage to an employee’s salary to cover fringe benefits. Positioning your asks not as nice-to-haves or extra, but as providing a more accurate view of the total cost, normalizes the idea that communications must be included in your organization’s goals.

“Start with your allies who value and understand the work you do,” she said. “Over time, as you measure and continue to report your results, those allies –and your funding — should grow.”

Additional resources on securing comms budgets, including our forthcoming budget report, are available exclusively to members of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. Learn more about joining here.

The post Advocating for comms budget in ‘the land of unfunded mandates’ appeared first on PR Daily.

If anyone has a crystal ball, would you share it with us?

Because right now, the future is looking a little murky.

But we polled some smart communicators to figure out where the practice might be headed. We asked on LinkedIn: “What is the biggest PR storyline you see on the horizon for 2025?”

The answers fell into several categories: AI, the media, sustainability and more.

Answers have been edited for style and brevity.

AI

Michelle Songy is founder and CEO of Press Hook:

The rise of AI-native PR pros: We’ll welcome the first wave of young professionals who “grew up” with generative AI. How will AI reshape their daily workflows? Will they accelerate into strategic roles by automating tasks that traditionally consume so much time?

The freelance and consulting boom: Tight budgets and layoffs are pushing both PR pros and clients towards project-based work. This creates a dynamic marketplace where specialized skills and agility are key. PR pros can leverage their expertise to build independent careers, while clients gain access to top talent without long-term commitments.

Christy Ragle is owner/lead consultant at WholeHeart Communications:

Authentic, human-focused storytelling gains more ground as consumers tune out AI-generated messaging that is generic and boring. PR pros continue to positively leverage AI for idea generation and “blank-page-busting,” but gain new value as strategic storytellers.

Bob Oltmanns is owner and president of OPR Group:

The exploding proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, etc., not just from within the U.S., but from nefarious sources around the world, intending to influence U.S. consumers, voters, financial markets, social behaviors and more. Those forces are well ahead of our profession’s understanding and ability to combat them.

Jennifer Jones-Mitchell is founder of Human Driven AI.

I am hoping the biggest storyline will be legislative guardrails around AI development and the existing AI models. This tech is evolving quickly. Deep fakes are already seeping into the world. Market manipulation through AI is coming. We cannot afford to allow the companies to regulate themselves, especially as quantum computing gains critical mass because it will supercharge AI in ways we can it even imagine yet.

Ben Haber is executive vice president at Racepoint Global.

Once gen AI is widely available to create multimedia, deep fakes will become way more complicated to identify and control. We’ll also see the rise of AI content and influencers on social media that will present new opportunities and challenges for brands.

Media

Jon Amar is a public relations consultant.

Brands divert more funding and attention from top tier media to trade publications, nonprofit newsrooms, and owned media.

Tom Spalding is senior strategist at C2 Strategic Communications.

I think a top story, not the biggest picture, but snapshots of current trends, include:

1. The continuing emergence of nonprofit-based digital only news outlets and their long-term viability.
2. The even-more-prolific e-newsletters and how to properly gain metrics on reach.

3. Increasing segmentation of microblogging sites as Twitter alternatives as X displacement grows. Also looks like big focus will be on paid user/subscriber. Social now has a paywall I only see growing.

Lauren Stralo is director of public relations at LevLane.

How to be a responsible news consumer and encourage responsible news consumption. We’re living in a headline obsessed society right now, and headlines, no matter how sensational, rarely convey the full picture.

Stephanie Fung is founder of Pilea Consulting.

Digital literacy and the role PR professionals have in bringing digital literacy to the masses. This entails people using and consuming digital outlets, content and programs critically to ensure misinformation isn’t spread and AI tools are being used, not as a be-all-end all, but as a tool that is fallible.

Sam Butler is founder and principal at 35thAvenuePartners PR.

I predict a reckoning in the world of content creators. We’ve just seen Russian money funneled to YouTubers/podcasters through Tenet Media. The interests of brands and influencers will diverge, creating new conflicts and confusion. More journalists will jump ship from their employers to build new media brands around themselves. And I anticipate some high-profile content creators will be exposed for past scandals, affiliations or relationships that they’ve worked hard to keep under the radar.

Much of this is already happening. But as PR teams seek to deepen their work with emerging media and voices, their enthusiasm risks overshadowing the due diligence necessary to build and protect reputations.

Kelli Flores is managing director of 104 West Partners.

Data will drive storytelling even more than it already does. Knowing audiences better will help agencies craft more compelling, insights-driven narratives for brands that are more impactful and will result in more meaningful engagement.

Additionally, “trophy hits” in the media will continue to have waning influence, and influencers across more niche platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, Substack and Medium will become even more crucial for brands, offering stronger content distribution and creating more impactful channels for brands.

Sustainability

Kevin Petschow is corporate communications North America lead for Nokia.

One of the biggest public relations storylines on the horizon for 2025, aside from artificial intelligence, will likely be the ethical and regulatory challenges surrounding climate change adaptation and corporate responsibility.

1. Climate disasters and accountability: As climate change continues to accelerate, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are expected to rise. Corporations, especially in high-impact industries like energy, agriculture and transportation, will face increasing scrutiny regarding their carbon footprints and sustainability practices. Public relations campaigns will need to focus on transparency, as consumers demand more concrete actions toward sustainability, not just greenwashing.

2. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) regulations: Governments are likely to impose stricter ESG regulations, holding companies accountable for their environmental impact.

Nina Gaertner is a public relations consultant.

The impact of climate change and energy transition in particular, not in general, terms. Companies will have to go beyond statements and develop new key messages due to increasing demand to show measurable progress and transparent results.

Skills PR pros need

Breanna Metalf-Oshinsky is head of public relations at We Are BMF.

The increasing necessity for PR pros to have more extensive operational knowledge of cross-channel promotion and integrated marketing. The expectations of clients and the tactics it now takes to cut through noise means the definition of PR is farther beyond traditional press relations than ever before. Being a PR partner means speaking an ever-broadening marketing language. I’d also pose that’s mirrored in the media industry as editors are increasingly valued (and/or pressured) if they become their own marketing engines and hone their platforms as personalities (which has always been the case but has new crossover with the influencer space now).

Lindsay Scheidell is founder of Hadley PR.

More and more PR folks sitting at the decision-making table. Already seeing the shift.

Michelle Johnson is an adjunct professor and PhD candidate at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

The necessity for PR pros (and students) to develop information science skills. There once was a time we could be the words people and let someone else do the “mathy” stuff. I envision a future where data analytics is a basic skill PR practitioners must possess. Predicting crises and mitigating reputation risk in a world of big data will require us to understand the data collection and analytics process

Other

Melissa Vela-Williamson is founder of MVW Communications.

How PR pros need to be unifying, calming messengers to guide raw and uncertain internal and external audiences. We need to counsel top leaders to be responsible, accountable and respectful ambassadors for their organizations. I’ve seen a huge increase in impulsive behavior, unfiltered communication and people-related issues/crises causing organizational and societal challenges in the last few years. I’m worried more about that than AI.

Emily Rand is senior communications staff, trainings and logistics solutions at Lockheed Martin.

More transparent communications (including brand flaws to reinforce authenticity) and the rise and use of short(er)-form content.

Phoebe Netto is founder of Pure Public Relations.

Marketing budgets have been cut and brands that relied on spend, glitz, stunts, celebrity spokespeople, large events and activations to attract attention will need to return to what PR does best: create connections, build credibility, and find the newsworthy angles that create preference and rise above noise (instead of adding to the noise).

Julie Ferris-Tillman is vice president and practice lead at Interdependence Public Relations.

I think tech PR practitioners in particular will be positioned to add value by bringing internal comms and change management to their clients. For example, making news with a cloud computing client, you can help them bring value to their customers by advising on all the things that affect a true cloud migration — including change management and internal comms practices.

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