Last month, I had the pleasure of joining a panel of experts at M&A East 2018, hosted by ACG Philadelphia, to discuss value preservation and crisis preparedness. During the panel, we addressed what constitutes a crisis, how companies can plan and prepare for one, tools to minimize impact and crisis preparedness during an acquisition.
Public Relations
This is our public relations blog.
AI in Public Relations
Artificial intelligence has generated hype and bred anxiety across a variety of industries, and public relations is no exception. Naturally, the prospect of using AI to complete tasks raises fears about being replaced. So, should PR professionals be afraid of losing their jobs? In short, no.
YouTubers, Bloggers and Podcasts – New Wave of Advertising
We’ve all been there: scrolling through social media when we see our favorite influencers using new teeth whitening kits, drinking a special tea, or cooking with food that was delivered to their doorsteps. For some reason, we inspect the picture, post or video and maybe even do a quick search on the item, before restarting this cycle. These social media influencers use their platforms to promote brands to us, without us even fully realizing what’s happening. According to HubSpot, 71% of people are more likely to purchase something when it’s recommended by someone else. Who says that person can’t be an influencer?
Strategies for a Comeback
When companies lose the public’s trust – whether it’s Facebook selling user data or United Airlines mistreating passengers – PR pros scramble to head off a crisis. That strategy gained a foothold in 1982, when a mysterious killer spiked Tylenol with cyanide, as Retro Report shows in this video documentary collaboration with The New York Times. Savvy PR decisions are credited with saving the company.
Career Hopping into The World of PR
Recently, I was perusing the public relations Reddit page (as all PR nerds do) and noticed a trend. There was an influx of posts from those looking to make a transition from their current career into PR. From a vet tech to a former journalist, current careers spanned the board, but many of the questions remained the same. What skills do you need to be in PR? What exactly would a day in PR look like? Isn’t PR just about media relations?
While society often expects young adults to make difficult decisions about their career paths at the age of 18, few people openly discuss how that path is often filled with questions, doubts and challenges. While some may be lucky to know exactly what they want to do from a young age, others come out of college unsure what a career in their field really looks like, which is why changes in careers among recent graduates are so common.
3 Things to Do When Your Client’s Story Goes Viral
Social media and online news have made the possibility of a story going viral (when it’s picked up quickly by dozens, or sometimes hundreds, of sources) greater than ever before. However, you will never know you have a viral story until after it’s, well, gone viral.
Scrub Your Social Media Before the Next Scandal Strikes
You’ve seen it by now. Another celebrity, athlete or reporter’s dirty laundry dug up from their social media archives and unveiled to the public. The New York Times tech reporter, Sarah Jeong, received a bitter welcome recently when, shortly after joining the editorial board, Internet sleuths uncovered her years-old scathing tweets against white people. Simple ‘likes’ on social media posts aren’t immune to scrutiny either. After ABC’s The Bachelorette premiered this summer, winner Garrett Yrigoyen was thrust into the spotlight when controversial ‘likes’ of his were discovered on Instagram and Twitter.
This phenomenon of digging up inflammatory social media posts is a relatively new one, and one with potentially damaging consequences. It can tarnish a person’s reputation, knock their credibility and throw their career in jeopardy. And it seems to be happening primarily to those who have it all… until they don’t.
3 Reasons Why Social Media is Integral to Your Company’s Success
– Megan Noll
Social media has managed to work its way into nearly every aspect of our lives – we get our news from Twitter, socialize on Facebook and get a glimpse into other people’s worlds on Instagram. Expanding beyond our personal lives, social media continues to play a key role for businesses, as well.
More than 90 percent of medium and large businesses have been using social media in their marketing plans for at least five years, according to a recent survey. However, when it comes to small businesses, there are still 24 percent that have no social media presence at all. These companies are missing out on an easy way to build brand awareness and transparency and establish themselves as thought leaders in their fields.
Video and Photography for Dummies
– Colleen Brown
Video and photography are playing an increasingly integral role in how public relations companies are telling stories. However, this service can be tricky for companies that don’t specialize in shooting. Despite the ease of shooting from our smartphones, there is much more that goes into producing a professional photo or video. Here are some tips and tricks you can use from shooting to editing, as well as a handy cheat sheet of terms you may encounter as you begin your video practice.
4 Key Traditions at the Center of Wimbledon’s Brand
– Jane Ross
Strawberries and cream. Grass courts. White uniforms. Yellow tennis balls. The Championships.
Few events are as recognizable as Wimbledon. I’ve been watching Wimbledon (and all of the tennis Grand Slams, for that matter) as long as I can remember. My mother, a tennis lover, instilled a deep appreciation for the game in my family. It seemed only right that when my family took a trip to London, my mom found a way to get us to Wimbledon.