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Turnover, newsroom cuts erode media relations craft

May 23, 2013

Media relations pros have long stressed the importance of building strong relationships with journalists. But that's easier said than done in today's environment of fast-paced coverage and constant turnover.
 

Comms pros put Bloomberg on the spot after snooping scandal

May 17, 2013

Bloomberg clients are beginning to question how they use the company's financial data terminals after revelations that its news division used them to monitor log-on activity, , say IR and corporate communications experts.
 

Diverse, complex African PR market primed for growth

May 10, 2013

Africa is a region that is ripe for business, but industry experts say agencies interested in growing their footprints there should focus on local opportunities and talent instead of looking at the continent as one market.
 

Executives split on whether APCO-Text 100 partnership will set a trend

May 03, 2013

Will more agencies team up to pitch major accounts following BlackBerry giving its global business to APCO Worldwide and Text 100?
 

Marcomms integrations put spotlight on PR

April 26, 2013

The increasingly popular move to combine marketing and communications departments into one unit at major corporations will benefit the PR industry as a whole, say experts.
 

Brands simplify their message on privacy

April 19, 2013

Tech-sector heavyweights are beginning to express their privacy policies in customer-friendly language and formats.
 

Not your father's release distribution services

April 12, 2013

Press release distribution services are going far beyond their black and white, text-only foundations to embrace brands' focus on content creation, multimedia, and measurement and analytics.
 

Industry faces long road to uniform measurement standards

April 05, 2013

Despite the best efforts of a number of agencies and organizations, the PR industry is still a ways from agreeing on metrics that reflect the value of what it does, client-side and agency leaders tell PRWeek.
 

Rise in government contracts is boost for small firms

April 01, 2013

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has noticed a problem sneaking into the American psyche.
 

Brands look to Vine to target audiences with short videos

April 01, 2013

When Twitter snapped up and promptly launched the six-second video app Vine in January this year, communications professionals were quick to jump on board, producing a wide range of content for brands.
 

Corporate comms execs pick their battles on Wikipedia

March 29, 2013

Top client-side communicators tell PRWeek that they often leave Wikipedia pages about their companies unaltered - even if they contain errors - despite the popularity of the online, democratically edited encyclopedia.
 

Brands plan to bridge physical, digital worlds with 3D printing

March 22, 2013

Some cutting-edge marketers are connecting social media promotions with the physical world using 3D printers.
 

Dach's successor at Walmart to face global, local hot-button issues

March 15, 2013

As Walmart's Leslie Dach prepares to exit the top communications role, PR leaders say his successor should continue his work to help the retailer be more transparent and tackle important social issues.
 

Brands bring their A game to SXSW

March 08, 2013

American Airlines and Warner Brothers are among the companies breaking out new marketing strategies at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival.
 

Companies look to turn gripers into advocates on social media

March 01, 2013

Corporations are embracing social media as a valuable tool for employee-facing communications and turning staffers into brand advocates. But that strategy is not without risk.
 

Polaroid revamps image with new products, retail concept

March 01, 2013

Polaroid, an iconic company founded more than 75 years ago, transformed the photography industry when it released the first instant-photo camera in 1948.
 

Insurance firms ramp up plans to reach individual customers

March 01, 2013

With as many as 30 million new customers at stake, health insurance companies are beginning to veer away from b-to-b outreach toward employers, their longtime staple, and bolstering direct-to-consumer outreach.
 

Hackings force brands to weigh security vs. marketing speed

February 22, 2013

Marketers will need to rethink the balance between security protocols and the free-flowing nature of their marketing plans in light of this week's hacking incidents targeting Burger King (pictured), Jeep, and others.
 

Companies can't forget employees in M&A comms

February 15, 2013

Companies undergoing a merger or acquisition pour time and resources into preparing for the deal's announcement, but the biggest communications challenges come afterward.
 

Brands' new goal: create the next 'dunk in the dark'

February 08, 2013

Oreo's acclaimed social media promotion during Super Bowl XLVII's blackout is galvanizing marketers to create of-the-moment, real-time content that takes advantage of major events.
 

Brands' Super Bowl work extends far beyond the big game

February 01, 2013

Super Bowl Sunday is no longer solely the advertising world's night to shine, nor is it a time for PR practitioners to just sit back and watch the big game.
 

Communicators applaud Coke joining obesity debate

January 25, 2013

Corporate and consumer PR experts say Coca-Cola's decision to make itself a willing partner in the war on obesity is a smart, if overdue, communications strategy.
 

Armstrong faces long road to restoring reputation

January 18, 2013

Despite a decade-plus of good deeds and a confessional-style interview with Oprah Winfrey, the deck is stacked against Lance Armstrong restoring his reputation, say industry experts.
 

Brands change approach to get most out of CES

January 11, 2013

Communicators at major technology brands are flipping the script on years of previous Consumer Electronics Show strategies by creating their own content.
 

Marketers to brands: Be brave on social media

January 04, 2013

Marketers are not shying away from their use of social networks, even as the platforms - and their sometimes controversial privacy policies - continue to evolve.
 

NRA Facebook and Twitter blackout: smart crisis comms or social media fail?

December 20, 2012

The NRA's decision to shut down its social media channels in the aftermath of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT has divided digital marketing and crisis comms experts.
 

Social media shakes up corporate disclosures

December 14, 2012

With companies using social media to frequently communicate with stakeholders, IR and financial comms executives believe the SEC will soon need to figure out how online platforms fit into its disclosure rules.
 

Dissecting the modern consumer

December 07, 2012

PR and advertising firms are adopting names such as "PANKs" and "mansumer" for consumer segments they want to highlight.
 

Technology no replacement for chemistry in slow-to-evolve RFP process

November 30, 2012

Social media and other comms tech sometimes enhance the RFP process, but they have not supplanted face-to-face meetings to determine chemistry between agency and prospective client, say industry leaders.
 

Agencies feel pinch as clients stare down fiscal cliff

November 16, 2012

As the newly re-elected president and lawmakers confront the so-called fiscal cliff, some corporations have cut back their marketing and PR budgets, citing that and other political and economic factors.
 

Sandy shows utilities importance of social in crisis communications

November 09, 2012

The value of social media in crisis communications was reinforced in the past two weeks to organizations on the front lines of Hurricane Sandy.
 

Agencies: Government PR contracts would survive Romney win

November 02, 2012

Government spending, including the lucrative PR and marketing contracts, is firmly in politicians' crosshairs as this election draws to a close.
 

The British (PR agencies) are coming

October 26, 2012

New York City may be a saturated agency market, but a handful of PR firms from London have opened offices here in recent months citing its growth potential.
 

Fact-checkers force campaigns to keep messages on point

October 19, 2012

The presidential election has spawned a cottage industry of fact-checking sources, from news media and citizen journalists to public policy think tanks.
 

Soda industry takes another transparency step with Calories Count

October 12, 2012

Soft drink companies must engage and educate the public about their diversifying range of products even after they introduce calorie amounts on vending machines.
 

Agency rebrandings reflect changing marketing world

October 05, 2012

A number of PR agencies have rebranded in the past year, some to better represent their offerings and identities, and others to streamline and unify their businesses.
 

Agencies take new course on hiring J-school graduates

September 28, 2012

Hiring mid- to senior-level staff with journalism backgrounds is nothing new for PR firms. However, agency executives are increasingly looking at recent graduates of journalism schools to fill junior-level positions.
 

Quote approval a hot topic, but a gray area, for PR pros, journalists

September 21, 2012

Quote approval is not an everyday practice among PR professionals, but many contend it is sometimes necessary to ensure accuracy by the media.
 

Agencies learn to work together for principal clients

September 14, 2012

PR firms expect to see more client demand for inter-agency, multi-disciplinary teams such as WPP Group's Team Detroit, which works with Ford, say top executives at agency holding companies.
 

Pharma shows it has changed for the post-blockbuster era

September 07, 2012

Major pharmaceutical companies and healthcare comms experts want audiences to know that the state of the industry is more complex than bleak.
 

Designers face tough task getting placed in robust September issues

August 31, 2012

PR executives say it is getting more difficult for companies to get coverage in fashion magazines' popular September issues because of their growing cachet and interest in a wide range of brands.
 

Focus on long road back, comms leaders tell Groupon

August 24, 2012

PR leaders' advice to Groupon: forget short-term, high-risk stock market gain.
 

European financial crisis felt across the Atlantic

August 17, 2012

The European Union's economic woes are reverberating on this side of the Atlantic, where multinational companies are keeping a close eye on the crisis and adjusting their communications spend and messaging.
 

Party conventions still the make-or-break campaign event

August 10, 2012

Despite colossal changes in the media environment, the upcoming national political conventions still set the tone for the decisive heat of the 2012 presidential election.
 

PR firms target DUMBO hot-shops for acquisitions

August 03, 2012

To enhance their digital capabilities, PR firms considering acquisitions in DUMBO, an area of Brooklyn that has become a hotbed for digital and social media agencies.
 

Chick-fil-A CEO comments put corporate gay marriage support in spotlight

July 27, 2012

Despite Chick-fil-A's opposition to gay marriage, executives are largely deciding that support for gay rights is not only a matter of principle but also important to their business goals.
 

Marketers use on-the-ground events to show Olympic spirit

July 20, 2012

Brands are using the 2012 Olympic Games in London as a platform to embrace consumers' "always on" mentality through a mix of music, social media, and grassroots events.
 

Reputation pros to banks: Stop hiding

July 13, 2012

With no end in sight to the financial industry's reputation crisis, agency executives are urging banks to show a "human face" to consumers and stakeholders.
 

CEO role even more important in age of integration, weak economy

June 29, 2012

Does the agency CEO still matter? More than ever, according to industry leaders who cited the changing expectations of clients and the diversification of agency services.
 

Undercover employee incident highlights need for staff ethics training

June 22, 2012

Mercury Public Affairs is emphasizing that it does not condone or tolerate unethical behavior after it fired a junior staffer for going undercover at a group critical of client Wal-Mart.
 

ComScore report validates earned-paid combination Facebook strategy

June 15, 2012

Marketers have found combining earned and paid media on Facebook is a more effective marketing strategy than using either in a silo.
 

Ogilvy's sacking by Chevron highlights conflict of interest issue

June 08, 2012

Chevron's decision to end its relationship with two Ogilvy agencies after it "uncovered a serious, material conflict of interest" calls attention to the challenge firms continue to face sorting client conflicts.
 

CPG brands get provocative to stand out from the pack

June 01, 2012

Marketing strategy shifts at major CPG companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever indicate their brand marketing and communications initiatives will take on edgier tones and use more engaging tactics.
 

GM shifts to content creation strategy on Facebook

May 24, 2012

GM's decision to stop buying advertising on Facebook and pass on running spots during next year's Super Bowl signals that the automaker will emphasize content creation and customer service on social media.
 

JPMorgan puts execs front and center as it deals with crisis

May 18, 2012

NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase & Co. is emphasizing transparency and culpability as it weathers a crisis that could adversely affect it and other financial services institutions.
 

Livestreaming, social media stretch the impact of live events

May 11, 2012

Marketing and communications professionals are taking advantage of cost-effective digital and social media tactics to help brands get the most out of events they produce or sponsor.
 

Agencies prize diversity in competitive race for interns

May 04, 2012

With summer fast approaching, agencies, such as Edelman [pictured], and brands are ironing out the last details of their PR internship programs for this year.
 

Bribery, cover-up allegations present comms challenges for Wal-Mart

April 27, 2012

Crisis communications experts are giving Wal-Mart mixed grades for its response to accusations that company employees bribed Mexican officials to quickly build stores in the country.
 

The first rule of tweeting about clients: don't be careless

April 20, 2012

Industry experts agree that communications practitioners must exercise caution with their personal social media accounts, but there's no consensus on whether agency staffers should tweet about client work.
 

Brands debate English vs. Spanish for Hispanic social media outreach

April 13, 2012

MIAMI: Marketers are taking advantage of opportunities to target Hispanic consumers with social media, relying on bloggers and brand advocates to tell their stories with authenticity.
 

Car brands tell comeback, innovation stories at New York Auto Show

April 06, 2012

Automakers are taking advantage of the New York Auto Show as a platform for high-profile vehicle launches and redesigns, as well as to build on the positive narrative of the recovering automotive industry.
 

Insurance firms prep for Supreme Court healthcare-reform decision

March 30, 2012

Healthcare and insurance industry communicators, and their agency partners, will have their work cut out for them regardless of the Supreme Court's ultimate decision on the Affordable Care Act.
 

Comms execs receive Page Society framework as positive step

March 23, 2012

The framework released this week by the Arthur W. Page Society is not a corporate reputation panacea, but a positive step for dealing with the challenges posed by social media and transparency demands.
 

Strengthened Edelman holding company won't copy ad-focused rivals

March 19, 2012

NEW YORK: The decision to build out Daniel J. Edelman Inc. into a PR-centric holding company does not mean it or principal agency Edelman are on the verge of a major acquisition or that its firms will regularly compete for business.
 

Focus on employees, industry experts tell Goldman Sachs

March 16, 2012

Industry experts said this week that Goldman Sachs should enhance its communications with employees following the public resignation of executive director Greg Smith.
 

Romney must embrace core message, enhance social to fix campaign malaise

March 09, 2012

Mitt Romney's wins on Super Tuesday may have improved his chances of winning the nomination, but if he doesn't find a way to connect with the average American, his prospects of prevailing in November are dim.
 

Marketers debate strategy as paywalls become 'new normal'

March 02, 2012

The number of US newspapers using some form of online paywall is on the rise after several of the country's large dailies said they will adopt a pay-for-content model.
 

Social beats ads for building corporate rep numbers

February 24, 2012

Advertisements have less of an impact on corporate reputation than social media or news stories, according to previously unreleased statistics from the 2012 edition of the Harris Interactive Reputational Quotient study.
 

PepsiCo presses agencies for improved performance

February 17, 2012

PepsiCo's move to trim the number of agencies on its roster is likely intended to drive more value from agency partners instead of being a cost-cutting move, according to agency executives.
 

New generation of influencers steps up at Fashion Week

February 10, 2012

Bloggers are infiltrating the front rows at New York Fashion Week runway shows, changing the ways brands market their collections.
 

Carmakers expand news cycle for Super Bowl ads

February 03, 2012

Brands are making their internal PR teams and agency partners a bigger part of their Super Bowl plans, lengthening the news cycle for their ads and taking advantage of consumer enthusiasm on social media.
 

Economic, trust issues dominate Davos discussion

January 27, 2012

The European debt crisis, high unemployment in the US, and a lack of trust between consumers, governments, and businesses are topics dominating the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
 

Legal experts highlight rarity of Weber's suit

January 20, 2012

Weber Shandwick's move to take legal action against Hill+Knowlton Strategies for allegedly stealing confidential information, clients, and employees is one rarely seen in the industry, PR recruitment and legal experts tell PRWeek.
 

Definition of 'client conflict' remains elusive

January 20, 2012

Agencies are still struggling to specify what constitutes a client conflict, despite it being a hot-button industry topic for years.
 

Despite major abdications, marketers still embrace CES

January 13, 2012

LAS VEGAS: The International Consumer Electronics Show is still a marquee event for a growing range of brands to promote their products, despite some Silicon Valley giants saying it no longer fits their strategies.
 

Times Co. could turn to tech sector for new leadership

December 22, 2011

The New York Times Co. will become a more innovative, online-solution driven institution after the resignation of chief executive Janet Robinson, media observers and PR industry experts say.
 

Online piracy bill sparks PR scuffle

December 16, 2011

Google, Facebook, and non-governmental organizations are facing off against the entertainment industry in a communications battle to influence legislator and public opinion on The Stop Online Piracy Act.
 

Marketers make holiday season easier for shoppers

December 09, 2011

Brands are bolstering their in-person and online interaction with customers to make this holiday shopping season less of a hassle.
 

Specialty firms at top of holding companies' wish lists

December 02, 2011

The recent flurry of agency acquisitions will likely continue in the next year, especially in terms of specialist or international firms, said agency executives and M&A experts.
 

'Early Show' changes present public affairs opportunities

November 18, 2011

CBS' move to recreate 'The Early Show' as a hard-news alternative to rival morning programs is a positive development for communications professionals representing clients in corporate and public affairs.
 

Brand USA to fight negative perceptions about US travel

November 11, 2011

Brand USA, the public-private partnership charged with promoting travel to the US, will challenge a range of perceptions about visiting the country when it launches a $200 million integrated campaign next year.
 

ITT passes spinoff test as it splits into three companies

November 04, 2011

The former ITT Corporation avoided many of the missteps of other major public firms when it spun off two companies, ITT Exelis and Xylem.
 

Unilever gives marketers permission to fail

October 28, 2011

Unilever is shaking up its marcomms strategy to reward employees who take greater risks with campaigns, rather than allowing decisions to be dictated solely by quantitative data.
 

Political leaders soften stance on Occupy Wall Street protests

October 21, 2011

Political and business leaders are moderating their responses to the growing "Occupy Wall Street" protests, which have spread far beyond Manhattan's Financial District.
 

Both sides in NBA impasse court support through social media

October 14, 2011

The NBA players' union is educating its membership on how to avoid committing social media fouls during the ongoing NBA lockout, which has forced the cancellation of the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 season.
 

Bank of America sharpens messaging about new fees

October 07, 2011

CHARLOTTE, NC: Bank of America has amplified its messaging about new debit card fees after it received backlash from both consumers and politicians in the past week.
 

Timeline debut forces brands to modify Facebook strategy

September 30, 2011

The introduction of Facebook's "Timeline" feature is forcing PR professionals and social media marketers to rethink their approach to communicating with consumers through the social network.
 

Brands use Clinton Initiative as CSR launch pad

September 23, 2011

NEW YORK: The Clinton Global Initiative, started by former President Clinton to spur actionable solutions to some of the world's biggest problems, has evolved into a launching pad for corporate social responsibility programs and a key opportunity for PR leaders to learn about social issues.
 

Wireless carriers square up for court battles

September 16, 2011

WASHINGTON: The fight over the legality of AT&T's $39-billion bid to acquire T-Mobile USA has just begun. But the battle lines from a communications perspective have already been drawn.
 

Obama jobs pledge shifts onus to GOP

September 09, 2011

WASHINGTON: In his nationally televised speech last night, President Barack Obama unveiled details of his $447-billion job stimulus package.
 

America chooses service to remember 9/11 victims

September 01, 2011

Best Buy, American Express and Barneys New York are among the brands that have communications planned around the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
 

Same sex marriage opens up PR opportunities

August 26, 2011

This year's LGBT Media Summit comes at an interesting juncture in the gay rights movement, with new opportunities for PR firms in the kind of media coverage they can generate for their clients.
 

Social media numbers don't tell the whole story

August 19, 2011

What do Walgreens, Intel, Walmart, and American Express have in common? Each has a Facebook page, Twitter handle, and Foursquare account, aggregating millions of followers and "likes."
 

The role of PR in a downgraded economy

August 12, 2011

As political leaders deal with growing investor fears that the country may relapse into another recession, PR agencies have seen a short-term uptick in corporate client activity related to navigating economic volatility.
 

Influencing the influencers at BlogHer 2011

August 05, 2011

More brands are recognizing the importance of the BlogHer conference, a pivotal yearly meeting that attracts key women influencers from across the online space.
 

Tourism PR heats up this summer

July 29, 2011

International tourism boards are hiring PR agencies at a rapid pace this summer to better appeal to US travelers, particularly in countries facing perception problems.
 

Brands jump into consumer interaction at Comic-Con

July 22, 2011

With 130,000 enthusiastic, tech-savvy fans in one place, Comic-Con can serve as an important venue for vendors and exhibitors, and many companies have taken advantage of that.
 

Comms pros gear up for Google+

July 15, 2011

With more than 10 million users sharing nearly one billion pieces of content each day, the Google+ social networking service has potential to be a true game changer.
 

Myths vs. facts in the diet soda health debate

July 08, 2011

A new study that links the consumption of diet soda to obesity represents the latest PR challenge for the beverage industry's low-calorie offerings.
 

Energy industry struggles to fix 'fracking' PR

June 30, 2011

Energy companies are in the midst of aggressive PR campaigns to combat the perception that natural gas extracted from shale formations is bad for the environment and for investment.
 
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