PR Insights Blog

Companies need to plan for the moment when an unhappy customer or employee decides to publish a fake news story. Building goodwill, preparation and responsiveness are key to managing through "Fake News" events, says former TV journalist, Carmie McCook, President of Carmie McCook & Associates, a Washington, DC-based media training and coaching firm.

In our latest CommunicationsMatch 3Q3M (3 Question 3 Minute) video, I interviewed Susan Solomon of DriveThru Branding about the importance of branding to small businesses and startups. She notes that putting your best foot forward by clarifying what you do is key to your business and bottom line. A mistake small companies and startups make is thinking that branding is for big companies. Watch the 3 min video.

Kahshanna Evans, Founding Principal of Kissing Lions PR, discusses the opportunities, mistakes and the importance of creativity for Niche and Emerging Brands in this 2 minute video.

CommunicationsMatch™ PR and Communications Agency Search Survey conducted in partnership with CommPRO details how businesses find new agencies, the criteria they use to select them, and areas of expertise most in demand.

I was thinking about the progress we make in life the other day after reading a Tweet that said achieving success is about putting one foot in front of the other. I remembered something my former boss at Morgan Stanley told me about progress being a series of steep inclines and plateaus. On the inclines we learn the most and are the most uncomfortable (steep slopes are scary). On the plateaus we consolidate. I turned these thoughts into an article for the PR Expanded Blog as a guide to helping communicators understand where they are in their careers and how to measure progress.

In this 3 minute video interview Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief of MediaPost, discusses ways in which advertising is evolving and how this will change what companies are doing today. He also outlines the future of programmed ad placement, highlighting the key role artificial intelligence will play in brand safety. He shares a vision of the future in which advertising is increasingly focused on creating experiences for audiences.

With more than two decades in senior corporate communications roles at Prudential Financial, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, as well as agency experience, I outline three simple crisis communications rules that have served as a guide to managing crises. They offer the quickest path through the complex dynamics that are an inevitable part of crisis management and to moving forward. PwC's management of their Oscar's issue illustrate these rules in action.

Andrea Fiano, Editor of Global Finance magazine, discusses global FinTech trends including lessons for the U.S. and Europe from emerging markets in the latest CommunicationsMatch 3Q3M (3 questions/3 minutes) video. He provides perspective on ways technology is changing how Global Finance engages with companies and communicators. He concludes by sharing what he wants to receive from communicators.

Three key SEO lessons for startups and website redesign and common mistakes companies make. The article highlights the importance of building in SEO at the beginning of a website build-out or redesign, making content interesting and aligning URLs with the content you want to promote. Watch the full 3 minute interview with SEO Expert, Seun Ajanwachuku, Founder & CEO of GVATE, who provides perspective on common mistakes companies make when it comes to SEO.