Content Marketing

Ted Kitterman

How COVID-19 made concise messaging even more crucial

There’s a place in your content mix for long-form pieces and deep dives, but brevity is what will bring in new audiences.

Ted Kitterman

Cineworld to close and lay off 45,000 employees, Coca-Cola streamlines beverage offerings amid COVID-19, and Twitter battles fake news

Also: Apple brightens its face mask emoji, Pfizer’s Hispanic Heritage Month tweet showcases best practices, anger is most common emotion from news publications’ readers, and more.

Beki Winchel

H&M to close 250 stores, POTUS shares COVID-19 diagnosis on Twitter, and Ford CEO replaces CFO on first day

Also: A cheat sheet to creating a marketing budget, Casey’s General Store gets a new look and name, Reddit partners with Newswhip, and more.

Beki Winchel

American and United Airlines to lay off 32,000 employees, Google to pay $1B to publishers for ‘news experience,’ and Facebook launches cross-platform messaging

Also: Allstate to cut 3,800 jobs, Blue Bell Creameries shares its story with a coffee table book, characteristics of the most popular YouTube thumbnails, and more.

Hope Buckner & Rebecca Warren

How podcasts offer new audiences during the pandemic

Brands and organizations that create content-rich podcasts can transport their audiences out of COVID-land, earning their deep trust and loyalty in the process.

Judith O’Leary

5 ways to foster creativity in your PR and marketing team

The ability to find unique solutions isn’t an innate trait. Here’s how you can build an environment and culture that promotes discovery and imagination.

Beki Winchel

Disney lays off 28,000 employees, Shell to cut 9,000 jobs and Merriam-Webster tweets popular searches during presidential debate

Also: Pantone releases “period” color to eliminate menstruation stigma, Walmart to roll out redesign, Nordstrom to stop selling fur and exotic animal skins, and more.

Ted Kitterman

Affect’s SVP Jen Dobrzelecki: ‘Keep going’

Here’s how this NYC-based PR exec views the future of the industry, the short-term effects of COVID-19 and the tools that help the most during WFH.

Beki Winchel

Universal Health Services scrambles after alleged ransomware attack, Japan Airlines removes gendered language and JPMorgan Chase’s WFH update

Also: Brand managers gear up for #NationalCoffee Day, PR budgets are down and content marketing gets organizations’ focus, WebMD stokes ire with chai latte recipe, and more.

Jason Dressel

5 examples of clever, creative COVID-19 pivots

The pandemic is forcing businesses to adapt or wither away. Take heart — and maybe borrow an idea or two — from these savvy strategic swivels.

Beki Winchel

‘The Simpsons’ debuts with diversity pledge, Cream of Wheat drops Black chef in rebrand, and Amazon highlights SMB’s for Prime Day

Also: The Hershey Company offers Kit Kat Flavor Club, Innocent Drinks announces recyclable packages with snark, 68% of marketing execs do business differently after COVID-19, and more.

Domenica D’Ottavio

When is it OK for your brand to weigh in on breaking news?

Newsjacking is a powerful technique, but in these turbulent times, an ill-conceived comment can do a lot of damage. Consider this guide.

Beki Winchel

United Airlines offers COVID-19 tests, Twitter to suggest a closer read before tweeting, and Kraft Canada offers pumpkin spice mac ‘n cheese

Also: Nike aims for half of its revenue to come from online sales, a humorous look at social media management through Bingo, Qantas offers up its retired drink carts, and more.

Beki Winchel

3 ways to select the right channel for your message

Walker Sands’ vice president of marketing shows that to effectively reach your audience in 2020, you must meet them where they are.