Sally Ann O’Dowd
What communicators can learn from the White House press secretary
Comms professionals analyze Jen Psaki’s performance, even the #PsakiBomb.
Crisis Communications
Beki Winchel
Chris Harrison steps back from ‘The Bachelor’, Indianapolis Museum of Art issues apology for job listing, and IHOP cancels Pancake Day promo
Also: AP Stylebook shares rules for Mardi Gras and Zoom-related coverage, the top 10 most ‘liked’ brands on Instagram, Three UK offers virtual workshops, and more.
Brian Pittman
5 powerful ways to beat empty rhetoric in speeches
The upcoming State of the Union will showcase best (and worst) practices for connecting and conveying confidence. Here’s what to watch for so you can achieve both.
Jacek Lawrecki
5 crisis comms essentials
Follow this framework to calmly, confidently shepherd your colleagues through choppy skies.
Beki Winchel
KPMG’s UK chair resigns over remarks to employees, brands celebrate Lunar New Year, and Disney+ boasts 95M subscribers
Also: Wendy’s brings back its infamous Twitter roast, Perdue and OKCupid embrace data-driven storytelling, where comms fits in your organization’s structure, and more.
Alessandra Mazzei
How the pandemic is revealing the indispensable value of employee communication
An Italian study shows that communicators are poised to assume greater roles and responsibilities moving forward.
Ted Kitterman
Power Digital Marketing’s Sara Brooks: ‘You must continue to evolve’
For this PR pro, the changes in 2020 included having her PR firm acquired and having a brand-new baby—all while facing the disruption of the COVID-19 crisis.
Beki Winchel
Hormel buys Planters for $3.35B, Facebook working on Clubhouse clone, and Lucasfilm drops Gina Carano
Also: NAACP encourages organizations to extend Black history past February, McDonald’s brings back a fan favorite, most leaders don’t contribute to a positive work environment, and more.
Beki Winchel
‘Aunt Jemima’ becomes ‘Pearl Milling Company,’ Salesforce announces permanent remote workforce, and Heineken to lay off 8,000
Also: Virtual court proceedings go viral with kitten filter, Nationwide has catchiest brand jingle, Coca-Cola’s 100%-recycled plastic bottles, and more.
Ted Kitterman
Robinhood faces lawsuit over customer comms, how Americans are using social media, and South Africa reacts to bad vaccine news
Also: Offering incentives to employees for vaccinations, Cyberpunk 2077 maker announces cyberattack, what PR pros thought about this year’s Super Bowl ads, and other crucial stories.
Robby Brumberg
How communicators can facilitate DE&I breakthroughs in 2021
This is the year we must go from lip service to substantive action. Experts share how to make genuine progress–and become a more inclusive storyteller.
Ted Kitterman
GM takes flak for flip flop; Amazon faces union vote, and Telegram rockets to the top in downloads
Also: Reddit makes waves with five-second ad, Sprinklr shares brands that stood out on social, vaccine rollout stumbles on tech mistakes, and more.
Ted Kitterman
How speechwriters can humanize execs—and help deliver key messages
Joanne Callahan, speechwriter and corporate communicator with Con Edison in New York, shares tips on finding the story and honing a message to fit your audience.
Ted Kitterman
What COVID-19 taught us about empowering frontline employees
The lessons of 2020 have been profound as leaders have found new connections with essential, deskless employees, according to experts at Workplace from Facebook.
Beki Winchel
Tokyo Olympics’ president apologizes for sexist remarks, CMT, others cut ties with Morgan Wallen, and Merck’s chief to step down
Also: American and United Airlines warn employees of upcoming furloughs, 37% of online shoppers visit retailers’ websites before purchasing, and more.
