April showered us with some great traffic and popular posts, with several articles ranking among our most popular of 2019 so far. These included some compelling byline submissions from the likes of Swordfish Communications leader Gary Frisch (Uber’s then-mounting crisis following the murder of a college student), Remedy Communications co-founder Bill Byrne (why the continued use of AVEs is skewering PR measurement), and Scott Circle VP Dee Donavanik’s fun and clever evaluation of the communications strengths of popular “Game of Thrones” characters just days before the final season debuted.
Research-driven posts also performed well last month, with original articles about how comms decision makers find and hire PR agencies, the most innovative brands of the year—including a new leader that ousted perennial chart-topper Apple—and a look at the costliest PR catastrophes of the last decade.
In case some of these flew under your radar, here’s a chance to catch up.
6 PR trends every business needs to incorporate in 2019
In 2018, the industry was changed by innovations such as Blockchain, social media algorithms and SEO updates. Here’s a look at some of the trends that will give your brand an edge this year.
The art of the pitch—4 steps for creating the perfect presentation
Establish your brand’s story first. This begins with your elevator pitch, which captures your audience’s attention, raises their interest and positions you as someone they want to know.
How comms execs identify & hire PR firms—insights for companies & agencies
In today’s digital world, many practices have gone the way of the buggy cart—but some traditional ways stand the test of time. This is certainly the case for corpcomms and marketing leaders who hire PR and comms agencies.
You think there’s no such thing as bad publicity? These brands would beg to differ
Even the most seasoned PR professionals make mistakes. Sometimes it can be corrected simply and easily. But every so often, it can’t just be swept under the rug. As these examples show, these crises can be very, very costly.
Uber embroiled in alarming PR crisis—and the time to act is now
The death of a Univ. of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson is horrible, and we can all be thankful that the alleged killer is in custody. But who among us can’t relate to the danger here?
The most innovative companies—perennial leader Apple knocked from top spot
For the first time, there’s a shakeup at the top of BCG’s annual list of the most innovative companies—longtime leader Apple came in third in this year’s global survey. Which brands eclipsed the gadget giant’s innovation in 2019?
GoT PR—the communication styles of six Iron Throne contenders
The long-awaited finale of “Game of Thrones” is underway. If we were evaluating them as communications pros, how do prospective winners of the Iron Throne stack up? Royally cool insights.
Still using AVEs? Then you’re measuring PR campaign results wrong—here’s why
You’re probably measuring the results of your PR campaign wrong. It’s OK, most of us are, my team included. We’ve been taking the easy way out, and practice makes permanent. Here’s what to do.
Six industries Gen Z is changing forever—and what we can learn from them
Besides how they use social media and consume media, Generation Z is shifting industries—and those changes offer a window into teen and young adult behavior that will have implications across many categories.
9 differentiating tips for writing persuasive website content
Website content is far trickier than typical print content. But generating persuasive web copy gradually—and at times immediately—makes your homepage pop. These tips will help you.
