The Public Relations Blog

A crisis communications plan protects and defends companies and organizations from a fallout in the public eye. These crises are caused by issues like a company scandal, an executive’s inappropriate behavior, or a product recall. Developing a crisis communications plan can help companies maintain their reputation. 

Companies task public relations agencies to design comprehensive crisis management plans that limit risks to their brands. We craft specific messages for employees, investors, customers, the public, and news outlets. Insufficient external and internal communications can cause the following:

• Operational response failure

• Stakeholders reacting negatively

• Public perception that the company is inept and, even worse, criminally negligent

• Sever impact on the company’s brand, reputation, and finances 

Why you should analyze every aspect of your competition

Knowing what your competitors are doing can put you ahead in your industry. Here are some things you can learn from your competitors:

Knowing inverted pyramid and the five Ws/H will set you up for success.

The first few sentences of your story are everything. They state the facts, set the mood, and grab your reader’s attention. When written correctly, they capture the heart and soul of your story and convince your reader why what you’re saying matters. When written incorrectly, the reader may leave your page, click on a new site, or possibly lose interest in your company’s work altogether. 

So what are these first few sentences, and how do you write them effectively?

Our founder and CEO, Jason Mudd, recently completed a pre-interview with a business TV news show. Although the interview doesn’t air for several weeks, here are some of the answers he shared during the initial Q&A.

When a news outlet, PR agency, strategic partner, or vendor requests your logo, you should send them your transparent logo(s) in high resolution and vector format. Why does this matter? Let’s explore each concept.

Use our step-by-step guide for measuring public relations the right way.

Before you can meaningfully explore PR measurement, you have to account for research, planning, and implementation. Research and planning will help you identify the end results, and then you can work backward from the desired results.

Too often, executives and public relations pros want to measure PR without establishing a research baseline.

Under research, planning, and implementation, you have objectives, inputs, and activities. And under measurement, you have outputs, outtakes, outcomes, and impacts. Although most public relations professionals at PR firms and in-house PR staff tend to focus on measuring activities and outputs, efficient and effective measurement goes well beyond measuring activities and outputs.

Let’s start at the beginning. A good framework for measuring public relations and corporate communications begins with objectives. 

Why you need a PR expert on your team

Having someone on your team that knows PR can make the difference in your brand’s success. Brand awareness, crisis management, social media, and audience analytics are all areas that a PR professional should be knowledgeable in.

If used correctly, companies can implement pranks to increase engagement

As public relations and communication professionals, our job is to create connections with our audiences, especially during holidays. April Fools’ Day is a perfect example of a holiday that many companies use to attract more attention and engagement to their brand. 

Relatable content makes for great PR and can help to elevate a company’s image. Here are a few examples of companies using April Fools’ Day to their advantage: 

A look into what not to do 

We’ve all seen harmless company April Fools’ Day pranks that went well. But what about the ones that caused a PR nightmare?

As marketers and public relations pros, we’ve likely all wanted to have an amazing April Fools’ Day prank as a fun way to bring attention to our brand.

In the right circumstances, April Fools’ Day pranks can make for great PR.

In the wrong circumstances, April Fools’ Day pranks can make for really bad PR.

Even the least experienced PR professionals know, as with any joke, there are many potential April Fools’ Day pitfalls to consider. Avoiding backlash should be a top priority.