April White
How PR pros can harness the power of podcasts during COVID-19
The format has grown even more popular despite fewer commuters during WFH. Here’s how communicators can make the most of it.
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.
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.
Beki Winchel
British Red Cross encourages engagement with social media press kit
The website provides key messages in bite-sized pieces and packages the organization’s campaigns in ready-to-share posts.
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.
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
Wells Fargo CEO apologizes for diversity comments, Uncle Ben’s rebrands as ‘Ben’s Original,’ and Walmart to hire 20,000 for digital-first holiday shopping
Also: Citi reveals the economic cost of racism and racial inequality, Pinterest adds video storytelling pins, we share tools to drive social media success, and more.
Brian Pittman
5 ways to communicate calm in a crisis
A McKesson comms exec shares her crisis tips during pandemic and beyond.
Beki Winchel
Wells Fargo criticized for diversity comments, Ralph Lauren to cut 15% of its workforce, and Bumble Bee Seafoods responds to Trump
Also: Reese’s gets salty with product launch, Microsoft introduces features for employee wellbeing, 78% of consumers buy from organizations that put employees first, and more.
Ragan Insider Ted Kitterman
Report: Sharing your efforts to fight racism a key comms objective
With the data conclusively showing that brands and corporations must take a stand on the issue of systematic inequality and racism, half of consumers say they are unaware of organizations’ efforts.
