Blog

In an increasingly digital business landscape, now is the time for financial advisors to readjust their branding and lead generation focus to search engine optimization (SEO) and online reputation management (ORM). With that said, it takes more than hiring a so-called SEO wizard to tinker with the backend of your website. Your business must actually […]

COVID-19 has accelerated the digital revolution in every industry, including public relations. With the adoption of new technology changing the ways people communicate, it is time for public relations professionals to utilize artificial intelligence in their campaigns. Despite common assumptions, the field of public relations has been historically sluggish in the innovation department. Building and […]

COVID-19 appears to be “cancelling” many celebs, largely due to the fact that the public has more time on their hands and animosity levels are high. Critics and muckrakers are digging around and finding celebrity skeletons; such as Ellen DeGeneres and the allegedly hostile work environment for her crew. We live in a time where […]

There is no question about whether social media should be incorporated into a brand’s arsenal of PR tools. It is an easy way to speak directly to consumers and relate to the audience you want to attract. However, a hybrid practice of combining traditional celebrity endorsements with social media-driven content marketing is emerging as a valuable and effective promotional strategy.

For brands looking for easy publicity, guaranteed media placements seem too good to be true…but that’s because they are. Perpetuating an unethical media trend, publicity brokers acting as PR specialists are making immoral (and possibly illegal) promises to their clients through the form of pay-per-placement and guaranteed placement models. These models produce limited results, commoditize media relationships and compromise the character of an entire industry.

On July 30, the $600 government unemployment checks that nearly 25 million American adults have been getting came to an end, possibly to be replaced by $200 checks. In addition to potentially reduced unemployment checks, the Federal Eviction Moratorium has also expired, leaving an estimated 12 million renters at risk of eviction.

In the past, publicity-driven public relations prioritized maximizing brand exposure, and one-way communication was the norm. But more recently, these publicity-driven public relations campaigns are being replaced by a modern, dynamic approach. In fact, 87 percent of PR executives don’t believe “public relations” will adequately describe the work they do in just five years. Today, the digital communication landscape favors brands that consistently earn and leverage credibility among their target markets.

Catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the race to become digital is apparent, and the financial services industry is not immune. Now, financial companies large and small must use technology to propel their businesses forward, particularly in their marketing and communications to form meaningful relationships in this new, permanently altered business landscape.

Public relations professionals are often great at providing the general public with honest information. After all, it is one of the six core values in the PRSA Code of Ethics. However, it is not just the general public that deserves honesty; the brands who hire public relations agencies and consultants deserve the same. That is where many practitioners fall short, not necessarily on purpose, but due to structural flaws in the traditional public relations agency model.

Prominent figures with massive fanbases are often able to create real, legal change due to their fame. Elon Musk, for example, has been making quite a name for himself by stirring just about every pot he can find. For the most part, it’s working wonders for his company’s social media and organic marketing campaigns, while fueling both fans and the general public to speak out against political issues.