As we look forward to this new year of 2021, what do companies need to do to move their brand forward and increase the bottom line? As members of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), we are all given this challenge by our clients regularly. Of course, the world is in a different place globally … Read More
Three Lessons of 2020 That Help You Prepare PR Programs in 2021 and Beyond
For most business leaders, 2020 almost certainly will be viewed similarly to sports accomplishments that include asterisks to denote records set under questionable circumstances. Yet, many of us as senior communications advisers are wired for this time in history. While we admittedly prefer to function through carefully planned and crafted strategies and tactics, most of … Read More
PRGN’s Public Relations Predictions For 2021
It’s that time of year to look into the crystal ball for the future. 2020 has by all accounts been one of the most challenging years (at least in my lifetime). I think we’re all looking forward to some positive change. So, for 2021, what is the future of communications, the future of PR and … Read More
Rethinking Corporate Event Strategies for 2021: How Hybrid Events Accomplish Goals and Create Engagement
With Covid-19 still dominating our social and business interactions – and will likely continue to do so well into 2021 – the usual company meetings are bound to look a lot different for some time to come. So it is high time we take a look at how hybrid events combine the best of in-person … Read More
Why Stakeholder Engagement is the First Step to Reach Your SDGs
The world has a plan to end poverty, fight inequality and save the planet from climate change – the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs contain 17 goals and 169 targets. The plan sounds lofty and daunting, right? Even so, the SDGs are forming part of the DNA of business, government and civil … Read More
Russia’s CROS and North American agencies dominate PRGN 2020 Best Practice Awards
The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) announced winners of its 2020 Best Practice Awards today in an online Awards Gala ceremony attended by member agencies from across the globe virtually. “With the PRGN awards, we celebrate every year the outstanding work done by our member agencies and at the same time offer inspiration and ideas … Read More
Communicators from Around the World Convene Virtually to Exchange Knowledge and Develop Business Partnerships Globally
(Oct. 19, 2020 – NEW YORK) – The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), hosted a lively panel discussion featuring agency leaders from around the world, discussing “The New World Ahead.” Held in conjunction with the network’s bi-annual Fall conference on October 16, this first-time virtual event was attended by nearly 200 communicators from around the … Read More
Leadership Is Communication
We live in an era of hyper-connectivity and information overload. Stakeholders are bombarded with messages every moment of the day. This crowded and cluttered marketplace has not only made stakeholders more informed, it has also made them more demanding about what they expect when they interact with brands and corporations. Communicating corporate and brand values … Read More
How to Work with NGOs for Mutual Success
Close cooperation between agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGO) is becoming the norm increasingly, as it offers a win-win situation for both sides. Ideally, such cooperation can generate for NGOs an increase in resources, as well as growing public awareness, improved reputation, accomplishing new extraordinary projects and recruiting more donors. On the agency side, such cooperation … Read More
What does a PR firm do in the digital age?
Digital PR is simply the evolution of what has until now been known as “traditional” PR. It’s the opportunity to step away from the credibility crises that traditional PR practitioners have had to face so often in the past with new-age tools and tactics that are customisable, effective and measurable. To a certain extent one … Read More
Being Purpose Driven: The New Imperative to Reinventing Businesses Post Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted the marketplace and accelerated the move towards digitization, which is now embraced even by traditional “brick and mortar” industries. Digital transformation is certainly the first imperative for businesses and brands to reimagine themselves for the new marketplace in this Covid-19 era. In fact, businesses, big or small (including mom … Read More
Social Media — A Boon or a Bane?
There’s been no shortage of discussion about social media’s seemingly endless potential to bring people closer together. Clearly, it is a powerful tool that can efficiently provide information to the masses and create stronger bonds in any number of communities. However, along with these positive opportunities come threats to all entities, especially in today’s “new … Read More
It Takes More Than an Optimised Press Release to Hit the SEO Mark
In today’s world, savvy PR pros need to be more than just good writers, they need to be knowledgeable about what constitutes optimised digital platforms and they must know how to manage the interaction between these platforms to maximise the chances of achieving the best possible SEO ranking. Two of the critical factors underlying successful … Read More
Female leadership and PR: What have they in common?
The most recent research studies on leadership share the image of a future increasingly characterized by skills that have socially and historically belonged to the females. The old “command-economy” mentality by Henry Ford is now outdated and overtaken by the modern working organization, inspired by values such as active listening, empathy, sharing, delegation and inclusion. … Read More
The Virtuous Cycle in the PR Industry
The Mileage Communications Group celebrates its 28th anniversary in 2020. On this occasion, I am especially proud of what our group has contributed to the PR industry in Singapore and the profound impact we have made in nurturing creative young minds for our profession. Over the years, our Singapore headquarters has taken in numerous interns … Read More
Public Relations Global Network Elects Robert Bauer as President
The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) announced today the slate of new officers for one of the world’s five largest networks of independent PR and communications agencies. The appointments were announced during PRGN’s recent bi-annual Spring meeting, held virtually for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the online video meeting – which replaced … Read More
The Five Pillars of Online Reputation Management
Managing reputation for a brand or a company at the turn of this decade has been challenging for a variety of reasons: First: Everything has become faster and global, from news to information exchange, movements, trends and issues. Many of the recent grassroots movements and major issues, such as Brexit, #MeToo and Extinction Rebellion, have been … Read More
Small is Beautiful: Managing a PR Firm
The global health and economic crisis that all of humanity faces in 2020 has forced many PR firms to downsize. While size is quite clearly not the ultimate factor determining the quality of services of a PR agency – or how they are a match with their clients – a boutique size and family atmosphere … Read More
Public Relations Global Network Adds Offices in Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon
The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) announced today it has added three new locations to its global network, raising the number of its offices serving PR clients throughout the world to 53. PRGN is adding three new offices to its network in Little Rock, Arkansas, Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon. PRGN will be represented in … Read More
What if we turned the Covid-attitude into sustainable corporate behavior?
Companies and brands have never behaved as well as they are right now. For the past few weeks, we’ve seen a level of compassion and caring from brands that is “Hall of Fame” worthy. While this avalanche of good deeds and good intentions might be viewed as excessive by some, I’ve been impressed by the … Read More
Missing Sports – Just as Much as Working on It
There are a lot of things in the world more important than sports, as we so clearly realize now more than ever in the middle of a global pandemic, but I’ve still got to say: I miss the games, the golf, the French Open. Most of us will dearly miss the Olympics. Who won the … Read More
How to be Pro When Doing PR for Aviation?
While I’m writing this, the vast majority of all commercial passenger aircraft are grounded as global and domestic travel is mostly prohibited. However, once this picture changes, airlines will need to quickly regain the trust of passengers and get back into a professional communications mode. This is when communications agencies can step in. But what … Read More
Communication at the workplace: a global future challenge
Recently I saw an article in a tabloid paper saying people spend 25 years of their life sleeping and 19 years at work. This means the second biggest identifiable span in our lives is spent either working, being at work or thinking about work. A daunting thought. If work consumes so much of our lives, … Read More
Top 13 Lessons PR Students Learned from their PRGN Agency Internship
Internships are an important asset for students starting their public relations careers. Each internship experience varies from agency to agency, presenting many opportunities for young professionals to learn different aspects of the industry. Most importantly, internships allow students to acquire skills they cannot learn in a classroom – working and collaborating in a professional space … Read More
How to Develop Effective Communications Strategies: The SNIPER approach
The marketplace has often been described as a war zone, and your communications plan has to win the battle for the attention of audiences and most importantly, their buy-in. As the new year approaches, many brands and organizations would be in the midst of planning their next phase of communication. Broadly, we can see two … Read More
The Meaning of PR: How it’s changing as we head into 2020
When public relations first came on the scene in the early 1900s, it was originally based on a journalism foundation simply because most companies wanted to get their name in the newspaper. As it evolved, it became a sophisticated approach to creating the right message targeted to the right audience in the right way. This … Read More
More than office décor: Five PR awards programs that will make your agency stand out
Let’s face it – most PR pros aren’t in it for the awards… but they sure are nice. Besides adding statues and plaques to your office shelf, PR industry awards present excellent opportunities for agencies to analyze their work, receive feedback from peers, evaluate outcomes and benchmark against best practices. However, with rising entry fees … Read More
Real Estate Public Relations: The Five-Step Process that Creates a Successful Program
There is no question that real estate is an exciting industry. It shapes our cities, creates places for us to shop, work and even shapes the places we take our children to play. As a result, to be involved in the development of new projects – and see them rise out of the ground – … Read More
“A PR plan? The new girl can do it after making us some coffee” – Or what you should remember when creating a PR plan for your company
Most communications officers know what public relations mean, but rarely do they fully understand everything that should be covered when planning a company’s PR activities for an entire year to come. It’s not only the media, stakeholders or even social media influencers that need to be watched. It’s also about deciding how the company should … Read More
Just graduated college? Follow PRGN toward PR jobs near you
Is PR one of your options to start your career? Searching the web for PR jobs can be an enormous task and you’d often be thrown into confusion. The PR industry has become so diversified and almost borderless and at the same time the “think global, act local” thinking leads you in global business. Which … Read More
Who are the Top PR Agencies in the U.S., Canada and Mexico?
Ah, North America! Home of the natural wonders of Canada, beloved cuisine of Mexico and general craziness of the United States. Within these disparate, yet adjacent, countries lie a host of communications agencies with subspecialties in practically every industry. The question is: how do you find the best PR agencies in North America for your … Read More
Why Online Activism has the Power to Change the Way We Do Business
Online activism is a very potent tool for change that gives activists who would otherwise go unnoticed an immediate and potentially global audience to hear their side of a particular story. We’ve seen how activists can garner a groundswell of support that can overrule the ‘terms and conditions’ of business and even put world leaders … Read More
How “asoluto” became “accelent” — What We Learned from Rebranding Our Agency
Agency life is an evolutionary process and brings times of stability as well as disruptive changes —some of them forced upon the agency from the outside, some of them deliberately initiated to bring the organization to a new level. The Austrian PRGN member formerly known as asoluto has gone through such a change and since … Read More
10 public relations agency roles in the C-suite
The public relations agency can serve a number of significant roles in the C-suite. The question is, how do you find true acceptance in the C-suite. Strategic vision. It is critical that a PR firm understand the corporate vision. If there is none, this is the most important job to be accomplished. The future of … Read More
What’s in store for PR in 2019?
It’s that time of year. We’re all finishing up the current year while looking towards the future, gazing into our all-knowing crystal balls. And in our industry, that means looking at what’s in store for the field of public relations in 2019. I took the liberty of asking my friends and colleagues at the Public … Read More
Ten Questions with Márk Németh
Name: Márk Németh Title: Head of Consumer PRGN Agency: Goodwill Communications Years at your agency: 7 Why did you choose to enter PR? I was working as a journalist at a print business daily when the world financial crisis hit. The editorial staff shrank and I found I had less time for the part of … Read More
WHY CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR BRAND
Nobody is more strongly positioned to create long-term, sustainable change than companies. According to a 2016 PwC Global CEO survey, 64% of CEOs say that “corporate social responsibility (CSR) is core to their business rather than being a stand-alone program.” The Survey interviewed 1,409 CEOs in 83 countries with 76% defining business success by more … Read More
How To Become A Better Presenter
When watching somebody present in front of an audience, it takes just a few seconds to determine if this is going to be a compelling and interesting presentation or a boring waste of time. But once you’re standing in the spotlight yourself, it is up to you to make a difference. And here’s how to: … Read More
So, You Think You Need a PR Firm: Tips from an Insider on How to Do it Right
Hiring any consultant is a difficult task. How do you find one that will mesh with your company culture and values? What about the budget? How can you measure results? With public relations, it can be even more difficult, given most people struggle with the intangible aspect of our industry. That said, there are ways … Read More
Four Actions Companies Must Take Before Launching A New Product
When it comes to launching a new product or service, success isn’t defined by whether or not you launch “on time.” Many mistakes can be avoided by slowing down, thinking through the entire campaign strategically and ensuring all ducks are in a row before pontificating your news to the world. Here are four key things … Read More
How Artificial Intelligence affects SEO
Artificial intelligence is not science fiction anymore. AI is here, and it’s probably part of your daily life. In fact, when you search the web at any time from any device, whether you’re typing into a browser or talking to Siri, you are interacting with AI. Search engines use AI to deliver the best results … Read More
Integrating Your Marketing and PR Strategies
There used to be a way to reach your target market with just a few touch points. Send out a press release. Produce an event. Sponsor a program. According to the Online Marketing Institute, it now takes 7-13 touches to reach a potential customer. Today’s consumers are immune to traditional marketing, PR and advertising strategies. … Read More
9 Reasons Why Every Company Should Invest in PR
Public relations has long been a powerful marketing tool for companies. In today’s digital environment, its impact is greater than ever. Here are nine reasons why every company should be investing in PR: 1. Allows a company to own and manage its narrative. Companies that fail to invest in PR are essentially ceding their narrative … Read More
VW Crisis Communications Failures Never End
Nearly 3 years after the VW emissions scandal broke worldwide, the CEO of VW-owned Audi is arrested for fraud, false advertising and hindering the investigation by German authorities. The first rule of crisis communications is to end the crisis and on something of this scale, that means untainted leadership and a willingness to right the … Read More
5 Ways to Know If Working in the PR Industry is Right for You
As an industry, public relations has experienced our fair share of PR. Popular TV shows like “Mad Men” and “Sex and The City” have bolstered PR’s reputation as a career path lined with celebrity parties, free swag and other VIP perks. While many of us do frequently work on cool projects with major brands and … Read More
The Right Measurements to Determine a Successful PR Campaign
When clients hire a public relations agency to develop a PR campaign, they typically measure its success by the number of times the story was picked up, in which publications it appeared, and how many times it was retweeted or shared. Of course, they also want to know that the story was free of errors … Read More
The Rise of the Social Influencer
Popularity of influencer marketing is a rich seam for brands and PR reps but greater transparency is now needed to enhance trust and credibility, writes Owen Cullen. It seems hard to believe now but there was a brief flicker of time, quite a few years back, when people weren’t sure if social media would catch … Read More
Reputation Management and Monitoring Your Web Presence
Do you Google yourself and your company? If not, you should. Google is the first impression for anyone who doesn’t know you. It’s common for clients, customers, colleagues and even competitors to use the Internet to form their opinion of you. They want to know who is saying what? Is the information positive, negative or … Read More
Clever Ways to Get Free Press Coverage
The best kind of press isn’t something that you buy, but how exactly do you get free press coverage? Because the media is constantly pitching new products and services, getting noticed can be difficult. Here are three clever ways to ensure you get the media coverage you want, provided by the world’s top media relations … Read More
What to do When Your Spokesperson Makes a Mistake
We’ve all seen it on the news. The spokesperson heads to the microphone, reads a statement, then begins taking questions. Then, we notice something. He or she makes a mistake. Whether your spokesperson starts speaking off-topic, becomes a “deer in the headlights” or unintentionally gives away private information, a mistake takes place. Any one of … Read More
Top Five Things to Know about Managing a Crisis on Social Media
Just as social media has changed everything about communications and marketing, it’s taken the practice of crisis management to new heights. The immediacy of channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others make managing a crisis even more difficult, particularly when the groundswell of public commentary on the issue and the response – or lack … Read More
Why Should You Hire A PR Agency? And How Do You Find the Right PR Firm?
Having been in the public relations business for nearly three decades, I’m often asked by business associates why and how to find the right PR firm for their needs. So, just like BuzzFeed, we’ve compiled some easy-to-read lists for you. My colleague Alison Bailin at PRGN’s Phoenix agency, HMA Public Relations, offers the following 10 … Read More
Is the Press Release Dead?
“Dead ones live longer” is a common phrase – and indeed, it applies also to pr. The question is not if the press release in general is dead but much more how to make it a vivid, compelling and fruitful part of your toolbox. The starting point is of course: Who should read, enjoy and … Read More
The New, Close Relationship Between Communication Agencies and Law Firms
For years they have been on separate paths, but since crisis is a synonym of corporate reputation, clients no longer worry about hiring a law firm when looking for a solution to their conflicts, but for several years they have understood that simultaneously they should look for someone who watches over their public image before … Read More
Reveal the Client’s True Problem In Order to Develop a Resolution
We live in amazing times today, we are so digitized and so technologically advanced that the beginning of my PR career 20+ years ago seems to be in another life. I remember sending press releases by fax and communicating very important issues via pagers. No mobile phones, no blogs, no Facebook, no Twitter, but a … Read More
Pitching for Product Reviews
At first glance, a product review may just seem like a bunch of words coupled with images of a product, lavishing the product with half-hearted praise and encouraging readers to buy. Is that always the case? Reviewing is about making connections between images, text, and a reader, just like any other story. I enjoy reading … Read More
5 Tips for a Successful Product Launch
In consumer public relations, we often build our annual plans around new product launches and all of the buzz – and sales – they will bring. While every new product is different, here are a few tried and true tips to make the most of any product launch campaign. 1. Plan ahead. Ideally, the PR … Read More
Top 10 Conferences for PR Pros in 2018
As PR pros, it can be difficult for us to step away from our inboxes and voicemails for time dedicated solely to professional development. It’s easy to put client needs in front of the latest webinar or online course, especially when your time is billable and there are deadlines at every turn. But public relations … Read More
PR Lessons From Over the Years
Having been in the communications industry for more than 40 years, first within corporations, then in consultancy, there were many lessons gleaned along the way. These have helped me to deal with various stakeholders better and to handle PR events and activities more effectively. I hope you will find them useful. Dealing with the media … Read More
Win 2017 With These End-of-Year PR Tips
Everyone knows the best time to plan is the beginning of each year. But, the end of the year offers some unique opportunities too. How can you maximize your brand in the 4th quarter? Here are a few End-of-the-Year PR and Social Media PR Tips. 1. What is Trending? Get Brand recognition by paying attention … Read More
Are you Making These 3 Common Blogging Mistakes?
By writing a blog you broaden your knowledge, acquire new skills, develop your imagination and enhance vocabulary. You also become a better writer, interlocutor, an expert in your field, improve your own concentration and memory. These are advantages that nobody questions. If you do it just for yourself, your own pleasure and satisfaction of your … Read More
PRGN at 25 – Change is the Only Constant in PR
Public Relations Global Network was founded 25 years ago to expand local knowledge into a communications provider that can serve clients in multiple markets. Like-minded independently owned and operated firms gathered together to share best practices, win worldwide business and enjoy the camaraderie of peers. But a lot has changed in the industry since then… … Read More
A Case Study for a Case Study
It is a common request from potential clients to see a Public Relations case study of work comparable to what you are recommending to them. But what exactly are they looking for? Strategy, deliverables, measurement? Of course, but how best to provide that information without overwhelming and oversharing. Case studies are a great way to … Read More
What Results can you Expect From a PR Campaign?
Before analyzing the results of a PR campaign, it is necessary to clarify what PR means today. The primary goal of Public Relations has always been to develop relationships, to connect institutions, companies, people and establishments with their users or their clients. What has changed over time, and has even significantly increased, are the ways … Read More
Nailing Your Next Media Interview With These Five Tips
What you say can or will be held against you, should you not take up the challenge to prepare for an interview. In the digital age, everything you say lives on forever, so, preparing for an interview should not be taken lightly. You should spend enough time getting up to speed and doing the due … Read More
Does Your Website Accurately Represent You?
Company websites used to be only virtual business cards. Not anymore. With the online developing faster than everything else around, websites moved to have a sales role or shifted to a hybrid function covering both the presentation and commercial purposes. Browsing the web one can see several neat website designs and functionalities and what might … Read More
Which Social Media Platform Is Your Audience On?
Social media is no longer the territory of the millennial. Today, consumers ranging from 14 to 65+ and beyond (to infinity!!) are active across the various platforms on a daily basis. In the current climate it wouldn’t be out of order to assume that your audience is using social media in one way or another, … Read More
10 Tips to Construct a Media-Pitching Email that Works
Media relations is our bread and butter in the PR industry. There’s nothing better than a well-placed media hit that’s authentic, engaging and delivered directly to your target audience. But with an increasingly competitive media landscape and a growing desire by many brands to tackle multiple markets at once, honing the perfect media pitch can … Read More
Rebranding for a Better Future
Recently, Hong Kong Observatory announced a move with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to rename four typhoons that caused human casualties and economic loss in Hong Kong and other South China Sea regions. The renaming of these typhoons was an act of rebranding, designed to raise more public awareness about the cause of the disasters, and … Read More
What to Do When PR Clients Pressure You for Lower Fees
If you’ve never had a client ask you to lower your fees, you are one of the lucky PR professionals! For the rest of us, here are 5 tactics you can try the next time a client mentions budget cuts. Prepare facts: Many clients feel that they are paying too much because they can’t see … Read More
Best Kept Secrets in Public Relations
When it comes to public relations, the best-kept secrets are those protected by the PRSA Code of Ethics. This means PR professionals will keep proprietary information proprietary and would rather go to jail before disclosing business secrets. Now, here are three secrets. Each of these secrets assumes you have an excellent relationship with the media. … Read More
Delving into PR: Which Model Works Best for your Company?
The debate between the DIY model vs. in-house vs. hiring a PR agency Anytime a company expands their marketing outreach efforts, no doubt there will be a great deal of discussion on which way to go. Should we hire a public relations/social media firm? Perhaps we should investigate hiring a freelancer? What about keeping it … Read More
Digital Strategies Bring Clear Benefits to Companies
The great digital transformation and Fourth Industrial Revolution we are seeing in large companies around the world is no longer confined to just mega-corporations and conglomerates. In Chile, many companies—both large and small—are in the midst of this great change. At the moment, Chile is experiencing large-scale penetration in mobile devices (71%, leading in Latin … Read More
Customer Reviews Can Make or Break You – How to Support Those Elusive 5 Stars
Yelp, Trip Advisor, Glassdoor, Amazon and hundreds of other sites invite customer reviews on products, businesses and services. Less than stellar reviews can have a real financial impact on your business. According to Web Republic, products with positive reviews sell 200% more than those with no reviews. So how do you influence your customers to … Read More
Achieving Exceptional Results
What do you think it takes to achieve exceptional results for your clients and organizations? There are things like working hard and paying attention to their needs that certainly top the list. But doesn’t that seem obvious?
Integrity – a solution to South American comms woes
Aside from the well-known highly corrupt and troubled governments in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, for the past two years (and more) Latin American countries have been involved in a series of scandals that have undermined confidence in politics and in business at corporate level.
How much of a Monster is PR?
How much of a monster is PR? It’s what we do, it’s how we pay the bills and it’s mostly what we love. But how much are we responsible for the way it can consume people and is it ultimately for the good?
