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What Lego Fortnite means for marketers

Move over, Roblox. Brands have a whole new toolkit on Fortnite.

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Fidelity Investments taps Golin, Bully Pulpit Interactive for US PR support

The financial services company initiated a review following its internal communications restructuring in February.

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Krispy Kreme changes FleishmanHillard’s remit, hands creative to VML

The Omnicom PR firm is still providing communications support to the doughnut brand.

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YouTube and TikTok lead marketers’ plans for 2024

Migration to digital channels – except X and Snapchat – to continue, Warc finds.

Image credit: The Time Person of the Year issue features three worldwide covers of Taylor Swift, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh for Time.

Time’s Person of the Year: Who would you have picked?

Should Barbie have taken the crown? How about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman?

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TikTok study reveals five creator marketing best practices

TikTok partnered with creator marketing platform CreatorIQ on the report.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Thursday morning

Pinterest decorates White House; GOP debate recap; UPenn president responds to backlash.

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How Pinterest got involved with the 2023 White House holiday display

Autumn Communications supported the Holiday operation.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Forbes policy editor Avik Roy at the Forbes 2023 Healthcare Summit

Forbes Healthcare Summit: Medical pros on why schools should have remained open during pandemic

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Forbes policy editor Avik Roy reflect on the backlash they faced for their stance.

Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker at the Forbes 2023 Healthcare Summit

Clear's CEO on expanding the company's verification technology to health systems

Caryn Seidman Becker spoke at Forbes 2023 Healthcare Summit on Tuesday.

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Can communicating in the metaverse improve mental health? Jewel hopes so

The singer discussed the virtual community Innerworld at the 2023 Forbes Healthcare Summit.

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TikTok tells agencies and brands to rip up 'best storytelling practices'

TikTok's What’s Next Report 2024 says users enjoy a non-traditional arc in videos.

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Mynewsdesk boosts platform with AI-powered capabilities

The tool is a “creative partner” called CoPilot.

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Dentsu partners with Meta to bring WhatsApp services to brands

The partnership will enable brands to manage customer experiences through the messaging app.

Jonas Palmqvist, Sarah Scales, Giles Fraser, Lars Erik Grønntun

Brands2Life sold to Scandinavian holding company

Brands2Life, the independent PR agency founded in 2000 by Giles Fraser and Sarah Scales, has been acquired by a relatively new holding company hailing from Scandinavia.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Wednesday morning

2024 ad spend forecast; University presidents grilled by lawmakers; Latest from COP28.

Elie Azzi, Sarah Alarrak

Edelman hires Ogilvy boss to lead in Saudi Arabia

Global comms firm Edelman has appointed a new general manager for its Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) business, along with a strategic comms advisor.

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Accenture appoints Rachel Frey as head of corporate communications

Frey, who had been serving as the interim lead since April, has officially replaced longtime Accenture executive Stacey Jones.

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Mandy Moore leads Incyte’s Opzelura effort against eczema

Mandy Moore, who lives with atopic dermatitis, sat down with other AD patients for some candid conversations to promote Incyte’s eczema campaign.

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Ketchum rolls out Election Navigator service

It leverages the agency’s corporate reputation and industry expertise, as well as a proprietary technology tool.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Tuesday morning

Best Places to Work 2023; PRWeek Hall of Fame; GTA trailer leaks.

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Sabina Ellahi named chair of PRWeek Global Awards 2024

Sabina Ellahi, global head of PR at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, is to chair the judging of this year’s PRWeek Global Awards 2024, the entry deadline for which is fast approaching.

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Coca-Cola hires Meta's Katherina Jawaharlal as VP of corporate and brand PR

She previously built and ran Meta’s partnership communications team.

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Meet the top 10 diabetes influencers on TikTok

Diabetes influencers on TikTok have built large communities based on sharing their journeys — as well as trials and tribulations — of living with the condition.

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BPD completes acquisition of IPG healthcare firm Revive

Weber Shandwick announced it was selling Revive to BPD in October.

Masdar City 'Sustainable Living, Made Easy' by Boopin and Memac Ogilvy

The COP28 F-List: Clean Creatives accuses agencies of helping UAE secure UN climate talks

The campaign group says ad and PR agencies have 'greenwashed' the country.

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Marcomms leaders say increasing reach, share of voice is top priority: Muck Rack

The company surveyed nearly 400 marketing and PR execs this fall for its State of Marketing and PR Leadership report.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Monday morning

PRWeek’s Hall of Fame is tonight; TrailRunner International hires Amanda Bush; Spotify layoffs.

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TrailRunner International brings on Amanda Bush as Texas MD

Bush is a seasoned attorney and litigator.

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LA Tourism names Faulhaber as Canada AOR

The organization recently brought on AORs in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

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Study: Pharma ESG matters to patients

Results suggest pharma is awash in pro-ESG sentiment, even though drugmakers often don’t communicate effectively about it.

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Eileen Sheil to oversee Weill Cornell Medicine’s comms division

Sheil will lead its more-than-40-member division of communications and public affairs.

Hotwire introduces AI to data and analytics offering

Global tech comms agency Hotwire has brought in data intelligence tools that use AI and data insights to ‘identify the most impactful messaging, storylines, reporters, and influencers’.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Friday morning

Federal judge blocks Montana's TikTok ban; The latest on COP28; Meta is struggling to remove pedophiles from Facebook and Instagram.

Tracy Naden starts in the role in January. (Image used by permission)

BCW names Tracy Naden North America president of health and wellness

Naden most recently served as North America president of Lippe Taylor Group.

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Real Chemistry eliminates 3% of its workforce

The agency let go of 66 of its 2,000-person workforce across varying departments.

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Which brand had the best Spotify Wrapped parody?

Merriam-Webster, Jack in the Box and the Empire State Building had creative responses to the popular campaign.

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Weber introduces AI Accelerator

The product includes three components to help clients better use and understand AI.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Thursday morning

ICR launches Blue Engine; Ketchum layoffs; Elon Musk curses out X’s fleeing advertisers.

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ICR launches new agency Blue Engine

The firm is a combination of ICR’s consumer lifestyle team with the recently acquired Bullfrog + Baum.

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Ketchum lays off ‘more than 20’ employees

The firm’s U.S. CEO Jim Joseph addressed the layoffs in an internal memo to staff Wednesday.

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Samsung Networks hires AxiCom as North America AOR

The WPP agency is supporting the networking technology company with earned media and analyst relations throughout the region.

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M Booth hires Courtney Nally as influencer practice head

Nally seeks to scale up the capability and combat influencer inequity among marginalized communities.

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Spotify Wrapped 2023 celebrates real moments with real music

Spotify’s annual year-end recap campaign expands on personalized listening habits and drops easter eggs around the world.

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Creator agency Billion Dollar Boy launches innovation unit

Called Muse, the group helps brands and influencers better use emerging technology.

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Report: Google brokered search ads on piracy, porn and sanctioned foreign sites

Adalytics report alleges Google’s third-party search network includes ‘tens of thousands’ of unvetted websites and brand safety risks.

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Actum hires ex-UK government adviser as MD

Consulting firm Actum LLC has appointed a former special adviser to Baroness Warsi as its managing director.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Wednesday morning

Women of Distinction 2024; Saatchi launches creator firm; COP28.

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PRWeek’s Women of Distinction 2024 is open for entries

Now’s the time to nominate an outstanding professional for the preeminent industry event honoring top women executives.

Steph Lund, Alex Osorio and Andrea Nirsimloo

M&C Saatchi launches creator marketing agency M&C Saatchi Fabric

M&C Saatchi Fabric is spun off from the agency’s influencer practice that sat within Sport & Entertainment.

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MikeWorldWide hires Rob Bronfeld to co-lead consumer brand practice

Bronfeld is managing accounts including AWS, Dairy Queen and KB Home.

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Errol Cockfield named Weber Shandwick North America crisis lead

The firm’s crisis and issues business has seen double-digit growth in 2023.

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Salient Global names Tricia Ewald as new CEO

Previous chief executive Bryan Specht died last month at age 50.

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Intel names HP alum Karen Kahn as CCO

Kahn, who spent more than seven years at HP, also has semiconductor experience from a stint at Broadcom.

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Provocative Publicis-backed campaign warns young people about HPV risks

The goal of HPV Fucks Everybody is to highlight the risks associated with HPV, which includes cancer and genital warts, in an effort to encourage young people to get a vaccine to prevent infection.

Screenshot of the Stride Health campaign with Care.com.

Stride Health drives Affordable Care Act enrollment with Shipt, Care.com partnerships

The company has also teamed up with companies including Uber, DoorDash and Grubhub.

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Denny’s names Finn Partners PR and brand communications AOR

The restaurant chain also named Mindshare its U.S. media AOR.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Tuesday morning

Sam Altman’s social media strategy; Next 15 results; SI’s AI content crisis.

Next 15 PR business hit by ‘client spend delays’ in FY

Next 15 has labelled its 2024 full-year performance as ‘robust’, despite having faced ‘inflationary pressures’ and ‘macroeconomic headwinds’ this year.

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Gotham Government Relations responds to arrest of former affiliate Stuart Seldowitz

Seldowitz was charged with a hate crime after videos of him allegedly harassing a food-cart vendor this month surfaced on social media.

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Sneaker marketplace StockX picks The Romans as PR AOR

The U.K. firm is looking to build up its New York presence with the win.

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Philip Morris International names Travis Parman US comms head

Parman was most recently AppHarvest’s chief communications officer.

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3 challenges brands face in building a presence on WhatsApp

Meta continues to tease ads in its messaging platform, but marketers are seeing other ways to take advantage of the app.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Monday morning

Merriam-Webster unveils Word of the Year; Russia puts Meta comms director on wanted list.

Brian Ellner was most recently WPP U.S. public affairs lead and BCW EVP for growth and marketing corporate purpose. (Image used by permission)

One Strategy Group hires Brian Ellner as president

The firm launched in 2022 as Day One and rebranded to One Strategy Group this month.

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Sam Altman returns to OpenAI: What the players, stakeholders and journalists are saying

Key parties, investors and tech journalists quickly responded after OpenAI reinstated Altman early Wednesday.

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The Amish burn Solo Stove over Snoop Dogg stunt

Amish-made smokeless fire-pit company Breeo wants people to know its product is the O.G.

Willow Go wearable breast pumps

Giving Tuesday: Willow and Project Sweet Peas donate care packages to NICU parents

The initiative supports both parents and babies with items needed for premature newborns.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Wednesday morning

Tourism win for Praytell; Sam Altman is back at OpenAI.

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South Australian Tourism Commission names Praytell North America AOR

The agency will share stories about the region’s native wildlife, wine and outback experiences.

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Dove partners with virtual influencer to promote body positivity

Lennnie is a ghost-shaped blob with a message for young people.

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Accor books Accenture Song to transform global content production

International hotel group has expanded its partnership with the agency globally after more than four years of working together.

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Taylor Swift fans criticize communication around Brazil fan’s death

Swifties are calling out Swift herself and media outlets for inaccurately reporting on the conditions of Friday night’s concert.

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FGS Global acquires Canadian comms, public affairs agency Longview

The Canadian agency, which specializes in areas including foreign direct investment approvals, will be rebranded as FGS Longview.

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Breakfast Briefing: 5 things for PR pros to know on Tuesday morning

OpenAI investors consider lawsuit; Israel-Hamas close to deal; Elon Musk sues Media Matters.

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Snapshot: What communicators are focusing on at COP28

From conducting research to media training, PR teams and their agencies have their hands full at this year’s U.N. climate conference.

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‘Black Friday IRL isn’t the same’; How earned media strategy is evolving

Fewer shoppers are lining up outside stores. That means more parking spots and coverage opportunities in different places.

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How Sam Altman ran circles around OpenAI’s board on social media

Altman, who was abruptly fired before he was reinstated as chief executive, used X to seize control of the conversation, say technology PR and corporate reputation experts.

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From bespoke collections to odd recipes, brands are making the holidays fun again

Marketers are working to distract from inflation, loan payments and global crises, as well as turn the corner from COVID this winter.

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Is reproductive loss leave offered at your agency?

Agencies with a California presence will be required to adopt the policy by the start of next year. Many firms based there or with a presence in the state already have measures in place.

The 2022 New York Marathon. Source: Getty Images

Ready to run: Comms pros gear up for NYC Marathon and discuss event's impact

New York comes together this Sunday in unique fashion to cheer on runners taking part in the NYC Marathon. PRWeek checks in with participants from the comms industry and analyzes the parallels between marathon training and the PR profession.

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Brands use scary film festivals, dance challenges and rescue squads to stop Halloween campaigns from going stale

How Airheads, Chipotle, Reese’s and M&M’s are keeping their Halloween campaigns fresh year after year.

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Assessing ousted Flexport CEO Dave Clark’s rebuttal

Crisis and reputation management experts analyze Clark’s lengthy X statement and assess if an outgoing executive should ever go on the offensive.

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Roblox reviews: What do brands get out of video games?

A former video game journalist brushes off the game-reviewing cobwebs to grade branded Roblox activations based on performance metrics.

Photo credit: Getty Images

‘Hollywood has a knack for always coming back’: Entertainment PR agencies ‘optimistic’ as writers strike ends

United Entertainment Group, Lobeline Communications, Berk Communications and ShapiroPR share what the rest of the year looks like.

Taylor Swift at sporting event

Aligning with Taylor Swift is the ultimate brand power move — just ask the NFL

With Swift at the height of her stardom, any brand peripherally aligned with her is reaping the benefits.

United Auto Workers (UAW) members and supporters march during a Labor Day parade in Detroit

Unionization boom may necessitate rewrite of labor relations playbook

Labor relations may now have a larger impact on overall perception of a brand, say comms experts.

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MGM cyberattack shows how comms, IT must work closely together

Cyberthreats can have a material effect on companies’ bottom lines, and comms execs need to get up-to-speed on responding to them, say experts.

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Clients are done playing nice about RTO — and that goes for their agency partners, too

Yet despite a prevalence of “this time we mean it” from employers, experts say many companies are still failing with RTO comms.

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Why marketers still don’t have a going rate for creator campaigns

Creator marketing experts question if it’s even possible to come up with standard wages.

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What companies need to tell employees about AI to protect their IP

Employees are using AI whether companies have a policy or not, and they could be putting sensitive data at risk.

Coke bottles with works of art on them

Coca-Cola developed NFTs, but that doesn’t mean they’re coming back

Web3 has a reputation problem that no technological upgrade can overcome, but some brands are still trying.

People gather around and cheer for Kai Cenat in Union Square. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

The dos and don’ts of holding an influencer event

Experts discuss learnings from Kai Cenat’s Union Square chaos.

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RIP AOR?

In-house teams are searching for more short-term support, but that’s not all bad news for agencies.

‘There is an H in HR for a reason’ – can AI solve the PR hiring crisis?

Staff recruitment remains a problem in comms, but AI may provide a solution

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B Corp 101

The CEO of Patagonia calls the B Corp process “a pain in the ass,” and agency leaders say he’s right — but it’s worth it. Here’s how to get started.

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Why more agencies are becoming B Corps

The process is hard and maintaining it is even harder, but firms say B Corp status has cultural and bottom-line benefits.

A partially removed sign at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California

Advertisers interested in U.S. super app — don’t expect it from X

X looks to beat rivals such as Meta, TikTok and Snap in bringing a super app to the U.S. for the first time, but digital advertising experts are skeptical it can overcome the hurdles ahead.

Two co-workers talking

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action. Does it matter for PR agencies?

Firms and their partner programs prepare for the effects — downplayed by many — of SCOTUS’ decision.

Image of Randall Park in Amazon's back to school campaign

Brands focus on value and savings in this year’s back-to-school campaigns

“Back-to-school season is an annual reminder of how incredibly expensive it is to raise children,” says Amazon’s Jo Shoesmith.

Margot Robbie at Barbie's London premiere

The summer of ‘Barbie’: Marketers have nothing but love for film’s ubiquitous promo blitz

The color pink is everywhere a week before the film debuts in U.S. theaters.

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The big brand challenge of Threads’ rollout

The latest digital water cooler has arrived, and with it issues for clients and their agency partners to navigate.

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All the ways Shein’s influencer tour went wrong

The fashion brand is being accused of propaganda after hosting a crew of poorly informed influencers to improve its reputation. It did not work.

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CEOs are ordering employees back to the office. It’s up to comms to sell it

What works: emphasizing the benefits of in-person collaboration and career opportunities; What doesn’t: threats and intimidation.

A vertical shot of the city Villefranche-sur-Mer by the sea

It’s AI’s time in the sun at Cannes

Artificial intelligence probably won’t win a Grand Prix but it will be the hot topic of conversation.

Image of Brooks Koepka on the LIV Golf tour.

Don’t expect sponsors to flee pro golf after the PGA Tour-LIV merger, say experts

One has a 'gut feeling' most people won’t care about the merger, while others say sponsors will have to make tough decisions.

Modern skyscraper windows

Is the chief communications officer role getting a demotion?

Recent executive moves and reporting structure changes are prompting the question. Yet industry insiders say the position is maintaining its influence.

Pride apparel display at Target

‘Legitimate anxiety’: Brands get tentative about Pride as anti-LGBTQ activists flex their muscles

Bud Light. Target. Kohl’s. Even Chick-fil-A. Brands know they could be the next to be targeted for celebrating Pride.

Screenshot of Ron DeSantis' twitter launch

Twitter has a place in presidential campaigns — just not launching them

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign kickoff on Twitter was a bust for several reasons. But the platform is useful to campaigns in other ways.

Out-of-focus photo of figures walking

Three years later: How agencies are keeping the focus on diversity

How agencies are approaching diversity three years after the murder of George Floyd and the peak of Black Lives Matter.

Times Square street view with COVID-19 billboards

The 10 biggest communications lessons from the COVID-19 public health emergency

From understanding an audience to beating back disinformation, health comms experts share their biggest lessons learned for the next pandemic.

Image of Evan Gershkovich at a hearing

How The Wall Street Journal is rallying the media to keep Evan Gershkovich in the conversation

Media titans that are often at each other’s throats are pulling together to call for the detained reporter’s release.

young woman showing a thumbs up while using a phone to film at home

From creator to creative: Why agencies are recruiting social media stars

Creators are bringing their nimble creative savvy and short-form expertise to full-time agency roles, but face challenges adapting to client demands and agency culture.

Image of a woman using a smartphone in the subway.

‘No longer reliable’: Twitter chaos means public safety messaging gets a rethink

Transportation and public-health agencies used to go to Twitter first during an emergency. Now it’s not so simple.

A view of rainbow bottles of Bud Light during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards New York

How Bud Light’s abandonment of the trans community could influence Pride

In light of the ongoing controversy between Bud Light and trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, brands must decide whether to move forward with Pride plans — or succumb to a vocal minority.

Shot of Dylan Mulvaney at a broadway opening

‘A big step back’: CCOs fear brands will retreat from LGBT support after Bud Light backlash

Experts worry about a broader chilling effect on brands speaking up on divisive social issues after the backlash to Bud Light’s partnership with influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Dylan Mulvaney at her Day 365 Live! in New York in March

Self-inflicted wounds haunt Anheuser-Busch’s Dylan Mulvaney crisis response

Bud Light failed at trying to appease two conflicting audiences, say PR executives.

Team working in office and remotely via video conferencing

Why companies continue to struggle with flex schedules

Hybrid work is here to stay. Or is it?

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Meta’s Reels is building a home for TikTok refugees

Leading TikTok-focused agencies are encouraging clients to diversify their social media presences, with the Meta product getting the first look.

A photo of a Pepsi can with the new PepsiCo logo

Pepsi unveils a new logo: a look back at the logos through the years

A bold leap forward, the design reflects changing consumer tastes and the brand's digital ambitions. Also, it comes just in time for Pepsi’s 125th anniversary.