Accountability in Communications
No doubt the pandemic has deeply affected our families, work, the economy, social activity, and of course, our health. In has also affected how companies operate and how they communicate with their customers and the public. Being tone-deaf to what is happening in the world can do tremendous reputational damage to a brand. Many companies recognized this and started to incorporate acknowledgment of the pandemic into their Corporate Social Responsibility programs, and their communications, in mid-2020. And now several major brands are recognizing the need to not only adapt to the societal changes, but also involve themselves by reaching out to the public with pandemic messaging, some of it replacing their existing marketing. Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, Coke, Audi and others are adjusting, or even eliminating, the holy grail of marketing platforms from their ad schedules: the Super Bowl. And several are donating their ad time to vaccine education and other non-profits. This is an excellent example of following some of the basic tenants of good communications, regardless of the time we find ourselves in. Stay connected to what is happening in society, and with your public. Be authentic and transparent. Deliver value to your audience. Be flexible and adjust when appropriate. Being socially responsible is not only about donating money and involving your employees in cause programs. Corporate Social Responsibility is about being accountable to your stakeholders, the public, and to yourself. It is an awareness of how your brand affects society. Companies need to learn how to “read the room.” Corporate Social Responsibility should be a critical part of a company’s branding efforts and in some cases it can even lead the efforts and serve as the umbrella mission over marketing and public relations, driving the company image. Whatever position your company decides to embrace, the recognition of societal change can be a driver for positivity in your communications and show benefit and value to your publics.
Build Your Social Champions
Some of your biggest champions during a crisis may end up being your social media followers…but waiting to build those ambassadors until crisis strikes means you’re too late to capitalize on this important communications outlet. Check out our video for some quick tips, and contact us at https://fallstongroup.com/contact-us/ or call 410-420-2001 for more information.
Can You Spot Fake News?
By Kathy Walsh, Director of Marketing Recently I attended the Public Relations Society of America’s International Conference in Boston and one of the sessions I attended focused on the topic of fake news. This post highlights some key takeaways shared by co-presenters Lisa Arledge Powell of Ohio-based MediaSource and Robert Mackle, Director of Media Relations for OSU’s Wexner Medical Center—but first, let’s take a look at what “fake news” truly means and why the term has become so popular. Fake news extends far beyond traditional media outlets such as newspapers and television. Today, more people than ever are getting their “news” from social media or social sharing sites where the sources are far harder to identify, verify and control. Fake news can be categorized as the following: Satire that is being misinterpreted as real news. Bait and click headlines that don’t reflect the facts. Legitimate mistakes. Intentionally deceptive content. Understanding each of these categories allow you to be 1) a more informed consumer of news, 2) a better resource to your followers by only sharing legitimate content and 3) more savvy in how you react and respond to any fake news surrounding your company or brand. One example the PRSA session presenters highlighted was a recent fake news story alleging that Budweiser was pulling its NFL sponsorship in light of the National Anthem controversy. Rather than denying the reports, Budweiser recognized an opportunity to engage with its audience and ask them directly whether the company should continue to support the NFL. The company set up a hotline for fans to voice concerns, and ultimately, based on fan feedback, decided to retain its sponsorship deal. Fear of fake news extends beyond the average news consumer – even today’s journalists are concerned. According to public relations and media software company Cision’s 2017 Global Social Journalism Survey, some 51 percent of respondents feel that fake news is a serious problem in their industry. According to Cision, not only are political reporters concerned, nearly half of those in the journalism profession worry about fake news, particularly those covering business and other industries. So, what can YOU do to be prepared to recognize and respond to fake news? Here are quick tips to help spot what’s real and what’s not: Read more than just the headline, which is designed now more than ever to hook you. Increasingly, some journalists are financially incentivized for the number of readers who click through to read the full article. Assess the legitimacy of the source. One simple tool I learned is “domain authority,” which is used to weight websites in search rankings and is tied to the number of inbound links to the site from other websites. You can find domain authority rankings from 1-100 (with 100 indicating the highest authority) on sites like Moz’s Open Site Explorer. By way of perspective, cnbc.com has a rating of 95 while Bloomberg.ma (set up to confuse people into thinking it’s the real Bloomberg site) has a rating of 1 and the excite247.com site shown above has a rating of 14. Keep an eye out for Facebook’s new context button announced earlier in October and being piloted right now. Users will see an ‘i’ button on articles in their News Feed that, when clicked, will reveal a publisher information panel with information on sources and an option to “follow the publisher’s page, view trending or related articles, and see how that article is being shared on the platform itself.” Use sites like Snopes.com to verify the accuracy of certain statistics, news and other facts. Snopes is one of the oldest and most reputable sites for statistical verification and is always a good place to start. Whether your company or brand is the target of fake news or if you don’t become one, feel free to reach out to me to discuss your concerns. I’ll make sure you have a plan in place to protect your reputational equity you’ve worked so hard to build. Your credibility and public trust depends on it! You can reach me at kathy.walsh@fallstongroup.com or by calling Fallston Group at 410.420.2001.
The Art of Networking: 7 Tips
Networking is an excellent way to build brand awareness. It also has the potential to generate lifelong relationships. Follow these seven guidelines and you will master the art of networking.
Reputation: Top Strategic Risk Concern for Companies
A recent study conducted by Forbes Insights on behalf of Deloitte shows company reputation and the fallout from reputational damage as the number one strategic risk for large companies, surpassing business model and economic trend concerns. The driving factor behind this shift in concern is social media.
Media Relations 101
It is imperative that executives and professionals maintain the ability to represent their brand appropriately in the court of public opinion and in front of their key stakeholder bases. When interacting with the media, act as the expert on your subject matter, be clear and concise, be passionate, stay focused, routinely connect every response back to your core message, and anticipate audience reactions.
Workplace Violence Advice
by Rob Weinhold A safe work environment is paramount to everyone in the workplace and should be the first priority of leadership. The recent workplace shooting at the Emcore Corporation in New Mexico highlights the pervasive dangers faced by all business owners and their employees each day. This tragic situation left ten people shot and three dead, including the gunman who is suspected of targeting a domestic partner. Workplace violence is defined as physical violence, threats of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behaviors which occur in the workplace. Attacks in the workplace often seem unpredictable, sudden, devastating, life-altering and public for many stakeholders – physically, emotionally and financially. Unfortunately, many leaders do not pay attention to the prevention side of workplace violence until it is too late. Top-Line Advice In an effort to provide some top-line advice regarding prevention, the Fallston Group offers the following: 1. Install a controlled access security system complete with designated entry points 2. Monitor access security cameras and badge identification systems which are controlled by a receptionist or security personnel – includes monitoring of hallways, stairwells, ingress and egress to executive suites, etc. 3. Implement one-way exit strategies which allow employees to vacate buildings quickly from multiple areas during an emergency – points of exit which cannot be penetrated from the exterior of the building 4. Limit access to certain areas of property based on job description and authorization 5. Offer workplace violence awareness training for supervisors and managers (educate workforce about the early warning signs of workplace violence) 6. Require detailed documentation of behavior/performance and implement reporting policies – be certain assessments, policies and training strategies are reviewed and implemented on a routine basis 7. Provide employee access to counseling services and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs – pay close attention to the culture of the business as problems often creep into the workplace from the personal lives of employees. If practical, offer family life programs to relieve some of the work-life balance pressures some employees may feel 8. Involve law enforcement in the documentation process if behavior is deemed threatening 9. Request law enforcement visits with stop, walk and talk details (free of charge) 10. Form a threat assessment/crisis team who regularly plan for and evaluate issues. In addition to the tactics described above, sound pre-employment screening procedures, prior to offers of employment, is critical. Searching for backgrounds in criminal behavior, domestic violence, weapons charges and crimes of violence are often early indicators of future problems. To learn more about protecting your employees and reducing the exposure points of your business, contact the Fallston Group at 443.690.0765 or log onto fallstongroup.com. It is the ethical thing to do as a leader.
