Akeem Anderson

The October monthly episode of our For Immediate Release podcast explores critical communication trends. Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I discuss six compelling topics, including Reddit's potential for crisis comms, the state of blogging in 2024, ethical concerns in celebrity news coverage, workplace connection challenges, and AI's impact across industries. In a blog post, I've set out some key takeaways that present opportunities for communicators, including leveraging Reddit for stakeholder engagement and preparing to guide organisations through AI adoption. Read more and listen now for valuable perspectives and insights on navigating today's complex communication landscape. https://lnkd.in/e5_CcMR2

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You're an executive about to interview with a top-tier reporter and publication. This is your chance for significant coverage. Ahead of the call, the PR team prepared a smart briefing email with talking points and background notes on the reporter. You didn't look at the briefing notes and left an opportunity on the table. Why? ▶️ Because research and preparation are key. ▶️ Because your PR team put information in the document based on working with this reporter several times. ▶️ Because journalists can be particular, and each outlet has its own style and POV.

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Authenticity is key for senior executives to be influential on LinkedIn, but not every leader finds it easy to engage genuinely. 🔸In episode 342 of our For Immediate Release podcast, Shel Holtz, SCMP, and I explore how communicators can help executives craft authentic online personas and build influence and trust, focused on LinkedIn, with practical examples. I also dive into this topic in a new blog post published today, arguing that authenticity opens the door to success. Communicators must guide leaders who struggle with authenticity, identifying formats or mediums that play to their strengths. Take a read and listen to our discussion ⬇️ #Authenticity #Communication #LinkedIn #FIRPodcast https://lnkd.in/eMu9D48j

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PRovoke Media recently published its 2024 Comms Index report. While the study focused on senior in-house communications leaders in APAC, the findings apply to what we have seen in North America: Lead generation has emerged as the key business priority, as companies increasingly expect the comms function to demonstrate its value and impact. Of note: ℹ️ Lead generation has moved up to fourth place in business priorities. ℹ️ ESG has dropped to fifth place (social impact) and seventh place (environmental/climate) ℹ️ AI is rapidly gaining ground. Usage and familiarity have increased significantly. ℹ️ The budget for communication is contracting, and the perceived value of communication functions has decreased. ℹ️ Measurement and metrics remain challenging, as higher-value metrics like awareness and behavior change still rank behind media clippings. The findings also remind me of something I recently read from Gartner: 50% of marketing leaders cannot prove marketing's value to their enterprise due to skepticism and traditional beliefs. The precarious macroeconomic environment and the high expectations placed on marketing and communications will continue to be challenging. For agency and client leaders, we need to internalize these dependencies and their potential impact on our work to better guide and support our clients. Thank you, PRovoke Media, for your work. Paul Holmes Arun Sudhaman Diana Marszalek Maja Pawinska Sims Institute for Public Relations #agency #publicrelations #PR

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On Saturday, Elon Musk told his followers on X, “You are the media now.” Media democratization isn’t new, but it is accelerating. Check out this new piece from Weber Shandwick's Brad Burke offering fresh insights on the implications for businesses and brands. Highlights include: The 'media network effect:' The 'media network effect' means that everyone—from legacy media outlets to meme accounts—has the potential to shape public narratives. Insufficient strategies: Traditional media strategies are no longer sufficient. Media diets are increasingly personalized. Engaging with influential creators and communities has become even more essential. AI’s role in media: AI is transforming how news spreads. The future media ecosystem will be defined by machine-readable information. Companies must optimize their content to inform AI models before audiences even search, marking an 'owned media renaissance.' Profitable polarization: Polarization is not only politically effective but also profitable. Objectivity is less lucrative than algorithms that reaffirm biases. Advancing narrative intelligence: Deeper narrative intelligence has become essential, and AI can help test a broader range of messages and predict how stakeholders might respond. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/3CAv2KG. Would love to know what you think.

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Layoffs. Pub closures. Shrinking newsrooms. Fewer and fewer opportunities for coverage. Scary stuff for agencies that built their business on media relations (like mine). But disruption is an opportunity for growth, and PR agencies can rise to the challenge. Our jobs might look a bit different in the coming years, but our influence is only rising. Good communicators are in high demand. My thoughts on how PR agencies can pivot and show value when budgets are tight in the comments (via MarketingProfs). Rest assured, we aren't going anywhere.

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Comms Pros know - more than most - words matter. But sometimes, we use language that undermines our value. In-house stakeholders aren’t “clients.”  → We’re shoulder-to-shoulder partners. P&L centers shouldn't be called “The Business.”  → We're part of the business, not a subordinate function. Reinforcing an "us'" and "them" mindset is a disservice: It positions us as a less strategic function and makes us less effective. Ultimately, our job is to protect & promote brands and reputations. - Our roles are critical. - Our opinions are essential  - Our voices / expertise truly matter. We're Strategic Partners, not Service Providers.

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On 🌎 World PR Day 💻 Frank X. Shaw of Microsoft posted about the difficulty of easily summing up what it is those of us in the communications field actually do - especially to strangers. He broke it down into 3 things that have remained constant: 1) The power of storytelling 2) Trust as a key brand pillar 3) Innovation (capital I) 🧠 It got me thinking but less about how to describe what I do to strangers at dinner parties, and more about how I explain it to my kids. Here are the 3 I came up with (share yours below please!) - 1) "Mama helps to spark story ideas, connecting storytellers with characters" 2) "Mama reads a lot and listens to super smart people talk about things most people don't understand and acts as a translator" 3) "Mama identifies and solves problems - sometimes before anyone even notices they're problems at all" #WorldPRDay #communications #PR #comms

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🚨 Ever feel like we're in a forever crisis? Hotwire's Joanne Denyeau and my new friend Lauren Condoluci are digging in and sharing their insights in a webinar you won't want to miss to help you learn: 📝 how to rewrite the comms playbook to embrace disruption, challenge conventions, and deliver meaningful messages Join the free webinar on May 16th, "Focus Amidst the Frenzy: Communications Strategies in a State of Forever Crisis", to explore scenario planning and crisis management for our current 🌎. Embrace the uncertainty & secure your spot ↙ https://lnkd.in/ekk94Hmi #webinar #innovation #CrisisComms #PR #comms

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PRWeek’s Agency Business Report rankings dropped yesterday. It’s the publication’s annual breakdown + analysis of PR firms based on self-reported numbers. A few themes emerged in Diana Bradley’s deep dive from the client POV that mirror what I’m seeing brands prioritize in their agency partners: ✅ BROAD PERSPECTIVE: How much should an agency niche when it comes to industry expertise? Is it better to have a partner that serves multiple industries? There’s nuance to this debate, but at the very least, agencies need to bring to the table cross-industry visibility, insights, and best practices. ✅ WILLINGNESS TO PUSH BACK: This comes up a LOT in my searches. Yes, clients are busy and want their agencies to be an extra set of arms and legs. But what they’re really looking for is a partner who pushes them to deliver more impactful results. Sometimes, that means engaging in a little healthy debate. ✅ TEAM ALIGNMENT: I could go on ad nauseum about how the most successful client-agency partnerships boil down to great relationships. But it’s no longer enough to have a strong “core team.” As brands’ needs evolve, agencies need to be open to dynamic team structures, bringing in the right external experts or partner agencies to support their core expertise. ✅ ABILITY TO PIVOT: Being accountable when things don’t go as planned is crucial. Equally important is an agency’s ability to listen to the client and to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the business. ✅ EXPERT AT NAVIGATING ISSUES: Businesses are facing potential reputational risks from all sides. That’s why companies of all sizes and industries are increasingly looking for partners who understand the regulatory and political environments in which they operate and who can provide counsel at the drop of a hat. Would love to hear your thoughts... Clients: What qualities do you value most in an agency partner? Agencies: Where are you seeing potential clients dig in most?

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The main expectation for comms and marketing leaders in 2025 is that they master the art of doing more with less as they work at connecting with consumers, a new SourceCode Communications study says https://odwpr.us/4eyO01K

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FleishmanHillard’s #sustainability media landscape research can help brands stay ahead as they finalize communication plans for 2025. We embrace opportunities to discuss insights for reaching our client's priority audiences. Our Responsible Business and Global Impact practice is fueled by our proprietary #research, #strategy and strong internal culture. Every day we are working as an extension of our client teams to help them innovate and create a more equitable and sustainable world. Earlier this year, we analyzed top-tier global media coverage over six months of 2024. This research demonstrated that companies with solid stories to share should feel comfortable pitching stories and can be reassured that top-tier outlets trend toward positive coverage. Read more in the executive summary here: https://lnkd.in/ebdvC82i #FHEmployee #mediarelations #clientstrategy

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Most of us agree that the only way forward is for your PR team to be much better at using data to track results. We see many PR thought leaders comment on this subject, and there are new tech platforms that offer PR teams much better metrics. Yet still, PR metrics need to leave room for understanding what the data may not show.

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Check out my thoughts on agency Rolodexes, diversity in the industry, underdog agencies, AI, and more in this Q&A with AdForum.

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Kudos to Eleanor Hawkins and the Axios Communicators team for their "1 big thing" visual of the day. Yes, it's reductive guidance on when to speak out and when not to, and yes, you should think through it with more nuance and specificity to a situation at hand, but these are great questions to start with when you're wondering how to communicate through murky or uncomfortable events. Some other questions to consider: ▶ Do we know enough about this situation? If not, do we have a sense of timing for more information to come through? ▶ Can we meaningfully influence the situation by speaking out? ▶ If we are communicating about this, who is the right person to serve as our voice?

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Want Reporters to Call You First? Here’s How. Getting quoted in the media isn’t random—it’s intentional. Reporters need sources they can rely on for timely, insightful, and engaging commentary. If you make their jobs easier, you’ll become their go-to. Here’s what works: ▪️ Reporters work on tight deadlines; respond quickly, they’ll remember you. ▪️ Add a unique perspective that grabs attention. ▪️ A sharp, memorable quote is key to being featured. ▪️Deliver value consistently, to build trust over time By understanding what reporters need and prioritizing their goals, you can build lasting media relationships and stand out as a trusted expert.

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Many brands want to share their DEI initiatives but fear the backlash that may ensue. Learn how to successfully message your DEI strategy in 2024 in our latest blog. #DEI #BrandStrategy

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20+ years of writing and reviewing press releases has left me with a deep hatred of the words "iconic", "innovative", and especially "paradigm shifting"! This is a smart piece by Eleanor Hawkins. And I agree - as long as the time investment is kept to a minimum and all parties are aligned on the goals of a "press release", there's still a place for them in the comms toolkit as a way to memorialise a moment in time. One add though. With data hungry LLMs looking for more and more content to ingest, and given the shift among many publishers to block the use of their IP, will we see a resurgence in the impact of press releases as influencers of AI answer engines? I predict yes.

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