Andrew Edwards

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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In today's data-rich environment, PR practitioners who embrace data-driven decision-making are gaining a significant edge in developing more effective, targeted and measurable campaigns -- H Patel, FINN Partners https://odwpr.us/3zBzyYe

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Here's added support for the claim that comms pros are taking their rightful seat at the "strategy" table. Why? Because brand building and reputation management are strategic pillars for businesses. Memo's new "Evolving Role of Comms" report shows: 💡 A 34% increase in comms teams reporting directly to CEOs. 💡 A 26% decrease in reporting to marketing since 2023. 💡 An expanding role for comms, beyond earned media. 50% say they now own executive comms, internal comms, and marketing campaigns. CEOs experienced the value of comms during the pandemic and other challenging events of the early 2020s. These data suggest the C-suite is taking a serious look at a range of reputational risks, including: 🚨 Misinformation and disinformation due to AI. 🚨 Cybercrime, cybersecurity, and customer privacy. 🚨 Activist investors, including those pushing back against ESG policies. 🚨 Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical, and climate events. The report also underscores the power that comes from: ⚡ Sharing executive perspectives to promote understanding of corporate values and ethics. ⚡ Having an aligned workforce. Empowered employees are your best advocates. The most interesting tension in this report is the question of priorities. Gaining competitive share-of-voice (SOV), raising awareness, and amplifying key messages top the to-do list more frequently than, say, managing disinformation or changing perceptions. It's a tightly-knit group of priorities, however. And that speaks to the complexities of modern communications. Comms folks drive clarity about purpose and values. They also understand the importance of closing the gaps between corporate stories and actions. Shout out to the comms folks out there who are claiming more space. Check out the full report in the link below. #Comms #PR #StrategicCommunications

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GenAI is part of nearly every tech headline. In fact, according to CB Insights Research, there are almost 800 generative AI companies, with about two-thirds being Series A or earlier, and less than 15% being mid- to late-stage startups. That means marketing teams at companies that sell GenAI tools need clearly articulate what makes them different and better. Learn more about the essential components of PR and marketing for AI tools in this new blog post by Peggy Tierney Galvin, Force4's chief strategy officer. #GenAI #marketing #PR

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In this week’s Borkowski Media Trends we apply Meltwater data to Justin Timberlake’s DWI crisis to demonstrate two home truths about the new conditions. Negative publicity unfolds at mind-boggling speed and in uncontrollable volumes. BUT.. #PR Crises flare out quickly in the modern news cycle Meme culture can accelerate this process by diluting negative publicity “In the past week, 81% of non-neutral mentions of Timberlake in the media have been negative – that’s over 100,000 stories and significant social media posts. But it’s not all bad; crises these days don’t last long – overall mentions of Timberlake spiked at 132,000 on Wednesday but, as of Friday, have already dropped 93% to below 10,000. And the comedy is undoubtedly distracting from the negativity; nine of the top 10 most shared links about Timberlake in the last week have been memes – with only the first significant share of his mugshot treating his arrest as anything more than a joke. If that doesn’t illustrate the trivial nature of the crisis, there’s also the small matter that the ‘ROFL’ emoji has been used in conjunction with Timberlake’s name over 2,000 more times than ‘DWI’ since the arrest. While instructive, it’s important to note that it would have been very hard, if not impossible, for Timberlake to engineer a situation where a meme distracts the general public from his reputation crisis. Possibly the only major public figures who have done that successfully in recent times have been Donald Trump and Boris Johnson – and neither of them was able to swim against the serious undercurrent of their reputational issues forever. But it does show any errant celebrity worried about a career-ending scandal that the modern news cycle is short-lasting and easily distracted by frivolity...there's hope for us all.” For weekly insights into the PR, Communications and Reputation lessons behind the week’s top stories, delivered every Friday, subscribe to our Substack: https://lnkd.in/eB9ME6VJ #PR, #CrisisCommunications #Reputation #celebrity #reputation #riskmanagement #crisismanagement 

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A new survey from PR measurement platform Memo is a feel-good story for chief communications officers and their teams, but there is a catch. The survey highlights a 34% increase in communications teams reporting directly to the CEO versus last year and a 26% decrease in comms reporting to marketing. In today’s complex, politicized, multi-stakeholder world, getting communications pitch perfect is mission critical for every organization. That’s more likely to happen when comms teams have the CEO’s ear. BUT: The more separation there is between comms and marketing functions, the greater the risk of strategic dissonance between earned and paid media. Blending them creates powerful synergy. Here are 8 ways to do it, starting today: 1. Align your messaging across earned and paid channels for cohesive brand storytelling. 2. Amplify earned media coverage using paid to reach audiences who don’t consume through traditional channels. 3. Boost press coverage with paid media to enhance credibility and trust. 4. Extend the lifespan of strategically relevant earned media using engaging paid formats that keep the story alive. 5. Ensure a well-rounded narrative by promoting owned content that fills gaps in your brand story not sufficiently covered by the media. 6. Redirect key earned media storylines to specific audience segments (e.g., investors, future talent) by leveraging niche paid targeting. 7. Transform earned media outcomes into compelling multimedia formats — animations, videos, or carousels — to enhance your storytelling. 8. Report results holistically by showing exec teams how earned and paid media can work together to create greater impact. A well-rounded, cohesive media strategy is essential for breaking through the clutter. Separate reporting lines and bifurcated budgets shouldn't stand in the way. ♻️ Repost if you find this helpful or add to my list of tips. How do you integrate earned and paid media? #CommsStrategy #EarnedMedia #PaidMedia

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AI is creating big changes in PR and marketing. With any new technology adoption, leaders set the tone that influences its success or failure. Read my Entrepreneur article to learn more about the role leaders need to play in setting AI strategy. https://bit.ly/3vwcxEn #AI #PR #marketing

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Thoughtful analysis by Davis MacMillan RF|Binder illuminating why marketers should be wary of ignoring Gen X and how to better engage: More than half of global business leadership roles are held by members of the generation and according to Fast Company, more than half of Fortune 500 CEOs come from this generation. Gen X has money to spend and per Fortune, median net worth for individuals in the cohort hovers around $200,000, placing Gen X well ahead of Millennials and Gen Z. 👇 👇 👇

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Communications best practices apply to IR, just as they do for all strategic communications. Learn more about IR website essentials in the in-depth guide from PR Newswire ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e9wW2QaH #IR #InvestorRelations #Comms

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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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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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Now that curation has earned its way into more and more programmatic circles, it's only fitting that Pesach Lattin has dived into the question "are all data curation solutions interchangeable?" Spoiler alert - they aren't, which makes this article a must read both those who are already capitalizing on curation and those just getting started. Drew Stein Audigent Ted Smith Greg Williams Jake Abraham Gina Cavallo Chris Meredith #data #curation #programmatic #programmaticdata

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How engaging are your promotions, your #communications, your #PR? Are people tuning IN or tuning OUT? Here’s what happens when you don’t connect w/your #stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/eQsjBf85 #PRtip #WritingTip #MarketingTip

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Recently, I posted about changes in reputation management and how the ChatGPT is changing the landscape. David Klein’s article, explores how Google’s recent AI feature, the Search Generative Experience (SGE), still in beta, will change SEO. SGE will favor authoritative, popular sites, meaning businesses should continue to focus on creating quality content and partner with already established sources. Stay tuned for more information! #ReputationManagement #AI #SEO #BusinessStrategy

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Demo'ing your technology can be an important part of your PR campaign. However, based on the current media landscape, they are very hard to secure if you are not Microsoft (for example). If you do land one with a journalist, the stakes are high to get it right. Based on my experience being involved with demos that have gone awry, here are two things you need to know before going into it.

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Asia Pacific is often seen as a single entity, yet it’s incredibly diverse—especially in terms of communication measurement maturity. While Indonesia and Australia may have different levels of adoption in measuring communication outcome and impact, we face common challenges in scaling up and advancing our measurement to the next level, both internally within organizations and externally with our stakeholders. I am delighted to share our experiences and insights from Maverick Indonesia on building best practices over the years with the Medianet team in Sydney last week. AMEC Measurement and Evaluation #measurementbestpractice #communicationimpact #PRmeasurement #communicationmeasurement #knowledgeshare

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Time to evaluate and anticipate💡#2025 #PR “For companies, that means you must resist the temptation to cut back on PR. Instead, revisit and reprioritize your spending and efforts to optimize even the smallest budget. Especially in uncertain times, you need a strategic agency partner—one that will adapt its strategy and offerings based on your goals and priorities.”

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Are you ready for it? The 2024 US Election further accelerated a media shift that's been coming - one that's a game changer for brands and organizations. Our Earned Media Innovation Lead Brad Burke explains more in PRWeek.

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