Danielle Durange

T-minus...not very many hours until Election Day. Are you ready? ***Those in the PR/Comms industries: How are you handling Election Day for your brand/org, your employees, and most of all...yourself?*** [Me: We have the editorial calendar planned this week with flexibility for important election-related pieces if they come in. I'm working on several election-unrelated pieces. Taking time out to vote on Tuesday. Taking walk breaks/cat cuddling breaks Tuesday and Wednesday. Buying MORE candy. Already decided on ordering out for dinner Tuesday night with husband. ] Take care. Be gentle with yourself and others. Eat as much candy as you want.

47

11 Comments

Last week, I had the chance to attend the PRWeek Healthcare Conference in NYC with my colleague, Theresa Liddy Dolge. I enjoy this conference every year, not simply because it’s fun to reunite with former colleagues and clients, but we get to hear from and connect with industry leaders on some of the most pressing health issues. Here are some of the biggest learnings we took away: 👩‍⚕️ Women’s health was a hot topic, with period positivity serving as the opening keynote. While progress has been made in how we talk about and treat menstruation, women in the US – more than in any other country – still face shame and restrictions related to their periods, including a lack of free period products in schools. Brands have an opportunity to lean into existing gaps to address women’s health head on and educate consumers in a positive way. 🤝🏼 Authenticity is key in creating partnerships to advance health equity. Organizations that meet communities where they are can make a bigger, more positive impact. 🔓 Weight stigma and bias are pervasive in our society. Although we’re seeing significant innovations in how we treat excess weight with anti-obesity medications, they are out of reach for many people living with obesity due to high costs or supply issues. It’s clear we can’t simply educate about obesity and weight health – we have to support and advocate for systems that ensure greater access to treatment. 👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏻 What we say and how we say it is critical – particularly when trying to reach historically disregarded communities. From grassroots organizations to advocacy at the state level, it’s important for healthcare communications to be backed and informed by research and have set KPIs to maximize impact. As healthcare continues to evolve, our mission at Inizio Evoke Comms remains the same, to make health more human. I’m proud today and every day to be part of a forward-thinking global agency that supports clients in advancing health and wellbeing for patients and communities around the world.  #PRWeekHealthcare #Pharma #Communications 

182

6 Comments

An interesting idea from SmartBrief Food & Beverage: Do you have food and beverage industry insights to share? SmartBrief publishes original articles about food and beverage news and trends on our Latest Articles page. Submitting guest posts is a great way to share your perspective and strengthen your credibility. 📝 Details below: ⬇

1

Time and time again, we see social media influencer campaigns promoting healthcare topics or brands miss the mark 🤦‍♀️ but as a mom [and millennial swiftie...IYKYK 💁‍♀️], this one hits different.   At Inizio Evoke Comms, we pride ourselves in developing authentic and compliant activations that tap into the power of influencers to help improve health and wellbeing. Being a mom, I empathize with Brittany and the parents of kids with life-threatening food allergies. In this case, she deserved better counsel and her followers deserve complete and accurate health information – especially when it comes to their kids.   This feels like another missed opportunity. When #InfluencerMarketing in healthcare is done well, you can change the trajectory of someone’s life for the better. You can help someone learn about a new community where they finally feel seen, give them the confidence to have a difficult conversation, or direct them to learn more about a potential medicine or reach a diagnosis they’ve been searching for. We can do better! What healthcare influencer campaigns have you seen flop, or even better, which ones have you seen hit the mark?   Here’s the story 👇

36

2 Comments

Worth reading from NiemanLab: Readers prefer to click on a clear, simple headline — like this one By David Markowitz, Hillary Shulman and Todd Rogers In an era when people trust news less than ever, how can journalists break through and attract the attention of average people to provide information about their communities, the nation and the world? By not complicating things. Our research, published in Science Advances, shows that simple headlines significantly increase article engagement and clicks compared with headlines that use complex language. In our research, typical news readers preferred simple headlines over complex ones. But importantly, we found that those who actually write headlines — journalists themselves — did not. We first used data from The Washington Post and Upworthy to see how language features, such as word length and how common a word is, changed how many people clicked on an article’s headline. These datasets included over 31,000 randomized experiments — also known as A/B tests — that compared two or more headline versions of the same underlying article to determine which one generated the most clicks. Headlines with more common words — simple words like “job” instead of “occupation” — shorter headlines, and those communicated in a narrative style, with more pronouns compared with prepositions, received more clicks. For example, The Washington Post headline, “Meghan and Harry are talking to Oprah. Here’s why they shouldn’t say too much” outperformed the alternative headline, “Are Meghan and Harry spilling royal tea to Oprah? Don’t bet on it.” This example illustrates how sometimes a more straightforward headline can generate more interest. In follow-up laboratory experiments, we found that typical news readers focused more on simple rather than complex headlines because the writing was easier to understand. When journalists participated in the same experiments, they didn’t show any preference for simple headlines over complex ones. Put differently: Those who write the news appear to be less responsive to simple writing than regular audiences. Generations of communication consultants have advised that communicators follow the rather crass acronym KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid. We suggest a modified version applied for journalists. Since KISJ isn’t all that simple, we propose: Keep It Simple, Staffers. Simplicity increases the number of people who click on a news story headline and improves reader recall of the material in the article. Most importantly, simplicity boosts reader engagement, such as how much attention they pay to the information.

4

🔍 Is It OK to Say "I Don't Know" in Media Interviews? 🔍 In this week’s Association Insights, I tackle a common question: Is it ever acceptable to say "I don’t know" to a reporter? The answer is yes, but it's all about how you handle it. 👉 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲: Admitting you don't know can enhance your credibility, showing you value accuracy over speculation.  👉 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩: Always pair "I don’t know" with a commitment to find out the information, demonstrating your diligence and responsiveness.  👉 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰: Use this moment to steer the conversation towards areas you are knowledgeable about, keeping the interview on track with your key messages. Saying "I don’t know" isn't a sign of weakness; it's an honest approach that can build trust and respect with the media. 💬 Have you ever faced a situation where you had to say "I don’t know" in an interview? How did you handle it? Share your experiences in the comments! #MediaTraining #PublicRelations #AssociationInsights #OnWrdUpWrd #CommunicationSkills #HonestyInPR

5

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

3

“Media opportunities are for more established authors and experts than myself.” It’s time to bust this Smith Myth. Richelle Zizian Fredson and I do just that in my recent interview on her Bound + Determined podcast. From established publishers to innovative hybrid presses, from independently published debut authors to influential keynote speakers and industry luminaries, we explore strategies for amplifying the voices of 𝒂𝒍𝒍 authors. Some key points from our conversation include: 🗓️ The ideal timeline for book PR 🎤 What media is really looking for right now 📰 How the media landscape has changed for authors 📖 Why your book is the supporting character, not the main character It was such an enlightening and inspiring discussion. You can listen to all of our actionable takeaways at the link here: https://bit.ly/3yYS0JC. #Marketing #Author #Publishing #MarketingStrategy

39

4 Comments

Why do we do PR? Well, I would answer it's because trust and confidence among all audiences is at historic lows—an avg of 28%. With low/no trust, there is no commerce, there are no deals and business GRINDS to a halt. So, THAT is why we do PR. https://lnkd.in/g9M-_JQ4 #publicrelations, #pr, #trust, #credibility

3

1 Comment

Join me July 11 at 3:30 EST for this Notified webinar, where I'll share advice and tips on effectively pitching your press releases to journalists. Hope to see you there, along with the 800+ people already registered - the link to sign up is in the comments. We'll cover: ➡️ What a press release is - and isn't - for 👍 ➡️ What to include in a well-written release 📝 ➡️ The best methods to pitch your news to journalists 🗣 ➡️ Other ways you can repurpose your release ♻️ #publicrelations #mediarelations #PRtips

39

8 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SWIFT IMPACT: POP SUPERSTAR'S ENDORSEMENT MAY BACKFIRE, SAYS LEADING U.S. MEDIA EXPERT Michael Levine Cites Poll Showing Taylor Swift's Support for Harris-Walz Ticket Turning More Voters Away Than It Attracts According to leading U.S. media expert and best-selling author Michael Levine, Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might not be the vote-swaying move some expected. It could be driving more voters away than pulling them in. A new YouGov post-debate poll released on Saturday reveals that while 8% of voters said Swift's endorsement makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for Harris and Walz, a staggering 20% said they are "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for the Democratic ticket now that Swift has thrown her weight behind it. A majority of 66% reported that Swift's endorsement will not influence their vote in November. Swift, a Grammy-winning artist with a massive social media following of 283 million, clarified her position shortly after the recent debate, stating, "I've done my research, and I've made my choice," in an Instagram post. Levine, renowned for his media and public influence expertise, suggests this polling data reflects a growing backlash against celebrity involvement in politics. "It's a fascinating example of how public figures may be miscalculating the influence they wield," Levine said. "While Swift's voice carries weight in popular culture, political endorsements may be an entirely different beast—one that could alienate more voters than it engages." As the 2024 election intensifies, this celebrity endorsement raises fresh questions about the power of star influence on American politics. https://lnkd.in/gM38yqZD #taylorswift #2024election #careeradvice #selfgrowth #motivationalcoach #businesscoach #personalcoach #michaellevineconsulting #michaellevine #whatisyourwhy #losangeles #wisdom

3

1 Comment

Great media interviews can mean the difference between a book that flies off the shelves and one that languishes in obscurity. We work closely with authors to develop message points that resonate with readers and that position the book for maximum media exposure. Learn more at www.wesmanpr.com. #bookpromotion #bookmarketing #authors #bookpublishing #messagepoints #mediainterviews

1

Three years.... That's how long I've done a deep dive on client service, generational learning differences, and how agencies can grow their base. Collaborating with VIVO Growth Partners and the delightful Molly Eyerman, we combine HR and PR to keep agencies out of the financial ER. Your emerging talent will learn and hone profitability, business development, and leadership skills that provide client delight and agency stability. Registration is finally open, and you have no idea how thrilled we are to help empower the agency leaders of tomorrow. Game On https://lnkd.in/grMTu6dn

3

AI is shaking things up for 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. #AI #PR #marketing

8

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

25

#Writers: There's some great advice in this post, which suggests you worry more about the first PAGES of your book rather than the very first line!

1