Melissa Hernandez

Meet stakeholders where they are. Comms teams often dive in to diagnosis a problem and identify several actions the business *should* take. But tackling everything at once might not be feasible. Business leaders are navigating a lot and facing multiple challenges, all at once. That means trade-offs are inevitable. Instead of recommending multiple work streams, focus on one or two achievable areas to make an impact. This can be challenging for some. But the best solution also needs to fit the reality of the situation—not just the theory. Progress often beats perfection.

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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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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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Question for the communications pros out there: Do you think the job market is finally improving? The past 24 months have been 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭 for comms professionals, and now I’m hearing mixed signals about where things stand. Here’s the general vibe I’m getting: 🙂 More roles are popping up for specific comms roles, especially internal comms and analyst relations. 🫠 PR, social media, and content are still facing cuts across the board (and the open roles are few and far between). 🫠  Senior-level comms positions are seriously scarce or non-existent. Is this matching what you’re seeing out there?

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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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It's prediction time! I'll be putting up a series of LinkedIn posts asking for predictions on specific topics. Please do not email me responses -- posting on LinkedIn lets me keep everything in one place. Answers may be used in PR Daily articles. First up: What are your predictions for AI in communications in 2025?

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PR people should never be "yes" people. If you're not getting strategic guidance, pushback and caveats from your PR people, you have a "yes" person. They'll issue that press release on election day, extend that headline to 4 lines, and include those other two pieces of news in your big announcement even though it clutters things up. This will only end up hurting your programs and outcomes. Good PR is strategy, collaboration, thoughtfulness, and the time-tested experience of knowing what works and what doesn't. A "no" can sometimes be better than a "yes".

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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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🌟 🧠 What is your communications superpower? Say it loud and proud in the comments... we all have something we're really good at and there's so much more to comms than most people even know! Mine? I'd say it's digging up the 'why,' the deeper meaning behind the company, the perspective, or the product. That's the real deal to me - the stuff I want to know about - what makes it so cool, different, or better, and why? Share yours below to power up our Thursdays! #comms #CWC #PR

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The Journey from Communications Waitress to Communications Business Advisor™ ... Listen in to the latest episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ Podcast to hear more about the career journey and that critical moment where things shift. Available on your favorite podcast player - link in comments.

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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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Imagine a PR specialist at a government agency facing the challenge of communicating the aftermath of a missile strike. Words often feel inadequate, and emotions can run high. In such moments, professionalism, deep understanding, and empathy are crucial. This scenario underscores the importance of emotional intelligence and resilience in a profession where every word can impact a wide audience. Here are some strategies that can help anyone who works with emotionally challenging topics: 1. Awareness and Understanding of Your Own Emotions Begin by recognizing and analyzing your emotions. This is the first step in developing emotional intelligence. For example, a PR professional covering a tragic event should first understand their own emotional response to it. This self-awareness helps prevent personal emotions from influencing professional communication. 2. Develop Empathy Try to view the situation from others’ perspectives. This enhances your understanding of the audience’s emotions. During a conference on disaster aftermath, it’s crucial not only to convey information but also to empathize with the victims and their families. Sharing specific stories that highlight the human aspect of the tragedy can be very effective. 3. Take a Short Pause Before Reacting Avoid making hasty decisions or statements. Practicing mindfulness can help. When emotions peak, a brief pause allows you to calm down and make thoughtful decisions. For instance, before responding to a journalist’s question on a sensitive topic, take a few deep breaths to collect your thoughts. 4. Practice Mindfulness Incorporate meditation or breathing exercises into your routine to calm your mind and body. Regular mindfulness practice helps maintain composure in stressful situations. Before an important meeting or briefing, spend a few minutes on deep breathing to emotionally prepare yourself. These practices help manage emotions in challenging moments. Remember, empathy and understanding are key to effective communication, especially on topics that touch our hearts.

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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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“Which reporters do you know in our business?” If you are a communicator, you are often posed this question by executives, colleagues or clients. Many think a communicator’s most important asset is the journalists they know. The truth is that knowing a contact might get your email read. But it is never a guaranteed and published story. What is more important than knowing someone? It’s about creating a relevant and enticing story that matches the editorial focus of an outlet and reporter. Communicators know how to craft a good story for the right audience. Success always hinges on how well they connect the story to the outlet’s audience. It’s always about the story. Connect with me to learn more about connecting your corporate story to your target audience. #Communications #MediaRelations #Storytelling #PR #Journalism

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Are you a communications leader that has guided executives and c-suite members with their messaging, narrative and thought leadership? ✋ Are you a communications leader looking for a new role, possibly stuck in interview land? ✋ If so, think of all the questions and approaches you've used to get into leaders' heads to find the right distinct and memorable messages. Write them down. Then have another communications pro ask you those questions. In other words, become the CEO of your career and your colleague is the Chief Communications Officer. See where you can find the things that make you unique and distinct. Then challenge yourself to make those messages sticky and shareable, just like you'd coach a CEO or leader for a media interview, panel or speech. Use and lead with those messages, and back them up with results or anecdotes. When done well, they should cover a lot of questions. This is better than trying to think of every question a recruiter or hiring manager will ask and have four pages of answers sitting on your keyboard or screen. That will just freak you out. Happy to share more on how I do this with a quick call (link in calendar).

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Are the tools of journalism applicable to #corporate communications? Without a doubt. I recently had the opportunity to discuss three of those tools, and how to apply them, at a gathering of comms professionals from @Method Communications, @Sling&Stone, @Harvard and other teams from our @VCCP family. I’d love to hear about other skills from #journalism you think are applicable to helping companies tell their best stories in authentic, media-genic ways. Comment below!

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As evidenced by the dynamics of the presidential election, women continue to be held to a different, much stricter standard than men. In my book "WOKE: A Cultural Competence Guide for Communicators, I delve into why and how women continue to struggle for equality and representation. "Women’s quest for equality is the longest-running struggle in the history of the world. Men have ruled over humanity for millennia, and nowhere has their dominance been more pronounced than over the lives and bodies of women. Although women have made great strides toward equality in the last few decades, they continue to be held to a different standard than men, and society holds many unconscious and deeply rooted biases against them. Nevertheless, women continue challenging traditional gender norms, advocating for equal rights, and reshaping female empowerment narratives." https://lnkd.in/gsTAMAbc

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Do you still need a crisis playbook? A very important question posed by my colleague Alex Lyall. The other question is: how is your company assessing communication risk and are your executives and Board aligned on what is material and what is reputationally important? Too often there is a disconnect between the board and management and that lack of alignment can hit hard in today's permacrisis environment, significantly impacting company reputation, employee productivity and the bottomline.

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