There are more questions than answers following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore Tuesday. Authorities say six workers who were filling potholes at the time of the collapse are likely dead and that the container ship that struck the bridge lost power just before the disaster. Beyond that, the door is open for people to speculate on who is to blame for this tragedy.

According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators will look into whether contaminated fuel led to the power failure that caused the ship to strike the bridge. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the board planned to inspect the safety records of both the ship and the ship’s owner and operator. “This is a team effort,” said Homendy. “There are a lot of entities right now in the command post.”

Maryland Governor Wes Moore also commended the first responders who stopped traffic on the bridge with their swift communication. “I​​ have to say I’m thankful for the folks who – once the warning came up and once the notification came up that there was a mayday – who, literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” Moore said according to Fox Baltimore.

Why it matters: There a few lessons communicators can take away from the tragedy in Maryland. First, in a crisis situation, the public often looks for someone to blame. The NTSB’s handling of the situation (and they’ve been busy with the whole slate of Boeing issues lately) shows a commitment to getting to the bottom of the problem, and in a world in which conspiracy theories and misinformation can run wild on the internet, that’s no small job. That might not bode so well for the container ship’s owners, operators, or manufacturers in the long run.

Additionally, local leadership in Maryland stepped up to the occasion as well. Having Maryland Moore on the scene hours after the collision to both back up the efforts of first responders and to also debunk any speculation over nefarious causes of the collapse shows a strong commitment to proper leadership communications. In the face of a disaster, strong, stabilizing leadership serves to both help quell fears and as a side benefit, protect the brand of Baltimore and Maryland as a safe place to live and do business.

This will be a long-term battle for the city, the state and the country. Baltimore is a major port and its closure will have ripple effects for months and years to come. Keeping an eye on clear, timely communication will help ease this awful situation.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Only a few days after she was hired at NBC News, former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel is out. The decision came after numerous on-air personalities at NBC and its affiliates harshly criticized the hiring over McDaniel’s attacks on the media and role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election, according to CNN. “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor. I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.” Sometimes leaders might make mistakes — but Conde’s ability to listen to his staff and right the wrong choice shows decent awareness of the situation. NBC was lambasted in recent days by critics – many of them on their own payroll– of the decision to bring McDaniel on given her track record, and this was likely the only move possible to right the ship for the Peacock’s news brand.
• If you’re a sports fan (or you just watch enough TV), you’ve probably seen advertisements for sports betting. Since its ban in the U.S. was struck down in 2018, it’s seemingly everywhere. But with the ease of access through mobile apps, there were bound to be issues with problem gambling. That’s why the seven largest sportsbooks in the country are joining forces to share information about problem gamblers, according to CNBC. “I’m incredibly excited to move this forward and to really do some impactful things and to really expand the knowledge through the research and to create these evidence-based best practices and to really empower players with information,” said Jennifer Shatley, executive director of the Responsible Online Gaming Association. Sportsbooks are now an embedded part of the sports viewing experience, whether fans like it or not. The major sports leagues, particularly in the wake of the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal, need to refine their relationships with gambling. Otherwise, the brands might take a hit in the longer term for pushing betting to the detriment of some fans.
• Two of America’s most popular fast foods are teaming up. According to ABC News, McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme partnered to bring the iconic sweet treats to the Golden Arches across the country by 2026. “The top request we receive from consumers, every day, is, ‘Please bring Krispy Kreme to my town.’ Partnering with McDonald’s on a national scale will provide our fans and doughnut lovers unprecedented daily access to fresh doughnuts and the joy that is Krispy Kreme,” Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth said. Even if your brand is an American mainstay, it often doesn’t hurt to keep things fresh and always evolving, and collaborations help do that. This partnership doesn’t just stand to garner positive chatter among fans, it also serves to drive sales, particularly for customers who don’t have a Krispy Kreme location nearby. Sometimes teamwork does make the dream (or Kreme) work. It’ll be interesting to see if any of Krispy Kreme’s unique marketing strategies (like discounted donuts on Leap Day this year) carry over to the McDonald’s partnership. Even the biggest of brands can use new marketing tactics to keep sales moving.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.

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Figuring out the best medium for reaching external audiences is never easy. There are so many factors to consider: who you’re trying to reach, the messaging, the timeline and the budget.

But when we take a step back from specifics and look at the big picture, what are the best tools for reaching an audience?

This is one of the dozens of questions the Ragan Communications Leadership Council Benchmark Report answered. Hundreds of communicators shared their insights into all aspects of their practice, from how their teams are organized to their views on AI. Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council members can view the full 66-page report. But as an Insider, let’s give you a little, well, inside scoop.

Social media still reigns supreme

The survey asked respondents to choose the three most effective tools for reaching external audiences. Perhaps unsurprisingly, social media remains the No. 1 way of reaching a broad audience. Seventy percent of respondents said it was the most effective tool for reaching external audiences. It’s logical, of course: More than 62% of the world’s entire population uses social media, and 91% of Americans do. Given the wide variety of social platforms, it’s all but assured you’ll find a niche that your audience calls home and where you can deliver effective messaging.

However, there are drawbacks to social media, too. X has been in a constant state of upheaval for more than a year now; TikTok’s continued existence in the United States is in peril; and other platforms leave communicators scrambling to adapt to changing algorithms.

In other words, never put all your eggs in one basket.

That, perhaps, is why the second most effective method of reaching audiences is the much-maligned press release at 43%. While perhaps not as effective as it was in the glory days of media relations, this is still a tried-and-true method of getting important news out to a large number of people quickly, whether that’s through the press, by posting on a news wire service or putting it on your own website.

Going one step further and into owned media, brand journalism storytelling/website were the third most popular methods for reaching external audiences at 28%. As traditional media has continued to decline, creating avenues for artfully telling your own stories has become more important. Using SEO, social media and other techniques for helping audiences discover your content gives you a unique sense of control over your own story without the need for a middleman.

Rounding out the top five responses were speaking opportunities and conferences (22%) and email (20%, notably down from 25% in the 2023 survey).

All of these platforms give strong opportunities for storytelling and drawing audiences into a deeper, more intimate connection with your brand.

Which of these media do you find most effective for reaching external audiences?

To view the full report, become a member of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council.

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More than two months after a door blew off a Boeing 737-9 plane, sparking a series of safety disasters for the aircraft giant, sweeping leadership changes have been announced.

Effective immediately, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal will retire from the company, handing the reigns to COO Stephanie Pope. At the end of the year, Dave Calhoun, president and CEO of Boeing as a whole, will step down. Finally, Board Chair Larry Kellner will not stand for re-election, paving the way for Steve Mollenkopf to take his place and lead the search for the next CEO.

“As you all know, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident was a watershed moment for Boeing,” Calhoun wrote in an email to employees, which was also published on Boeing’s website. “We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.

The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company, building on all the learnings we accumulated as we worked together to rebuild Boeing over the last number of years.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing’s stock ticked up 2% in pre-market trading in the wake of the announcements, a notable bump for a stock that has plunged 25% this year.

Why it matters: There is a point at which trust can no longer be repaired with the same leadership team. Boeing had reached that point.

Airline CEOs had requested what the WSJ calls an “unusual” meeting with Boeing’s Board to vent their frustrations over a seemingly endless string of manufacturing issues which have led to blown out doors, missing panels and malfunctioning seat switches. The company’s biggest customers losing faith in leadership was a death knell for the current guard.

The communications around the sweeping changes are bland and to-the-point, with little reference to the ongoing crisis, save a few oblique references, such as “(Calhoun) will continue to lead Boeing through the year to complete the critical work underway to stabilize and position the company for the future.” The rest is largely the departing and incoming leaders thanking each other.

While the communications might not signal much of a path forward, the leadership decisions certainly do. The head of the most affected business unit is out today, but Calhoun will give some runway to transition the company. A new board chair will lead the search for the new CEO.

Who will they choose? Who can step into such a role? And how will he or she help usher in a new era of trust for Boeing?

It’s going to be an interesting year.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Days after Princess Catherine announced she is undergoing treatment for cancer, the British media is blaming Americans, both in the media and on social media, for the conspiracy theories that festered while the princess was out of the public eye. The New York Times noted that the infamous British tabloid press was unusually restrained even as wild rumors circulated online, and that English papers refused to publish some photos of Catherine that American-led TMZ was happy to publish. But there was also an acknowledgement from experts that the royal family’s silence and the release of an edited photo allowed for those rumors to run wild. As we wrote on Friday, it’s almost impossible to balance an individual’s right to privacy with the voracious appetite of the public. But the release of that doctored photo certainly seems to have tipped the family’s hand into revealing information, perhaps before they were ready to.
• Axios has identified 12 news bubbles that define how Americans receive information. Developed based on conversations with influencers, media executives, C-suite leaders and more, the list includes categories like “Musk-eteers” (a mostly male group who love X, Elon Musk and Joe Rogan); New Age Grandmas (older women who use Facebook primarily to keep up with the grandkids – but who sneak a little news in, too); and Passive-ists (those who just don’t consume much news at all). The entire list is worth reading and absorbing for PR professionals who often must pop into several of these bubbles to reach their target audience. Expect the news sphere to continue to fracture, making the role of media relations ever more complicated.
• The European Union continues to investigate and penalize American tech giants for allegedly failing to comply with its new, sweeping Digital Markets Act, CNN reported. The DMA is intended to increase competition and choice in the digital spaceand means big changes for major players already in the space. Among the investigations underway:
  • Meta’s option for customers to pay a monthly fee to remove ads may not be enough for the EU, whose commission wrote that, “the binary choice imposed by Meta’s ‘pay or consent’ model may not provide a real alternative in case users do not consent, thereby not achieving the objective of preventing the accumulation of personal data by (large companies).”
  • Apple and Google may be hampering other companies’ ability “to freely communicate and promote offers and directly conclude contracts, including by imposing various charges.”
  • Google may not be doing enough under the act to ensure that competing services show up in search results versus its own products, such as Google Flights.

It all could spell major changes for these companies – both in Europe and back in the United States, which seems to be following the EU’s lead and launching several antitrust investigations of its own.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Not so long ago, Reddit was a fairly lawless place. Yes, moderators oversaw some of the thousands of subreddit communities with an iron fist, but others allowed some of the worst abuse, hatred or even criminality the web has to offer a place to thrive.

That’s changed radically. Reddit is now one of the buzziest companies on the New York Stock Exchange, closing at $50.44 after its first day of trading, which means a market cap of $9.5 billion.

New York Times columnist Kevin Roose lays much of the success for the booming stock at the feet of a major shift in moderation policies in the last few years.

Roose points to three key factors that allowed Reddit to clean up some of the nastier corners of its website, and how its content efforts succeeded when many other social media companies have failed, creating environments that are unsafe for both users and brands.

1. Rather than trying to ban individual bad actors, Reddit deleted entire online communities that caused repeated problems. Granted, part of this is possible due to Reddit’s unique format that is built around communities. This wouldn’t work on a site like X, for instance. But Roose says that by getting rid of entire subreddits, it either forced bad actors off the site or forced them to clean up their act.
2. Reddit outsourced content moderation to volunteers. Each subreddit is governed by a team of moderators who are charged with enforcing both the site’s rules as well as any unique rules of that particular community. While this can cause issues, such as a wide-scale moderator revolt last year over API changes, Roose credits this volunteer army with much of the site’s turnaround.
3. Finally, as Roose puts it: “policed behavior rather than morality, and it did so without worrying too much about being seen as capricious or biased.” While Meta in particular has bent itself into a pretzel trying to appear balanced to largely conservative critics, Reddit simply banned the bad behavior, whatever side of the spectrum it came from.

Why it matters: Reddit is becoming an increasingly attractive option for brands. Due to the IPO, they’re rolling out tons of new ad options, tools and analytics to woo brands, making it an attractive place for both paid and organic social activity.

Reddit is also becoming an increasingly important search tool. Roose notes that he often adds “reddit.com” to his Google searches to help him find relevant information from real people amid the myriad of posts on the site. Google has taken note of this and is now partnering with Reddit in a variety of ways, including to train its LLM.

To be clear, there are still plenty of dark corners of Reddit. There’s porn galore, for one thing. But for many brands looking to connect with customers, it’s now worth a look, whether for simply monitoring to see consumer sentiment or being an active participant in relevant communities.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Glassdoor, a site long known (and hated by employers) for giving workers the ability to anonymously review their workplaces, is accused of adding real names to profiles without warning or consent, even if those names weren’t provided during the setup process. One user says her name was added after she had a call with customer service, and she was told the only way to remove it was to delete her entire account, TechCrunch reported. This poses a challenge for the website: it can be difficult to be honest about an employer, especially a powerful one, if your name is attached. From a PR perspective, Glassdoor is adding few details on what’s changed, why or how they’ll move forward to rebuild user trust.
• The Walt Disney Company is waging what Axios has dubbed “the most expensive proxy battle in history” as it fends off a challenge from Nelson Peltz. Because so many retailer investors have bought into Disney, the company must case a wide net to get its message out ahead of the vote. It’s turning to social media ads, dedicated social media pages, phone calls, landing pages, videos and more. Peltz is also fighting back with his own digital assets but also traditional media relations, including a profile in the New York Times. Whose public relations will reign supreme?
• The Department of Justice and 16 attorneys general offices are suing Apple, alleging it engages in antitrust behavior to keep its iPhone at the top of the cellphone game. Among the issues cited in the suit are how iPhone handles texts with rival Android (those infamous green bubbles), blocking developers from creating tap-to-pay technology that could compete with its own and more, The Verge reported. This is all part of a broader antitrust movement against big tech companies in both the U.S. and the European Union. But if the suit is successful, we could see increased competition and options on cellphones — which could lead to cool new tools for many communicators.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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If you’ve made the rounds on social media lately, you’ve probably seen the rampant speculation regarding everyone’s favorite recently reclusive royal, Kate Middleton. An edited family picture of the Princess of Wales and her children didn’t help quell the flames of curiosity, and in fact, probably just fed the conspiracy fire.

Even following an appearance in public with Prince William to buy groceries last weekend, the Kate Middle conspiracy parade marches on. and there’s a likely suspect — social media. According to a piece by The Wall Street Journal, the old royal adage of dealing with the media of “never complain, never explain” doesn’t always work well in a world in which anyone with an account can say whatever they’d like to add to the rumor mill.

The palace usually doesn’t dignify the rumor mill, but between the Princess Catherine situation and King Charles III’s recent, unspecified cancer diagnosis, the royal PR front has debunked some of the wilder rumors since the beginning of the year through press releases from the palace. One thing is clear — the nearly 1,000-year-old institution of the monarchy and its tradition of silence is being tested by social media and its power to spread rumors and misinformation.

Why it matters: While the British royals don’t always maintain the rosiest relationship with the tabloid-heavy British press, social media, with its light regulations, offers a freer place for individuals or organizations to effectively say anything about the royals. Social media (TikTok in particular) serves as a hotbed for Kate conspiracies, as one quick flip through the app will show you theories ranging from Kate being an effective prisoner in the palace to her hiding in Taylor Swift’s London home.

The lesson here? Any organization that deals with the media, including the British monarchy, needs to adapt to all kinds of media, including social media. Just because you’re an old institution doesn’t mean you can’t adapt to the times. The long-time practice of staid silence amid controversy and the 24-hour gossip cycle doesn’t work with social media in the picture. In the absence of information, social media will fill in the blanks. And you likely won’t like what they say.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• The Stanley water bottle, once a mainstay for blue-collar workers, underwent a marketing transformation in the last year, as the company decided to market some of its products toward a new female audience. The decision was a good one, with Stanley-branded bottles gaining prominence as a status symbol for Gen Z and Millennial women. But Stanley is now seeking a marketing pivot — positioning its bottles as something for men as well. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company wants to show that Stanley isn’t just cool for outdoorsy guys, but men of all types. Stanley’s recent pivot worked so well that it managed to transform the brand’s identity for the better over the last year. It’ll be interesting to see if the company can replicate that magic by marketing to white collar men in addition to the company’s historic mainstay of blue-collar workers.
• Alabama passed a bill that effectively bans DE&I efforts in the state’s educational sector. According to CNN, the legislation that Governor Kay Ivey is expected to sign into law, outlines eight “divisive concepts,” including discussions about subconscious racism and more. The politicization of diversity and inclusion efforts marches on, and while this move might satisfy some people in the short term, it may not be a good harbinger for businesses in the long run, especially if the ban eventually moves beyond colleges and schools. Even amid some DE&I fatigue, many businesses are moving forward with their efforts, and Alabama might not be a place where those businesses choose to invest.
• If you were planning on doing some shopping on Easter this year, your options are going to be a little slimmer than usual. According to MSN, Target, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls will close for 24 hours during the March 31 holiday. An increased focus on customer service for many retailers has also in turn created an emphasis on better employee treatment. While it might be an inconvenience for some, a store that’s known for treating workers well is more likely to garner positive press and public sentiment. Forgoing a day of sales for that longer-term investment could well be worth it.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.

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The rocky real estate market endured another seismic shift Friday when the National Association of Realtors agreed to settle a massive lawsuit brought by homeowners. As part of that settlement, a century-old rule requiring home sellers to foot a 5-6% commission to be split between buyers and sellers agents in order to be included in the Multiple Listing Service will end, the Washington Post reported. The NAR also agreed to pay $480 million in order to settle multiple class action lawsuits.

While a federal judge must still approve the settlement, there is already widespread speculation about what impact the settlement will have on the housing market. NAR critics are celebrating the settlement, claiming it will reduce housing prices. Research and advocacy organization Consumer Federation of America estimates it could save Americans a collective $30 billion a year.

But naturally, this presents huge challenges for real estate professionals, who suddenly must prove their worth in ways they’ve never had to before.

So far, the NAR has released a dry, detail-oriented statement describing the settlement and denying wrongdoing.

“This will be a time of adjustment, but the fundamentals will remain: buyers and sellers will continue to have many choices when deciding to buy or sell a home, and NAR members will continue to use their skill, care, and diligence to protect the interests of their clients,” said NAR President Kevin Sears in the statement.

Why it matters: This represents a unique challenge for an entire industry. After a century of having an intense degree of control over the Multiple Listing Network (MLS), a critical tool for buying and selling homes, to protect realtor compensation and allow buyers to use an agent at no cost to them, everything seems set to change.

NAR will have a difficult battle ahead. Not only must they educate consumers on why a realtor is worth their money, they must convince members of the profession to stay when their compensation is suddenly uncertain. Some estimates suggest that as many as two-thirds of the country’s 1.5 million realtors could leave the profession. It’s certain that compensation models will change drastically, with the Post suggesting that a-la-carte pricing, flat-fee pricing and reduced services will likely all be on the table.

This is certainly a frightening moment for realtors. But a strong, fast PR campaign can help them convince a cash-strapped public of the need for their services. By focusing on positioning real estate agents as trusted guides in a complex and expensive process, they might be able to usher in a new — albeit different — era for the industry.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Boeing’s woes continue to compound by the day. No, this isn’t a repeat of a Scoop item from last week. A Boeing 737-800 flying for United safely landed — missing an exterior panel. Unlike the infamous Alaska Airlines flight that lost a door in flight in January, no one noticed the panel was missing until the flight was parked at a gate in Medford, Ore.. It was also discovered that a known faulty switch cover was the cause of a frightening incident on a Latam Airlines 787 Dreamliner that injured 50 people. A flight attendant bumped the seat switch (which should have been covered), causing the pilot to lurch into the controls and cause a sudden change in altitude. Every mounting incident chips away more at trust from both airlines and the public, not to mention the government. Boeing must move quickly to explain these incidents and how it will fix things. At the moment, the company is still bleeding, badly. It must staunch the flow before it can begin to heal.
• If a TikTok ban does become law, that’s unlikely to be the end of the story. The Wall Street Journal notes that a free speech battle would likely ensue if Chinese-owned ByteDance is faced with a choice between selling the company or ending distribution in the U.S. How successful that suit would be remains an open question, with many of the free speech matters involved still untested in American courts. In November, however, a judge ruled that the state of Montana could not ban TikTok, since Tiktok “provided a unique form of communication for some users, and Montana hadn’t justified its move to cut off the platform entirely.” According to the Wall Street Journal. First we’ll see if the bill passes the Senate; then we’ll see how courts respond. Have you brushed up on your Reels strategy lately? No reason, just asking.
• In vitro fertilization is presenting a messaging quandary for Republicans who have long argued that life begins at conception, NPR reported. The popular treatment helps couples conceive by implanting fertilized eggs — but often leaves some of those eggs unused when children are successfully conceived. Republicans’ messaging that life is made the moment a sperm cell meets an egg cell has worked within the party, leading to a brief ban of IVF in Alabama, though that was quickly walked back via legislation. Still, the party is now left attempting to reconcile its messaging with the popularity of the treatment among many families struggling to conceive. Watch for how this continues to play out in the upcoming election.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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The battle over the fate of TikTok in the United States continues to rage. China is already signaling that it will not meekly permit the sale of one of its most prized homegrown assets, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Chinese government’s communications with ByteDance, owner of the uber-popular app, indicate the government would see the app banned in the U.S. before they allow its sale to an American company.

And who would buy the app is an open question. Many are interested, of course, but there are obstacles. CNN reports that obvious  suitors like Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft or Amazon could face antitrust concerns were they to purchase TikTok.  But several groups of buyers are also interested, including one led by former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and another by former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, reports indicate.

Remember: a sale isn’t yet imminent. The bill to force a sale or face a ban has passed the House but faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Still, let’s gaze into a crystal ball of what could happen if push comes to shove and TikTok suddenly disappears in the U.S..

A similar scenario played out in India in 2020. The reasons for the ban were different, resulting in fallout from border skirmishes between India and its neighbor China. In retaliation, TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps were banned overnight, leaving 200 million users of the app without their favorite scrolling habit.

CNN reports that initially, several homegrown apps sprung up, trying to become the new home for all those users. But they eventually fizzled and the big players in the microvideo space, such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, ultimately reaped the rewards.

But others simply couldn’t match the magic of TikTok.

“The way one was gaining reach and followers on TikTok is [still] incomparable to any other platform out there at the moment,” Clyde Fernandes, executive director— artist management at influencer marketing and manager firm Opraahfx, told CNN.

Why it matters: If TikTok is banned, there will be no exact replacement. Just look at how many competitors have tried to match the glory days of Twitter – and all have fallen short.

But that doesn’t mean its function as a PR, marketing and influence tool can’t be replaced. As India found, Shorts and Reels already have essentially the exact same function, albeit without that magical algorithm that keeps users constantly scrolling. If you aren’t already posting short-form content on these alternative platforms, this is the time. Don’t wait until everyone is trying to build an audience there.

It’s entirely possible the Senate will get cold feet and this will all blow over. But the very uncertainty of this ongoing situation and how many different near-death blows have struck TikTok mean it’s inherently unstable and unreliable. Don’t rely on any one platform for your social media and PR success. Keep a healthy mix of tactics going, and always have your plan B ready to roll.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• In other high-stakes international acquisition news, Nippon Steel, Japan’s largest steel manufacturer, seeks to buy U.S. Steel, and American politicians aren’t happy about it, NBC News reports. President Joe Biden says that U.S. Steel should remain owned by, well, the U.S., while Nippon Steel is taking a smart PR tactic of claiming that the acquisition would strengthen the U.S. against China. “Through increased financial investment and the contribution of our advanced technologies to U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel will advance American priorities by driving greater quality and competitiveness for customers in the critical industries that rely on American steel while strengthening American supply chains and economic defenses against China,” a statement from Nippon Steel reads. It’s a clever PR tactic, even if exporting steel manufacturing [exporting ownership of one of the biggest companies, not exporting actual manufacturing?] to another country to strengthen America’s national security seems counterintuitive. We’ll continue to see how the U.S. and Japan wrestle with the court of public opinion.
• Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s OpenAI are also duking it out in the PR realm – and Musk is winning, according to Business Insider. Legal experts agree that a recent lawsuit from Musk against OpenAI for forsaking its non-profit roots will likely be dismissed, but it’s still striking blows against the AI giant. The media coverage generated for Musk’s own xAI due to the lawsuit has rocketed him ahead of the competition, helping the public and other stakeholders become familiar with his competitor – and fast “Elon Musk is the best PR stuntsman I’ve ever seen,” Kyle Arteaga, CEO of tech PR company The Bulleit Group, told Business Insider. “Elon doesn’t care about winning this lawsuit, all he’s doing is stealing OpenAI’s media attention and putting a sliver of doubt in developers’ heads.”

  We’re not recommending lawsuits as a PR tactic – but be aware they could be used against you.

• Finishing off on a lighter note, collaborations that combine seemingly unrelated products into creative (and often disgusting) mashups are becoming more and more popular as both a PR tactic and a way of driving actual sales. The BBC points to products like Hidden Valley Ranch flavored Burt’s Bees lip balm and Kentucky Fried Chicken Crocs as examples of how going “unhinged” can pay off with both earned media and earned sales A collab between Absolut vodka and Heinz for a vodka-infused pasta sauce resulted in 500 million earned media impressions and 7.1 million organic impressions on TikTok. What partnerships exist that you can tap into, even if they seem insane?

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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TikTok is undeniably the most talked about social app in the media these days. But if some members of Congress get their way, we could see big changes in the social landscape amid a larger tech war between the United States and China.

According to The New York Times, the proposed bill, which has already passed the House, wouldn’t ban TikTok, per se, but would rather implement a mechanism that will seek to force ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the app, to sell it. The legislation comes amid concerns that the Chinese government could use TikTok as a way to gain the personal data of American TikTokers, or even as a pathway to spread misinformation.

If ByteDance can’t or won’t sell TikTok if this proposed law is adopted, then the U.S. government could force app stores to delist TikTok. In addition, the Justice Department could also be empowered to punish any company that works with or offers TikTok for download.

But the bill still has something of an uphill battle toward passage — despite passage in the House, it faces uncertainty in the Senate.

Why it matters: When the most popular social media app of the day is facing a potential sale or “ban” by the American government, it’s time to take notice. With 170 million users in the United States, this bill wouldn’t wipe TikTok off people’s phones overnight, but would instead make updates harder to access and thus degrade the functionality of the app.

This bill would also force a rethink for many people working in the PR and social media spaces. Many of the biggest brands out there have at least some presence on TikTok, ranging from token accounts to a major marketing engine.

In the world of social media, platforms often wax and wane in popularity over time, but we haven’t seen one face the major opposition that TikTok is up against right now. But if you’re a PR or social media pro, pay attention to the developments out of Washington over the coming days — it could impact your strategy in a big way.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• The European Union has passed the first major legislative act that deals with the regulation of AI. According to CNBC, the EU AI Act categorizes the levels of risk associated with a given AI technology. This rating list also includes an “unacceptable” category — any tech that falls within this would be banned. In an age in which many organizations and governments fear the potential power AI could, this is a notable event. Will other countries or international organizations take steps to rein in AI? Maybe. But back stateside, keep an eye on whether pressure mounts to put some sort of guardrails in place in an attempt to keep up with the rapid spread of AI tech.
• Airbnb guests no longer have to worry about being spied on in the homes and rooms they rent on the platform. According to a report in The New York Times, Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras, claiming customer privacy as a priority. The change came after reports stating that some hosts were using cameras to spy on people renting their properties. Airbnb also stated that the new rules will provide customers with greater clarity on what to expect during their stays. Whether or not this change was a direct response to customer accusations of host spying, we can’t know for sure. But Airbnb was likely listening along the way.
• It’s an election year again, to seemingly no one’s excitement here in America. But if you wanted to consult Google’s Gemini AI tool about November’s contest, you might need to look elsewhere. According to The Guardian, when asked about either presumptive candidate in this fall’s election, Gemini responds that it’s still figuring out how to answer the query. “As we shared last December, in preparation for the many elections happening around the world in 2024 and out of an abundance of caution, we’re restricting the types of election-related queries for which Gemini will return responses,” Google stated. The rise of generative AI might end up playing a major role in political disinformation, and Google is trying to get ahead of it to avoid any potential chaos or bad press this fall. We’ll see if any other AI platforms follow Google’s lead, or if a different path forward emerges.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.

The post The Scoop: Potential TikTok changes after House votes for ban appeared first on PR Daily.

What started as a family photo shared to commemorate Mother’s Day has become a controversy that fans the flames of what many see as a larger Royal mystery.

Kensington Palace, the entity that handles the press for the Prince and Princess of Wales, shared an innocuous seeming photo with wire services Sunday. In it, Princess Catherine is seen smiling with her three children. It was also shared on Instagram with a caption marking Mother’s Day, which was observed Sunday in the U.K.

But hours later, news outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse sent advisories urging news outlets to remove the photos, as they appeared to have been doctored.

“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement image will be sent,” the AP wrote in its “kill notification, the New York Times reported, including a note to “Please remove it from all platforms, including social, where it may still be visible.”

Multiple photo agencies, including Reuters and AP, have pulled a new image of Kate Middleton from circulation over concerns that it has been “manipulated”https://t.co/rugFlBYHuI pic.twitter.com/rLfiWj7VJ7

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 10, 2024

Specifically, Princess Charlotte’s hand appeared to have been moved, among other minor inconsistencies. While minor editing, such as cropping and photo correction, is generally allowed in wire service photos, this was a bridge too far.

The kill notification set social media aflame. Middleton has been largely out of the public eye since she had abdominal surgery in January. The photo, intended to show Catherine well and happy, was now a source of mystery.

Hours later, the princess posted an apology on X. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.” The post is signed with “C,” which signifies that the message was authored by the princess herself.

Why it matters: Anything the royal family does will be intensely scrutinized, both in the U.K. and around the world. A miscommunication occurred between the family and their press office around what standards are acceptable for Instagram versus what will fly with international wire services. At a time when Princess Catherine has been kept out of the public eye, with wild speculation swirling, it all adds to a public relations fire. The palace’s failure to properly vet the photo, along with its slow response, allowed those flames to grow even higher.

Was this an innocent mistake from a frazzled mum recovering from surgery and trying to make her family look their best? An intentional move to conceal or hide something from the public? We don’t know, but everyone will speculate.

Let this be a reminder to work closely with your principals and clients on what standards work for the press and what’s OK for social media. If they submit a photograph, ensure you’re asking questions about who took it, how it was altered and if there’s anything else you need to know.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• It was another bad week for Boeing, with a bevy of incidents once again pulling the aircraft manufacturer’s name into controversy. Al Jazeera lists a number of problems with Boeing craft over the last week, including a “technical event” on a flight from Australia to New Zealand that led to a “strong movement” and resulted in dozens of injuries; an emergency landing necessitated after an engine sucked in bubble wrap; another emergency landing due to fumes in the cabin; and a tire falling off a plane in San Francisco, destroying a car. Some of these incidents are unlikely to be caused by any fault of Boeing’s, but it all contributes to a larger narrative of Boeing planes having problems. It undermines confidence and perpetuates a damaging narrative at a time when Boeing is looking to move forward.
• The breakout moment of last night’s Oscars ceremony was a rockstar-caliber performance of “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie.” Dressed in a pink, sparkling suit, Ryan Gosling delivered a splashy performance that included his fellow Kens from the film, guitarist Slash and “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie. While “Barbie” was mostly shut out of the awards (it took home Best Original Song, not for “I’m Just Ken” but for the ballad “What Was I Made For?”), this performance ensured the film will stay a hot topic of conversation, likely even equaling winning darling “Oppenheimer.” It’s a show of what can happen when you stay true to yourself, your vision and a sense of overwhelming fun.
• The hottest new accessory is a $2.99 canvas bag from Trade Joe’s. CNN reports that the branded totes are being sold on Ebay for hundreds of dollars, though it’s unclear if anyone is buying them at that rate. Still, there’s no question that shoppers are clamoring for the simple gear, drawing comparisons to the Stanley cup in the intensity of its hype. There’s no bigger marketing win than when customers wear your name with pride. Is there an opportunity in your organization for your own branded swag moment?

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

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President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress Thursday night with the pomp and circumstance the rare occasion calls for. But it was also filled with feisty jabs, deviations from scripted remarks and plenty of politics.

Still, will it ultimately change the way anyone views Biden — or how they’ll vote in November?

In this special dedicated edition of The Scoop, we’ll dive into the speech, the Republican responses and what it all means for public perception.

The speech itself

The media referred to Biden’s speech as “fiery,” “strikingly political” and “defiant.” Conservative mainstay Fox News called it “sharply partisan.” Donald Trump was mentioned 13 times but never named in the speech, called only “my predecessor.”

“Contrast, contrast, contrast. That was nearly the whole ballgame for Biden’s SOTU address last night,” according to Politico’s Playbook.

All throughout, Biden drew comparison to himself as compassionate, American, pro-democracy and Trump as the opposite. He hammered on the Jan. 6 insurrection, reproductive rights and immigration in particular.

“We must be honest,” Biden said. “The threat to democracy must be defended. My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6.

I will not do that.”

Economics were a mainstay of the speech, with Biden touting strong jobs numbers in particular, but as the New York Times pointed out, he abandoned what had been a signature term: Bidenomics.

The president was all-in on calling for support for Ukraine, but more measured in his remarks on the Israel-Hamas war. He reaffirmed the nation’s right to defend itself against Hamas terrorists, but also struck a stronger tone with the Israeli government, calling on them to do more to protect civilians and not use aid as a “bargaining chip.” His comments come amid growing anger from his own party over continued support of Israel as the civilian death toll mounts in Palestine.

Fact checks of the speech were overall mild, mostly quibbling over interpretations of various economic data rather than calling out whoppers. It’s standard political fare.

But perhaps most strikingly, Biden struck an optimistic tone. A vision of an America that was healing and growing.

“We are the United States of America!” he cried to end the speech. “And there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.”

The Republican response

The Republican response, both in the chamber and across the country, painted a different vision of America.

Outspoken presidential detractor Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene again interrupted the speech, bringing attention to the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley, allegedly by a Venezuelan migrant. Biden stopped the speech to respond.

“An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right,” Biden said, going on to point on that many murders are also committed by “legals.”

In doing so, he showed a feisty willingness to respond — but stepped into a controversy in his own party. The New York Times reported that a number of Democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups were angered by his use of the term “illegal,” which they feel is dehumanizing to migrants. Again, one of the bigger issues Biden faces in November is not just opposition from Republicans — it’s from the liberal wing of his own party.

After Biden’s speech, Alabama Senator Katie Britt gave the Republican response, delivered from her Birmingham kitchen table. She called the current American dream “a nightmare,” referred to Biden as “dithering and diminished” and painted Republicans as the party of families, reaffirming support for IVF even as her own state called it into question.

It was a pointed speech and choosing a 42-year-old mother was no accident, drawing (here’s that word again) a sharp contrast with the 81-year-old Biden.

The national response

The good news for Biden is that more than 60% of viewers who watched the State of the Union had a positive impression of his remarks, according to an overnight CNN poll. The bad news is that last year 72% of viewers responded positively.

That’s a big dip any year, but especially in an election year.

The difference came largely from Republicans, who moved from roughly 60% disapproval last year to about 75% this year, CNN reported.

Before the speech, polling found that 25% of respondents had a lot of confidence in Biden’s ability to carry out the duties of president; after, it was 31%, showing his speech did, indeed, move the needle. In good news for the president, much of that positive change was attributed to the independents who he’ll need to win in November.

Politico’s Playbook reported that after the speech, Biden had the best two fundraising hours of this election so far.

Why it matters

Biden did what he needed to do: he delivered a speech that made it clear who he was, who his opposition was and the differing visions of America. But will that be enough in today’s contentious, fractured environment? Viewership numbers for the speech haven’t been released, but last year, it was just 27.3 million — a drop in the bucket compared to the wider electorate.

The speech shows some positive momentum for Biden, but ultimately, it’s a long way to November. The overall state of the country, his jousting with Trump and lurking unknowns will ultimately matter more than one night’s speech.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

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Unless you’ve been firmly out of the loop, you’ve likely heard about the mishap involving a plane door flying off a Boeing aircraft and the massive ground stop of the Boeing 737 MAX9 aircraft that followed. As a corporation in the public eye, the implicit trust that airline customers place in Boeing to deliver them safely to their destination is of the highest importance. However, according to data collected by Morning Consult, that trust continues to wane for the Boeing brand.

But there’s another interesting wrinkle to this data set — it also revealed that customer confidence in airlines as a whole remains steady. In fact, it’s on the rise. The survey found that Boeing’s trust slide against growing confidence in the industry overall is notable since, before the incident, Boeing maintained a relatively high level of trust among passengers, particularly those in business and first class. But that high level of trust means more room for a precipitous fall.

Why it matters: When you’re in a business like air travel, trust is one of the main currencies. If people don’t trust your business, you’re going to face an uphill battle to grow the business and customer base. While air passengers aren’t the direct customers for Boeing, if they won’t fly on the company’s planes, the airlines will stop ordering them. For a known commodity like Boeing, this is a particularly tough rock to break. From a PR perspective, Boeing knows it has work to do to get airlines to continue getting airlines to purchase new planes. Sure, Boeing owned up to the shoddy work behind the door failure earlier this year. But earning back public trust after a crisis isn’t a one-time thing. It requires a consistent strategy and execution. Will Boeing earn back the public’s trust? Perhaps. But it isn’t going to happen overnight and without a concerted PR push.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• An engineer at Microsoft blew the whistle about the company’s AI tool, Copilot, claiming that it produces inappropriate content. According to a report from CNBC, Microsoft engineer Shane Jones decried the model’s safety and effectiveness. Some of the major issues with Copilot, according to Jones, include violent and sexualized images. “It was an eye-opening moment,” Jones, who continues to test the image generator, told CNBC in an interview. “It’s when I first realized, wow this is really not a safe model.”  The world of AI is undoubtedly an exciting one, but when these sorts of hiccups happen along the way, organizations need to take heed and react in kind. With more and more organizations opting into AI in one way or another, this bears watching. Keep an eye on how Microsoft responds as well — the wheels of progress shouldn’t roll on regardless of safety.
• Move over Amazon Prime — popular retailer Target is rolling out a new subscription model. The new Target Circle 360 program will offer customers benefits including unlimited free same-day delivery for orders over $35 and free two-day shipping. The move comes amid slowing sales for the Minnesota-based retailer. The lesson? Don’t be afraid to shake things up a little bit to get people talking. Target has a loyal customer base, and sometimes a new incentive for shoppers is enough to get them back through the door. In addition to the subscription program, Target also committed to reimagining its store-branded merchandise and opening more stores over the next decade.
• When you think of Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster, your first thought probably isn’t anywhere close to economics. But in a recent post on X, (formerly known as Twitter) the beloved blue creature said, “Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller.” Does this post have anything hard-hitting to say about the current economic situation? Of course not — it’s a post from a Sesame Street character. But the lesson here still sticks — sometimes having a known brand entity comment humorously helps make people more aware of your brand. We’re not proposing a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Economics for Cookie Monster just yet, but we will give props to the person behind his X account for staying on top of the news and getting the fuzzy blue monster into the public conversation, which included a writeup in the Washington Post and a response from the White House.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.

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What began five years ago as a complaint from Spotify has ended in a €1.84 billion fine from the EU over antitrust violations, The Verge reported. The complaint centered around the App Store, which would not permit app developers from pointing customers to cheaper subscription deals that could be found outside the app.

“For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store,” said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy for the European Commission.

Spotify responded with a fiery, triumphant statement, The Verge reported: “Apple’s rules muzzled Spotify and other music streaming services from sharing with our users directly in our app about various benefits — denying us the ability to communicate with them about how to upgrade and the price of subscriptions, promotions, discounts, or numerous other perks. Of course, Apple Music, a competitor to these apps, is not barred from the same behaviour.”

But Apple itself was defiant, claiming that the Commission failed “to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast.” Apple also credited its App Store for much of Spotify’s success in Europe, where it controls 56% of the streaming music market.

Why it matters: A new wave of regulation is about to hit Big Tech — hard. Much as it has when tackling online privacy, the EU is leading the way as eyes turn to the major player’s market share and competition practices. Apple is already being forced to change many aspects of its App Store to comply with the Union’s Digital Markets Act, though it’s still being criticized for taking a 17% cut even for app developers who link out to websites or other subscription processors, The Verge reported. U.S. courts ordered similar changes, though Apple is still clinging to a 27% commission, a modest discount from its usual 30%.

This moment points to the key importance of a strong public affairs game. Apple, and other tech giants seeing major regulatory pushes, must make the case for how they have innovated and helped build the modern tech ecosystem that has allowed companies like Spotify to thrive. At the same time, those upstart companies are now going to be pointing out their need to grow on an even field. If they face antitrust rulings and legislation, they will need to be ready to adapt and brace for the changes global regulators require — which has implications not only for consumers but also for employees who can face a potentially unstable future for their tech giant employers.

It’s a fascinating moment in tech history, and savvy PR and public affairs could help push the future in one direction or the other.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• The Washington Post’s tech columnist has dubbed two tax companies’ attempts at using AI to answer pressing questions about returns “awful.” Geoffery A. Fowler says the AI-powered chatbot provided by TurboTax and H&R Block ranges from simply unhelpful to flat-out wrong in ways that could impact a filer’s tax return. Worse still, when asked about the shoddy AI tools, H&R Block called the columnist’s questions “niche” (is cryptocurrency niche in the year 2024?) and blamed his questions for lacking “specificity and clarity.” People come to tax tools like these because they trust the answers they’re getting in a high-stakes endeavor. Incorrect information, whether from a person or an AI, undermines that trust, especially at a time when more free tax tools are coming onto the market. If AI can’t be relied upon, it shouldn’t be used.
• Walgreens and CVS are weeks away from beginning to dispense the abortion pill mifepristone in a number of blue states where abortion is still illegal, NBC News reported. There is already backlash from anti-abortion groups and the conservative media over the decision, and more is certain to come as the pills are dispensed. Last year, 20 Republican attorneys general cautioned the pharmacies against sending the pills via mail to their states. For now, the pills will only be available in physical locations in select states, but this controversy is certain to spill beyond those borders. The Supreme Court will also hear a case about abortion pills soon, which is likely to complicate the situation even further. CVS and Walgreens must walk a dangerous tightrope, with any move they make certain to draw ire from one group or another. Employee training and security measures are a must during this difficult time.
• Brands are increasingly creating their own reality TV shows in a bid to grab attention with innovative content, Business Insider reported. Ally Bank’s “Side Hustlers” pits six women fighting for business investments against one another, while H&R Block’s “Responsibility Island” spoofs dating shows by putting sexy singles on an island where they must … file their taxes, among other mundane tasks. Both series air on Roku. “Twenty- to 30-year-olds aren’t so interested in the documentary-style story of how H&R Block got started,” Rick Parkhill, director and cofounder of Brand Storytelling, told Business Insider. “Audiences are attracted by uplifting docs, but comedy works really well. And comedy is the most effective audience builder when it comes to advertising.” It’s all another tool in the content marketing toolbox.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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OpenAI rocked the world again after announcing its new generative AI video tool, Sora. While it’s not yet available to the general public and currently reserved for a select few testers and filmmakers, the Washington Post got a chance to put Sora through its paces.

The results are a mixed bag that shows just how advanced this technology is – and how far it has to go.

Some artificially created videos perfectly fool the eye. When asked to produce a drone shot of the Big Sur coastline, Sora created a place that did not exist – but unless you’re intimately, deeply familiar with that area, you’d never know it. The sunshine is perfectly angled, the rocks are craggy, the waves roll in just as they should. It wouldn’t look out of place in a nature documentary.

But Sora struggled in other places. Most notably, it seems to have difficulty when objects must interact with each other. A request for a 1930s-style clip of a person lighting a cigarette comes off as a piece of absurdist art with a perfectly rendered vintage businessman summoning smoke out of thin air — not   to the two cigarettes in his hand, but one which has appeared in his mouth. In another shot, a believable man in workout gear runs on a treadmill. The only problem? He’s running the wrong way on the machine.

There are more subtle issues, too: In a Holi crowd scene, background revelers merge and morph into one another. And the Post even flagged a potential copyright issue.

Why it matters: “The model is definitely not yet perfect,” Tim Brooks, OpenAI research scientist and co-lead on Sora, told the Post.

The story and its examples provide a tantalizing look at the future – but one that’s not quite here yet. In addition to the visual hiccups, Sora can’t yet produce sound. At the moment – and it’s an early moment, to be clear – Sora’s best use seems to be providing B-roll or background footage that won’t be scrutinized too closely. As a focal point, the footage will quickly be pegged as AI-generated, which could lead to decreased trust among audiences.

There will come a day, likely soon, when these kinks will be ironed out. Then we’ll have hard choices to make about when we continue to pursue what’s real and when we take the easy way out and reach for the artificial.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• In other OpenAI news, Elon Musk sued the tech innovator and CEO Sam Altman for breaching its founding principles by “maximising profits” over benefiting humanity, the BBC reported. Musk was one of three co-founders of the non-profit corporation, though he left after just three years and now his xAI Grok is a rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Furthering this clash of the tech titans, Microsoft is a major backer of OpenAI and is all but certain to wind up pulled into the suit somehow. It’s a reminder of just how early in the development of this new class of technology we are and how messy and muddled things will get before the horizon clears.
• In the wake of a cringe-inducing New York Times Magazine interview with reality TV show Tom Sandoval of “Vanderpump Rules” fame in which he compared his affair to the murder of George Floyd and said he was more reviled than convicted rapist Danny Masterson, several publicists to the reality stars spoke about just how difficult it can be to corral these unpredictable clients. Some advice was conventional, such as heavily researching the outlet, prepping a client extensively and urging them to take a page from Aaron Burr and “talk less, smile more.” One, however, said she prefers her reality TV clients only interview with outlets who will allow her to be involved in editing the final product – a move which would sharply limit the number of outlets available.
• Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, after nine years, NBC News reported. Winfrey has been public for decades about her struggles with her weight, and says she intends to remain an active part of the conversation. While both sides were cordial and positive about their past and future relationship, her departure sent the company’s stock cratering. Winfrey said she used new weight loss drugs as a maintenance tool – pharmaceuticals which also threaten WW’s more traditional weight loss model. Combined with the loss of Winfrey’s star power, it could be a very challenging season for WW.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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One of the foundational concerns about generative AI is that it will exclude and misinterpret historically marginalized groups due to the data on which it’s trained. In an apparent attempt to avoid this pitfall, Google’s Gemini AI program appears to have gone too far in the other direction.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the AI tool formerly known as Bard is now facing intense backlash, especially from right-wing commentators, for its answers and imagery related to race.

The situation began when the tool began showcasing inappropriate  historical images: think an array of races in Nazi uniforms in response to a prompt to show a German soldier in 1943. It also refused, in some instances, to return images of white people when asked, while it generated images of people of other races without complaint. This prompted Google to pause the tool’s ability to create imagery while it solves the problem.

But WSJ reported that over the weekend, the specific complaints morphed into a broader critique, spearheaded in part by Elon Musk, about the model’s overall “wokeness.”

Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a staff email that teams were working nonstop to solve the problems.

“No AI is perfect, especially at this emerging stage of the industry’s development, but we know the bar is high for us and we will keep at it for however long it takes,” Pichai wrote in the memo obtained by WSJ. “And we’ll review what happened and make sure we fix it at scale.”

Why it matters: Pichai is right: No model is perfect. Mistakes will happen. Remember when Microsoft’s early chatbot tried to break up a New York Times columnist’s marriage? Technology is weird, stuff happens. And it does appear that these mistakes were made with the noble intention to represent all Gemini’s users in the images and answers it returned.

But a growing pain has become an emblem of “woke,” out-of-control tech. And it’s a stumble that Google, already trailing partnered rivals Microsoft and OpenAI, couldn’t really afford.

If Google can rally, explain what went wrong and how they’re fixing it, they can still bounce back and become a popular, well-used AI model moving forward. But make no mistake: There will be more of these hiccups in every AI model’s development, including ones you may be building in your organization or using for your work. Be vigilant, be prepared and build that crisis plan now.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• A 140-year-old logo is ending its incredible streak as the world’s oldest with a brand refresh. Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a common baking ingredient in the U.K., has updated its logo on many of its products, moving away from the old image of a dead lion surrounded by bees (a Biblical allusion) to a stylized lion’s head, the BBC reported. “Our fresh, contemporary design brings Lyle’s into the modern day, appealing to the everyday British household while still feeling nostalgic and authentically Lyle’s,” Brand Director James Whiteley told the BBC. In a smart move, the imagery on its most iconic product, a tin of syrup, will remain in its classic form to preserve history. Naturally, some long-time fans aren’t in favor of the move, but brands need to compete on crowded grocery store shelves, and a lion swarmed by insects may not be the most marketable image in 2024, even with a long lineage.
• Universal Music Group has deployed what’s been dubbed “the nuclear option” against TikTok. The two companies are at war over music royalties on songs used in videos on the uber-popular app. Now, in addition to preventing songs performed by artists signed to Universal from being used on TikTok, songs created by songwriters signed to the label must also be removed, the Wall Street Journal reported. Even if a song has 10 writers and a single one is signed to Universal, the entire tune must be removed. This ongoing battle is causing schisms in the artist community, with some supporting the move to be paid for their work with others frustrated by their inability to use the app to market their music. And of course, users of the app are caught in the middle. We’ll see just how long this drags on.
• Female entrepreneurs are opening new businesses in industries traditionally dominated by men, Axios reports. This includes HVAC, plumbing, electricians and handy(wo)man services. Axios pegs the movement as part of an overall “she-economy” where women are coming into the cultural and economic spotlight. It’s a great reminder for B2B businesses targeting these industries that times are changing – the old boys’ club may be ending, and marketing and messages must be inclusive.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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In a groundbreaking case, the Supreme Court is slated to hear two cases today that could change how social media platforms and free speech laws interact. According to The New York Times, the two laws that will go before the court, one from Florida and one from Texas, cover two slightly different topics. The one from Florida bans platforms from removing content based on a user’s point of view, and the law from Texas disallows social media platforms from permanently banning accounts tied to political candidates in the State.

The two trade associations challenging the state laws — NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association — said that the actions Judge Oldham called censorship were editorial choices protected by the First Amendment, which generally prohibits government restrictions on speech based on content and viewpoint.

The groups said that social media companies were entitled to the same constitutional protections enjoyed by newspapers, which are generally free to publish what they like without government interference.

The states responded that internet platforms were common carriers required to transmit everyone’s messages and that the laws protected free speech by ensuring that users have access to many points of view.

The decision in the case won’t be known until June, the results could have a seismic impact on social media platforms’ admin policies. 

Why it matters: In the PR world, any platform that can carry your message is a potential conduit for storytelling. With that in mind, make no mistake — the rulings in these cases have the potential to change the landscape of social media forever. If one or both of these laws are upheld, platforms will have to revisit and overhaul the way administration works, and their current classification as media platforms may fundamentally change, subject to more federal oversight. In turn, you might see brands flip their strategies in search of a safer, less chaotic place to put their messaging, while legislators navigate new regulations for the platforms.

Keep an eye on the results of this case, PR pros. Any shift in the social media landscape is worth watching, and when the rulings come down in June, your content strategy might need some alterations.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• Mobile carrier AT&T apologized to its customers and the general public after a major outage last week. “No matter the timing, one thing is clear — we let down many of our customers, including many of you and your families,” AT&T CEO John Sankey said in a statement. The company is also offering $5 to users to “make it right” following the outage. It’s one thing (and the right thing) for a company to apologize for inconveniencing users who rely on its service for business and personal communication. It’s another to put forth the effort and offer financial compensation (no matter how small) to help smooth things over. Even these small gestures can generate the positive PR that organizations rely on to keep current customers loyal and earn new ones. But will it be enough to stem litigious business customers who may have lost a day of connectivity?
• Baseball season is back — and people aren’t talking about the action on the field. No, they’re talking about an unintentionally scandalous uniform look this year. According to The Wall Street Journal, fans online are making fun of Nike’s new baseball uniforms as the pants are somewhat see-through. A Baltimore Orioles player even told the Baltimore Banner that the uniforms look like “a knockoff jersey from T.J. Maxx.” Nike is almost certainly going to have to address the uproar around these new uniforms, and that’s why PR pros need to always be ready for any crisis that might arise. When the internet gets a hold of an inferior product and starts making fun of it online, you need to be ready to cover your bases immediately.
• In a tasty bit of news to close, Krispy Kreme is getting in on the Leap Day fun this year and offering customers a dozen original glazed donuts for $2.29, in honor of the date. According to USA Today, if customers have a birthday that falls on February 29, they can get a box of 12 donuts for free. “An extra day in the year is an irresistible opportunity for Krispy Kreme to be extra-sweet to our guests,” said Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme. “So, we’re sweetening Leap Day by the dozens, including for fans whose true birthday comes around only every four years.” In addition to this promo, Krispy Kreme also got in on the current events marketing action and offered AT&T customers who lost service last week a free donut while their service was down. Newsjacking is a critical part of a PR strategy, and whoever is running the show over at Krispy Kreme is doing an exemplary job of keeping a tasty product in the conversation by tying promotions to current events.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.

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Did you hear about, or worse, experience firsthand, the AT&T outage yesterday? If so, you were reminded just how necessary cellular networks are to our interconnection and our commerce. If you’re in AT&T’s shoes, you also experienced a PR nightmare.

According to the Wall Street Journal, there were 75,000 reports of outages at 9:15 Thursday. The telecoms giant apologized and reported it was working diligently to return service to all customers and encouraged users to use WiFi calling as a backup plan.

“Based on an initial review, the outage resulted from ‘an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network,’ said an AT&T spokesman Thursday,” reported the Wall Street Journal,  “adding that it wasn’t the result of a cyberattack.”

By late Thursday, the outage was resolved. But by then, authorities as high up as the White House were briefed on the issue, with many looking for the root cause of the issue.

“Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future,” an AT&T spokesman said in a statement shared with the Wall Street Journal. What those steps are remains unclear.

Why it matters: When one of the nation’s biggest cell phone data providers goes down, it’s undeniably a big deal. Think of the disruptions to both people’s personal lives and the businesses they’re a part of — if AT&T calls were needed to facilitate anything there, people might have been out of luck. (Though in today’s world with so many options, there are plenty of alternative ways to get in touch.)

AT&T’s response is notable too. Sure, the spokesperson apologized for the issue, and that’s not nothing. But it’s the commitment to sharing context, steps and details that instill confidence it won’t happen again, and actually following through on it that matters. Sometimes technical issues are out of our control. But when you’re providing an infrastructural service, you’re expected to follow the crisis communications fundamentals and provide answers.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• According to the New York Times, VICE is preparing to cut jobs amid a changing media landscape. Vice staffers claim that their access to download the contents of their emails was revoked. Another editor revealed that he received a communication from the VICE CEO, stating that jobs are being cut and material isn’t going to be published on the VICE site going forward. Long a repository for creative and groundbreaking journalism, it’s a shame to see VICE go out with a whimper. It’s even more sad to see leaders at the publication not answer the queries of concerned staffers and instead hide behind a mass email at the end of an anxious day. During times of change, leaders need to communicate. It’s not good for employees, and it’s just as bad for your organization’s reputation.
• After a long period of speculation as to when it would happen, Reddit is finally going public with an IPO. But while that is notable, there’s something unique about the Reddit IPO that’s grabbing attention. “In an unusual twist, Reddit is also giving an unspecified number of its top users, including moderators and those with high karma scores, the chance to buy shares in its IPO,” a report from The Verge said. “That’s a privilege usually reserved for professional investors who want to buy stock at a theoretically lower price before everyone else gets to purchase it on the public market,” Reddit, which has built itself as a community-based site, is leaning into that reputation with this move. It’ll be interesting to see if other social platforms make similar moves in the future.
• Over the past few years, TikTok has taken the social media scene by storm. However, a report from the Pew Research Center showed that half of American adult TikTok users have never posted a video to the platform and that a small percentage of creators make a vast majority of the content seen on the app. The more PR pros and communicators know about the latest trends in social media, the better equipped you are to create content that resonates with younger demographics and audiences. Keep those ears to the ground.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.

The post The Scoop: AT&T outage disrupts communication across the country appeared first on PR Daily.

Dating reality show “The Bachelor” has a long, awkward history when it comes to handling race. Heck, the issue even has its own Wikipedia page. From a lack of diversity in contestants and Bachelor/ettes to a cringe interview between former Black Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay and then-host Chris Harrison, its issues with race are well-documented.  

So it wasn’t entirely surprising that producers were questioned about the show’s history during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. But their response – or lack thereof – made headlines.  

“Why does it seem that ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette’ have such a hard time dealing with racial issues?” NPR TV critic Eric Deggans asked, according to Variety. “Have you learned anything from these past scandals that led to the departure of Chris Harrison?” 

After a pause, one producer gave a forward-looking answer about what the show is doing now. But that wasn’t what Deggans was looking for. He pressed again: “That doesn’t really answer the question. Why has ‘The Bachelor’ struggled to deal with race, particularly when Black people are the star of the show?” 

The trio of producers sat in silence for what Deggans clocked at about 8 seconds. That’s a long time when sitting on a public panel.  

“I guess we have our answer,” Deggans said at last. 

Why it matters: That long, awkward silence spawned scathing headlines in publications like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, among many others. Deggans wrote a first-person account for NPR.  

The producers went in and tried to clean up the mess afterwards. Several of the stories have updates appended to the top as the producers gave answers that seemed thoughtful and appropriate to the question asked. But it was too late by then. Those stories are but a footnote compared to headlines of the producers “freezing” when asked about race. 

This was a question of media training, pure and simple. To be fair, not all the producers had been with the show during the time period Deggans asked about. But some were. And a simple nod to past mistakes and a willingness to learn and grow would have gone a long way. The incident would have barely been one paragraph in media coverage of the panel. But because they weren’t prepared, it became the story. 

Preparation is key. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• Air Canada argued that its AI-fueled chatbot is “responsible for its own actions” and that the airline can’t be held responsible for what it tells passengers, the Washington Post reported. The curious claim arose after a customer service bot told a passenger he could receive a refund for a bereavement fare if he filed after his purchase. In fact, he had to file before the purchase. But a Canadian tribunal didn’t buy the excuse and said the airline owed the passenger more than $600. “(The passenger) says, and I accept, that they relied upon the chatbot to provide accurate information. I find that was reasonable in the circumstances,” a tribunal member wrote in his ruling. “There is no reason why Mr. Moffatt should know that one section of Air Canada’s webpage is accurate, and another is not.” 
• But nothing will stop the AI train. The New York Times is set to roll out its own proprietary tool later this year, Axios reported. The generative AI tool will be used by advertisers to help target niche audiences based on their “interests, aspirations and opinions,” Axios said, to place ads more effectively alongside Times content. A closed beta test is set to begin in Q2. The tool’s development comes even as the Times sues Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright infringement.  
• You may not have known Bob Moore’s full name, but you likely have seen his face, with distinctive cap and glasses, smiling out at you from packages of grits and grain. Better known as the man behind Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Moore died last week at age 94, the New York Times reported. The Times article traces Moore’s journey as a branding icon, describing the packaging as: “The distinctive but unflashy branding, a piece of modern Americana that falls somewhere between hippie and Norman Rockwell, makes for an oasis of calm in crowded supermarkets.” 

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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OpenAI is changing the game again. Thursday, it announced Sora, a tool that allows users to create minute-long, photorealistic videos based on text prompts. Sora will also be able to generate footage based on a still image, “animating the image’s contents with accuracy and attention to small detail. The model can also take an existing video and extend it or fill in missing frames,” according to OpenAI’s announcement blog post.  

Introducing Sora, our text-to-video model.

Sora can create videos of up to 60 seconds featuring highly detailed scenes, complex camera motion, and multiple characters with vibrant emotions. https://t.co/7j2JN27M3W

Prompt: “Beautiful, snowy… pic.twitter.com/ruTEWn87vf

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 15, 2024

While the tool has not yet been released for public use, several sample videos give us a glimpse of what Sora could mean for the future. The videos are good – but not quite good enough to fool the eye yet. They have a slick, almost video game quality to them. It’s not entirely uncanny valley, but it’s not entirely right either. Still, some of the scenes could be useful as B-roll when getting physical footage would be cost prohibitive. As filler footage, they seem perfectly serviceable. 

But this is only the first iteration. How much will the technology continue to change and evolve? 

OpenAI said that the tool is “available to red teamers to assess critical areas for harms or risks. We are also granting access to a number of visual artists, designers, and filmmakers to gain feedback on how to advance the model to be most helpful for creative professionals.” 

Why it matters: AI video tools already exist, but OpenAI has established itself as the major player in the generative AI space. When Sora is released to the public, expect an explosion of AI videos. As with all technology, some of it will be used for good (creative ad campaigns, new forms of art) and some of it will be used for evil (deepfakes, mimicking human creativity).  

But in the PR space, it’s clear that these tools have the potential to make aspects of our jobs easier – or even possible on tight budgets. Creating social media videos can suddenly happen with just a few keystrokes instead of hours of filming. Missing frames or shots you forgot to get during a video shoot can be recreated without necessitating reshoots. And complex CGI will be available to the masses rather than a tool only for the largest budgets. 

It’s up to us, the humans building and prompting these tools, to use them in the right ways and for the right reasons. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• Axios posed a probing question that has the communications community divided: Does everyone deserve PR representation? The query has come into sharper focus after Publicis paid $350 million in penance for its work promoting OxyContin, fueling the opioid epidemic. Some of the most controversial clients of today include tobacco companies, gun manufacturers and repressive governments. Still, some practitioners believe they can effect change through their counsel. “So why are we working for the Ministry of Culture of the Saudis, for instance?” Edelman CEO Richard Edelman told Axios, “Because we actually believe that our work is helping transform that country and that we’re part of the big change economically, socially, culturally.” Ultimately, make sure you can look yourself in the mirror and feel good about the work you do.  
• Newly uncovered documents reveal that much of the recycling movement was designed as a PR stunt rather than an earnest attempt to improve the environment, NPR reported. Plastic manufacturers, including oil and gas companies, knew that recycling was more expensive than making new plastics and that it would not solve the problem of solid waste. Still, they knew it was good PR to help avoid new regulations, and even spawned the iconic “reduce, reuse, recycle” slogan. “We are committed to the activities, but not committed to the results,” a vice president at Exxon Chemical said in 1994. Industry group America’s Plastic Makers says the information is outdated and misleading.  
• Fast food companies are pulling back on major price hikes as customers reach their breaking point with expensive meals, Business Insider reported. Price hikes are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, with Shake Shack anticipating bumps of 2.5%, more in line with general inflation. From a PR perspective, brands are putting a renewed emphasis on value meals, like Taco Bell’s $3 and under value menu or McDonald’s D123 platform, which prices items at $1, $2 or $3, though some have criticized the burger giant for having very few items that actually cost $1.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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As a PR professional, one of the first things you learn to do is ensure that your copy is clean and free of any mistakes. Based on what just happened with Lyft, some individuals might need a refresher on that concept.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a press release stated that Lyft’s profits were projected to rise 500 basis points, or 5%, in 2024. The problem? The projection was only for a 50 basis point rise — someone accidentally added a zero, it seems.

The fallout was immediate. Lyft’s stock rose around 60% in the aftermath of the erroneous announcement, long before analysts and buyers had an opportunity to critically look at the numbers and what they meant. Even in after-hours trading and after some correction back to the mean, Lyft’s stock was still up 16% when the WSJ published its story.

A Lyft spokesperson chalked the issue up to a “clerical error”.

Quite the clerical error indeed.

Why it matters: Beyond the basics that accidentally adding a zero caused the company’s stock to go crazy, the PR implications of this mistake run pretty deep. It’s an embarrassing mistake for Lyft that could have been caught with even the simplest of line edits.

When you’re the outward-facing messaging arm of an organization (or the agency that handles those duties), you need airtight copy and an ironclad review process to ensure that mistakes of this magnitude simply don’t happen. People make mistakes, sure. There’s no denying that. However, having a review framework so that the impacts of human error don’t cascade down and impact the entire company in the public forum is imperative. Maybe with one more copy edit, someone would have caught the error and we wouldn’t be discussing this right now.

It’s much easier to do preventative reputation management than to clean up the mess left after the fact. Give that press release another look.

Editor’s Top Picks:

• The AI revolution continues to press on, but human beings can take solace in one thing — AI isn’t coming for their patents. According to a report from The Verge, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office stated that AI can help inventors in the ideation process, but it can’t be named an inventor on patent paperwork. In a world in which the line between AI creation and human creation is becoming increasingly blurred, this is notable. AI can help PR pros ideate and craft their messages, but it should be viewed as a helper, not a replacement. This ruling helps reinforce that idea.
• It’s been made fun of for looking boxy and aesthetically displeasing and for the long delays that plagued its production. But unfortunately for some who waited for their Tesla Cybertrucks, the issues aren’t ending. According to a report by Futurism, some Cybertruck customers are reporting that their metallic EVs are showing signs of rust already. “Just picked up my Cybertruck today,” a customer wrote, according to the Futurism report. “The advisor specifically mentioned the cybertrucks develop orange rust marks in the rain and that required the vehicle to be buffed out.” When people are paying premium prices, they should get a premium product, not a rusty shell of a car. While Tesla might remedy these issues and make them right in the long run, it’s yet another PR speedbump for the Cybertruck.
• Wendy’s is in the news for a new item on the menu — and it’s one made by another chain. Wendy’s revealed that it’s partnering up with shopping mall staple Cinnabon to add a sweet treat to the list of offerings starting later this month. The cinnamon roll-like baked good is Cinnabon’s latest collaboration with an outside fast food chain, on top of a past collaboration with Pizza Hut and a current one with Subway. These partnerships enable Cinnabon to expand its product presence and increase awareness away from Cinnabon locations. Sometimes when looking to create some waves, a partnership that can combine two (or overlapping) customer bases is just the thing that’s needed to create buzz and increase sales. These don’t just have to be in the dining industry either — partnerships can also unlock creative angles for publicity in many fields. For the record, the writer of this piece will give this new food item a try. For science.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.

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It’s another Tuesday and you know what that means – we have the latest social media updates to get you going this week. Now let’s get to the good stuff!      

X

X recently began to feature long-form X articles on the social media platform. These original X articles might have their own feed in the app in a similar blog-post format, Social Media Today reported. The long-form articles will have a link preview card on the platform’s feed, which users can click on and navigate to these stories. Users can experiment with posting these articles in the near future. Have you seen any X articles yet while scrolling?

Meta

Meta announced that it is working on tools to label AI-generated images on Instagram, Threads and Facebook. They already use “Imaged with AI” labels on photorealistic images made with its Meta AI feature. The company’s working to do the same with content from other generative AI tools. Meta specifically cited the upcoming global elections and the high potential for misinformation as the impetus to get these tools up and running quickly.

Instagram and Threads released new information on how they recommend political content. They will not “proactively recommend” political content to users via Explore, Reels and Suggested Users, though users will be able to opt-in. This is all part of Meta’s ongoing push to move away from polarizing politics in feeds, which is concerning some journalists and politicians.

Professional accounts on IG can go to Account Status to see if their account is considered political, which is determined by recent post activity. While in Account Status, they can remove or edit recent posts, ask for a review, or stop posting political content for “a period of time” to regain their recommendation status.

Wired reported that WhatsApp and Messenger will soon have third-party messaging to meet requirements from the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The third-party messaging interoperability feature will let users from other platforms send images, text messages, files and videos to WhatsApp users, according to Wired. Group chats and calls are not on the horizon yet. Messaging platforms interested in connecting with WhatsApp will have to sign a company agreement and follow its protocol. WhatsApp users who agree to view messages from other platforms will be able to see them in their inbox in a separate section at the top once the feature is available.

Facebook

Meta announced in late January that it’s doing away with third-party access to its Facebook Groups API on April 22. Developers and businesses use Facebook Groups API to schedule posts to Facebook Groups, TechCrunch reported. Agencies that schedule or automate their customers’ posts would feel the effects of this change. Meta Certified Community Manager Maurice W. Evans told TechCrunch that removing the third-party Facebook Groups access “could significantly alter the digital landscape, creating both hurdles and opportunities for community managers and businesses alike.”

Jonah Manzano, singer-songwriter and social media aficionado, posted on Threads that Facebook is now letting users create photo captions with AI. If this feature is available on your account:

• Visit the “create post” section.
• Select the Write with AI option and choose your tone: professional, funny, heartfelt, etc.
• Publish your AI-generated caption.

Threads

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram posted on Threads that the platform began a limited test of a highly requested feature post bookmarks. The feature works just like it does on Instagram, according to Mosseri.

Bluesky

The decentralized social app Bluesky is now available for anyone to join after a long stint as invitation-only. Since last year, the nascent platform and X competitor have built out features like custom feeds and moderation tools with a small user base. Shortly after removing the invitation requirement, Bluesky added 856,000 new users, reaching a total of more than 4 million, according to ZDNet.

TikTok

Manzano posted on Threads that TikTok introduced a new feature specifically for communicating with subscribers. In Sub Space, creators can create chat threads, post polls and more.  To access, go to tools, click Sub Space and post to “extend interactions beyond LIVE.”

LinkedIn

LinkedIn announced new tools under the Network tab, including:

Grow tab

• Make more professional connections and manage current ones through updates to the People You May Know

Catch Up tab

• This tab lets you keep up on major life news with connections by letting users know when someone achieved a milestone like celebrating a new job, birthday or work anniversary.

LinkedIn is getting rid of the hashtags and Creator Mode button in profile settings, according to a newsletter article on LinkedIn from The Social Media Scoop. The Creator Mode debuted in 2021 and let users tag their profiles with hashtags. LinkedIn now prefers keywords and topics and is moving away from hashtags. Some Creator Mode features like the “Connect” with or “Follow” option will remain, as will the associated creative tools and analytics.

YouTube

TeamYouTube announced on X that users’ live stream previews can be seen in Shorts. Viewers can tap on one of these videos to enter into a scrollable live feed, according to the post.

YouTube is also testing out its video feeds with red, green and blue colors, according to 9To5Google. The article noted that 9To5Google came across a “Craving something new?” card on the platform for Android users. This feature lets users create their video feeds based on color groupings.

Sherri Kolade is a writer and conference producer at Ragan Communications. She enjoys watching old films, reading and building an authentically curated life. Follow her on LinkedIn. Have a great PR/comms speaker in mind for one of Ragan’s events? Email her at sherrik@ragan.com.

The post New social media features and updates to know this week  appeared first on PR Daily.

The Biden campaign is officially on TikTok. 

The reelection campaign’s first video features President Joe Biden himself, casually answering a series of questions about the Super Bowl, including a playful jab at the idea that Democrats and Taylor Swift rigged the game in Kansas City’s favor. It’s already garnered more than 4.5 million views, a victory for a president who is struggling to connect with younger voters and to fend off questions about his own age.  

@bidenhqlol hey guys

♬ Fox nfl theme – Notrandompostsguy

But the campaign joining TikTok also raises awkward questions amid ongoing governmental concerns about China’s influence in the wildly popular app.  

As the Washington Post reports: 

TikTok has come under fire from Republicans, who’ve criticized the app’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. 

Biden’s campaign said that they’re taking advanced safety precautions around their devices and incorporating a protocol to ensure security of the account. The campaign’s presence is independent from the ongoing review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the government agency that’s tasked with investigating corporate deals for national security concerns and has been negotiating with TikTok owner ByteDance. 

Why it matters: From a PR perspective, this is a double-edged sword. TikTok is a critical cultural and news touchstone for Americans under 30. Being on the platform is one of the best ways to reach a voting bloc Biden needs to turn out to the polls if he’s to beat populist favorite Donald Trump later this year. From that perspective, it’s a good decision in terms of meeting your audience where they are. 

But TikTok is banned from devices owned by the federal government due to security concerns related to the involvement of the Chinese government in ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. Dozens of states have also banned the app from government-owned devices, while Montana has tried (so far unsuccessfully) to ban the app outright.  

Now, it’s important to note that it isn’t the White House on TikTok. It’s the campaign, which is not the federal government. But if the security risks are so great the app needs to be banned on government devices and Biden is still directly participating in the app because it serves his political interests, that sends a mixed message. It opens up a new line of attack for his political opponents and creates confusion for the government agencies following the rules: It’s OK for the boss to use this technology when it suits him, but not for us? 

Continued clear messaging about the distinction between the campaign and the White House and ongoing security measures being taken will be key in managing this tricky tightrope. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• Here’s a clear example of just how powerful TikTok is and why the Biden campaign wants so badly to be there: The Pink Stuff. It was once an obscure British cleaning goo until an Instagram home renovation celebrity sang its praises. From there, it migrated to TikTok and became a sensation, quadrupling its sales. But the runaway success of the product is entirely outside the control of the company behind The Pink Stuff, the New York Times reported. “We don’t spend money on traditional advertising,” Henrik Pade, a managing director at parent company Star Brands, said. “It’s fully viral. Which is a little scary because we haven’t got any control over the message about our brand.” That’s both the promise and the peril of PR: You send your message out into the world and while you can try to shape it, you can’t control it. And sometimes, it controls you. 
• And in other China controversy news, deep discount retailer Temu returned to the Super Bowl last night amid its own scrutiny from American lawmakers. In spots that ran several times, a catchy tune urging people to “shop like a billionaire” ran over a CGI animated scene. The ads aired after several Republican lawmakers urged Paramount not to run the ad, due to concerns over the company’s labor practices, including accusations of forced labor. The ad ranked among the worst of the night for many and received backlash on social media – all while undoubtedly introducing many people to the cheap shopping site. For full Super Bowl coverage, click here.  
• It appears that generative AI is contributing to some of the white-collar job cuts that have rocked the technology industry in recent months. “Unlike previous waves of automation technology, generative AI doesn’t just speed up routine tasks or make predictions by recognizing data patterns,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “It has the power to create content and synthesize ideas — in essence, the kind of knowledge work millions of people now do behind computers.” The Journal reports that the use of this technology could lead to a “middle-management collapse” as these workers are replaced with machines. White-collar workers have proven more immune to automation pressures over the recent decades, but now that could change.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: The Biden campaign joins TikTok amid China controversy appeared first on PR Daily.

Welcome to the Scooper Bowl! 

That Big Game is coming up Sunday, and while it’s known as the biggest day in advertising, the PR implications are vast as well. Now there are teaser campaigns to drum up interest, influencer partnerships, social campaigns to keep hype stoked long after an ad’s premiere.  

While we won’t have a full picture until game day, there are several major trends emerging this year worth keeping an eye on. 

One of the biggest is stuffing as many celebrities into an ad as possible in a way to ensure everyone watching gets to lay eyes on someone they like. Adweek notes that a single Paramont+ ad crams a whopping 11 celebrities, ranging from Sir Patrick Stewart to Peppa Pig, into a 2-minute spot. 

Why it matters: There’s a logic to this, to be sure. “For the past three years, our data has shown consumers are 25% more likely to engage with a brand online during the Super Bowl when there’s a featured celebrity,” Kevin Krim, president and CEO of impact measurement platform EDO, told Adweek.  

And there are social media benefits as well. Nyx Cosmetics is one of the most buzzed-about brands ahead of the game thanks to a teaser that sees rapper, singer and online sensation Cardi B recreating her famous “that’s suspicious. That’s weird” meme. While we haven’t seen the full gameday ad yet, using Cardi B gives not only a celebrity boost, but a supercharged online conversation starter. 

Still, is there a point where it gets to be too much? Will Paramount expect to see its brand recall increase 11-fold thanks to its glut of celebs, both animated and real? 

In the end, quality matters more than star power. “Unless you have a good idea, a celebrity isn’t going to make a bad idea good,” Aloysius Butler & Clark CCO Steve Merino told Adweek.  

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• Donald Trump has done an about-face on Bud Light. The brand, which has been a target of right-wing ire since it employed trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a promo in 2023, should be forgiven, the former president said. In a social media post, Trump cited the company’s support of farmers and veterans, the Wall Street Journal reported. “Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance? What do you think?” Trump wrote. Shares of Bud Light’s parent company bounced in the wake of the post. Trump’s messaging echoed Bud Light’s talking points shared with other parties, but the Wall Street Journal reported that Anheuser-Busch did not request the post, nor was it involved in its drafting. Either way, Trump’s blessing is significant as the brand is poised to make a Super Bowl comeback. The market certainly seems to think it will make a difference — but will it matter to consumers who may have already switched to other beers? 
• But Bud Light’s miscalculation with its influencer selection may have led to another trend in this year’s Super Bowl: a lack of ads that reaffirm a brand’s values. “I don’t think you’ll see many value-driven ads this year,” Marcus Collins, marketing professor at the University of Michigan, told Axios. “People saw the Bud Light debacle and said I don’t want any of that smoke. Because of that, we should expect to see less of those manifestos about world views and ideals. Instead, expect a very humor-driven Super Bowl.” 
• The ads shown during the Super Bowl this year are designed to make you hungry. A Wall Street Journal analysis revealed that the most prevalent category this year will be candy and snacks. Think Oreos, Drumsticks (ice cream, not poultry), Reese’s, Nerds and more. Hey, that’s an improvement over the cryptocurrency ads that took over the Big Game in 2022 and are now leading to lawsuits.  
• While the 49ers are favored to win the actual game, the Chiefs have already run away with victory in the advertising world. Patrick Mahomes,Travis Kelce and Coach Andy Reid have been inescapable presences in advertising all year. Mahomes alone was featured in a whopping 19 spots. The reasons for their popularity as pitchmen is simple, according to the New York Times: They’re good and one of them is dating Taylor Swift. The real winner here is Campbell Soup, which secured an ad with Kelce, his brother Jason and their mother before the Swift news broke. “There was a little good fortune in the selection of this family,” Linda Lee, chief marketing officer of the meals and beverages division at Campbell’s, told the Times. 
• And let’s talk about Swift’s impact on the Super Bowl. Through the choice of her boyfriend, she’s bringing new, young female fans to the league. Interest in the game is up 169% over last year, according to data from Zeta Global, and there’s a 903% jump in people interested primarily in the commercials. At least some portion of that is attributed to the Swiftie army of new fans who may not love football but are absolutely tuning in on Sunday for a glimpse of their idol. These demographic shifts will result in an audience for the game that’s nearly 50% female, and advertisers are taking notice: more and more ads are aimed at women, including cosmetics. Expect for Swift’s every move to be analyzed and memed during the game, causing even more of a ripple effect for PR pros and marketers in weeks to come. 

Join us Monday morning for a full recap of the game — and what you need to know for your PR practice. In the meantime, enjoy! 

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

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It’s an election year and tech will play a big role in how information — and misinformation — about this year’s cycle spreads. In an attempt to get ahead of the issue, social media giant Meta announced that it’s working on tools that can flag AI-generated content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

This move comes after the massive spread of misinformation during the 2020 election cycle on Facebook. But these tools don’t exist yet, and there isn’t an industry-wide standard to identify AI-created material. In addition, audio and video content can cause additional complications beyond those of still images, CNBC reports.

Why it matters:  If malicious actors want to spoof a statement from an individual or company, this announcement from Meta shows that the big social companies don’t have much in the way of defenses to stop them at the moment, though they’re working on it.

PR pros always need to be cognizant of their organization’s reputation in public, doubly so now that there’s AI to contend with. It’ll be worth watching to see if Meta can pull off these ambitious content-flagging initiatives, and if other platforms follow in their footsteps, (OpenAI is in on the trend now.) AI isn’t going away, and PR people need to know how it’ll change the social landscape that they’re working in. As AI tech progresses, it may not just be political candidates or celebrities that are the target of deepfakes — companies and their employees will need to stay vigilant as well.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery are joining forces to launch a sports streaming service. Reports state that the as-yet-unnamed product will bundle channels and services together to target sports fans. It’s interesting to see this offering come about for a few reasons. First, as more people cut cable connections, this offering helps sports fans have a one-stop-shop for their viewing habits. Additionally, it’s notable that the three companies behind it are competitors in the sports television space, and looked past that competition to form a juggernaut in the lucrative sports-viewing space. Sometimes collaboration can trump competition in the business world.
• The Super Bowl this Sunday is set to smash records — and not just because of the action on the field. According to the AP, 68 million people are set to wager on the game. That’s a big number, and they’re getting a little bump from a certain Grammy winner Taylor Swift. “There’s little doubt that sportsbooks will be seeing Swifties sign up that otherwise would not have given sports betting a second thought,” Chris Grove, partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming told the AP. Regardless of your thoughts on Swift’s music or the NFL, this is notable because one pop culture phenomenon creates tangible business results for an entire industry during another cultural staple’s biggest day. From a PR perspective, sometimes looking for surrounding trends can help give your voice a much-needed boost.
• It’s no secret that X has had a tumultuous year, to put it mildly. Soon, the microblogging app is going to have more competition. Bluesky, a decentralized conversation platform that had been invite-only, is gearing up to open to the general public, according to The Verge. “Bluesky thinks there’s still room for another take on what is increasingly looking like the next phase of social networking,” Bluesky CEO Jay Graber told The Verge. Will Bluesky see a migration of major companies and brands when it opens up? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. But anytime a potential landscape change arrives in the world of social media, it’s worth a look.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports, a good pint and ’90s trivia night.

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The Grammy stage lights came up, revealing one expected face, that of Luke Combs, who was up for an award for his cover of “Fast Car.” 

But those lights also showed a surprise. Tracy Chapman, who wrote the song back in 1988, stood beside him, dressed all in black, bearing an acoustic guitar as she plucked the iconic opening notes of the song. 

Chapman hadn’t been announced as a performer, and the audience roared its approval.  

The two proceeded to play a beautiful duet of the song, trading lines and singing in harmony. It’s well worth a few minutes of your day to watch. 

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs – Fast Car#GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/WWztcov2tJ

— Craig R. Brittain (@RealBrittain) February 5, 2024

The moment was great entertainment, but its meaning goes deeper than that. 

Chapman is Black, queer woman. Combs is a white, male country singer. His rendition of “Fast Car” topped the country charts and even charted as high as No. 2 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart, surpassing Chapman’s high of No. 6.  

That’s inspired some controversy and mixed feelings. As the Washington Post reported in July:  

“On one hand, Luke Combs is an amazing artist, and it’s great to see that someone in country music is influenced by a Black queer woman — that’s really exciting,” said Holly G, founder of the Black Opry, an organization for Black country music singers and fans. “But at the same time, it’s hard to really lean into that excitement knowing that Tracy Chapman would not be celebrated in the industry without that kind of middleman being a White man.” 

Chapman had officially blessed the song with a statement earlier this year: “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’” 

Why it matters: This performance was a savvy PR move for both Chapman and Combs — and the Grammys, of course.  

Chapman’s brief statement was adequate to dispel some controversy, but appearing on stage showed her (literally) full-throated approval of the cover. It also gave Combs a chance to show her respect: She sang the first lines of the song and carried the bulk of the vocals. She accompanied on her guitar, playing the iconic melody. At the end of the piece, Combs made worshipful bowing motions while Chapman soaked in the applause from the industry’s biggest stars and beamed.  

It also helped introduce Chapman to audience members who may not have been familiar with her and proved a financial windfall: Almost instantly after the performance, her version of the song and her debut album both topped the iTunes charts, NPR reported. She also receives royalties from Combs’ version.  

Does this moment end the complex racial politics inherent in the American music scene? Certainly not. But both Chapman and Combs came out triumphant: Chapman through her willingness to step into the spotlight for a rare public appearance and Combs for his humility in acknowledging the woman responsible for his single’s success.  

And we all got to hear a smashing performance. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• A Black History Month magnet set was pulled from Target shelves after a TikToker pointed out it incorrectly identified several prominent figures, including Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter G. Woodson. Target issued a brief statement confirming the item had been pulled from shelves, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported, while the manufacturer, Bendon, remained silent. It’s a PR quandary: Target wasn’t responsible for the mistake, but it’s their name in all the headlines while Bendon will remain relatively unknown. 
• Meta’s Oversight Board, an independent body funded by the social media giant, had harsh words for the company’s deepfake policy, calling it “incoherent,” according to CNBC. Its ruling centers around a video of President Joe Biden and his granddaughter, which was manipulated — albeit not by AI — to wrongly imply he is a pedophile. The board said that Meta was correct in leaving the video up under current rules, which only bar content manipulated by AI. But it hammered that rule, saying it “is lacking in persuasive justification, is incoherent and confusing to users, and fails to clearly specify the harms it is seeking to prevent.” The board urged the Meta to rewrite the rule to include different kinds of manipulation across video and audio files. Meta has said it already intends to do. An oversight board like this presents unique PR challenges, but also opportunities for an organization to show its responsiveness and willingness to respond to criticism in a way that improves the end product. 
• New anti-spam rules from Google and Yahoo could keep useless messages from landing in your inbox — or make your marketing efforts harder. The Wall Street Journal reports that under new rules, mass emailers must “authenticate their own email addresses, include code with their emails that lets recipients unsubscribe with one click, and keep their spam complaint rate below an average of one per 1,000 emails.” Those who fail to adhere to those rules could see fewer emails delivered to inboxes. Hopefully your organization is already adhering to best practices, but these updates should cause you to pause before you hit that send button. Are you delivering useful messages to audiences you’ve earned the right to market to? 

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

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Publicis has settled a lawsuit for its role in pushing OxyContin to doctors — and, by extension, patients — for a whopping $350 million and agreed not to take on any other opioid clients, CNN reported.  

The French firm worked with McKinsey from 2010-2019 on a campaign called “Evolve to Excellence,” which encouraged the highest-prescribing doctors to write even more scripts for the highly addictive drug. Publicis made various collateral materials that painted OxyContin as a way to deter addiction and to write bigger doses, even when not medically indicated, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped oversee the settlement on behalf of a consortium of 10 states. 

“For a decade, Publicis helped opioid manufacturers like Purdue Pharma convince doctors to overprescribe opioids, directly fueling the opioid crisis and causing the devastation of communities nationwide,” James wrote in a statement.  

“The fight against the opioid crisis in the United States requires collaboration across industries, lawmakers, and communities, and we are committed to playing our part,” Publicis wrote in a statement provided to CNN. “That is why we worked to reach this agreement, and why we are also reaffirming our long-standing decision to turn down any future opioid-related projects.” 

Why it matters: The work we do as communicators matters. Deeply. Publicis put together a highly effective campaign. They did their job and did it well. 

And those actions contributed to a portion of the 645,000 opioid overdose deaths that occurred from 1999-2021 in the U.S., to say nothing of the lives that were ruined, if not ended, by the drugs Publicis helped promote. 

This is a sober reminder to each and every marketer and public relations professional about the power we wield. It’s exhilarating to do your job well and see the impacts on bottom lines and business goals. 

But you must remember the real-world impacts your actions have on real people and choose to use your skills responsibly. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

• Earlier this week, tech leaders were hammered during a Congressional hearing on how social networks impact and interact with children. The Wall Street Journal reported that during the course of the hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham told executives from Meta and TikTok that they “have blood on (their) hands.” Families of children who had suffered child sex abuse or died by suicide as a result of social media use were in attendance, and after a demand from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg apologized to them,despite deflecting concerns in his testimony. “I’m sorry for everything that you have all gone through. It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have.” There isn’t enough media training in the world to help prepare for a situation like this, but handling these situations compassionately and privately could have prevented this stunning scene from playing out on national television. 
• AI technology can now digitally place products directly into videos in less than 24 hours, allowing influencers to quickly share those videos with the world. The New York Times reports that the technology, created by Rembrand, can do something as subtle as inserting a branded poster in the background of a dancing TikToker to something as flashy as allowing a can of soda to float and wiggle while two influencers chat about bands. For brands, this is a chance to experiment with new ways to insert products into social media conversations, often without the hassle of sending physical items directly to influencers.  
• January jobs numbers smashed Wall Street expectations, coming in with a strong 353,000, well ahead of the Dow Jones estimate of 185,000, according to CNBC. The unemployment rate was 3.7%, down a tick from the expected 3.8%. This may sound counterintuitive in the wake of the seemingly unending waves of layoff announcements lately, but it’s a reminder that the economy is broad. Current layoffs are hitting tech and other white-collar workers hard, but the overall U.S. economy remains strong. Keep your finger on the pulse of how your audience is feeling — and keep your eye on the actual numbers, not just vibes.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

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