TASC Group

The Importance of Human Stories in Effective Nonprofit PR

When it comes to PR and communications, human stories are the most powerful tool you have in advancing your organization’s mission. While you must have solid facts and figures at your disposal to give credence to your organization, those facts can feel vague on their own. This is why nonprofit and advocacy organizations often find reporters asking to speak with a member of the community that they serve. A first-person story turns abstract concepts into real, relatable truths.

For example, while the executive director of an environmental justice organization may be able to speak fluently to which policies must be put in place to address high rates of asthma in communities of color, a person living with asthma caused by poor air quality has the lived experience. It is their story which shows a reader why they should care.

Some organizations may understandably feel uneasy asking a member of the community they serve if they would like to speak to press. If you work for an organization dedicated to ending hunger, you know that those who depend on food banks to feed their family can be subject to undeserved judgment or bias. However, many people find power in telling their stories and know that experiencing hardship is nothing to be ashamed of. The most important thing is to make clear that you are inviting them to speak because you believe that their voice is important and that you will continue supporting them regardless of their decision.

A good PR representative will work with you to identify a person who can speak to a given issue and will set parameters ahead of an interview with a reporter. For example, if your organization serves survivors of domestic violence, your PR rep will speak with the potential interviewee to identify what they do and do not feel comfortable disclosing to ensure their safety and will go over options such as aliases. Your PR rep will then convey this to the reporter and have them agree to the parameters ahead of the interview. The overwhelming majority of reporters are grateful for the opportunity to share an impactful story that does not put anyone vulnerable at risk.

When a nonprofit wants to demonstrate the importance of their work, they need look no further than those they serve.

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How Much Hate Does it Take? The Ye and Adidas Partnership

In 2013, the mutually beneficial partnership between Kanye West, now Ye, and Adidas began. The launch of Ye’s clothing line brand, Yeezy,  catapulted him to his billionaire status in just a few years and allowed Adidas to diversify and shift its consumer base toward streetwear fashion.

However, Ye’s success slowly lost its integrity due to controversial comments he made publicly on social media. Controversy is not new for Ye – he’s made numerous inappropriate comments about different groups and topics over the years. In 2018, Ye discussed his views in an interview with radio host Charlamagne Tha God that “slavery was a choice.” Just one of the many instances in which he directed hateful comments toward specific groups of people. In October, he was restricted on Twitter and Instagram for stating he was “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”.

Recent actions have sparked new outrage toward the artist. On October 3, Ye and his models were seen wearing “White Lives Matter” shirts at Paris Fashion Week, a phrase considered a hate statement by The Anti-Defamation League, which prompted Adidas to review its partnership. Shortly after, a video clip from a podcast episode of Drink Champs went viral on October 21. Kanye stated, “I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what? Now what?” Since the clip started circulating, #BoycottAdidas trended on Twitter as people expressed their outrage toward the company for not speaking up about Kanye’s actions.

After the clip went viral, so did photos of a Los Angeles hate group that hung a banner reading “Honk if you know Kanye is right about the Jews.” The pictures have been circulating social media with information on combatting anti-semitism and hate speech and that there should be no excuse for Kanye just because of his status as a wealthy celebrity.

The media has been covering numerous anti-semitic remarks from Kanye over the past month, leading the general public to become outraged that Adidas still had not released a statement regarding his actions, its opinion or where the partnership stood.

As outrage grew, Adidas finally posted a press release to its website explaining they do not “tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech” on October 25. The company claimed Kanye’s actions violate its values of diversity and inclusion and decided to terminate the partnership immediately. Adidas also explained that this will have an impact on the company’s finances and that they will still have the design rights to existing products as part of its partnership with Kanye.

Considering Kanye’s anti-semitic comments have been public, many employees, customers and the general public were disappointed in Adidas’ lack of accountability and failure to act quickly. Adidas willingly tolerated hate speech from its partner numerous times without acting, which brings into question its values as a company.

A LinkedIn post by Sarah Camhi, Director of Trade Marketing at Adidas, explained her point of view on the situation. Camhi is a member of the Jewish community and expressed that she could “no longer stay silent on behalf of the brand that employs [me]. Not saying anything, is saying everything.” She pointed out that Adidas has dropped partners before, but was hesitant to denounce hate speech from one of its top partners.

It is clear that silence is no longer an option for large brands. Successful companies with worldwide audiences, such as Adidas, need to be part of the movement toward social justice. Billion dollar companies have the power to set an example by being inclusive and helping communities. They have a platform and a voice that must be used in the right way. Adidas chose to stay silent during a time when they should have been loud. They stood with a partner through hate, damaging its reputation and going against its alleged values.

From a crisis perspective, Adidas waited too long to respond, showing no issue with anti-semitism, by tolerating Kanye’s derogatory comments. Instead of immediately terminating the partnership, Adidas put profits over morals and values, reputation and consumers. This resulted in what could have been an avoidable loss of brand loyalty from employees, customers and the general public. A proactive crisis plan would have helped the company tremendously in this situation.

Given Kanye’s antics over the years, his remarks didn’t come as a surprise. Adidas would have benefited from a plan on how to handle situations similar to this, in order to be better prepared to move forward with an appropriate course of action. Adidas waited for public anger to terminate its partnership with Kanye. If people did not express their opinions, would Adidas still have felt pressure to act? This poses questions regarding the company’s ethics. Tolerating injustice from others is just as bad as being the aggressor – a lesson Adidas learned the hard way.

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The Importance of Content Creation for Clients

The worlds of public relations and communications are multi-faceted. One of the most important parts of the industry is getting to know the inner workings of your clients so that you can create content that successfully bolsters their reputations and garners positive media attention.

Traditionally, ways of creating, sharing and viewing client content were limited to drafting op-eds, pitch materials and creating fact sheets, among other information providing collateral. As of late, PR and communications professionals have been looking to social media platforms to strengthen their strategies. LinkedIn, Meta (Facebook), Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest are among the most relevant social media networks from a PR perspective.

The benefits of traditional content creation still hold true. Op-eds and blogs are great ways for the public to gain insight through the media into a client’s opinions, thought processes, etc. on different subject matters and can lead to thought-leadership opportunities and partnerships with other like-minded individuals or organizations. The same goes for pitch materials, particularly with quotes or citations, and fact sheets with client information.

Social media has become an integral part of PR and communications plans for many organizations. The content created and social platforms used are dependent on the type of client. Nonprofit, social advocacy, legal and financial clients are more likely to use LinkedIn, Meta and Instagram, while fashion, beauty and consumer/lifestyle brands are likely to add TikTok and Pinterest into the mix.

For example, BlackRock, an American multinational investment company effectively uses LinkedIn to stand out as a thought-leader and advertise their services. Their content consists of infographic clips as well as testimonials. BlackRock knows their audience well, which allows them to curate specific content and decide which social media platforms to utilize. The company understands their audience exists on LinkedIn and is interested in reading niche blogs and learning financial jargon.

ASOS is a British online fashion and cosmetic company with over one million followers and 14 million likes on TikTok. They know a lot of their demographic resides on TikTok. ASOS follows all the trends and is very aware of what their audience wants to see. Their videos are lightly edited which make them more relatable and re-creatable to the audience. They advertise their products through  videos of unboxings and styling people in creative environments.

The consumer’s attention span is decreasing due to the rise of social media. People do not want to read long posts or videos, but instead get their information quickly. Knowing the client’s target audience and understanding the idea of palatable content will lead to successful media campaigns. LinkedIn posts for one audience may not work for another, strategies are subjective. It is crucial to understand where a client’s demographic resides in order to produce the best content.

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Daily Harvest’s Failed Response And What Crisis Professionals Can Learn From It

Just as social media built the company’s reputation, it also destroyed it. Daily Harvest knew how to use social media and influencers to market its products, but failed to use the outlets for crisis management.  

Daily Harvest is a meal delivery service that specializes in healthy plant-based food. The company focuses on convenience. Made for the busy person, Daily Harvest meals are either ready to eat or require minimal preparation. Grain bowls, soups and smoothies aim to make clean eating more accessible. 

TikTok influencer Abby Silverman received a PR package from Daily Harvest in May that contained French lentil and leek crumbles. After consuming them, she reported severe stomach pain, leading to two visits to the ER. She posted a two minute Tik Tok video about her experience that went viral with more than 1 million views and almost 4,000 comments. This post was a catalyst of conversation which forced Daily Harvest to take action. 

In June of 2022, Daily Harvest voluntarily recalled their French lentil and leek crumbles. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the meals caused sickness in 500 people and sent 113 people to the hospital. Those who consumed the crumbles claimed to experience symptoms such as stomach pain, liver problems, jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, back pain and shoulder pain. A lawyer representing a number of victims reported that over 25 of his clients had to get their gallbladders removed. 

Daily Harvest claims they took immediate and proper action in a statement published on their website. The company explained that as soon as they received reports of the contaminated French lentil and leek crumbles they motioned a recall. Customers who received the product were notified and an investigation was launched with the FDA. 

Considering that Daily Harvest acquired most of their business on social media, they should have also used it as a platform to spread information on the French lentil and leek crumbles recall. Daily Harvest failed when it came to keeping their customers informed and victims found themselves looking to Reddit forums for answers and guidance. 

Their first Instagram post on the issue aimed to advertise a different product while leading people to a link in their bio for concerns on the French lentil and leek crumbles recall. Burying information while customers’ health was at risk was unprofessional and inappropriate. Daily Harvest had an obligation to keep their customers informed and failed to take the situation seriously enough.

From a PR standpoint, there are numerous ways this crisis could have been handled better. Daily Harvest was slow to report to their customers on the facts they needed. They neglected to post on social media, portraying a lack of accountability. Customers lost trust in the company based on their response to the issue. A crisis on any scale can sometimes be unavoidable, yet what the company can control is an appropriate PR response that can mend the relationship between consumer and business. 

 

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Six of the Top 2022 Trends We Might See This Year

In our media-saturated culture, trends can sometimes be seen as fleeting and therefore not worthy of investment. But as public relations professionals, it is crucial that we stay on top of trends and integrate them into our work to keep our strategies, media relation efforts and storytelling relevant and effective. 

We’ve taken the time to compile a list of the top six trends that we think you should use to your advantage this year. 

6. Climate

Climate concern will continue into 2022 with a strong generational skew. Gen Z and Millennials will rightfully prioritize climate over traditional worries Gen X and Baby Boomers faced. Prioritization will lead to faster, bigger emission cuts to help reduce carbon pollution. This year’s sustainability and climate efforts will be led by the younger generations through influencing and social media. Young consumers’ climate concerns will encourage sustainable activities like thrifting and the repurposing of clothing in an effort to limit textile waste. Climate content and environmental activism will continue to flood social platforms. 

5. New Communications Platforms

Our current social media platforms are oversaturated with content and users. In the new year, new social platforms are going to emerge that encourage creativity and wellbeing, rather than pressuring users to find that perfect highlight-reel content and chase after likes. Think movements like #MakeInstagramCasualAgain. By leaving behind aesthetically-pleasing perfect feeds, content creators are going to lean towards authentic posting. These new platforms are going to introduce content through media outside of photos and videos and try to recreate the IRL (in real life) experiences we truly crave. 

4. Inclusive Marketing

Companies are going to move towards incorporating authentically inclusive marketing. Consumer bases are increasingly diverse and expect more from their brands’ messaging. Younger consumers are holding brands accountable and questioning their focus on supporting diversity and inclusion. Companies will establish key performance metrics for DEI objectives to demonstrate that they are promoting equitable outcomes in all areas of their influence. By participating in the space of their followers in combination with analyzing their metrics to understand what is working for them, companies’ communication will not be one-directional. Instead, it will encourage the breaking of barriers between corporate and human content to help companies follow through on these promises. 

3. Shifting the Monetization in Sports    

Last year, we saw the creation of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). It took many of us nearly all of 2021 to figure out what an NFT was. NFT sports collectibles are predicted to grow massively, making a considerable mark in revenue perspective and potentially inspiring major sports leagues to dip their toe into the crypto market. In 2022, Deloitte predicts that NFTs will be generating more than $2BN in transactions for sports media, doubling that of 2021.

2. Health in the Age of COVID

Telemedicine will expand to include increased use of remote patient monitoring, digital therapeutics and wearable health tech. The pressure the pandemic put on medical professionals by limiting office visits helped show they can use data responsibly to improve health experiences without compromising the patient’s privacy. In order to harness the full potential of virtual health, the focus will center around achieving quality and value with the integration of in-office visits. Investing more time and resources into virtual health will also improve accessibility to quality health care by streamlining access to doctors and eliminating wait times in the office. Patients expect personalized communication and connectivity, and in 2022 virtual health will improve. 

1. Rethinking the Workplace 

According to a Toluna consumer trends survey, 88% of US consumers say they believe they should have the right to work remotely if technology and the nature of their work permit it. Despite the stress and uncertainty the pandemic has caused, many have realized the efficiency of working remotely. The disruption of the traditional workplace created a need in people’s lives for privacy and space. The current business landscape will adapt to making flexible work a requisite. Senior staff will encourage unnecessary meetings to be covered over email. Virtual breaks will help combat Zoom fatigue and burnout. In the same vein, business leaders will prioritize emotional wellbeing and recognize mental health by establishing wellness benefits or services. 

Despite how difficult it seems to keep up with trends, they are immediately recognizable and have an incredible influence online. While our predictions are certainly not the only trends 2022 is bound to see, this list is a great start to begin thinking about how you can use trends to boost your PR, communications and company strategies to a new level. 

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Client Relationships, Trust and How To Earn It

There are many significant aspects that are important in defining client relationships. Trust is undoubtedly one of the most meaningful and valuable parts of said relationships. Of course, trust is earned and therefore develops over time.

Be Honest

Honesty with clients goes a long way when building trust. Whether it be messaging development, social media platform building or press release writing – you as part of the PR/communications firm have a large impact on how the client feels about how their preliminary work is received and then also the final product. Offering to review and edit their work and providing honest, constructive, but also polite, feedback is a great way to show that you care about the success of their business. 

Offer Timely Responses 

Your clients are paying you for your time and that means answering emails and phone calls in a timely manner. This also builds trust and shows that you are a reliable, necessary asset to their company.

Manage Expectations

It is critical to define what your role, or “scope of work,” as well as availability, will be for your client. Will you be available on weekends? Do you always give out your cell phone number? These are all elements that must be discussed and defined early on in the relationship to create a sense of routine and a structure as to when you will be available. Another part of managing expectations is ensuring that clients understand that while it is okay to be hopefully optimistic, it is also important to be realistic. This can be in terms of media placement quantity, early on brand recognition, etc. This again lends to earning client trust because they will know that you are working hard for them and also have their best interest in mind.

Learn To Listen

Listening, in any profession, is invaluable. Much of the time clients hire PR agencies because they like to work collaboratively – discussing ideas, talking out issues, revising and reviewing company materials, etc. Being an active listener with the ability to take in what a client is saying and then thoughtfully responding is a skill that seems so simple, but goes a long way, especially in terms of a client’s specific preferences. It shows you are really listening when a client does not have to repeat things several times. It also doesn’t hurt to ask about and remember the little details that aren’t work related – think family, birthdays and the like. These bits of information show that you value your relationship and go a long way in maintaining client trust. 

In any business, building and maintaining client trust is key to long-term success. Honesty, timeliness, managing expectations and listening show an eagerness and motivation to earn that trust.

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How to Know If Public Relations Is The Best Career Path For You

Public Relations (PR) is a strategic communications process that builds a mutually beneficial relationship between an individual or organization and the public. Our role as PR professionals is to relay information between our client and the public to influence opinion and perception. When you’re first starting in your career, it’s always tricky to pinpoint where your skills best fit and where they can thrive. More specifically, as a professional first starting in the public relations industry, it may take a while to figure out whether this is the industry for you. 

 

Below, we at The TASC Group have compiled the top five indicators to help you decipher if PR is the right fit for you and your talents.

How Do I Know if PR Is Right For Me? 

 

1. You Like a Little Bit of Everything

This may sound vague but hear us out. With PR, you end up wearing many hats and can make your way into any industry. Whether it’s social good, entertainment or politics, everything and everyone needs PR. You can learn the ins and outs of any industry without directly being labeled as a philanthropist, entertainer or politician. There are many moving parts when it comes to PR, which is why many PR professionals find it challenging to describe exactly what we do. We do everything.

 

2. You Love Writing; However, You Don’t Necessarily Want to Be a Writer

One thing you can guarantee about PR is that being a good storyteller will be a central part of your job whether that’s pitching your clients to journalists or training clients on how to engage with the media. Being a good storyteller is only half the battle in PR; you must be a great writer, which includes being adept at grammar, mastering nuances in language and knowing how to use the right words to get your message across. It’s the slight differences that genuinely set you apart in this industry.

 

3. Networking Comes Second Nature to You

Networking is often something that most people dread. However, if you shine while you’re connecting with people, you are headed in the right direction. Connecting is one word you will hear at least once a day when you are a part of this industry, and it is integral to succeeding. 

 

4. You Enjoy Working Behind The Scenes

Successful PR means your client shines without drawing attention to the mechanism that’s making it happen. As a PR professional, you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to elevate your clients’ stories. It’s not all glitz and glamor. PR includes being deeply involved in the ways you present your clients by doing thorough research and staying ahead of the latest news. We’re not in the spotlight but we’re making all the pieces fit together to paint that great picture on the outside.

 

5. You Are So Adaptable That You Might as Well Be a Chameleon

One of the most complex parts of being successful in PR is knowing when to adapt. The best of us often get stuck in our ways in this industry because we learn so much at the beginning of our careers that we forget how much things have changed from the first time we got a grasp on PR. If PR is truly the right industry for you, just know that being able to change along with the industry can get you far. 

 

If This Sounds Interesting, PR Might Be For You!

 

Although it’s often unnerving to decide on something as significant as your career, the great thing with PR is that it’s ever-changing, providing you with the opportunity to become an expert across sectors and stay engaged with current events. If you think you’re ready to take the step into the exciting world of PR, visit our website’s career page and see if there are any options that fit your resume. Additionally, if you’re interested but not sure you’re ready for a full time job, an internship is a great way to try PR out and learn new skills from our talented team at The TASC Group.

ght fit for you and your talents.

1. You like a little bit of everything
This may sound vague but hear us out. With PR, you can make your way into any industry. Whether it’s social good, entertainment or politics, everything needs PR. You can learn the ins and outs of any industry without directly being labeled a philanthropist, entertainer or politician. There are many moving parts when it comes to PR, which is why many PR professionals find it challenging to describe exactly what we do. We do everything.

2. You love writing; however, you don’t necessarily want to be a writer
One thing you can guarantee about PR is that being a good storyteller will be a central part of your job, whether that’s pitching your clients to journalists or training clients how to engage with the media. Being a good storyteller is only half the battle in PR; you must be a great writer, which includes being adept at grammar, mastering nuances in language and knowing how to use the right words to get your message across. It’s the slight differences that genuinely set you apart in this industry.

3. Networking comes second nature to you
Networking is often something that most people dread. However, if you shine while you’re connecting with people, you are headed in the right direction. Connecting is one word you will hear at least once a day when you are a part of this industry, and it is integral to succeeding.

4. You enjoy working behind the scenes
Successful PR means your client shines without drawing attention to the mechanism that’s making it happen. This means you will be doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes to elevate your clients’ stories. It’s not all glitz and glamour. PR includes being deeply involved in the ways you present your clients by doing heavy research and keeping ahead of the latest news. We’re not in the spotlight but we’re making all the pieces fit together to paint that great picture on the outside.

5. You are so adaptable you might as well be a chameleon
One of the most complex parts of being successful in PR is knowing when to adapt. The best of us often gets stuck in our ways in this industry because we learn so much at the beginning of our careers that we forget how much things have changed from the first time we got a grasp on PR. If PR is truly the right industry for you, just know that being able to change along with the industry can get you far.

Although it’s often unnerving to decide on something as significant as your career, the great thing with PR is that it’s ever-changing, provides you the opportunity to become an expert across sectors and is always engaging.

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Communications During Times of Political Unrest

December 4, 2020
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Today is an unprecedented time in U.S. history. As the coronavirus continues to rage months after its initial proliferation on U.S. soil, Americans are also reckoning with the other public health crises of systemic racism and police brutality. On top of everything, one of the most contentious and historic presidential elections in our nation’s history recently took place and continues to dominate the news cycle. This divisive nature of our political discourse continues to undermine and weaken the foundation of our democracy and civic society.

With all that’s going on in the country, brands and businesses have been forced to shift the ways in which they communicate with their consumers. As we saw in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, it’s no longer enough for businesses to post a brief note on Instagram purporting their support for social change.

Even worse than virtual signaling, some brands and communications leaders continue to actively perpetuate structural inequalities in their organizations – earlier this year, Motel 6, Home Depot and Keurig Dr Pepper cut ties with Dallas advertising agency the Richards Group after its founder told a client that a proposed ad was “too Black.”

Consumers want to see brands taking concrete action to be part of the change they claim to support. In fact, 55% of consumers believe brands play a more important role than governments in creating a better future.

Below are a few strategies businesses should incorporate to show consumers they are stepping up as leaders and actively striving for change.

Adopt a Learning Mindset

One of the most important steps a brand can take to demonstrate to consumers that it has a genuine commitment to enacting positive social impact is adopting a learning mindset. Many companies failed to step forward on issues pertaining to both COVID-19 and systemic racism because they feared saying the wrong thing and drawing criticism that could potentially damage their brand image. But in this day and age, companies need to show consumers that they are willing to prioritize doing the right thing over saving face – consumers will appreciate brands taking the risk to be vocal on critical social issues.

If a business does step forward and says something misinformed, it is important to be able to admit wrongdoing and grow from the mistake. Brands that are able to listen and learn from their consumers will ultimately be more successful than those that remain silent.

Look Internally

One of the biggest criticisms companies drew after the protests erupted over George Floyd in May was that of engaging in performative activism. Consumers are looking to brands for genuine allyship – if a brand does not hold itself to the same values it outwardly claims to believe in, its message will come off as shallow and opportunistic.

The best thing a company can do to avoid “band wagoning” onto an important social justice cause is to evaluate its internal culture before taking a stance on key issues. This could mean taking steps to combat systemic racism in the workplace, like hiring a DEI consultant, or making regular contributions to COVID-19 relief funds. Brands that take concrete steps to better themselves before participating in difficult conversations around social issues embody an authentic purpose that will not go unnoticed by consumers.

Giving Back

Perhaps the most important action a brand can take to show consumers that they care about the larger community is providing more than just commercial products. Consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, want to see that brands have other goals beyond generating capital.

Whether this means hosting webinars with other industry leaders on inclusive hiring practices to promote diversity in the workplace or publishing thought leadership on how best to break into their fields for aspiring professionals, brands need to show consumers that they care about more than what’s in their wallets.

Although 2020 will soon be coming to a close, hopefully brands and businesses will continue to acknowledge their roles as leaders in the broader community and work to build a better society for all. Those that do not evolve with the changing times will run the risk of being forgotten.

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The Responsibility of Social Media Giants to Help Protect Elections

November 20, 2020
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Over the past four years, fact checking and inaccurate information has become a critical issue in U.S. politics. Throughout the 2020 presidential election, many leaders struggled to quell the spread of disinformation that threatened to undermine trust in legitimate election outcomes. However, many of these deceitful campaigns were able to gain viral traction via social media despite warnings from credible news sources and political leaders.

One such campaign proliferated on Facebook the day after the 2020 Presidential election. The New York Times reported that the Stop the Steal Facebook group joined the platform early Wednesday morning as a forum for individuals who were concerned about the election being rigged against President Trump. By Thursday morning it had nearly 320,000 members.

Seemingly in response to President Trump’s tweet saying that the election was being stolen, group members posted photos and videos of his supporters at polling stations protesting the vote count, citing personal anecdotes of voter intimidation and fraud targeted at Republicans. As the group gained traction, prominent Republican operatives joined and began sharing its content to thousands of Twitter followers.

Facebook finally deleted the group Thursday morning but only after group members began to call for violence. There is much to unpack from this incident, and it raises questions about the role of social media companies like Facebook and Twitter in preventing the spread of disinformation.

Both Facebook and Twitter acknowledged their responsibility and they did take some preventative measures during the election. Twitter added labels to factually incorrect tweets cautioning people that the content was disputed and may contain misleading information about an election or other civic process. The company also prohibited the liking and sharing features on such tweets. In contrast, Facebook took a more reserved approach by adding disinformation warnings to President Trump’s posts, while leaving the like and share features enabled.

Based on the success of the Stop the Steal group, it’s safe to say that these efforts were simply not enough. It’s clear that social media giants need better processes for identifying and shutting down disinformation campaigns that attempt to organize on their platforms. When groups like this are allowed to go unchecked in pushing their agenda, the results can be disastrous and, in this case, threaten our democracy.

When groups such as Stop the Steal amass thousands of supportive followers on social media, the legitimacy of the election is undermined. By brazenly claiming that the election is being stolen by one of the candidates, grassroots conservative groups damage the general public’s trust in the credibility of election results, creating voter disillusionment and potentially decrease voter turnout.

In addition to discouraging potential voters from heading to the polls, these groups have the potential to incite violence. One member of the Stop the Steal group alluded to using violence as a means to prevent votes from being counted, writing: “This is going to take more than talk to fix.” Statements like this one are especially alarming given there have been several reports of citizens likely influenced by this rhetoric showing up to polling places and vote-counting centers with firearms.

Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has fought back against the notion that he and other social media executives have a responsibility to regulate disinformation on their platforms, stating that, “we must continue to stand for free expression.” However, when millions of Americans rely on social media as their primary news source, continuing to stand for expression that includes harassment, hate speech and disinformation is a direct threat to our democracy.

Simply put, social media companies must take stricter measures to protect the sanctity of the electoral process. When the content being circulated on these sites provide false information to voters and make polling stations targets of violence, there is a responsibility among the leadership of these companies to take action to ensure the survival of our democracy.

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Apology PR for Brands

November 9, 2020
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Whether it be the 2017 Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad or Peleton’s 2019 Christmas campaign, out-of-touch marketing from brands and corporations is all too common and frequently misses the mark, offending consumers. With social media making it easier than ever before for consumers to hold brands accountable for missteps, it is essential that companies own and publicly address their mistakes and familiarize themselves with issuing apologies.

Although apologizing seems like an obvious and straightforward approach to preserving a brand’s image, many companies still get it wrong. Botched corporate apologies often come as a result of a failure to admit wrongdoing or an attempt to assign blame externally. Insincere apologies will only create more damage to brand image and make ensuing apologies less impactful.

To survive in the era of smartphones, online reviews and social media, having a plan in place to own and correct mistakes is critical. Below are some key components of a successful high-profile apology.

Denial Has No Place in an Apology – Take Accountability

Refusing to take accountability is a defensive mechanism and is simply human nature. But, this impulse is what often leads brands astray when issuing public apology statements. Brands that respond to consumer backlash with denial and excuses appear to be redirecting blame, which often causes further controversy and damage to company image.

Instead of getting defensive, brands should respect the feelings of their consumers and take accountability for the harm they’ve caused. Everyone can relate to how difficult a sincere apology can be, and consumers will appreciate a company’s willingness to accept blame and appear vulnerable in an extremely public setting.

Choose Your Words Wisely

Another critical aspect of a successful brand apology is sounding human instead of like a corporation. Companies should avoid using overly conservative professional language or jargon when issuing public statements, as this will come across as disingenuous and calculated.

Simple language is always better in these cases because it sounds more sincere. Saying “I’m sorry if I offended anyone,” or “I’m sorry you feel that way” comes off as deflective.

For example, after Peloton received backlash over its 2019 Christmas campaign, the company issued a statement that said: “While we’re disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial, we are encouraged by — and grateful for — the outpouring of support we’ve received from those who understand what we were trying to communicate.” Unsurprisingly, the company continued to be criticized and ridiculed on social media following the statement.

A straight-forward “I’m sorry” will always go a lot farther than a backhanded apology.

Make a Plan – And Stick to It

Last but not least, actions speak louder than words. A crucial component of any brand apology is a promise to do better in the future. Consumers want to see that the company apologizing has reflected on its mistake and come up with a thoughtful and action-oriented plan to prevent future missteps.

However, the work must continue after the apology statement has been issued. Brands must make good on their promise to do better and actively demonstrate to their consumers that they are committing to the plan they set for themselves to become a more responsible organization. Failing to do so will likely result in, well, another apology.

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