PRactically, a Podcast

Grab your skis, we’re heading to Milan! If the team could, they would don their Ralph Lauren official athlete kit and hit the ice, but instead, they’ll take to the mic to talk all things Olympics. In the era of social media, the games are just as much about the breakout performances as they are about the breakout personalities. Who will take to the podium for a gutsy performance in personal branding? Which companies are ripe to quickly capitalize on gold-medal glory? We’ll discuss our front-runners and outline what has worked in past Olympics.

In two decades of learning, you’ll pick up a few tips of the trade along the way. To celebrate 20 years of Obsidian, we talk with three of our team members about some of their most poignant lessons – and no matter your line of work, you can walk away with a few meaningful recommendations.

When weighing out the trending topics for this week’s episode, the winter storm that put more than 185 million people under severe weather advisories was a clear winner. The past week at Obsidian consisted of crafting multi-layered statements that were tweaked, uploaded and reposted, providing consumers with need-to-know information about business operations. We give you a glimpse into the process of making those decisions and how they vary from business to business.

Last week, Verizon had a nationwide outage, sending some business and personal callers into panic mode. While we *kind of* know what caused the outage, we know a few things are true regardless of the source. Taylor and Carlee discuss creating a plan for disconnection, capitalizing on a competitor’s shortcomings and dipping your toes into the crisis waters in this week’s PRactically, a Podcast.

Starting to make plans for your outreach efforts in 2022? Start first by assessing trends and the predicted landscape for the next year. Kelli and Christina talk with Taylor about what they anticipate 2022 will bring while also running through the entire Obsidian team’s insight.

Creating a workplace that prioritizes thanks and support is no small feat, but for more than 15 years, Courtney has done just that at Obsidian. Businesses and professionals looking to take their gratitude to the next level should tune in to hear how you can sow seeds of thanks into your corporate soil.

Burgeoning college athletes, listen up. If you want to capitalize on name, image and likeness deals, you first need to sharpen your communication skills. OPR’s resident sports enthusiast, Murray, joins Taylor on the eve of their two-teams colliding on the gridiron to discuss how athletes can secure (and maintain) the bag on NIL contracts.

If you work in public relations, you know what it feels like to pray a crisis away. After all, no one wants to navigate the intense tightrope that is responding to questions about something bad that’s happened at no fault of your own. But that’s our job as communicators, and we have to respond no matter how many times the topic is brought up. Lauren Hannaford and Whitney Nolan, directors of client services at Obsidian Public Relations, provide *sage* advice to help cleanse your company of the crisis that continues to haunt you.

We’re getting into the holiday spirit early...because why not? This episode of Off the Rock, On the Record is all about giving. If you’re looking to shop or support a Memphis business or organization this holiday season, we have a list for you. Our team shares insight on some of their favorite local gifts that should top your holiday shopping list.

Public relations professors share how they adapt to the ever-changing natures of our industry, world and the needs of PR students.