Public Relations Stories and Strategies

There are a lot of apologies out there. And a lot of them only serve to make things worse.

“I’m sorry if you were offended”
“We’re sorry if what we said was misunderstood”
“The situation is regrettable”
“Sorry but we have the right to do it and we reserve the right to do it again”

Sometimes a bad apology is because someone wants to hold on to their pride, or deep in their heart an apology can’t be right because they know they’re the hero of their own story.

In this episode Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingall of SorryWatch.com share some of what they see behind the bad apologies and offer good advice for doing better.

Listen For
4:23 Why Apologies are Important to Society
5:54 The Challenges (and Benefits) of Apologizing
9:59 The Key Elements of a Good Apology
13:15 Why Sometimes You Shouldn’t Apologize Right Away

Guests:
Marjorie Ingall
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Susan McCarthy
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SorryWatch.com

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The report shows two-thirds of senior leaders say they would describe their role as both marketing and communications but there’s a clear shift happening toward marketing.

More focus on brand awareness, broader reach, building media relationships, and managing brand reputation.

What does that mean for budgets in 2024? For content strategy?

Muck Rack helps us understand the trends.

Listen For
4:14 The Roles of Marketing and Communications are merging
6:21 How Budget is Being Allocated
10:41 The Focus on B2B or B2C?
12:38 Is Enough Attention Being Paid to Internal Communications? 

Download the Muck Rack State of PR Report

Guest: Linda Zebian, Muck Rack senior director, communications and community
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Historically, our approach to setting objectives and evaluation criteria has been organizational-centric. What is the company trying to achieve? What behavioural changes are needed by our key audiences to accomplish those goals? How do we nudge or persuade the behaviours of our key audiences?

But is that satisfying those audiences? Is it ethical for us to think our job is to influence their behaviour? Are we considering how those audiences are evaluating us?

In this episode Anne Gregory, a past chair with the Global Alliance and CIPR, and a recipient of Lifetime Achievement awards from both the PRSA and CPRS, says a new approach is needed. One that marks a step toward a new direction, emphasizing a more inclusive and responsive evaluation framework that aligns with the dynamic nature of modern communications and stakeholder engagement.

Listen For
5:45 Anne’s Challenge of Traditional Evaluation Methods
8:28 Redefining the Purpose of Public Relations
10:46 Bridging the Gap Between Organizational Goals and Stakeholder Expectations
20:12 Aligning Communication with Your Societal Role and Stakeholder Expectations

Guest: Anne Gregory, Ph.D., BA, FRSA, HonFCIPR, Huddersfield University
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You can download An evaluation u-turn: From narrow organisational objectives to broad accountability by Anne Gregory and Jim MacNamara here

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In March 2021 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey that was absolute gold for fake You Tube body language experts. Some said it was a significant moment when she touched her nose. Others said she revealed all when she showed the tip of her tongue. And another said the tell-all moment was that one particular blink. The top five videos of those “analyses” generated 5.9 million views.

The Royals aren’t alone. A video analyzing the nonverbal communication of family murderer Chris Watts was watched by more than 38 million people. After the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard court case there were numerous body language experts on You Tube giving analysis like “when she licks her lips here, that’s when she’s lying.” Even Dr Phil has done videos analyzing precise body movements he said have definitive meaning.

The problem? It’s all voodoo. There is no acceptable scientific method to decode body language. There is no “language of the body.” It is pseudoscience wrapped in bells and whistles to delight and amaze. And it’s based on our human tendency, in our everyday lives, to make judgements based on what see and interpret which is influenced by our internal prejudices.

In this episode, the truth about nonverbal behaviour, and why misinterpretation can be downright dangerous to society.

Listen For
6:02 Debunking the Famous Myth that 93% of all Communication is Non-Verbal
14:21 How Misconceptions Influence Decision-Making
17:16 Non-Verbal Communication in Credibility Assessment
19:28 Challenges in Applying Non-Verbal Communication

Guest: Vincent Denault, Ph.D. , McGill University Postdoctoral Fellow
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There may be an emerging overreliance on generative AI in marketing and public relations. While artificial intelligence can enhance efficiency and creativity, it shouldn't overshadow fundamental marketing strategies. PR and marketing often focus too much on tactics like AI, neglecting the importance of a coherent, overarching strategy.

Maybe Generative AI is part of a bigger problem.

Listen For
4:47 Strategic Focus Over Tactical Execution
8:27 The Role of Generative AI in Marketing and PR
11:01 The Value of Human Insight in Content Creation
13:27 The Emerging Role of Prompt Engineers

Guest: Joe Zappa, Founder Sharp Pen Media
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This is a FEED DROP of an episode of the Parenting and Personalities Podcast

Imagine your child still hasn’t cleaned their room although you’ve asked them to numerous times. You probably don’t need to imagine. You remind them again, this time in a stronger tone, perhaps even demanding. And they either don’t or they do but the communication between you is strained.

Another approach to this might be the “Curiosity Approach.” Your child doesn’t care about a clean room, they care that it’s THEIR room. They care about the ownership of it. So imagine interacting with your child on the possibilities they could do with THEIR room. Possibilities they realize for themselves can only happen if they straighten some things up.

The Curiosity Approach is just one of the tools Life Coach Ellie Bambury uses working with parents and their kids to help them forge real communication.

Guest: Ellie Bambury, The Big Sister Project
Instagram: @thebigsisterproject_
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Contact Kate Mason:
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Hurricanes, floods, wildfires. Depending on where you live there are times when authorities tell you it’s in your best interests to leave your home. This gets people to safety and creates necessary room for emergency teams they so desperately need.

Evacuation is scary for residents. Some may have a chronic illness, some are afraid their home or property may be damaged or looted, and yes good old-fashioned stubbornness is another factor. Sometimes people feel they can do a better job of protecting their property than emergency officials and they aren’t necessarily always wrong.

But emergency teams are beginning to notice a trend. The percentage of people refusing to leave is growing and that’s creating more danger. Additionally, there are stories of verbal abuse and intimidation toward emergency personnel trying to do a very difficult job.

What is a communications pro to do?

Guest: Tim Conrad, APR, Butterfly Effect Communications
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Politicians, like any public figures, sometimes make verbal slips or misspeak, leading to memorable and often humorous moments. Here are a few notable examples:

George W. Bush: Known for his malapropisms, one of his most famous misspeaks was when he said, "They mis underestimated me," combining "misunderstood" and "underestimated."

Barack Obama: In 2008, while campaigning, Obama mistakenly said he had visited "57 states" in the U.S., obviously misspeaking the number of states.

Dan Quayle: As Vice President, Quayle famously misspelled "potato" by adding an unnecessary "e" at the end during a school spelling bee.

Donald Trump: Known for his unique speaking style, Trump once referred to the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, as "Tim Apple," which became a widely discussed gaffe.

Joe Biden once introduced Barack Obama as Barack America.

Keeping politicians on message and on strategy can be tough. In this episode we explore a few ways to do it.

Listen For
4:35 Storytelling in Political Communication
5:40 Understanding Your Audience and Choosing the Right Channels
7:26 Utilizing Digital Media
13:10 Crisis Management and Reputation Building

Guest: Krysten Copeland, KC & Co Communications
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The University of Oregon has introduced the first master's program in immersive technologies, focusing on augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and extended reality (XR). The program aims to create thought leaders and strategists in the field, helping organizations understand and utilize these technologies.

Despite slower adoption rates than expected, AR and VR technologies are still experiencing steady growth. The program also highlights successful uses of AR and VR, such as the Australian wine brand 19 Crimes, which uses AR to animate the images of convicts on their wine bottles, providing a richer brand experience for consumers.

But are we ready to use these tools? Are our audiences ready to consume them? And how do we ensure they’re used to address not only business opportunities but social and environmental challenges?

Listen For:
5:11 The Emergence of Immersive Media in Marketing
7:40 The Challenges in Adopting AR, VR and XR Technologies
10:22 The Impact of Hype-Cycles on Technology Adoption
15:28 The Importance of Media Literacy and Strategic Communication in Emerging Technologies

Guest: Donna Z. Davis, Ph.D., APR
Associate Professor + Director, Immersive Media Communication Master’s Program + Director, Oregon Reality (OR) Lab | SOJC
Link to the Immersive Media Communications Master’s Program
X | Link to Donna’s VR publications

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This week we’re offering another bonus episode in the form of a “Feed Drop” by The Speak Good Podcast. This episode was first published by Throughline Group in June 2022. 

Brad Phillips and Christina Mozaffari reveal six advanced public speaking tips – from how to present more effective slides to how to improve your look during a virtual presentation. 

Throughline Group
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