PRWeek

Timeline of a crisis: Boar’s Head recall was slow to contain listeria contaminated meats

Reporting feature

Boar’s Head leadership was nowhere to be seen throughout all communications efforts — of which there were few.

Which brand had the funniest reaction to viral baby hippo Moo Deng?

Reporting

Food brands to airlines to tech companies to sports teams have embraced Thailand’s pygmy hippopotamus in social media posts this month. How 50 brands responded to the Moo Deng craze.

On the ground at AI Deciphered

Podcasting

I sat down with panelists at PRWeek’s inaugural conference in New York City to discuss the day’s events and the role AI is playing at their companies.

Acceleration Community of Companies takes a majority stake in DKC

Reporting

Acceleration and majority shareholder Solace Capital have also brought on private equity firm Verance Capital as a strategic investor.

Content in the AI age

Reporting feature

How brands and agencies are integrating generative and cognitive AI into content creation and analysis one year following the release of ChatGPT.

Swoop spins off from Real Chemistry

Reporting

The tech-focused healthcare specialist agency will stay in a “preferred partnership arrangement” with Real Chemistry, according to private equity firm New Mountain Capital, which maintains majority ownership of both firms.

What ‘Emily in Paris’ gets wrong, according to real-life Emily Coopers in marketing

Reporting

They have some words of caution for wannabe PR and marketing pros ahead of the show’s season 4 premier.

Alex Geiser on KKR’s FGS Global acquisition

Reporting

The proposed transaction will buy out WPP’s full equity position in the agency.

5W global CEO Michael O’Brien on his plans for the agency

Reporting

O’Brien reflects on his first few months and shares his goals for the agency’s structure and growth.

Ketchum finalizes search for new North America CEO

Reporting

Jim Joseph, who now serves in the role, will revert to his global CMO position at Ketchum in addition to becoming CEO of Access, Ketchum’s tech subsidiary.

Cision files counterclaim against Dow Jones

Reporting

The platform claims Dow Jones violated its exclusivity contract and interfered with business relations by filing a lawsuit publicly, resulting in more than $170 million in damages for Cision.

SKDK’s Doug Thornell on Kamala Harris', running mates and the road to November

Reporting

“I don’t think we will have seen anything like it before,” says SKDK’s CEO, a longtime veteran of Democratic politics, on the twists and turns of the 2024 race.

Omnicom PR agencies undergo layoffs, say outgoing staffers

Reporting

Employees at OPRG firms Porter Novelli, Ketchum and FleishmanHillard have been laid off this month, according to LinkedIn posts.

PR firm Multiply sues Elon Musk’s X for violating trademark rights

Reporting

Analyzing a report by the Virginia-based agency that claimed the platform’s X branding violated its trademarked “X Mark” filed in 2019 and has caused confusion among clients.

Tree Paine: Taylor Swift’s ‘best friend’ who defends her reputation

Feature reporting

For PRWeek’s Power List, I spoke with industry pros about how the PR mastermind behind the last decade of Taylor Swift’s empire, and No. 1 on the PRWeek Power List, has built up and protected a seemingly impenetrable brand.

Weber Shandwick Collective launches North America Women’s Health Center of Excellence

Reporting

I spoke with the president of health for Weber Shandwick Americas Jamie Dowd about the launch of the firm’s Women’s Health Center of Excellence in North America and how the practice aims to help organizations address gaps in research and public understanding of women’s health conditions.

Boll & Branch’s CEO on how a grown created from bedding fabric made it to the Met Gala

Reporting

Boll & Branch’s CEO and founder Scott Tannen on how the bedding brand partnered with designer Prabal Gurung to create a gown for tennis legend Maria Sharapova for the 2024 Met Gala theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”

Agency Business Report 2024: Post-pandemic uncertainty challenges health comms

Reporting

As part of PRWeek’s 2024 Agency Business Report package, I spoke with health communicators about the issues at the forefront of their work including AI, equity, policy and reproductive rights.

What they’re saying: The latest from universities about campus protests

Reporting

How six colleges nationwide are communicating with students and the public about the campus protests around the Israel-Hamas conflict.

‘Out goal was message dominance’: What communicators can learn from the Hollywood strikes six months later

Reporting news analysis

A Q&A with SAG-AFTRA chief communications and marketing officer Pamela Greenwalt reflecting on the communication strategy that made the “Hot Labor Summer” a success six months later.

Influencer platform LTK on paving the way for creator ecommerce

Reporting news analysis

Over a decade since LTK was founded, I spoke with members of the LTK team and creators about why the platform’s original purpose was so unique and how its evolved with the influencer economy.

How Fenton & Resolve controlled the narrative around Alabama’s IVF ruling

Reporting

I spoke with Fenton about how they worked with client national infertility association Resolve to respond to Alabama’s ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children.

Milanos or Ted Lasso’s biscuits? Hannah Waddingham says…

Reporting, video editing

Spent an afternoon chatting Milanos and cheese toasties with Emmy-award winning actress Hannah Waddingham ahead of the release of her latest campaign with Pepperidge Farm. We discussed her partnership with the brand, why she decides to work with companies, the proper way to drink tea and if she prefers Milano's new London Fog flavor to Ted Lasso's classic biscuits.

Is journalism’s loss still PR’s gain?

Reporting news analysis

Following a series of mass layoffs across the media industry, I chatted with former reporters turned comms about how and why they made the transition agency side. Recruitment agency Monday Talent offered perspective on hiring potential and Muck Rack CEO Gregory Galant provided insight on what the shift means for the industry at large.

PR pros author Valentine’s Day poems to their agencies

Reporting, animation

Leading up to Valentine’s Day, I tasked PR and comms pros with writing a poem to their agency. After gathering and vetting submissions, I used Canva to create the animation video to supplement the content and embed the visual into the story.

Evite on how Taylor Swift affected Super Bowl LVIII electronic invites

Reporting

Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, I spoke with Evite’s senior director of brand marketing on how Taylor Swift has impacted the company’s business - dominating evite creation and overall party inspiration and prep.

Philadelphia cream cheese introduces holeless bagels

Reporting

While a good NJ bagel will never have a large hole, I put aside my personal opinion to chat holeless bagels with the Philadelphia cream cheese team. Partnering with creative agency Rethink and PR firm Zeno, the Kraft Heinz company explained how they came up with the campaign.

Bigger but better? Rivals on potential, pitfalls for supersized Burson

Reporting news analysis

Following WPP’s announcement that it would be merging two of its largest PR shops, BCW and Hill & Knowlton, I chatted with industry heads about what the move means for the industry at large and initial thoughts on the combined firm that could change the PR landscape.

Still a topic of ‘hand-wringing’: Four years after COVID began, agency RTO policies are yet a work in progress

Reporting

Four years after the first confirmed COVID case in the U.S., I surveyed agencies on where their in-office policies currently stand. I spoke with industry leaders on the pros and cons of RTO, if firms should be requiring a specified number of days and how leadership is monitoring staff’s in-person attendance.

Nadya Okamoto wants to break the stigma around periods

Reporting print feature

For PRWeek’s November-December newsmaker cover feature, I spoke with August cofounder Nadya Okamoto on all things periods, being a female Gen Z founder, struggling with girlboss culture, having a meaningful social presence and her alternate identity as August’s Period Fairy.

Is reproductive loss leave offered at your agency?

Reporting news analysis

In anticipation of California’s legislation making it unlawful to deny reproductive loss leave going into effect January 1, 2024, I rounded up current policies for agencies based in California or with a presence in the state. I spoke with law firm Davis & Gilbert partner and co-chair Michael Lasky and partner Sharon Cohen on the logistics of the law and potential effects on the industry as a whole.

BCW lays off 21 North America employees

Reporting

After receiving an anonymous tip, I confirmed layoffs at the agency from an internal memo, citing “costs against our revenue realities.” The reduction followed a series of departures from the agency.

PRSA-NY again revises statement on Israel-Hamas conflict, saying earlier messages ‘lacking in clarity’

Reporting

The New York chapter of PRSA issued a third statement regarding its stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict after receiving backlash for its language “lacking clarity.” I spoke with PRSA-NY president Carmella Glover on why the chapter chose to issue a correction.

Autumn Communications supports Israel Friends with media coverage

Reporting

After the attack on Israel by Hamas militants, I spoke with Autumn Communications CEO Shelley Reinstein on the conflict’s personal impact and how her agency responded by supporting on the ground media coverage for survivors and organizations such as Israel Friends. Rounded up how other firms responded to the Middle East conflict.

Menstrual hygiene competitor brands launch the Tampon Tax Back Coalition

Reporting

Chatted with August CEO Nadya Okamoto on how her company is joining forces with competitor brands Cora, Lola, The Honey Pot, Rael, Here We Flo, Saalt and Diva to take down the luxury tax on menstrual products, otherwise known as the ‘tampon tax,’ currently effective in 21 states.

PR Council releases DE&I guidelines for agencies and clients

Reporting

Breaking down the 22-page report from PR Council on diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines for agencies and clients, I spoke with BCW chief inclusion officer Carol Watson and Golin EVP of DE&I Natasha O’Dell Archer who led the working group on the creation of the guidelines.

Primal Kitchen’s Taylor Swift-inspired ‘Seemingly Ranch’ product sells out in one day

Reporting

An inside look into how condiment brand Primal Kitchen quickly reacted to the Taylor Swift ‘seemingly ranch’ social media obsession by rebranding its ranch product bottle, selling out in less than 24 hours.

Look what she made them do: 9 brands respond to Taylor Swift ‘seemingly ranch’ incident

Reporting

An ode to the Swifties, I rounded up brands’ response to the viral ‘seemingly ranch’ craze featuring over 40 references to Taylor Swift’s portfolio of songs.

Sandy Hook Promise isn’t joking about gun violence threats in latest PSA

Reporting

Speaking with Sandy Hook Promise chief operating officer Dawn Lyons, I broke down the creation of the nonprofit’s latest public service announcement against gun violence.

Building on PR’s inheritance

Reporting

For PRWeek’s 25th anniversary edition, I asked eight young professionals to make their predictions for the next 25 years of PR and comms.

San Francisco partners with LaunchSquad to ensure fair APEC Summit coverage

Reporting

In preparation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in San Francisco, I spoke with LaunchSquad partner and cofounder Jason Mandell on how the agency was selected by the city and county to support its reputation in reporting and coverage across the event.

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action. Does it matter for PR agencies.

Reporting news analysis

Following SCOTUS’ decision to repeal affirmative action, I spoke with PR agencies on how - and if - the decision poses a threat to student facing programs with HBCUs & university’s PRSSA chapters.

Bras, branding, a ‘Vangina’ and the tampon tax

Reporting

A year after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, I spoke with menstruation brand August and nonprofit I Support the Girls about their rolling Tampon Tax billboard and Vangina, showcasing creative, mobile efforts to address period equity and equality by bringing menstruators issues to the streets.

Three years later: How agencies are keeping the focus on diversity

Reporting news analysis

Three years after the murder of George Floyd, the importance of diverse voices at the agency level has lost traction. I asked talent and agency professionals how they are retaining and seeking out diverse talent and what they need to do better.

How the American Library Association is turning the page on book bans

Reporting news analysis

Marking the beginning of National Library Week and the anniversary of the Unite Against Book Ban campaign, I spoke with the Office for Intellectual Freedom’s director and activists about their work with Unite Against Book bans and how they’re providing resources to members in their community.

The return of the Gender Pay Gap Bot

Reporting

Following the @PayGapApp’s return for a second year on International Women’s Day, I spoke with the co-creator on how companies have responded to its viral crusade shedding light on organization’s gender pay disparities and changes in pay equity over the past year.

How PR agencies are preparing for post-public health emergency messaging

Reporting news analysis

Ahead of the official end of the public health emergency, I spoke with communication and healthcare experts to identify long-prepared messaging and response plans, how agencies are adjusting to the “new normal” and if they’re planning to wind down covid era protocols.

What a ban on non-competes would mean for the PR industry

Reporting news analysis

Following the FTC’s proposed nationwide ban on non-competes, I looked at where each state currently stands, creating an interactive map and speaking with industry professionals about what the ban could mean for agencies.