Having a brand social video strategy around TikTok is a crucial part of connecting with audiences today.

Dropbox’s head of social media, Susan Chang, has been with the software company since 2014, two years longer than TikTok has been in existence. During her time there, she’s had the chance to craft the social media strategy around the short-form video app from its inception.

“It was just undeniable that TikTok was becoming such a popular way to consume content that we couldn’t not be on it anymore,” said Chang, who occasionally guest stars on her brand’s channel. Dropbox joined just two years ago with a cheeky “let’s go” post. Today, the channel regularly pulls in millions of views on individual videos.

Part of Chang’s strategy was to create videos that felt like they belonged on that platform. “As a team, we needed to be smart about understanding the channel and the audience that was there.”

Ahead of her session at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference, Chang shared her best advice for TikTok, including how to be authentic, the evolving role of user generated content and ways to engage beyond videos.

Create videos specifically for the platform

It’s important to understand the audience on TikTok. “You might feel that there are some similarities between [TikTok and other short-form video platforms],” said Chang, “however, the audience is different from the audience that’s on Reels.”

Specifically, TikTok videos need to be tuned into the app’s own unique, self-referential culture. “So much of TikTok is responding to what else is happening on TikTok,” said Chang. “You have to react quickly to the new thing that day.”

When videos are recycled across platforms, they feel inauthentic. “When brands do that, it’s very obvious and people (notice).”

@dropbox This is your sign to stop remixing the same password. Starting today, all Dropbox users can store unlimited passwords and payment cards. Dropbox Passwords lets you seamlessly sign in to websites and apps by storing your passwords. The Passwords app remembers your usernames and passwords on all your devices so you don’t have to—helpful tool to keep safe and secure online. #passwordmanager #passwords #Dropbox #DropboxPasswords ♬ Keyboard_typing sound(894890) – keiichiro Akamine

Don’t ignore the comments section

“The comments section is very special,” said Chang. “Sometimes it’s more interesting and entertaining than the actual video.”

TikTok thrives on engagement between video creators, including through the stitch and duet tools. But the comments section is where engagement can thrive. “You can’t just post (and) leave,” said Chang. “Look at what people are saying, how are people reacting to you. Could you be reacting to their reactions?”

Dropbox’s strategy for the TikTok channel now includes best practices around the comments section and is part of their larger community engagement strategy.

“It’s another way for us to interact with our customers. You’ll see other brands pop up [in the comments] on popular TikTok all the time.”

Build a UGC strategy

UGC has become a critical part of Dropbox’s strategy.

“TikTok is a channel where people love to see someone talking to you and having a conversation with you,” said Chang. With that thought in mind, her team vetted micro influencers who had been previously posting content that felt on brand for Dropbox.

“These (were) real customers using Dropbox, in their actual daily lives, talking about how to use it and why they like it,” said Chang. “Having them say that on our behalf (was) more effective than the Dropbox brand saying (the same thing). When you see an actual customer saying something, it feels much more authentic and it helps you see yourself in that customer.”

As an added bonus, it’s allowed the channel to post more regularly.

“It’s been a great way for us to feature customers (and) also create video content at a much more efficient rate than we previously had been.”

@dropboxDropbox Dash keeps everything you need for that important meeting all in one place. Join the Dash beta program at the link in profile.♬ original sound – dropbox

Followers aren’t everything

“Your executives probably ask you ‘How many followers do you have?’” acknowledged Chang. “It’s one of those key metrics that a lot of brands will track. (But) I don’t feel like followers (are) that important to a channel. Discoverability has nothing to do with number of followers on TikTok.”

TikTok’s discoverability model allows relevant videos to appear on viewer’s For You tab even if a user isn’t following the account — which means any video can go viral.

“We want to know that content we’re publishing is doing well with our audience and that people are watching it,” said Chang. Her key metrics include engagement, as well as ROI on video creation.

“With UGC content, our costs to make each video have come down. That’s also something that we track as a business to make sure that we’re investing (correctly).”

Have fun

The short-form video platform turns 8 years old this September and now boasts over 1 billion monthly active users. A trend Chang has noticed is that increased audience means that more and more public figures or celebrities have joined the platform in earnest. (President Biden’s social team just joined in early February.)

“(The audience on TikTok) love to see the authentic sides of people,” said Chang. “You have to be aware of the beats on the platform on the daily.”

Whether those celebrities can adapt to that platform will be something she’s curious to watch. “You (can’t) only post beautifully produced videos or things (that feel) brand approved.“

Remember: in the end, sometimes you just have to give the audience what they want.

@dropbox Replying to @ch226799000 #Dropbox ♬ Cheers and applause(201652) – おでぃ

Join Chang at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference on March 27-29. Chang will speak alongside communications leaders from Alaska Airlines, Hyatt, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Intel, AARP, Wendy’s and more.

The post 5 tips for TikTok brand engagement appeared first on PR Daily.

Claire Nance, head of Global Industry Marketing and Communications at Activision Blizzard Media, has made it her mission to dispel the outdated and inaccurate stereotypic image of gamers as teens in basements.

“[I] help brand marketers and advertisers understand the opportunities to activate within the gaming space,” Nance explained. “My role is to help educate the industry on gaming and break down some of the misconceptions about it.”

There’s a lot to educate on: The industry delivered $249 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to reach $300 billion by 2026. Recent growth has been driven by mobile games, such as Activision’s Candy Crush. The average age of a gamer? Thirty-five, and 48% of gamers are women. All of that is great news for brands hoping to market to this growing audience.

Ahead of her panel at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference, Nance shared how a player-first experience is crucial to authentic and immersive connections, the creative ways brands are incorporating marketing placements in VR and gaming experiences, and the breakthrough she’s hoping for in 2024.

Gaming has long been at the forefront of community building in virtual reality and in virtual spaces, especially in MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. How do you nurture those communities?

Nance: Gaming is a very immersive experience. One of the things that we see especially at Activision Blizzard, is the power and the strength of gaming IP and the fandom [around] titles. [Players] develop a really strong emotional connection because playing makes them feel relaxed or it gives them a sense of achievement or adrenaline and excitement – and it also offers a way to connect.

Community within gaming exists both on the platform and off the platform. In [Call of Duty or World of Warcraft], you have it within the game itself where you jump on with your friends and you’re working together as a team. But you also have connections that happen off platform in communities on Reddit, Twitch, Discord, gaming forums and other places where people want to talk about this thing that they’re passionate about.

And this comes down to this idea around passion. We see that even with a game like Candy Crush, which for the most part is a solo player experience. But a community is still being built around it—it may just not be within the game platform itself.

Talking hypothetically for a moment, do you see Web3 and its potential for a decentralized structure affecting community governance in those spaces?

One of the things about games is that it is often the precursor for future technologies, the first entry point that sets the scene for the future technology. A lot of the examples that folks were giving when they were talking about the metaverse [already existed in] gaming. If you want to start to think about, ‘What will the metaverse look like?’ Or: ‘How should I activate in the metaverse in the future?’ Look at how brands and people are [already] interacting in gaming spaces or virtual worlds.

It’s often raised around e-sports in particular. You mentioned collaborations and partnerships, and in the gaming space there’s opportunities for brands and content creators to participate and interact within VR or virtual spaces.

Absolutely. For brands or anyone that’s interested in getting involved in the gaming space, one of the things we always say is to have a player-first mindset. Everything you do should be a positive experience for the player. What that means is no spammy popup ads or awkward product placement. Any kind of activation in that space needs to be authentic to the environment and ideally additive to the player experience. That can be in-game boosters or awards [in Candy Crush] or advertising opportunities within Call of Duty where there might be actual billboards with real life products that help create a sense of immersion. Having [the player] at the core of the experience is really going to help you guide you, whether it’s on mobile, console, or huge, beautiful, bespoke activations.

You called it player-first, but a positive user experience is global. On to one of the hottest topics: do you see any uses for AI, especially generative AI, in the gaming space?

The current opportunity is around optimization, and how [it can] free up more time, brainpower, thinking energy. Of course, anything that makes it easier, faster, better to create games, because making a popular video game is really difficult, both in terms of the actual development of it, but [also when] introducing new IP. It’s not easy to get folks to feel an attachment [to a new franchise] compared to games that have been around for 10 plus years. The other piece is looking at access, and how can we reduce some of those barriers to entry, whether it’s through access via device or access via gameplay, so that more people are playing.

What is something you’re hoping to see in the coming year?

What excites me most is less [about] the technological developments and enhancements. There’s always lots of exciting things happening in that space. [Instead] it’s what I hope will be a shift in the way we talk and think about gamers, the gaming industry and gaming in general. I think we’re ready [to] have a more sophisticated understanding of who the gaming audience is [and] how powerful and impactful the gaming landscape is.

Join Nance at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference on March 27-29. Nance will speak alongside communications leaders from Dropbox, Alaska Airlines, Hyatt, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Wendy’s and more.

The post Breaking misconceptions: Immersive marketing within the $249 billion gaming industry appeared first on PR Daily.

Communicators, both external and internal, have had to pivot — a lot. In 2023, significant transformations, ranging from an unstable social media landscape to new RTO policies and evolving roles in crisis management, complicated many comms strategies.

In 2021, HarrisX began partnering with Ragan Communications on an annual survey to better understand how CEOs and communications leaders view each other’s roles and responsibilities. The results from this year’s CEO-Communicators Perceptions Survey will be presented at the Future of Communications Conference in Austin, TX on November 6-8^th.

Ahead of that survey release, we’ve been tracking the emerging challenges and evolving priorities for the communicator, all of which will be covered in the survey this November. Here’s what we’re watching.

The RTO movement is off to a rocky start.

The mandate is clear: Most CEOs are pushing to have employees return to the office. But the reality, according to Appspace, is that work continues to occur outside of the traditional office environment. Just 3% of employees operate entirely in-person, compared to 44% of respondents working fully remote.

For communicators, sharing RTO policies that are unpopular among employees has led to disengagement and dissatisfaction. And once that hurdle has been passed, the challenge becomes finding evolved ways to communicate. Tried and trusted methods of communication and relationship-building continue falling short in work environments that include employees working fully remote, hybrid and entirely in office.

There’s confusion on how to best implement AI.

Communications teams are constantly looking to upgrade to more efficient systems and tools. Emerging artificial intelligence was top of mind for respondents in Ragan’s Benchmark Report who indicated AI will remain a focus over the next three years. That’s far from a surprise considering how ChatGPT has dominated the news cycle since its arrival in November 2022.

A joint survey conducted by Ragan Communications and The Conference Board shared that 82% of respondents believed AI would help them do their work faster. But there’s a lot of unanswered questions, many of which revolve around misinformation, legal uncertainties and data security. Download the full report here.

Internal comms will have external implications. 

In Ragan’s Benchmark Report, 61% of respondents indicated oversight of both internal and external communications. That’s a trend that has been slowly inching upwards, up from 58% in 2022’s report.

This interconnectedness underscores how effective internal communication not only shapes organizational culture, but also extends its impact to external stakeholders and perceptions. As communication functions increasingly converge, internal communicators must become strong bridges between internal strategies and outward-facing messages.

But there’s a right time for everything: Employee leaks ahead of properly delivered messaging are a growing concern. Confidential internal documentation, or rumors being shared on social media ahead of an official press release, can create an avoidable crisis. Here’s one communicator’s advice on how to mitigate or prevent those leaks.

It’s hard to craft strategy around new and emerging social media platforms.

More than ever, communicators are using social media platforms like LinkedIn to craft and deliver clear strategic messaging. But identifying which platform is most effective and relevant for a brand has become a challenge.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, more than half of the platform’s top advertisers have fled to spend ad budget with competitors. The social media platform uncertainty has expanded to other social media platforms, including TikTok, which is indefinitely banned for all federal employees and select state employees in 34 U.S. states, with more restrictions likely to come.

With brand new players like Threads going head-to-head with X, it’s critical that communicators stay vigilant about where they invest their time. Ragan and PRDaily will address this hot topic in an upcoming webinar on August 23^rd.

In times of crisis, organizations rely on the communications team, but that’s shifting.

Top executives are keenly aware of unanticipated crises that may occur at a moment’s notice. For instance, the COVID-19 crisis showcased internal communicators’ need to swiftly relay remote work protocols, safety measures and emotional support resources to employees across diverse locations.

According to Ragan’s 2023 Benchmark Report, 58% of organizations rely firmly on communications teams to take the lead in crisis messaging strategy. But that’s been trending down. In-house PR teams are handling more in 2023 than ever before, up to 24%, which is 11 percentage points higher from 2022’s survey.

This shift in crisis management responsibilities can present challenges for communicators striving to secure a seat at the executive table and the ear of the CEO. Internal communicators face the risk of being relegated to a supporting role, potentially diminishing their influence on crucial strategic decisions.

At the Future of Communications Conference on November 6-8^th, we’ll be sharing the results from the third annual CEO-Communicators Perceptions Survey that will address some of these trends.

The post 5 emerging challenges for communicators in 2023 appeared first on PR Daily.

We can’t wait to welcome to Austin, the vibrant host city of the Future of Communications Conference! Make the most of your November visit by immersing yourself in Austin’s rich culture, savoring its culinary delights (hello, BBQ and bourbon), and experiencing its weird, arty side. Here are ten must-do activities to enhance your conference trip.

Texas Monthly BBQ Fest (Nov. 4-5)

Prepare your taste buds for a mouthwatering adventure at the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest, taking place in downtown Lockhart, just an hour from Austin. There, you’ll have the opportunity to attend live cooking demonstrations with seasoned pitmasters who have perfected their craft over generations.

Natural beauty

Calling all nature enthusiasts: Austin’s stunning natural spots are the perfect backdrop for your time at the Future of Communications Conference. Just a few steps from our host hotel is the Congress Avenue Bridge, where over a million bats take flight at dusk. Nearby, you’ll find Zilker Park, an ideal location for a morning stroll with breathtaking views of Lady Bird Lake. A bit further afield outside the city is Hamilton Pool Preserve, a lush oasis boasting a stunning natural pool surrounded by lush greenery. And don’t miss out on the local favorite, Barton Springs Pool, where you can take a refreshing dip in the underground spring-fed waters that provide opportunities for year-round swimming.

Tour by kayak and bike

Take advantage of Austin’s beautiful November weather by exploring the outdoors by bike or kayak. Cruise through bike-friendly paths like the scenic Barton Creek Greenbelt, unearthing hidden gems and awe-inspiring nature. Then, embark on a water escapade by renting a kayak or paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake, giving you views of the city skyline from a fresh perspective.

Craft brews and distilleries

No trip to Austin is complete without a quick tour of a craft brewery or distillery. Tasting rooms near to the Future of Communications hotel include Standard Proof Whiskey, featuring rye and flavored whiskeys made in Nashville, Tenn. and the Stay Put Brewery, a dog-friendly brewpub featuring German-inspired drafts. Bonus: If you have an extra day, take a scenic drive to the Texas Hill Country and tour some of the region’s excellent wineries.

The Austin Film Festival (Oct. 26-Nov. 2)

Lights, camera, action! Book your trip a few days early and catch the final days of the Austin Film Festival to get a sneak peek of the most anticipated films of the year. This eight-day event, which transforms Austin into a haven for filmmakers and cinephiles alike, is known for its Q&As with top-tier directors and screenwriters.

Discover Texas history

Step into the past and immerse yourself in Austin’s rich history and the stories of Texas by exploring its historical sites. Start with a tour of the State Capitol building for its architectural significance,then explore the interactive exhibits and displays at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Austin is also home to the LBJ Presidential Library on campus at the University of Texas, where you can learn about the life and legacy of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Austin Studio Tour (Nov. 4-5; Nov. 11-12; Nov. 18-19)

Taking place over three consecutive weekends, the Austin Studio Tour offers a rare opportunity to step into the inner sanctuaries of Austin-based artists. Immerse yourself in the creative workspaces of the local artists who transform the city into an interactive canvas.

South Congress Shopping

Step into Austin’s vintage paradise on South Congress (SoCo) Avenue. You’ll discover a collection of quirky boutiques, like Feathers Boutique and Triple Z ThreadZ, and vintage treasures sure to make your thrifting experience a nostalgic journey through time. Bonus: This is a vibrant and eclectic thoroughfare known for its delicious food trucks and lively music scene.

University of Texas Football (Nov 4.)

Immerse yourself in the time-honored football legacy of the University of Texas Longhorns as they take the field on November 4th, battling against Kansas State. Attending a Longhorns football game has a rich history with decades of history, tradition, and passionate fandom. You’ll be greeted with a sea of burnt orange regalia and time-honored rituals of school pride, such as the memorable chant and hand gesture of “Hook ’em Horns.”

Spooky Austin

Get ready for a bone-chilling adventure in Austin with spooky things to do that will send shivers down your spine! Embark on a chilling ghost tour through the haunted streets and learn about the legend of the “Woman in White,” a ghostly apparition said to roam the Driskill Hotel. If your arrival time is in October, you’ll have a chance to experience the Halloween event “Boo at the Zoo,” where the Austin Zoo transforms into a hauntingly fun nocturnal adventure. Explore the zoo in the dark (and in costume), complete with train rides, musical entertainment, and unlimited haunted house visits.

The post 10 things to do in Austin while you’re in town for Comms Week appeared first on PR Daily.

In a media landscape filled with uncertainty, misinformation and heightened stakeholder sensitivities to the news of the day, communications professionals are more vital than ever before. To stay ahead of these changes and keep stakeholders informed, it’s crucial that your comms department makes use of the latest tools, technologies and trends.

This November, the comms trend-spotting event of the year will arrive in Austin, TX, just in time for you to shape your 2024 comms strategies. The Future of Communications conference will bring together communication professionals from across the globe to network and learn from comms pros who will showcase cutting-edge strategies and trends that  will chart the course of the industry over the next several years.

The Austin event is designed for communicators of all levels, aiming to provide attendees with the invaluable insights and practical knowledge they need to navigate the rapidly-evolving landscape of communication. The agenda has been released, and highlights include:

• Future-Proofing Comms: What’s Next in AI, Tools and Technology. In this panel discussion, AI experts will share insights on the rapid innovations in automation and AI that have created new tools for communicators – and why becoming an early adopter of emerging tech is not without its risks.
• Shaping Change Comms: Smart Strategies to Break Through the Noise. It’s crucial for organizations to be prepared to communicate strategically and sensitively, whether it’s updates on acquisitions, layoffs, return to office or major news events. We share out-of-the-box techniques like infusing humor to help keep engagement and spirits high (and when it can’t).
• Data-Driven Storytelling in an Age of Short Attention Spans. Learn how to lean into data to help better understand your audiences, as well as the storylines and messages they want to hear. This session includes a preview of emerging AI storytelling tools — plus how to upskill storytellers into data scientists (and vice versa).

These sessions represent just a glimpse of the comprehensive agenda, which promises to equip communication professionals with the tools and strategies necessary to thrive in the fast-paced world of modern communications. As comms professionals play a critical role in managing reputation, mitigating potential risks, and preserving brand integrity – and it’s more critical than ever to remain on top of trends.

Join Ragan in Austin from November 6th to 8th, and be part of this transformative experience. Don’t miss out on the chance to shape the future of communication and propel your career to new heights. Register now!

The post These are the latest strategies shaping the future of communications appeared first on PR Daily.

“My accent comes out after a glass or two of wine,” said native Bostonian Jennifer George, VP of Communications and Public Relations at Shutterfly. Since her career took off, however, she’s called multiple countries home.

Her journey started in China, where she consulted for small and medium-sized businesses, something that George said showed her “the power of what comms can do.” Afterwards, she volunteered at a school in Kenya for young girls who had been rescued from child marriages. “I got to see firsthand how climate change was impacting the plight of women and girls,” said George. “It kicked off a professional passion of mine for ESG.”

It’s not George’s only passion: In addition to being the executive sponsor of Shutterfly’s mental health employee resource group (ERG), she’s the former global director of communications at Headspace, the mental health and meditation app. “I cannot speak more highly of the importance of having a good support network,” said George.

Ahead of her session at Ragan’s upcoming Employee Communications and Culture Conference, George shared her favorite TED talk, her best advice to managers seeking to implement mindfulness practices with their direct reports, and why she’s made it her mission to destigmatize mental health in the workplace.

Communication has truly been at the center of all aspects of your life. Your passions have really grown from your lived experience.

George: At first when you’re up and coming in your career, you think you have to bifurcate everything: “This is the professional me; and this is the personal me.” The truth is, there’s no such thing.

That’s at the core of one of the causes of burnout, though, that lack of separation from work and home that came out of being at home during the pandemic.

When lockdown first started, I was running PR for Headspace. And I was so overwhelmed. It was a peak moment for people who were looking for mental health support — we were partnering with Governor Cuomo in New York, Governor Whitmer in Michigan, we were making new fresh content and trying to make it available for free to as many communities and audiences we could.

I remember one moment, it was a Saturday night. I was on the phone with Governor Cuomo’s press secretary. And we were preparing for one of his upcoming press conferences.

I was holed up in the bathroom on the phone, trying to have this personal call. My two-and-a-half-year-old was banging on the door trying to get in, and I’ve got my foot against the door, and I’m trying to hold it together.

I’m not alone in those stories of desperation. You just suddenly realize there’s no way you can balance [your way out of] this.

I’m the executive sponsor of our mental health ERG here at Shutterfly. I’ve struggled with mental health myself, which I talk about very openly, because there’s still a huge stigma around it.

How did you walk back from that? What allowed you to re-center yourself after that moment in the bathroom with your foot against the door?

When COVID first started, I figured it’s going be a couple of weeks, things will go back to normal… like everyone else thought. I was already struggling a bit with my mental health because of postpartum anxiety [my daughter was born in mid-2019]. And after about a month, which was right around the time [of the bathroom incident], there was a moment where I was trying to make dinner and the kids were crying, and I was getting more calls.

I just slumped on the kitchen floor. I texted my therapist, and we had a session that night. And since then, every Friday at 1 pm, my calendar is blocked and my team knows that it’s blocked, because I’m talking to [my therapist].

You would go to the hospital for a broken arm. Your mind needs help just the same way. Mental health is physical health. I saw it in that moment when I physically could not get up.

How do you recognize when your fellow employees get to that moment? Do you have any advice for handling those delicate conversations?

I make it a real point to talk very openly about my own mental health. But I also ask questions: How are you doing? Is there anything that I can take off your plate? Can I help you reprioritize? Opening [the door] to that conversation is the first step.

Shutterfly has a very heavy quarter 4; a lot of holiday cards, gifts, school photographs. It’s often very hard for people to take time off. Every quarter 4 I require people to put in at least a week, if not more, into our [group] calendar. People know that their work is going to be taken care of, and they are encouraged to take that time off [without stress].

I send notes. World Mental Health Day, Stress Awareness Month. [Sometimes] I’ll also send a list of resources. Andy Puddicombe’s TED talk is a great one to just rewatch. There’s also The Motherhood Center. A lot of folks in communications are women and mothers. From my own experience, it can be really challenging struggling with mental health, but also trying to take care of your child.

Of course, we have our employee assistance programs, but [I think beyond that] to other options, like [therapy app] BetterHelp. We have access to Sanvello [a mindfulness app] as part of our benefits. Find different ways to check in.

We also set up a 15-minute block on the team’s calendar, about 18 people, every single day. It’s a mindful moment. It’s meant to [allow you] to take a little bit of time, take a walk, meditate or just make something part of your routine.

There has also been a generational shift in how people look at work. There are people who have never stepped foot in an office, that had been working at home for years.

The workforce is facing a massive amount of burnout and stress and loneliness. The pandemic certainly supercharged it, but the macro-economic environment is exacerbating it. You’ve got increased stressors as it relates to geopolitical turmoil in Ukraine, Russia, what’s happening in Israel. All of these things together are creating a really complex place for our minds.

[My first consideration] is helping to reduce the stigma around [mental health], whether it’s bringing in a speaker or resiliency workshops.

The other piece is just around preventative care. How are we proactively monitoring our workforces and evaluating [our] employees’ mental health? We’ve done wellbeing surveys to get a pulse on how our people are faring right now. How is their workload? Are they accessing the tools on a regular basis? The preventative care piece is really important to help stave off some of that burnout and fatigue.

The third piece is around having the courage to start a conversation [at the top, because you really do set the tone as a leader. There is something about showing care and grace for our people that is so profound.

And that doesn’t take any budget or resources. It just takes [us being able to] wrap our arms around our people in a way that only HR and communicators can do so beautifully.

Join George at Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference on April 25-27. George will speak alongside communications leaders from Kraft Heinz, US Bank, Motorola, Constellation, and more. 

The post Managing difficult conversations about mental health at work appeared first on PR Daily.

Managing the communications of a consumer-facing company in a highly regulated space comes with challenges, some ethical and many, many procedural. To the genetic testing company 23andMe’s Director of Communications, Andy Kill, working alongside the regulatory teams and legal teams is just part of what he does every day.

“A portion of the product is regulated by the FDA, some of the reports are governed by the FDA, and then there’s other information in the product that falls outside of the FDA’s scope, like the ancestry side of things,” he explained. “We have a drug discovery business as well, which is highly regulated.”

The company was founded in 2006 and provided easy access to genetic testing, which at the time forged new ground for both the FDA and 23andMe and resulted in frequent communications between the FDA and the organization — some which made the news.

“A lot of it is working closely with our regulatory and legal teams and knowing what’s in bounds, what’s out of bounds, and how we can creatively use PR and comms within the confines of that to story tell,” said Kill.

Ahead of his session at PR Daily’s Public Affairs & Speechwriting virtual conference, Kill shares how he stays true to 23andMe’s mission, the storytelling tricks he uses to get coverage in the press, and why his organization leads with science.

Identify and build upon your organization’s purpose

Having a strong mission statement can be a guiding star for companies looking to connect with external audiences.

“The mission of the company is to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome,” said Kill. “From a communications perspective, [we look at] what we are prioritizing and if it backs up to helping people.”

23andMe stays true to their purpose in several ways; for example, their tests provide information to consumers that helps them identify health risks. The company also builds on their mission statement with work on their FDA-regulated drug discovery business.

“We’re able to find new drug targets based on human genetic information, and potentially develop new medicines that can help people,” said Kill. “That’s the ultimate fulfillment of that mission.”

Not only does a clear mission statement help an organization stand apart in a crowded market, but it also helps the communications team focus on what’s important. “All of our communications ladder up to that mission,” Kill added.

Human stories resonate with customers

When it comes to sharing 23andMe’s mission externally, Kill looks holistically across the company for inspiration. “People find[ing] family and meeting for the first time [are] great visuals for broadcast,” he said. “[Those] customer stories tend to resonate.”

Another area of focus is the research group. “We have over 13 million customers at 23andMe and about 80% volunteered to participate in research,” said Kill. “They’re answering survey questions, and looking at those alongside aggregate anonymized genetic data, we pull out different trends in terms of specific health conditions or genetic risks.”

Any genetic information that is shared by 23andMe meets the most stringent guidelines — a requirement of its regulated nature. “All of that [data] has to be aggregate information. It can’t be any individual level information. It has to be deidentified and it can only come from customers who have elected to participate in research,” said Kill. “[There are] ethical guardrails in place.”

But all that work is worth it when that pitch lands. “Whenever we do studies on common conditions those resonate really well,” said Kill.

Be as transparent as ethically possible

“The strategy is ‘Lead with Science,’” said Kill. That mantra has helped guide 23andMe to success. “The company’s been focused on publishing consistently, not just research, but also publishing on the accuracy of the product through our different FDA authorizations.”

Kill suggests leaning into transparency wherever possible and keeping open lines of communication within the company as well as externally. One of the departments he speaks with: the ethics team.

“We have an in-house research ethics team that we can consult with anytime,” said Kill. While guardrails exist to protect consumer data, having the ethics team on-hand to discuss a potential research story can be handy. For example, during the early days of COVID-19, the team was developing data around the loss of smell and taste phenomena.

Of course, there are still some pieces of misinformation Kill’s team continues to battle against. “It’s often reported that we’re a part of investigations [using] genetics to crack cold cases,” said Kill. That’s false. “23andMe doesn’t participate in law enforcement investigations.”

Join Kill at PR Daily’s Public Affairs & Speechwriting virtual conference on April 4. Kill will speak alongside speechwriters and communications leaders from the U.S. Navy, Edelman, IBM, the U.S. Department of Labor, and more. 

The post Build upon your company’s purpose, transparently and ethically appeared first on PR Daily.

Speechwriting for a U.S. Senator in Congress was a dream for self-described introvert Patrice Smith, now vice president of media relations at PNC Bank. “Words that I wrote from my desk were transcribed into the United States record,” said Smith. “They’re written in the history of this country forever.” To get to that moment, Smith needed to learn the rhythms and intricacies of how her principal spoke. “I had to be a student—and still am.”

Ahead of her session at PR Daily’s Public Affairs & Speechwriting virtual conference, we sat down with Smith to discuss her speechwriting career writing for Senator Tim Scott, the advice she gives to C-suite on authentic storytelling, and why AI won’t replace human writers anytime soon.

Can you describe how you tackle speechwriting and capturing a principal’s voice?

Smith: When it comes to speechwriting, it really takes a lot of studying, [which] is what’s unique compared to the other different segments of public relations and communications. You are learning how to be someone else, literally.

When I worked for the Senator, I spent months studying his voice. I listened to every single news segment published on YouTube. I listened to every speech. I listened to anything and everything so that I could capture how he speaks. He had just written a book, so I took the voice that I was used to hearing and I read the book in that voice. That was all before my interview.

Even after getting the role, it was constantly a refinement process. Even if I wrote [a speech], I was in the back taking notes, because the way I would write something on paper wasn’t necessarily the way that he would speak it. I would always listen to what he used, what he changed and how could I refine it to make it better. After three years of working for him, I felt like I finally had his voice and he was saying what I was writing.

You really have to study your principal. Granted, you’re not them, but you want to get into the point where like people think that you are them.

There’s a huge difference between writing a long-form speech and writing a tweet. What direction will you give to comms lead when they are tackling social media?

When you’re writing social media content, just be natural. A lot of times people focus too much on writing something that will go viral. When I would write something, I would take a sentence from a quote or statement that I had already drafted. It will go viral if it’s good.

What’s the advice you give to leadership or C-suite about sharing information to their teams authentically?

Without adding jargon, how would you explain this to your wife? Or to the person [at the bottom of the org chart]? Remember first and foremost that you’re talking to people. Once you understand what those people want or need from you, you can communicate to them in a way that will resonate with them.

How would you take a speech and adapt it to share across channels?

When I was in the Senate, we did this quite a bit. You can take the same piece of content and use it across many different platforms, but you have to know your audience.

Twitter is everybody, not necessarily your constituents, but people who are interested in you as a political figure — and reporters. Facebook has the folks back at home who are interested in what you’re actually doing for [them]. Instagram is the younger population, Millennials and younger typically, and LinkedIn is the business folks.

You have to find out what in the speech will resonate with [each] group.

What is your favorite tool or platform that you use that makes your life easier? 

Apple Notes is a godsend. I can’t tell you how many speeches and press releases I’ve written on that. I like project management tools like Monday.com, Trello, those are amazing. Today I use stickies, either physical stickies or a digital sticky or Apple Notes.

Let’s talk AI.

ChatGPT. [laughs] Let’s talk about this. In addition to working at the bank, I’m an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University on the graduate program for public relations and corporate communication. This has come up.

I will admit, it does give us heartburn on the academic side because students can draft whole papers. The AI is so good to where you can’t tell when the students are providing their own thought leadership versus [ChatGPT].

One thing AI [can’t] do is capture voice. It can give me a very academic piece, but when it comes to writing for my principals, it wouldn’t know to switch out this word for this word. There are little things that I know, for example, the Senator hates the word politicians versus elected officials. It can’t capture human personality and human preferences.

It can’t specialize. While ChatGPT can give [my students] a strategic communications plan, it can’t capture those human moments that only you as a writer know about. If they want to try, I’m really good at vetting papers. I feel like universities will start to update their rules on academic dishonesty.

Can you give any advice to communicators that are hoping to break into the speechwriting field?

Great writers read. I’ll admit, I have a lot of unfinished books. That’s #1.

Figure out what you want to communicate, what industry you want to work in and what you’re passionate about. Speechwriters do a lot of research so it should be something you’re passionate about. When I’m not at work, I’m spending all my time studying finance.

Every executive needs a communicator. Once you pair those two things, you can land where you want.

And… seek professional development. Writing is a craft that you have to continue to hone. You don’t just make it as a writer, you always have to be invested in getting better.

Join Smith at PR Daily’s Public Affairs & Speechwriting virtual conference, which goes down April 4. Smith will speak alongside speechwriters and communications leaders from the U.S. Navy, Edelman, IBM, the U.S. Department of Labor, and more. 

The post Advice on authenticity from a former U.S. Senator’s speechwriter appeared first on PR Daily.