Author Archives: Kate Glaviano

Wicked-ly Long: How long-form content can be valuable with the right message and strategy

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As the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked the Musical hits box offices worldwide this weekend, audiences are eager to see how director Jon M. Chu will bring the story to life. In April 2022, it was revealed that the adaptation would be released as two films, split by the first and second acts of the stage show. And in September 2023, it was announced that the first installment would run a whopping two hours and forty minutes—longer than the total runtime of the original production.

In an age dominated by digital media, we’ve been repeatedly told that attention spans are shrinking. The American Psychological Association reports that the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8.25 seconds in 2024. Yet, some of the most successful Hollywood blockbusters in recent years have defied this trend with above-average runtimes. While advances in technology and more sophisticated storytelling techniques may be contributing to audience engagement, society’s willingness to embrace long-form content challenges our understanding of how people consume media. Not only are audiences willing to sit through extended films—they anticipate them for months, buy merchandise, participate in online discussions and pack theaters in record numbers.

There are countless reasons why audiences become deeply invested in a story, and it’s undeniable that films like Wicked, Avatar, Oppenheimer and Avengers: Endgame benefit from unfathomable marketing budgets. However, a valuable communications lesson can be mined from the success of these blockbusters: when people perceive something as valuable, they’ll make the time to consume it.

Will anyone read it?

This lesson extends beyond films to written content, such as articles or blogs. Understanding how these mediums have evolved is key. In the 2000s, the average article length ranged from 500 to 800 words. By the 2010s, this figure had grown to roughly 2,000 words. Today, articles are back down to an average of 500–800 words, while blogs often remain closer to 2,000 words. These fluctuations reflect ever-changing factors like algorithm updates and SEO best practices.

Many brands stick rigidly to short-form content, fearing audience fatigue or wasted efforts. However, a strategic mix of short- and long-form content can offer a more comprehensive approach, giving audiences a deeper understanding of a brand’s insights.

What warrants a longer message?

Not every announcement or discussion requires a long-form message. The key is understanding when more depth is necessary and where that depth makes sense. For instance, a general press release announcing a personnel change or new product offering is best kept succinct and easily digestible. Overcomplicating simple announcements risks disengaging readers and the reporters who you hope will cover it as a story.

On the other hand, targeted content—such as a blog or article for an audience with a preliminary understanding of the subject—can benefit from a longer, more detailed explanation. For example, a trade publication or a subscribed site catering to industry professionals may justify a 1,500–2,000-word deep dive that addresses relatable pain points and offers insights on trends.

The critical question to ask is: Who are you talking to? General audiences unfamiliar with industry nuances might struggle with long-form content, while more specialized audiences may appreciate detailed analysis. This is where thought leadership plays a pivotal role. While press releases are typically concise (around 400 words), thought leadership offers companies the opportunity to dive deeper into subject matter and educate, justifying longer formats.

The value of strategic communication

A skilled public relations team can help brands determine the right time, place, and format for their messages. Long-form content can help to humanize a brand’s experts, foster transparency with the public and solidify the brand’s reputation as an industry leader. A well-rounded PR approach that considers various audiences, their preferred methods of information consumption, and the gaps a product or service can address is essential for effective messaging.

Long-form content is not obsolete in today’s digital world, but brands must approach it strategically. And as moviegoers flock to experience the magic of Wicked on the big screen, let it serve as a reminder: audiences will make the time if you make it worth their while.

Shouting Your Next Big Media Win from The Rooftops

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Imagine: Your company name is in the headline of an article on a reputable, national news outlet’s home page. Your colleagues and industry peers send a few emails in congratulations and maybe you even receive some inbound requests inquiring about your business, but the value seemingly ends there. How can you keep the momentum going?

Company leadership who are not taking full advantage of their media hits, or simply do not know how to amplify them are missing out on the exposure a reputable news outlet could offer.

Can I have your attention?

Whether the result of proactive media relations or an unexpected story, a media placement can help bring your business to the forefront of prospective customers’ and partners’ minds. If managed wisely and consistently over time, business leaders can enjoy a continuous flow of media hits that can lead to new business, help with recruitment and pique the interest of investors or other business partners. Consider the following tips to expand on your company’s next media win:

  • Share the good news internally: Your greatest cheerleaders should be your team members. Leadership should share media placements with team members and suggest convenient ways they can use it if they choose. Your communications team can be a great resource in crafting language to share with employees, including guidance on adding links to their email signatures.
  • Get social: As soon as a media hit goes live, business leaders should have a plan to share it broadly, tagging the outlet and – in some cases – the author as well. At minimum, social media posts should be scheduled for the same day the article is posted and a company’s website news page should be updated to include the article. Priority should be placed on interacting with comments on the posts and employees should be made aware of and encouraged to interact with them, if they are comfortable doing so.
  • Market it: Connect with your marketing team to see where else it may make sense to share the article, including newsletters or external email communications. Keep in mind the content is likely owned by the publication, not your company, so be careful not to cut and paste directly from the article or post without attribution. It could be seen as a violation of copyright laws.
  • Be strategic: As you spread the word through social media and marketing materials, be cautious not to spam your audiences with the same content. Find fresh angles where you can change up references to the articles in posts and marketing materials.
  • Don’t rest on your laurels: While a one-off media hit can lead to a nice boost for business and search engine optimization (SEO), without continued effort, it will likely be just that – a one-time thing. Engage your communications team to build a comprehensive plan for continuous, thoughtful proactive media outreach. Additionally, your communications team should be building and maintaining relationships with reporters who cover your business, leaving opportunities for you to contribute to stories in the future. Consider partnering with a public relations agency for an extra set of hands when it comes to media strategy and outreach.

Whether a feature article or a few quotes in a reputable news outlet, make your media win more than a nice-to-have article to frame on a wall. Media wins give a company credibility and a tangible way to demonstrate your leadership’s expertise. Essentially, unlike advertising, a media placement can offer third-party validation that consumers seek before placing their trust in a company. To make sure your company is more than a one-hit-wonder with the media, consider amplifying your coverage and building a long-term plan for consistent proactive outreach.

Incoming Social Media Mandates: Bracing Your Brand’s Strategy and Uncovering Opportunity

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Last week in a New York Times op-ed U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy suggested adding warning labels to social media platforms that would serve as a reminder to parents and teen users to monitor social media use. The Surgeon General’s suggestion is rooted in concerns about the mental health and perceived excessive use of social media by young people. Murthy’s suggestion took the nation by storm because, currently, the only two products in the U.S. with such warnings are alcohol and tobacco products. The immediate result leaves brand leaders to wonder what this could mean for their marketing and communications strategies.

“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” Murthy wrote in the op-ed. “Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours.”

A year or so ago, Murthy issued an advisory on the topic that included specific recommendations for “policymakers, platforms and the public to make social media safer for kids.” Today, there is pending proposed legislation in 30 states and Puerto Rico with many of them already passed. While it’s difficult to tell just what impact such legislation or regulatory changes could have on social media behavior, brand leaders might want to reevaluate the stake young people hold in their social media strategies and how they target them.

Social media marketing & young people

In recent years, social media has taken over as a marketing powerhouse for brands, particularly for those looking to reach younger audiences.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a 2022 study of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube found that almost $11 billion in advertising revenue was generated by users under 18. The study goes on to note that “Approximately 30–40% of the advertising revenue generated from three social media platforms (Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube) is attributable to young people.”

Concerns around the mental health impact of social media are becoming increasingly top of mind for parents of children and adolescents as well as lawmakers. Murthy notes in his 2023 advisory there is still much to be studied about the broad and nuanced impacts of social media on children and adolescents. For example, “studies point to a higher relative concern of harm in adolescent girls and those already experiencing poor mental health, as well as for particular health outcomes like cyberbullying-related depression, body image and disordered eating behaviors, and poor sleep quality linked to social media use.”

And while the issue continues to be studied, limiting social media use is reported to help with negative mental health symptoms. “Limits on the use of social media have resulted in mental health benefits for young adults and adults … limiting social media use to 30 minutes daily over three weeks led to significant improvements in depression severity.”

Lawmakers are working to make parents more aware of the impact of social media while urging them to restrict their children’s exposure to social media by introducing bills that would create task forces around the issue, set-up kid-friendly design codes, require age verification to log into social media accounts, establish digital literacy courses in schools and more. New York, for example, signed two bills into law last week to limit data collection on minors and to stop addictive feeds, or those designed to recommend content meant to keep a user scrolling.

Making adjustments

With all this discussion, possible change is afoot. Social media already requires brands to pivot constantly to platform updates, changes in behavior and internet trends. Potential legislative or regulatory changes could require even more adjustments.

In this evolving environment, brands might consider the following tips to stay ahead:

  • Stay updated: With so many looming laws around social media, brand leaders should take time to understand the pending legislation and the potential changes coming their way. Understanding how to stay in compliance and target social media content to younger demographics safely and responsibly will help teams develop a strong strategy that takes into account the principles behind new regulation or legislation.
  • Be creative: Social media offers brands a quick, direct line of communication with young people. As their behaviors on social media shift, communication may no longer be as streamlined, and some young people may opt out of social media altogether. Brand leaders may have to get creative to fill the gap.
  • Broaden your strategy: Consider the breakdown of your marcomm budget. In this new regulatory environment, could it make sense to shift dollars from social media marketing to public relations or digital advertising?
  • Take testing seriously: What works today on social media might not work tomorrow and this is especially true as efforts are made to restrict young people’s access to it. Brand leaders should be constantly testing elements of their social strategies to ensure they are effective in reaching the correct demographics and sparking engagement while remaining compliant with legislation.
  • Choose the right partners: Consider working with a PR agency that understands the landscape and how best to reach your target audience. An integrated PR campaign could supplement dialed-back social media efforts. Not to mention, a good PR agency will have a reliable crisis communications team ready to protect your brand should your company run afoul of any new social media requirements.

New limitations on social media marketing appear to be a growing reality. Brand leaders do not have to look at related legislative measures as a loss in their social media strategies, but an opportunity to find new, meaningful ways to reach young people. Consider taking a moment to research what social media legislative measures are being taken in the state(s) where your business operates and where your social media strategy or overarching public relations strategy might need adjusting.

Keeping Up Earth Month’s Momentum: Leveraging Sustainability Communications

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While the beginning of May marks the end of Earth Month, sustainability should be a year-round endeavor. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year for businesses of all sizes to support their communities and maintain and build on the momentum highlighted each Earth Month. With the right communication strategies, sustainability-focused initiatives can benefit not only the planet and the greater good, but your business as well.

Practicing a thoughtful approach

A business that cares for and invests in the environment can offer employees, consumers, prospects and other stakeholders a positive perspective. However, leaders must tread carefully to avoid an adverse impact down the line. Consider posing the following questions when building a sustainability plan:

  • Are your goals clear? Your sustainability initiative plan should clearly outline what your organization is trying to achieve and/or contribute. For example, if your cause is to support forestry, a goal might be to plant 100 trees by the end of 2024. Having clear goals leaves little room for misinterpretation from the public or from team members. 
  • Are your goals attainable? Business leaders who establish goals within a sustainability plan should consider whether they are attainable given employee bandwidth and company budgets. Overpromising and under-delivering in sustainability efforts could leave leaders in hot water and contribute to mistrust among customers, prospects, employees and other stakeholders.

As mentioned above, companies that fail to deliver on their sustainability promises can and have fallen victim to pushback and negative press. In fact, CNN Business reported on research in 2022 that some of the largest companies in the world missed the mark on sustainability targets. For example, just last year The Wall Street Journal reported on several companies, including United Airlines who made a 2021 pledge to reduce carbon emissions but ended up scrapping their short-term goals to maintain focus on longer-term gains.

While goals can be adjusted over time, business leaders should be intentional about their goals and how they are going to achieve them, and of course, in how they communicate them.

Maximizing your sustainability plan

Yes, failed sustainability plans can lead to bad press, but successful initiatives can be a win for the company when communicated thoughtfully and strategically. Keep in mind these best practices with considering communicating sustainability initiatives:

  • Consider newsworthiness. A sustainability initiative may not be newsworthy in and of itself. For example, using the tree planting initiative above, if a business plans to hold a fundraiser to purchase the trees, they might consider sharing the cause with local media to reach those interested in supporting local forestry. Businesses might benefit from inviting local dignitaries such as government officials or local organizations with similar goals to attract media attention.
  • Be transparent. As it is in business, transparency is critical regarding charitable efforts. Business leaders should be forthcoming about their support as well as with the progress they have made toward an initiative with reporters. Exaggerated numbers or claims could lead to suspicion and distrust from key stakeholders and the press.
  • Rally supporters Recruit team members and the community to help advance the business’s sustainability goals. Engaging and having buy in from local supporters and employees will help drum up buzz around an organization that could lead to your effort making a bigger impact and help to attract media attention.
  • Stay the course. Business leaders must be prepared to remain diligent with their sustainability goals. Relevant times to discuss sustainability like Earth Month will help create momentum around a business’s eco-efforts, but they should have plan to maintain it with supplemental activations. Continued activity could also help attract media attention to your initiative.
  • Track your progress. Have a plan to track your progress while executing a sustainability initiative. Make sure to track participating volunteers, dollars raised or testimonials, among other things. Statistics will supplement your business’s efforts and give media outlets a quick glance at your success.

Sustainability has become somewhat of a buzzword in today’s business world, but the sentiment of bettering the Earth is one every business leader should share. As business leaders wind down their Earth Month activations and carry on with business as usual, they should consider how executing on defined sustainability goals year-round, armed with a strong communications plan, can be as good for business as it is for the environment.

Read the Room: Preparing for your next speaking engagement

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Sweaty palms and a microphone in hand, you are called to the stage for your presentation in front of hundreds of your colleagues. You wrote your speech word for word and studied it diligently but as your nervousness grows, those words you meticulously studied begin to vanish. Panic. Anxiety. Is there more you could have done? As in all things, preparation is key.

Power in preparation

A successful speaking engagement is rooted in the right kind of preparation. While writing a speech is an important part of the process, simply putting words on paper could leave a public speaker high and dry on stage. The reality is a memorized speech is full of recollection and verbal landmines, stumbling and missed content. When preparing for your next speaking engagement, consider the following:

  • Focus on key messages: Rather than memorizing a speech, consider the key messages or the main points the speech conveys. Talking points serve as a speaker’s safety net and help pull them back to their main points when stumbling occurs or they veer off on a tangent. Key messages should include the main idea of the speech, how it relates to the speaker and their organization, as well as the audience and high-level content points.
  • Follow a formula: Be sure to make your point, provide reasoning or statistics that support your point and consider offering an example to help the audience visualize what you are saying. Telling a story is often easier for a speaker to recall compared to memorizing theories, data or intellectual arguments. Finally, be sure to drive the point home again at the conclusion of your remarks.
  • Practice makes perfect: Reading your speech ahead of time can be helpful, but nothing compares to giving the speech on camera or in front of colleagues, friends or family. Avoid speaking in front of the mirror as it only serves to distract. Speaking before a friendly audience helps with both familiarity with the topic as well as speed of delivery, your body language, your intonation, articulation and more. Play the recording back afterward to self-evaluate and ask for honest feedback and direction from those who are invested in you making a great impression up on the big stage.
  • Engage with your audience: Audience engagementis crucial to a speaker’s success, but it rarely ever just happens. Speakers must prepare for what some call crowd work; engaging the audience as part of their presentation and considering potential outcomes. In addition to the fact that audiences do not want to sit through a lecture, engaging with the audience can help them remember your key points. Storytelling, adding a little humor, polling the audience or low-pressure activities can be great ways to garner audience attention and prime them to listen attentively.
  • Have a backup plan: When all else fails, speakers should be prepared with a backup plan. Comedian Jo Koy saw firsthand what happens when you do not have a plan at the 2024 Golden Globes when his monologue fell flat. His jokes about Barbie and Taylor Swift left him in hot water and his only fallback was to blame the writers. While the Golden Globes is a much larger stage than your average business conference, all speakers should be prepared to pivot. Consider how an audience could respond to all aspects of your speech and have a plan to pivot to a safer topic should you lose the audience.

Public speaking is among the most common societal phobias, but it can be overcome in many cases, with effective practice and preparation. Comprehensive preparation can instill the confidence a speaker needs to be successful on stage. Speakers are selected for the insights they offer. Come prepared for the stage with key messages and a solid plan of action to make sure your messages are conveyed in way that engages the audience and leaves them wanting to learn more.

X For Businesses: The Unanswered Question

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Elon Musk dominated headlines throughout 2023 after purchasing Twitter in the year prior. Musk purchased the social media platform with bold promises to advocate for free speech, to prevent bots and misinformation and to create the “everything app.”

Since taking over, Musk has made good on his promises to make changes, but those changes did not all yield positive returns. Since taking over, Musk has overseen widespread layoffs, as well as controversial decisions to outsource content moderators, rebrand Twitter to X and introduce a monthly subscription model. Under his direction during the first year, the company’s ad revenue dropped a minimum of 55% year-over-year each month and lost about 13% of its daily active users.

Not surprisingly, X’s viability for brands as a valuable social media tool is being questioned by organizational leaders, as well as their marketing and communications teams.

Is X worth a place in your social media strategy? Let’s look at a few considerations for business leaders reevaluating their brands’ activity on X. 

  • Time spent vs. ROI: Twitter since the beginning has been dependent on real-time interaction. In the last year, the platform has undergone significant security and algorithmic changes, which have resulted in fewer impressions and engagement on posts. This has been particularly true for those who chose to opt out of the paid subscription model. Regardless of the type of account, X as we know it today requires a significant time investment of diligent posting and interaction for even a chance at climbing user feeds.
  • Public trust concerns: Musk’s public intention when he bought Twitter was to encourage free speech and prevent misinformation. However, Musk has struggled to uphold these promises and has taken heavy criticism in the media related to the spread of misinformation on the platform. Taylor Swift, for example, was recently a victim or misinformation on the platform when AI-generated explicit photos began circulating the platform as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The potential implications of a violation of public trust for X users, coupled with controversial statements made by Musk, have prompted businesses and corporations to reconsider their connection with X.
  • Changing features: In Musk’s endeavor to make X the everything app, the company has made considerable changes to platform features. For example, when displaying links, X now removes headlines and makes clickable links less visible to limit linking outside the platform. For most businesses, social media is used to direct customers to a different place, whether that be the company website or a blog post. Limiting access to such links could diminish any return for businesses utilizing X.

The attention around X should serve as a reminder to business owners, that a social media strategy should always be evolving and that they should regularly evaluate engagement across all channels. Some platforms, or a company’s current strategy for a certain platform, may no longer be serving them well, and new resources and features are always popping up.

LinkedIn, for example, now offers articles and newsletters for users to post longer form content. Showcasing a business’s expertise and their leaders’ insights in an article could hold more value than posting small snippets on X.

Social media is an investment of time in understanding and establishing business goals that are supported by a platform’s capabilities. To get the most from social media, business leaders and their social media managers must understand how social media platforms could work to their advantage or diminish their investment as they evolve.

Getting Festive: Four Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with Remote Teams

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There was a time in business when office employees would get dressed up and gather with their coworkers for the office holiday party. As we know all too well, the pandemic changed everything – including those holiday parties.  

Office holiday parties used to be a significant aspect of a company’s culture where people would bond casually and build personal relationships. Not to mention, people looked forward to the celebrations with coworkers when business dialed down for the season.

Though traditional office parties may have fallen out of favor, we have a few ideas to help you mark a successful year and a happy holiday season with your teams near and far.

Tis’ the season for holiday fun

  1. Take a virtual city tour with the team. Consider marking the holidays with your remote team by taking a virtual city or region tour where they can explore tourist sites around the world with a guide local to those places. There are third-party companies that provide immersive tour experiences such Unexpected Virtual Tours and many of these companies will have a range of options to choose from like European virtual tours, South American holiday and more. To complement the tour, management may choose to send team members a special delicacy from that region to enjoy together while watching the virtual tour. Many of these tours have a strong educational component as well – but at minimum a tour could be a welcome virtual escape for team members geographically dispersed across the country.
  2. Encourage a gift exchange: A holiday gift exchange where team members send gifts to each other anonymously is a great way to engage employees with low pressure. Participants can create a wish list to help guide their coworkers buying for them in the right direction. Alternatively, the team could decide to make it humorous where team members compete to send the “most useless gift” or gift the “ugliest sweater.” If employees are interested in making the exchange more interactive, they can gather virtually to guess who sent which gift.
  3. Host a game or contest virtually: A little friendly competition offers employees a chance to work together and learn something new about each other, or good old fashioned bragging rights. Businesses could opt to use a third-party company for a game of trivia or a virtual escape room where employees work together to solve puzzles. To go a step further, leadership could organize a virtual baking or decorating competition where the team meets virtually to bake or decorate the best cookie, baked good, etc.
  4. Get together in January: Though virtual options have come a long way, nothing replaces in-person get togethers where employees gather outside of the business setting. If feasible, business leaders can consider postponing holiday celebrations to January when travel and accommodations can be more affordable and plan a get together in a convenient location. Holding a celebration in January also disconnects the celebration from a specific holiday, making it more inclusive to the entire team.

In planning any holiday fun, it’s always important to keep inclusivity in mind.Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and it is important that all team members feel comfortable and considered in holiday celebrations. Use terms like “happy holidays” and avoid the use of Santa Claus, or other holiday specific symbols in signage, cards and so on when planning for the season.

While the holiday office party may be a thing of the past for most businesses, employees are still interested in spreading some holiday cheer and deserve to celebrate their accomplishments from the year. While lavish holiday office parties may be a thing of the past, holiday celebrations with a valued team, shouldn’t be. Cheers to a festive and fun holiday season!

Trick or Treat: Recent Brand Wins and Fails

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In the spirit of the Halloween season, we thought we would take a look at some tricks and treats in corporate communication efforts from the past several months that have made headlines. From widespread crises to clever spooky-time initiatives, brands and organizations around the world are experiencing tricks and treats impacting their brand.

Getting Tricky

Shein,a Chinese clothing company known for fast fashion, made headlines recently when they invited a group of influencers for an inside look at their factories. This trip came after several journalistic investigations last year revealed unsavory business practices including violations of labor laws and an environmentally unsustainable business model. The idea behind the trip was to have a positive image of the company presented by trusted influencers.

Unfortunately for Shein, this attempt to reclaim their brand image was not well received by the public since influencers only toured and commented on the company’s innovation center rather than multiple locations. Some accused influencers of taking part in a “propaganda stunt” as they shared reports with followers of clean factories and happy workers. After the backlash, some influencers ended their relationships with the company.

Shein’s experience is a key lesson in transparency and influencer marketing. While influencers are trusted by the public, they are not a surefire marketing tool and can present new risk exposure. A better approach from a communication perspective would have been for Shein to have a more honest and open conversation with the influencers, talk about prior news reports of poor conditions, point out discrepancies and note changes that were made to improve the work environment for employees.

In other news, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently pushed for a recall of about 52 million vehicles made with parts by a supplier, ARC Automotive, due to defective air bag inflators. General Motors (GM) manufactured approximately 20 million of those vehicles and recalled nearly one million in May for the same reason. The potential recall comes just two weeks after members of the United Auto Workers began to strike. GM made a statement in response to the NHTSA saying, they “believe the evidence and data presented by NHTSA at this time does not provide a basis for any recall,” per CNBC. “If GM concludes at any time that any unrecalled ARC inflators are unsafe, the company will take appropriate action in cooperation with NHTSA.”

GM has an obligation in the scenario to communicate a message regarding public safety. While vehicle manufacturers have come a long way in terms of safety standards over the last several decades, and the court of public opinion requires they tread carefully. Although GM’s concerns with the data presented could be valid, they could be seen as failing to prioritize customer safety. A good communicator will always encourage leadership to message with a sense of humanity, considering all sides of a situation and would have encouraged any messaging to include customer safety at the top.

Time for a Treat

It can be hard to gauge just how much candy to buy in preparation for trick or treaters.This year, Mars, the manufacturer of M&M’s, teamed up with delivery service GoPuff to create the M&M’s Halloween Rescue Squad. On Halloween after 3 p.m. ET, consumers can visit the M&M’s website to order free M&M’s in all locations GoPuff serves.

As one of the most popular candies in the U.S., M&M’s is taking a smart step to reinforce a positive brand image. Earlier this year, M&M’s was caught up in public controversy when they made changes to their “spokes candies” to remove gender norms from the characters. The controversy was thought to ignite a culture war that garnered the attention of national news outlets, political commentators and more. Less than a year later, the Halloween Rescue Squad is a way for media and the public to engage with M&M’s in a more positive, timely way.

Good communications can be a treat – or win – for your company, elevating your brand and bringing new customers to your door. But beware the trick of an ill-considered communications strategy. Partner with a public relations team who understands your business, your needs and can see the big picture.

Q&A with Will Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Independent Agent Magazine

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About Will Jones: Will graduated from Coventry University with a bachelor’s degree in english and journalism in 2010. Before joining the Independent Agent Magazine team in 2017, he gained exposure to the insurance industry while working for an insurance brokerage based in Portland, Oregon, where he currently lives with his wife, two children and border collie.

What motivated you to enter trade media, specifically covering the insurance industry?

Ever since I had my first byline published when I was 15 years old in a soccer fanzine called The Gooner, I wanted to be a writer. Writing about soccer was my first choice of subject matter with everything else second. Ultimately, having a niche, no matter what it is, motivated me to enter insurance and remain here.

What do you enjoy most about covering the insurance space?

There is a lot to love about covering insurance. First of all, everybody needs it, so everyone can relate in some way. Second, it’s considered an unattractive industry to be a part of, but I love owning that and trying to change people’s minds. And now, the longer I’ve been covering the insurance industry, the more I understand and the more I enjoy it.

What are you most proud from your career as a journalist?

In all honesty, being paid to write is an accomplishment in itself. I went to university and got a bachelor’s in “English and Journalistic Studies.” However, graduating in 2010 meant that employment, nevertheless paid writing work, was hard to find. I did a lot of online internships, set up blogs, traveled and was paid pennies per word for freelance work before finding my way here. I don’t think I got paid to write until I was 24 and didn’t get full-time writing work until I was 28. I nearly gave up on multiple occasions. There was a lot of rejection.

What would you say was your biggest challenge in covering the insurance space?

From an industry perspective, there is a lot of technical information to interpret. I am not an expert, but my work is read by experts. That is always a challenge. Also, we face many of the same challenges other publications face, such as finding the balance between print and digital publishing, walking the line between advertorial and editorial content and maintaining relationships with sources. Also, given some of the bad news announced by many major companies recently, making sure our coverage is fair, objective and equal is another challenge.

What would you say is the best story you’ve broken over your years in the industry?

As a magazine, we don’t typically “break stories.” However, instead, our success relies on getting ahead of trends and making predictions so when we’re writing a story six weeks before publication, the information is still relevant at the time of publication.

What advice would you give to a reporter just starting out in covering the insurance industry?

The insurance industry is full of very welcoming people, so I have been very fortunate to meet and work with people that are open to spending time with me to help me learn. If you can approach the industry humbly and start building relationships that expand your contact list, you’ll be able to move forward much quicker. The more people you know, the easier it gets. That won’t happen immediately but by reaching out to people, setting up introductory calls and subscribing to the trade e-newsletters, you’ll start to figure it out.

Can you share some of the top industry trends you’re looking out for over the next five to 10 years?

Currently, the hard market is set to dominate the industry for the foreseeable future. However, what the market looks like when we get to the end of it is a different matter. A lot of people are assuming  this hard market is going to be like other hard markets where it returns to normal once the cycle is over. I find that hard to believe. Technology adoption, CAT events, inflation, post-pandemic impacts, political instability, the list goes on. I don’t think this is just going to come out in the wash.

Can you tell us about a hobby/passion you have outside of work that helps you unwind and recharge?

As a father of a 2-year-old and 5-year-old, “unwind” and “recharge” don’t really come into my vocabulary. But when I do get a day to myself, watching soccer is what I’d do first. I am also a runner and have recently moved from road running to trail running. Living in Oregon provides lots of great opportunities for that.

About the magazine: Independent Agent magazine is the authoritative source of information for professionals who sell insurance for independent agencies. Independent Agent primarily serves property-casualty independent insurance agents and brokers and is a benefit of membership of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Barbie in Crisis: Lessons in Crisis Communications from the BarbieVerse

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Anticipated to remain the top-grossing movie of 2023, Barbie has made its mark in the minds of people everywhere. Praised for its uplifting, realistic message told through a fantasy medium, the Barbie brand has once again proven its power over pop culture. As she manages a multitude of relatable crises throughout the film, there is plenty we can all learn from her approach and experiences.

Let’s take a look at two Barbie crises and what parallels may be drawn to how a company should best handle a crisis situation of its own.

Crisis #1: Barbie encounters challenges when she steps away from what she knows

The BarbieVerse is a world of extremes full of bright, fun and energetic elements that add to the appeal. However, as we learn in the movie, living in extremes is unsustainable and at times, exhausting. When Barbie leaves home to step foot in the real world, she finds it difficult to adjust and manage what the real world throws at her.

The same can happen in the business world when faced with a crisis. Remember BP CEO Tony Hayward after the 2010 tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? He too found it difficult to adjust when the real world came bearing down on him. Instead of moving forward with a thoughtful approach considering those around him, he became infamous for memorable, ill-conceived comments like “you know, I’d like my life back” and “It’s a very big ocean.”

Perspective and strategy are key when presented with a crisis. While business owners are not sitting in Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse, then forced into the real world when something goes wrong, such a scenario might not be far off. When crisis hits, remember to maintain perspective, assess the situation and develop a thoughtful plan. Think about how your company’s news will be received by the public and keep a level head.

Crisis #2:  Barbie loses her dreamhouse and her problems compound

Throughout the film, Barbie is challenged to overcome emotions and scenarios that have never existed in her world. From taking back her dreamhouse to taking on the real-world Barbie executives, she is tasked with managing crises that seemingly continue to build on each other.

Unfortunately, if a business owner fails to address a crisis at its start, it can fester and grow into an even bigger problem. Consider Will Smith’s Oscar slap. When Actor Will Smith slapped Comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, it may have been wiser from a PR perspective for Smith and his team to take a step back and assess. They might have then opted to remove a clearly heated Smith from the situation and develop a carefully thought-out plan for developing positive messaging related to the incident. Instead, Smith went on with his evening. Some even say he appeared defensive in the comments he made while receiving the Oscar.

Again, business leaders in a crisis should take the time to assess their situation, consult with experts and ensure they consider the possible repercussions of their actions and how they might contribute to the greater solution or problem.

Crisis Take Aways

A summer blockbuster with a happy ending, Barbie ultimately found a way to manage her crises and move forward. Business leaders who want to ensure their company is prepared for a crisis should consider partnering with a public relations team that specializes in crisis communications. A good PR partner will encourage your business leaders to abide by these best practices in the event of a crisis:

  • Assess the situation
  • Make a short-term plan
  • Identify a crisis response team and clearly define each member’s roles
  • Create or implement media and social media crisis response protocols
  • Consider your audiences in your messaging
  • Tell the truth

The Barbie phenomenon has taken over our social media feeds. It is no secret that weaved into the layers of satire presented in the film, there are a world of lessons we can all learn from Barbie. While you might not be thinking “what would Barbie do?” when considering your company’s crisis communications plan, it may be time to consider a new perspective.