Plus: Target pulls back on Pride merch; Baidu’s PR head fired for videos of harsh management style. Apple took the unusual step of apologizing for an ad and pulling it from its TV rotation. Gleefully titled “Crush!,” the advertisement hawks the new iPad Pro by showing a hydraulic press compressing a number of artistic tools, including musical instruments, paint, sculptures, fashion mannequins and more. At the end, after all these tools of human creativity are destroyed, the new iPad Pro remains. It’s an understatement to say that the ad didn’t go over well, especially among Apple’s core const ..read more

A new episode of The Friday Reporter podcast. Amie Parnes is senior correspondent for The Hill newspaper, covering the White House among many other D.C. and political things. She tells us in this episode that she has always wanted to be a journalist and shares some fun anecdotes about her courage in advocating for herself. Fast forward to 2024 and an abrupt change in her employment situation, it is that same tenacity that has her restored to a top spot at one of the busiest D.C. newsrooms. With three best selling books co-authored with her colleague and another on the way, Amie Parnes still ..read more

Randi Liodice shares what inspires her. Randi Liodice, president & chief strategy officer at Kaplow Communications, is renowned for her expertise in advising top communications and marketing executives across consumer, finance, and technology sectors.  With over two decades of experience, Liodice has curated impactful narrative strategies for blue-chip clients like CVS, while also mentoring agency staff on integrated strategy, presentation skills, digital communications, and analytics. The chief strategy officer is not just a strategic mastermind; she’s also a trained singer. Her abil ..read more

Intel’s Leslie Douglas discusses AI’s many applications in this on-stage Power Conversation. Leslie Douglas, now global director of social media at Intel, is an award-winning social media and marketing professional who cut her teeth at organizations including Accenture, PwC and Booz Allen. At Ragan and PR Daily’s 2024 Social Media Conference at Walt Disney World this past March, Douglas spoke with Ragan editor Sean Devlin on our Power Conversations stage about Intel’s approach to AI, its implications for communicators and how it will change the creative process on the job. “All of us in the wo ..read more

There are right and wrong ways to do it. Linda Rosenblum is media relations director at Red Thread PR. We are inundated with campaigns from brands every day that are attached to some kind of awareness day or month. From impactful moments like Black History Month in February to lesser-known occasions like World Zombie Day (October 13, if you’re curious), it seems like every brand is leveraging these moments to stay relevant in the minds of their key audiences. But as consumers have come to anticipate these campaigns on their feeds, they are smart enough to cut through the nonsense, it begs the ..read more

From newsletters to podcasts. The goal of media relations is never to get clips for the sake of getting clips. It’s always to get placed in the media that your audience values and trusts most so that you can impact hearts, minds and behavior. That can be tricky when you’re targeting a small, cliquish group like Washington, D.C., policy insiders. Their trusted sources can change based on political whims, and which media you target depends heavily on which party your target affiliates with. But a new research survey from Avoq sheds light on which mediums and outlets insiders of both parties tur ..read more

Plus, Panera pulls caffeinated lemonade after safety issues, Disneyland announces massive expansion. Weeks after the U.S. Congress voted to ban TikTok unless it’s sold to an American company, the short-form video app is swiping back at the ruling. According to NBC News, TikTok is filing a suit against the government because it claims the law violates the free speech rights of not only the platform but its millions of users as well. “For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban,” TikTok wrote in the lawsu ..read more

A practical framework from Levi Strauss & Co. Measurement is the constant struggle of any communications pro. Putting into numbers how hearts and minds are being changed through a thoughtful, consistent communications strategy is a trial, and one that the industry continues to refine and perfect. It can be even more difficult to measure effectively when you drill down into more niche areas of the industry, like employer branding. It may be tempting to merely measure branding in terms of the number of applications received. But like any area of PR, the true picture will emerge only through ..read more

The classic race is updating itself for a new generation. Karen Freberg is a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville.  Everyone wants to target Gen Z when it comes to promotions, marketing, PR and experiences. From consumer brands to sporting events, everyone wants to capture the most valuable asset this audience has to offer: their attention. The Kentucky Derby is known for its history and tradition of horse racing, fashion and entertainment sporting experiences that have made it a bucket list item for 150 years. Their legacy for being a global premier sport ..read more

New updates from Instagram, X and YouTube. Last week’s IAB NewFronts event unveiled plenty of updates in the advertising space, but there are also lots of small but significant quality of life improvements on apps this week. Let’s dive into what these new features mean for you and your audiences. Meta Another week, another platform incorporating AI to improve ads. This time it’s Instagram and Facebook Reels that are cashing, using AI to create brands with and creator partnerships, deploying Image Expansion to ensure images in ads fit all formats and Reminder Ads to nudge users about sales or ..read more