The Public Relations Blog

Axia Public Relations breaks down what it means to plan S.M.A.R.T.

Learn more about the improved version, the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. process.

Each of our clients has a personalized public relations plan. We collaborate with company marketing leaders to develop their communications for the quarter, year and future. We’re experts in planning and executing great strategic communications, and we know how to make them sharp and SMART.

And what exactly does SMART mean? We’ll break it down for you.

If you’d like help drafting your marketing and communications plan, Axia offers that service.

How to make the most of social media when times are tough

Even the most seasoned public relations professionals find managing social media in a crisis challenging. News spreads fast on social media. Things can escalate in a matter of minutes. Marketing departments are often in a position where they must act swiftly and shrewdly when their company’s reputation is at stake. The good news is that social media can help you mitigate crises when you use it wisely.

A storm with the magnitude and destruction of Hurricane Harvey has not hit the United States since social media has infiltrated our lives. From Twitter to Facebook, people turned to social media to help family members reunite, to ask for donations and even to plea for rescue from the floods.

In addition to the individuals who were using social platforms, government entities and media outlets took to social media to broadcast critical updates. Companies also used social media to communicate key updates.

While nothing can fully prepare a company for a disaster the magnitude of Harvey, it’s a good idea to think about a crisis plan for your company. For Florida companies in the path of Hurricane Irma, here are some social media tips to have on-hand as your company prepares in the days ahead.  

Planning proactively for potential crises with 3 key strategies

Lately you can’t turn on the television, log in to social media or pick up a newspaper without noticing a company’s public relations crisis unfolding. We have all seen what happens when a company isn’t prepared for an unexpected situation. It spirals out of control and creates a media storm of negativity. Your company can’t always prevent a bad situation from happening, so the more prepared you are, the better skilled you are to handle unforeseen circumstances.  Preparation can quickly turn a negative situation into a positive outcome.

Use PR to avoid, endure and outlast whatever trouble strikes your company

A public relations crisis can happen to any company of any size at any time. Sometimes, they happen quickly, like the scandalous retirement of the CEO or inappropriate comments made by a top executive. Others develop slowly, like disgruntled employees whose behavior eventually begins to affect customer service.

It’s been quite a busy summer for Disney. With a fair share of controversy, it’s safe to say Disney’s public relations team has been working hard all summer long. If you’re not familiar with the headlines, here’s what’s been going on at Disney in 2017 and three PR lessons you can learn from Mickey and crew, along with their competitor.

3 ways to ensure your company receives fair treatment in the media

In the last several months, news programs and media pundits alike have attempted to unravel the meaning behind President Donald J. Trump’s tweets. When this effort falls short, President Trump’s spokespeople regularly opine that the media has an obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter – and little of what he does as president.

What your company can learn from Oscar’s biggest goof

It was the moment everyone was waiting for: the announcement of this year’s best film, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

And then the presenters called the wrong name.

And how your company can too

Your competitor hits a crisis and is facing bad headlines. Good news for you, right? Not necessarily. If you’re going to capitalize, you need a public relations plan and you need one NOW.  A public relations firm that has seen it all can act quickly to help. In this case, McDonald’s hit headlines for all the wrong reasons. When an Arizona mom began swab-testing McDonald’s play areas and finding dangerous pathogens, the fast-food giant banned her from its restaurants. Let’s look at McDonald’s mistakes and how Chuck E. Cheese’s acted smart and fast to take advantage of the crisis.

3 ways you can combat fake news about your company

For those who studied journalism, the fake news phenomenon likely guts you like a knife. Our centuries-old career remains governed by a code of ethics, yet is regularly called into question in an era when anyone with internet access can call themselves journalists and appear semi-legitimate.

Fake news isn’t creatively disseminated or opinion-rich news; it is fraudulently created, completely false and non-fact-based information presented as news.