The Public Relations Blog

By Wendy Bulawa Agudelo

Lately, Starbucks has been earning headlines for its Race Together campaign, designed to stimulate dialogue about the controversial topic of race relations. Americans immediately took to social media with unrest, questioning why a coffee behemoth would take on the dialogue – and, more importantly, why it would use handwritten #racetogether scribbles on disposable coffee cups to engage customers on a topic so controversial.

Would you like a discussion about race with your latte this morning?

By Lisa Goldsberry

You’ve probably seen all the news reports and social media posts about Starbucks’ latest PR campaign. In case you’ve just emerged from a deep cave and missed it, here’s the gist: In order to spark discussions about race relations between employees and customers, the world’s most famous coffee chain has begun writing “Race Together” along with customers’ names on their coffee cups.

If you ignore Google, it may ignore you!

By Jason Mudd, APR

Your company has followed all the smart advice about making the most of social media for business. Most likely, you have hired a social media manager (or outsourced one) who ensures that you have a constant presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and maybe even Instagram and Pinterest. You may also have some videos on YouTube. What about Google+?

Many companies have neglected Google+ because they feel it’s still new and unpopular. However, there are several reasons why you need to give this platform more than a passing glance. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Google+ should move to the front of the line when it comes to the social media focus for your business. Here’s why:

Use PR tools and tactics to fight back the right way

You Google your company name and one of the first things you find is a scathing review written by a disgruntled customer. Before you go into panic mode, stop and think.

For many people, the initial reaction is to strike back, maybe with a reply accusing the customer of not using the product properly. There are right ways and wrong (reputation-damaging) ways to respond to negative online reviews, and PR can serve as your guide.

Axia PR shares results from the TEKGROUP 2015 Online Newsroom Survey Report

Knowledge is power and at Axia Public Relations, we believe the more information you have about how the media works, the more successful you’ll be at attracting positive news coverage for your company. Therefore, we would like to share the TEKGROUP 2015 Online Newsroom Survey Report, which covers how reporters, editors and other news professionals work with online newsrooms and press releases.

Put the luck of the Irish and remarkable PR to work for you

March 17 is set aside each year as St. Patrick’s Day to honor one of Ireland’s patron saints. In America, it has become associated with parades, celebrations and channeling some of that famous luck of the Irish. For your business, it should also serve as a reminder that great PR requires a lot of planning and a little luck.

Get help from PR to promote your great company culture for Employee Appreciation Day

Your employees are one of your company’s biggest assets, and March 6 has been designated as Employee Appreciation Day for you to acknowledge their hard work. As you take this time to recognize individual achievement, you can also use this day to show off your company’s value as a great place to work.

Use the Axia PR crisis communication e-book to prepare yourself

If your company experienced a major catastrophe and your phones were ringing off the hook with reporters demanding answers and information, would you know what to do? Your customers and other key stakeholders would also be waiting to see how you respond. What’s the best way to address their concerns, remain truthful  and still protect your brand?

When a crisis hits, you won’t have time to pontificate. You will need to know best practices and take decisive action. With the Axia PR e-book Managing Public Relations in a Crisis, you can better prepare yourself to hit the ground running.

In media relations, use a sharp shooter, not a shotgun

To benefit our amazing clients, we recently invested in professional development by sitting in on a webinar called “Mass Pitching - Smart Strategy or Massive Mistake” to sharpen our media-pitching skills. You might be surprised to know that some reporters call out public relations professionals on social media for connecting with them poorly.

One of the many added benefits of hiring a PR firm is its ongoing relationships with members of the media and the firm’s ability to earn news media coverage on your company’s behalf. As a public relations firm specializing in national PR campaigns, Axia Public Relations diligently works to establish relationships with reporters in our clients’various industries in order to avoid a common mistake in the profession: mass media-pitching.

Why a PR firm is a great inbound marketing partner

Traditionally, the sales, PR and marketing functions haven’t always gotten along. There are squabbles over budget dollars, arguments over territory and confusion about who can claim success for various initiatives. Now, with inbound marketing, all that can change.

Inbound marketing represents a new way of selling and conducting your business online. It involves engaging your target audiences, building relationships and making more conversions by using the right kind of value-added content. A PR firm can make this process much easier.