In today’s hyper-connected world, nothing is temporary and everything is in the public eye. From the BooHoo modern slavery scandal to Nike donating 30,000 pairs of shoes to medical workers, the good and the bad will make headlines. Why? Customers everywhere demand companies be more transparent, empathetic, open and authentic. They now hold businesses accountable for their actions and praise those that do good.
SAN FRANCISCO — Allison+Partners has struck a partnership with Special Olympics aimed at promoting global awareness of the organization and inclusion.Under the three-year deal, A+P’s offices in 34 markets worldwide will provide in-kind PR support for Special Olympics sports, education, health, and leadership programming, as well as major events like the Special Olympics Unified Cup, which starts July 31 in Detroit, and Special Olympics World Games in Berlin in 2023.
Fans of HBO’s popular dystopian series “Westworld” are likely familiar with the Uncanny Valley Theory, which describes the unsettling feeling humans get in response to humanoid robots or hyper-realistic computer-generated characters. While the fantasy and technology the show portrays is thankfully not yet upon us, something a bit similar is in the marketing world – the virtual influencer. They are “real,” and they are convincing thanks to AI and machine learning.
At a critical junction of cryptocurrency history, the industry faces its largest shock to the system. The recent collapse of stablecoin Terra Luna triggered an industry-wide run on cryptocurrencies, with the bottom yet to be determined.
While we all hope never to come face-to-face with a crisis, it is one of those inevitable things we all tackle to varying degrees during our careers.
When it comes to a crisis, the best thing a PR practitioner can do is be prepared – whether that’s thinking through a contingency plan for an event or having reactive statements ready for any launch or activation.
Lisa: I can’t believe Cannes Lions has come and gone. It has been three long years since the marketing and creative community have been able to gather in person and I was looking forward to it from the minute I booked my ticket. While Cannes is always a very long week, it really does go by in the blink of an eye. This year was extra special, as our client Anheuser-Busch InBev was named Creative Marketer of the Year, and it was great to be together to celebrate. Instead of Rosé popsicles on the Croisette, we had Rosé beer! As a first-timer, Emily, what stood out to you?
Despite corporate support for regulatory action and the economic imperative to address climate change globally and in the United States, the Supreme Court decision today in the case of West Virginia v. EPA hinders the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate harmful pollutants, including carbon.
For climate advocates, corporate disclosure of climate impacts, goals and commitments has long been a key focus of engagement. Absent any formal requirements, consumers and advocates had to rely on the information companies were willing to share, or shareholders could force them to share, to understand how companies addressed the climate crisis. Oftentimes, this information was developed with a marketing lens, with less focus on the hardline business impacts from climate change. The proposed SEC rule on climate disclosure could change this dynamic, forcing alignment between what companies say about climate, and what they actually do.
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