Marketing has always revolved around storytelling. Meanwhile, that storytelling is created by first coming up with a solid communications plan.

That means developing a transparent understanding of the way in which the brand or the company will be reaching the target audiences with the right messages.

As a polymath, or someone who knows a lot about a number of different things, one of Ahmed Mostafa’s most notable quotes goes, “It’s not the s… we face that defines us, it’s how we deal with it.”

Companies that conduct ineffective PR campaigns usually pay a steep price, not to mention bad reputations. Most faux pas are self-inflicted and could have been avoided with some forethought.

Recently, the social giant Facebook announced that it would start testing ads inside its virtual reality system Oculus Quest. The company announced that the ads would be tested inside one of the games of the device, called Blaston, by Resolution Games. Additionally, the public was informed that the ad program would then continue to expand into other games.

The goal of this testing effort was to enable the company to create a self-sustaining platform that could help VR development in the future. Sometime later, Facebook started putting up ads inside some of the virtual reality apps offered in the Oculus Quest device.

Brands need to have a vibrant and active social media presence today. That’s just a fact of doing business in the modern world. However, being on social media comes with both benefits and dangers. The latter includes direct, continual contact with fans and customers. The opportunity to engage, to solve problems, and to influence the narrative about and around the brand in the consumer public.

However, when mistakes are made, all of those benefits can act against the brand, amplifying a momentary lapse and creating a monumental PR crisis. When that happens, the issue should be dealt with carefully and directly… But what comes next? Let’s take a look at how brands should use the tools available on social media to mitigate a PR crisis and move forward to re-establish the brand’s reputation.

It was a headline most people never thought they would read: a national disinfectant brand begging consumers not to inject or otherwise ingest their products. And yet, that’s exactly where the parent company of cleaning brands Lysol and Dettol found themselves after a strange moment in a presidential press conference, during which Donald Trump talked with medical advisors about UV light and disinfectant as options to kill COVID-19.

Given the nature of the exchange, the comments were framed and packaged in many different ways, leading to a wide variety of claims about the comments, some of which could have created PR challenges for disinfectant brands.

A newsworthy story generates massive pickup throughout the media. ‘Viral’ would be another word that can be used in place of newsworthy.

In the field of Public Relations, there is one cardinal rule; whatever steps you take in creating spin or buzz, it has to be picked up by the press. All the PR in the world won’t do any good unless people get to see it. Here are the five most important traits in ensuring that your PR efforts are reported far and wide

There’s an old adage that you only get one shot to make a first impression. That was true the first time it was said, and it’s exponentially truer in the days of digital marketing and online media, when a single interview – good or bad – can be played, indefinitely, on an endless loop, meaning people are “introduced” to new audiences all the time… a dynamic that is often out of their control.

The rules for a successful TV or online video interview go all the way back to the first televised U.S. Presidential debate, when candidates Kennedy and Nixon squared on in prime time. Kennedy looked cool and poised, while Nixon appeared sweaty and nervous. The impressions of those watching at home were solidified, and Kennedy beat Nixon handily. 

Any casual observer can say there’s a building trust issue with the media at large. Most consumers will say that they trust a few outlets but greatly distrust the others, mostly along partisan lines. It’s a touchy subject in some circles, but one that requires some reconciling, especially since people still get their perspectives and messaging through media sources.

Recently, the head of one powerful media brand described this issue as “a crisis of trust.” Speaking to CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” Time Magazine owner Marc Benioff said he sees a “crisis of trust,” not just in the media, but in the world at large. Time, he hopes, will be part of the solution to this emerging problem.