Why you should hire a journalist 101. Okay, we may be a little biased with favoriting this article, but it does bring up some excellent points. Read our Weekly Rewind before you go seek out your next hire!

Transitioning into Public Relations

Many former reporters find themselves in PR, including some of us here at Cooper Smith Agency. This article explains why it’s a good idea to hire someone with a journalism background. Here are our favorite reasons:

• Reporters are right for the job because their success depends on locating the information they need to tell well-balanced stories — research, research, research!
• Reporters are experts at translating jargon into conversational and easy to understand language.
• Reporters aren’t divas! No one lavishes reporters with praises or riches, but they remain dedicated to their work.

A Social Media Checklist that will Save You

Becoming organized so you’re two steps ahead of every social strategy move is the best feeling in the world, but getting there can be a struggle. No worries, we’re here to help! This infographic from The Whole Brain Group provides a checklist of important tasks to keep social media profiles relevant and engaging. More importantly, it’s a great tool to hold you and your team accountable so there’s no excuse to fall behind.

Recovering from Bad Press

It’s almost impossible to skim through the headlines these days without seeing big company names like Uber, Pepsi and United Airlines getting chastised. As PR pros know, how a company reacts to bad press can be more important than what the initial error was. PR Daily advises pros to take the following steps in this exact order.

1. Do your research so you know exactly what’s being talked about and you can anticipate the hard questions.
2. Tell the truth because there is nothing more valuable to your brand than transparency.
3. Prepare your talking points and always be able to answer the “Why?”
4. Make yourself available to reporters quickly before you lose the chance to tell your story.
5. Follow up with the media to keep a relationship after the crisis is handled.

An Ad Done Right

Here’s a great ad to end your work week. Heineken is being recognized for their thoughtful commercial that’s been dubbed the antidote to Pepsi’s disaster. Experts say this is how you get a marketing message across. Watch and let us know what you think!