PR Future, the USC Center for Public Relations Podcast

Inspired by Selena Gomez’s own mental health journey, Rare Beauty was built with a focus on mental health as the heart of its brand. When Rare Beauty was launched in September 2020, its commitment to truly making a difference through de-stigmatizing mental illness and spreading resources and self-love through their products and programs was evident. 

But when the brand was being conceptualized, incorporating social responsibility and community impact into the products and everyday practices of a beauty brand was uncharted territory. Enter Elyse Cohen, Vice President of Social Impact & Inclusion at Rare Beauty. Cohen has championed social impact efforts at even more companies and organizations, most notably working with former First Lady Michelle Obama as the deputy director of the national “Let’s Move!” campaign. And in her time thus far at Rare Beauty, she has helped create the mold for what a purpose-driven beauty brand looks like.

In this episode, Elyse and Fred discuss how Rare Beauty has reached its vision of spreading self-love and mental health resources for all in the age of social media and unrealistic beauty standards. From partnering with an array of mental health nonprofits to donating over $1.2 million in proceeds through the Rare Impact Fund, Elyse describes how Rare Beauty’s everyday operations put social engagement at the forefront of its brand.

Featuring:

Elyse Cohen (@ElyseCohen), VP of Social Impact & Inclusion at Rare Beauty

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

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Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

In 2016, patent attorney Vanessa Otero posted a chart on the web. It was a simple graphic, rating the bias of news sources. And it went absolutely viral. This chart was the first of many iterations of the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart, a map that helps news consumers, educators and communications pros navigate the complexities of today’s media landscape. While the chart began as Otero’s own content analysis work, today, it is created by a team of professional analysts who are politically balanced, and who review media sources every day. Despite the state of today’s polarized media landscape, Otero remains an optimist. She believes that we can all learn how to safely navigate our current media environment and reduce polarization — as long as we take purposeful steps to become more media literate. Brands, Otero says, have an undeniable role to play in increasing media literacy, and the Media Bias Chart and other tools can help.

In this episode, Vanessa and Fred discuss ways that communications professionals can combat polarization and how the current media landscape influences our profession. Vanessa also provides tips on how we can all cultivate a healthier “news diet,” filled with unbiased facts. 

For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8 and the playback of the Relevance Report 2021 Discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK7keTLMP9U.

Featuring: 

Vanessa Otero (@vlotero), CEO and Founder of Ad Fontes Media

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

Creating a truly purpose-driven communications campaign is a nuanced and laborious process — one that has become increasingly crucial in the world of public relations. In an era where brands are expected to be a part of social change efforts and use their influence for good, it is essential that companies have a road map for creating authentic campaigns that make an impact. 

Luckily, our team at the Center for Public Relations analyzed almost 300 purpose campaigns in early 2020 to create just such a map. Our associate director Burghardt “BT” Tenderich and director of strategic planning at Weber Shandwick Julia Kiefaber, who led this research and the resulting study entitled “Trends and Best Practices in Brand Purpose Communications,” share some insights from their work for practitioners in this episode of #PRFuture. Tune in to hear Fred, Burghardt and Julia discuss everything from using your organization’s channels to make change to the future of purpose-driven communications in the global landscape. 

For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8 and the playback of the Relevance Report 2021 Discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK7keTLMP9U.

Featuring: 

Burghardt Tenderich (@btenderich), Associate Director of the USC Center for Public Relations, USC Annenberg Professor

Julia Kiefaber, Director of Strategic Planning at Weber Shandwick, Industry Fellow at the USC Center for Public Relations 

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

This past year and a half has been nothing short of historic. As we’ve chronicled momentous events in real time through a communications lens this season, our guests have provided invaluable insight into effectively addressing some of the most prominent social issues of today. Change, especially large-scale social change, is never easy. But through our research this past year, we’ve discovered that communications professionals have a significant role to play in creating it. How we work, why we create the content and campaigns that we do and who we stand up for will all play a role in the formation of our new normal.

In this special season finale episode, Fred and ZaZu bring together what they’ve learned from prominent communicators, political researchers and journalists this season in the context of the 2021 Global Communication Report. ZaZu and Fred will review some of the best advice they’ve received from our guests on everything from diversifying the workplace and leading with purpose to navigating the complex social media landscape and communicating effectively in a polarized nation.

This discussion is part of our series on the 2021 Global Communication Report, available now at https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report.

For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8 and the playback of the Relevance Report 2021 Discussion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK7keTLMP9U.

Featuring:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Guest Host:

ZaZu Lippert (@zazu_lippert), Noemi Pollack Scholar, USC Warren Bennis Scholar, B.A. in Public Relations, USC ‘22. Executive Producer of the #PRFuture podcast, co-author of “Trends and Best Practices in Brand Purpose Communication.”

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

Political scientist Jennifer Kavanagh believes that there’s more behind polarization than just the existence of opposite perspectives. In 2018, she published a report with RAND CEO Michael D. Rich that proposes a framework for understanding one of the deeper issues behind the division in our country: truth decay. In a nutshell, the phrase “truth decay” describes four different trends around facts and opinion contributing to the shift away from data: increasing disagreement around facts and data, the blurring of the lines between the two, increased influence of opinion and commentary and declining trust in key institutions.

In this episode, Fred and Jennifer discuss where these trends stem from and how they’re contributing to our current national landscape. Jennifer also proposes some potential strategies for combating truth decay, including how businesspeople and scholars can uniquely respond to this national issue. 

This discussion is part of our series on the 2021 Global Communication Report, available now at https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report. 

For more on these topics, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8

Featuring:

Jennifer Kavanagh (@jekavanagh), Director of Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program at RAND Arroyo Center. Senior Political Scientist and Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

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Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

In her book “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out,” journalist and author Amanda Ripley introduces the framework that there are two types of conflict: high conflict and good conflict. In America, Ripley believes that we are stuck in a vicious cycle of high conflict — one that is destructive and unproductive. But as Ripley tells us, there is still hope for the future, for us to return to a place of good conflict. 

In this episode, Fred and Amanda discuss some of the ways that corporate communications are impacted by high conflict and might play a role in supporting the return to good conflict, as well as how we can best communicate the facts to our audiences in a time when people find it increasingly difficult to agree on what the facts even are.

This discussion is part of our series on the 2021 Global Communication Report on public relations, available now at https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report. 

For more, check out the playback of the 31st Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YQGTFQpP8

Featuring:

Amanda Ripley (@amandaripley), New York Times Bestselling Author and journalist 

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global public relations firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

Key Words:

Public relations, polarization, politics, media, election, business, government, purpose, communications, unity, #PRFuture, high conflict, journalism, good conflict

From cooking red and blue spaghetti while hosting Democrats and Republicans around her dining room table to leading dinner events with hundreds of people from diverse political viewpoints in communities across the nation, social sculptor Philippa Hughes has been entrenched in the polarization issues that plague our country, and intent on solving them through grassroots efforts to start conversations. Her dinner series, “Looking for America,” aims to bring people together across the political divide to have frank conversations about politics and try and find common ground. 

In this episode, Fred and Philippa discuss the current state of polarization nationwide, trends in political conversation that Philippa has identified through her work and how we might be able to help bridge the great political divide as communications professionals.

This discussion is part of our series previewing the 2021 Global Communication Report, available now at https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/global-communication-report.

Featuring: Philippa Hughes (@philippahughes_), Social Sculptor 

Host: Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

While it seems like people with different political ideologies can’t agree on anything these days, one thing we can all agree on is that our nation is polarized; perhaps like it never has been before. As we enter into a new political era with messaging focused on reaching across the divide and restoring a sense of unity, we talked with Christina Bellantoni, an expert on all things politics and polarization who spent 12 years reporting in Washington, about the future of polarization. 

In this episode, Fred and Christina discuss how we can combat some concerning predictions for the future indicating an increase in fake news and conspiracy theories, how journalists and PR pros can work together to promote the return of honest communication, and ways we might be able to turn hope for the future as we navigate this pandemic into decisive action for change. 

This discussion is part of our series previewing the 2021 Global Communication Report, coming soon. View the preliminary results at https://center4pr.medium.com/usc-annenberg-study-finds-polarization-of-america-will-likely-increase-despite-calls-for-national-49c02ebb623f

Featuring:

Christina Bellantoni (@cbellantoni), Director of USC Annenberg Media Center and former L.A. Times editor, D.C. reporter

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @Center4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

The Gen Z and Millennial audience is often an enigma; to seasoned PR practitioners, their obsession with TikTok videos clocking in at 60 seconds or less, the ever-evolving Instagram culture and their use of various media channels as catalysts for change — such as during the Black Lives Matter movement — can be hard to puzzle through. This week, we talked with three USC Annenberg PR students who tackled various aspects of the future of our industry in their essays for the 2021 Relevance Report to discuss the habits of their generation and where they think the communications industry is headed. 

Adrine Keosian, Melvin Dilanchian and ZaZuLippert offer insights into which channels are the best to reach young people through, the emerging focus on purpose-driven communications and its importance and what young people expect from brands in the future. 

This discussion is part of our series reviewing the 2021 Relevance Report, a collection of essays from industry leaders which explores how to communicate with American consumers during this unprecedented time of COVID-19 and heightened political divide. Download your copy of the 2021 Relevance Report today at annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations/relevance-report.

Featuring:

Adrine Keosian, M.A. in Strategic Public Relations and Advertising, USC ‘21

Melvin Dilanchian, M.A. in Strategic Public Relations and Advertising, USC ‘21

ZaZu Lippert, B.A. in Public Relations, USC ‘22

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @USCCenter4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations

As we inaugurate a new president amidst a pandemic and civil unrest, new data from the 2021 Global Communication Survey gives us valuable insight into what this next year may hold. In this episode, our guest Dr. Ulrike Gretzel, senior research fellow at the USC Center for Public Relations, discusses the preliminary findings with Fred, exploring the expected impacts of the Biden administration on activism, polarization, diversity and inclusion and more. 

As they dive into predictions including increased political polarization, an increase in activist expectations of business involvement in social causes and a largely divided opinion on whether we will experience new unity or increased civil unrest, Dr. Gretzel imparts how we can communicate effectively in these divided states of America, and how it will take the efforts of government, business and media together to unify our country again. 

View the preliminary results at https://center4pr.medium.com/despite-bidens-call-for-national-unity-usc-annenberg-survey-forecasts-increased-polarization-and-3ac413de60b

Featuring:

Dr. Ulrike Gretzel (@UlrikeGretzel), Research Fellow at the USC Center for Public Relations 

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman Emeritus of Golin, a global PR firm. Author of “Improvise - Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO” and Director of the USC Center for Public Relations

Follow us: @Center4PR (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)

Newsletter: News from the USC Center for Public Relations

Visit our website: https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/center-public-relations