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From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the AP Stylebook will release a new print edition of its must-have reference manual. Online subscribers have had access in recent weeks following a virtual panel preview led by AP Stylebook Editor Paula Froke at the ACES: The Society for Editing national conference.
The new entry on gender-neutral language is getting a lot of attention and includes guidance to use terms that can apply to any gender; consider any word or term that has the effect of emphasizing one gender over another, for example “search” instead of “manhunt”; and use terms such as “chair” or “chairperson” unless the -man or -woman terms are specified by an organization.
The latest edition of the AP Stylebook will include more than 200 new and revised entries. Some of the other notable entries previewed during the virtual panel include:
- climate change– The terms global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably, but climate change is the more accurate scientific term to describe the various effects of increasing levels of greenhouse gases on the world because it includes extreme weather, storms, and changes in rainfall patterns, ocean acidification and sea level. Global warming, the increase of average temperature around the world, is one aspect of climate change. The terms climate crisis and climate emergency are used by some scientists, policymakers and others, and are acceptable.
- homeless, homelessness– Homeless is generally acceptable as an adjective to describe people without a fixed residence. Avoid the dehumanizing collective noun the homeless, instead using constructions like homeless people, people without housing or people without homes.
- mistress– Do not use this archaic and sexist term for a woman who is in a long-term sexual relationship with, and is financially supported by, a man who is married to someone else. Instead, use an alternative like companion, friend or lover on first reference and provide additional details later.
- plus symbol– The symbol is acceptable when it is pronounced as part of a company, brand or event name: Disney+, Apple TV+, ESPN+, CompTia Network+.
- preheat– Acceptable to refer to heating an oven to a specific temperature before cooking.
New guidance on sexual abuse and sexual assault is also included. The entry says to proceed with care when using these terms, and to pay close attention to legal definitions, which vary by jurisdiction.
AP Stylebook Product Manager Colleen Newvine also announced at the ACES meeting that future print editions of the AP Stylebook will be published less frequently to focus on the flagship AP Stylebook Online. The shift to printing a stylebook every other year comes as more users subscribe to the digital product, which is updated continually throughout the year.
The AP Stylebook is the definitive resource for journalists and a must-have reference for writers, editors, students and professionals, providing fundamental guidelines for spelling, language, punctuation, usage and journalistic style.
My copy of The Associated Press Stylebook 2019 arrived in my mailbox after Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee had already issued the order to shelter in place, so learning AP style has been one of my projects while social distancing.
Faced with reviewing a 600-page book filled with rules, I was a little intimidated. My first instinct was to read through it like a textbook or reference it only when I had a question about a term. As I became more familiar with how the information was arranged, I discovered that this book would require a different style of learning. If you’ve never encountered AP style before, here are some of the most important, commonly used rules.
The AP Stylebook was first published in 1953 and has since defined the standard of journalism and mass communication in the U.S., helping to keep the media’s vocabulary and formatting consistent. It outlines basic rules on grammar, punctuation, usage and journalistic style, but also reflects changes in common language. Since 1985, the stylebook has been updated annually. Every year the editors add new words as terms spring into popular use, adjust capitalization and spelling, and deter people from using pejorative expressions. The timely updates published by the AP Stylebook are especially helpful when reporting in a rapidly evolving situation like COVID-19. For example, the recently released guidelines define that I must shelter in place due to a shelter-in-place order and the editors help differentiate between antiseptics and disinfectants.
As I started reading through the book, I became curious about how people learned AP style and if their experiences were similar to mine. Luckily, I have access to eight wonderful team members at Communiqué PR who answered my survey about when they were introduced to AP, how they learned it, and what rules they remember offhand. This survey is clearly not representative of PR professionals because of the tiny sample size and the distinct sampling limit. However, it was a huge help for me in determining best practices in learning AP style and some of that insight might also be helpful for mentors or teachers supporting others.
Here are my results:
- Half of my colleagues were first exposed in college and the remainder were introduced to AP style in a professional environment like an internship or job. These differences proved to have a large impact on how people learned AP, likely because of the difference in support structures and the consequences of mistakes.
- Most respondents agreed that referencing the AP stylebook as they worked on assignments was one of the best ways to learn AP style.
- Those who learned AP style in a professional environment found personal research, including research around the history of terms and their grammar, to be another important strategy to learning AP, followed by asking questions. In contrast, my colleagues who learned AP style in college placed asking questions higher and research lower.
- Finally, my co-workers rated reading through AP Stylebook’s Twitter posts, discussions with others and lectures from more knowledgeable AP users toward the middle of their choices, but that ranking was widely variable.
From this information, my personal experience and research, I have seven tips for people learning AP style.
- Double-check your knowledge of the parts of speech, including general sentence construction, and other elements of English grammar. This will help your writing and give you a better foundation for learning AP style.
- Use multiple techniques and try not to limit yourself to one method of learning AP style. Everyone learns differently and using multiple methods often supports memory.
- Read articles and other text written in AP style.
- Enjoy the learning process. Try reading through AP’s Twitter feed in your free time or highlight the book when you find a surprising or interesting entry.
- Use AP style as much as possible, in work and in your personal life. Immersion in AP style will help you learn it faster, as it does when you learn another language.
- Make a checklist of common mistakes you make and double check your work.
- Ask skilled users of AP style questions when you reach an issue you do not know how to resolve. By working through it and discussing it with someone, you will remember that rule better and gain insight on how other writers use AP style.
For those mentoring AP learners, I recommend the following:
- Emphasize consistency by recommending that every piece of work your learner completes (even emails!) follows AP style. Referencing the AP Stylebook then becomes a habit and they have low-stakes opportunities to make mistakes.
- Supply resources. Make sure that the learner has his or her own AP Stylebook, mention AP Stylebook’s Twitter, send them articles to read that were written in AP style, call attention to annual changes, and try to arrange time when your learner could ask about or discuss AP style.
- Decide how much support you can dedicate and communicate that to your learner. Can you proofread their work? Do you have time to answer their questions about AP? If not, let them know so they can supplement their learning elsewhere.
- Reference the AP Stylebook yourself to set a good example and identify elements that confuse you or may surprise your learner.
AP style can be challenging to learn. Terms and usage change annually, there are hundreds of pages of dense content, and some rules defined in the AP Stylebook are surprising or even contradictory to general English grammar and vocabulary. However, learning AP style has been a rewarding endeavor and I have appreciated my discovery of this perspective into mass media in the U.S.
Organizations in nearly every industry are facing unique challenges brought on by COVID-19. Businesses are determining how to be nimble and maintain their operations, while keeping their employees and customers safe.
As a result of government mandated stay-at-home orders, the global remote workforce has expanded seemingly overnight. This change has brought an increase in the adoption of digital collaboration tools such as MS Teams and Zoom. Although states and businesses around the U.S. are beginning to reopen, the concerns around resuming large events and gatherings loom, which is forcing organizations to switch up their typical strategies and consider more permanent solutions to be successful in the new remote ecosystem.
For example, attending and exhibiting at industry trade shows are a large lead-generating and networking source for global companies, with more than 90 percent of trade show attendees in search of new products or service providers, according to research from Exponents.
While some trade shows are still scheduled to take place, many events have been canceled or switched to virtual settings. Nimble and proactive companies are taking a second look at webinar and virtual conference platforms to continue engaging with their current customers and partners, as well as their target markets.
A recent example of this is our client, Delta-Q Technologies (Delta-Q). Last month, Delta-Q announced its new on-demand four-part educational series. Titled “The Charge,” the virtual series will provide Delta-Q’s customers and partners – original equipment manufacturers – with guidance to design and leverage modern charging solutions in their electric floor-care machines. Essential businesses including hospitals, large grocery outlets and manufacturing facilities are still in operation, and the cleaning crews for these buildings need to ensure their floor cleaning equipment will clean surfaces as efficiently as possible. One way to ensure this reliability is through modern onboard electric charging solutions.
Delta-Q’s webinar delivers free educational content to the manufacturers of these types of essential cleaning equipment and machines.
We were excited to help Delta-Q raise awareness about this resource and the impact reliable equipment can have on essential operations. Below is the media coverage we have secured thus far to promote the webinar among key players in the floor care and electric equipment sectors.
- CleanLink: Webinars To Discuss On-Board Charging – 4/27/20
- Rental Equipment Register: Delta-Q Offers On-Demand Educational Series on Onboard Charging and Software Capabilities – 4/24/20
- Access, Lift & Handlers: Delta-Q to offer free educational series – 4/23/20
- Electronic Products & Technology: The Charge – Webinar series – 4/23/20
- Material Handling Network: Announces New On-Demand Educational Series on Onboard Charging and Software Capabilities – 4/22/20
- EE World Online: On-demand videos cover design of charging schemes for electric floor machines – 4/22/20
- Power Electronic Tips: On-demand videos cover design of charging schemes for electric floor machines – 4/22/20
If you are considering developing a webinar for your organization, refer to this helpful article: 10 Best Webinar Software Platforms of 2020. It analyzes 10 webinar platforms and shares the solutions’ pros and cons.
Microsoft, Amazon, and Zillow have announced that regardless of when local governments lift stay-at-home directives, their employees can continue working from home through at least October 2020. That flexibility has been seemingly well received; however, many people are looking forward to being able to venture away from home for a change of scenery and in-person interactions.
Many business leaders are evaluating how and when they can safely re-open offices and what that will look like. Business leaders are facing decisions about monitoring employees’ temperatures, how to change office layouts to provide 6 feet of separation, or schedule changes to minimize the number of employees onsite at one time.
According to a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article, experts suggest that:
“Every employee entering the office each day should be screened, according to the recommendations. They should be asked if they’ve traveled in the last two weeks, their symptoms in the last two weeks, the symptoms of their household members, their current symptoms. And their temperature should be checked to ensure it’s less than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. All logs should be kept confidential and separate from employees’ personnel files.”
This is new territory for employers. For some businesses it will likely make sense to continue having employees work remotely for the foreseeable future after considering the risk of employees being infected, costs associated with effectively protecting workers onsite, and ability to comply with new regulations.
Fortunately, there are already several resources available to help guide employers:
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a website offering guidance for businesses, including a state-by-state reopening guide.
- Madrona Venture Group, in conjunction with a number of other companies, has developed a Back to Work Toolkit. The Toolkit guides business leaders through topics including how to prepare the office; tenant and landlord responsibilities and communications; workplace PPE, cleaning protocols; screening, tracking and tracing; and workplace design.
- JLL has developed a workplace re-entry checklist, as have other commercial real estate companies.
As companies evaluate their specific circumstances, it remains important to communicate. Transparency around the decision process and criteria can make it easier for employees to understand why a certain decision was made. There is a heightened sense of anxiety during this time. Employers that embrace frequent, clear communication can help minimize some anxiety for their teams.
We are continuing to monitor local direction from the city and state as we start evaluating when we believe it makes sense for the Communique PR team to return to the office. We are watching to see how other businesses re-open and learn from their experiences. Fortunately, our team has been able to seamlessly transition to working remotely – although as a social group, we definitely miss being together.
Today when I drove from my home to our empty office to pick up mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, I had the opportunity to catch a few minutes of Michael Barbaro, host of The Daily, who interviewed the New York Times’ Donald G. McNeil, Jr. They prognosticated about the next installment of the pandemic and what they expect society will look like. It got me thinking about the future of work and I thought I’d share a few of thoughts on how this life-changing and thoroughly disruptive pandemic will impact Communiqué PR, its clients, and many other businesses like ours.
Here are my predictions for the next 12 months:
- Work from home will remain the norm. Until there is a vaccine or reliable treatment (or the disease isn’t spreading), I can’t imagine that we’ll want our team to risk their lives to come into the office, especially since they can work so effectively from their homes.
- Video communication will remain the most efficient and effective means of staying in touch. Before the pandemic, we didn’t use Microsoft Teams, but now it’s become a daily feature of our workdays. We also use Zoom, but Microsoft Teams is our go-to tool because of its integration with SharePoint and the ability to access so much of our company’s data from one location.
- Operating expenses will continue to shift. We will not spend as much money as in previous years on team lunches, team building in person, or business travel. Instead, we will invest in technology that allows our team to work more efficiently from home. Perhaps, when things get more normal, we will spend money on virtual team-building activities or training opportunities.
- Results and ROI will be the name of the game. We anticipate our clients will put more emphasis than ever on ensuring every dollar they spend on PR provides a clear and measurable return. It will be more important than ever to measure results and show how those results are providing a return. It will also be vital to consider and focus on the strategies and tactics that will offer the highest probability of success at the best value.
- Learning and training will happen virtually. We will embrace new tools like Panopto Express to create and share video via YouTube, Google Classroom or from Panopto’s reliable and secure video-content management system. This free solution will enable us to use video more effectively for staff training. It is a great way to record and share a PowerPoint presentation.
- Team composition. We are fortunate to have a talented team of full-time staff and a team of professional freelancers that augment our capabilities. This blended team allows us to scale our business up and down to accommodate our clients’ needs and special requirements. I envision that we’ll continue to rely on this combination in the coming months.
Longer Term Changes
- Homes will become more important and we may choose not to lease as much office space and instead invest in our team’s home offices. This investment may include both hardware and software.
- Conservation of resources will remain a top priority. We’ve seen shortages of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and sometimes food. In addition, many of us are concerned about climate change and the impact that consumption has on the environment. This pandemic may forever change our collective perspective and behavior around what we truly need.
We are all navigating uncharted waters with the global and ongoing impact of this strain of coronavirus. Navigation will require flexibility, keen forward thinking, and the resolve to be brave, nimble and open-minded to satisfy and sustain the needs of our clients in this unsettling new world. Few of us imagined we’d ever face anything of this magnitude in our lifetime. Adversity often breeds tremendous innovation and supreme focus – drawing out the best of all of us – and I fully believe we’ll emerge stronger for having endured this world-changing event. No less a pundit than Francis of Assisi said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
This week marks the eighth week of working from home for the Communiqué PR team. We consider ourselves fortunate to have a job that we can perform from home, and that our team is supportive of one another during a stressful and uncertain time. Despite the unforeseen circumstances, the transition to working from home has been relatively painless for our team. We are grounded in our core values, which inform our attitudes and perspective and guide us as we move forward. Without such a clear understanding of what we strive for, I imagine the past eight weeks would have been a lot more difficult.
During a time like this, it may prove beneficial for teams to dust off their core values and find ways to inject their company culture into their day-to-day operations. Outlined below are some of the ways I’ve seen the Communiqué PR team deliver on our core values.
Deliver Superior Results. We have remained dedicated to delivering results for our clients, recognizing the unusual circumstances we are in. I’ve seen an open dialogue between our team and our clients, as we assess changing needs and circumstances.
Embrace Client Service and Partnership. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were quick to offer support to our clients in developing internal and external messaging about the crisis. We have continued to put our clients first and add value in every interaction.
Collaborate and Work as a Team. We have continued to hold our morning team meetings, in which we often strategize with each other to find solutions to problems and drive results for our clients. When one team tries something new and finds success, we share it with each other in case another account team could benefit.
Nurture a Proactive, Positive Spirit. When an account team experiences a win, we share the win with the rest of the office via email or in virtual meetings and celebrate our accomplishments together. We also encourage each other to continue onward when we feel fatigued and think proactively about next steps.
Think Strategically. Given the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, we have been kept on our toes. As we balance driving results with being sensitive to changing trends, we’ve had to consider multiple perspectives as we think through problems to determine the best solutions.
Foster Creativity. When in the office, we hold meetings to brainstorm creative ideas for our clients. This is a practice that has been ongoing during quarantine. We’ve also shared our setbacks and successes with each other, which has helped team members get out of ruts or see a new way to approach a scenario.
Take Time to Celebrate and Create Fun. Communiqué PR has held a handful of virtual happy hours. One happy hour was to celebrate a birthday, to which one of our team members showed up wearing a party hat. We take time to connect over how we’re staying sane during quarantine and celebrate our personal and professional wins.
Act with Integrity. Working remotely requires self-discipline and integrity to produce quality work and meet deadlines. Our team has continued to work productively and with a consistent set of actions, methods, principles and expectations. Our outcomes are driven by honesty and transparency with each other, our clients and our partners.
Be Respectful. Knowing everyone is under a great deal of stress, we have paid extra mind to show respect to our team members, clients and the media with whom we regularly partner. We understand that everyone is doing the best they can, and respect others’ decisions.
Embrace Growth and Change. The current global health crisis has turned the world upside down and cast a shadow of uncertainty on the future. Communiqué PR has not let that get us down. We are taking each day one at a time and doing the best we can to be flexible as we move forward. The world of public relations is always changing and will continue to do so after COVID-19, and Communiqué PR is prepared to take each change in stride.
Core values support the vision of a company and help shape its culture. They are the essence of the company’s identity. In addition, core values educate clients and potential customers about what the company stands for. Having a strong foundation of values can help teams draw closer together during the highs and lows of the future.
How would you define your company’s core values?