This presentation was given at a Ragan event in Chicago on July 21st "PR Now & Next Conference"

1. FUTURE
PROOF
PR
TEAMS
IN
THE
ERA
OF
FAKE
NEWS
Sandra Fathi
President
Affect
@sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
email: sfathi@affect.com
Ragan PR Now & Next Conference
Chicago, July 20-21, 2017
Slides: www.slideshare.net/sfathi

2. FAKE
NEWS:
BIG
BUSINESS
2

3. STATE
OF
THE
INDUSTRY
3
Fake News Epidemic
• Headlines & Tweets – People don’t read the content/check the link
• Low Media Literacy - Trust is easily earned when aligned with your views
• Fewer Reporters + Struggling Newsrooms + Rise of Citizen and Partisan
Journalism
• Click-bait Sites Mask as Reputable News Organizations
• Overreliance on Social Sites – Sensational stories = viral stories

4. FIGHTING
FAKE
NEWS
• Fact Check
• Vet the URL
• Follow the Links Back to the Original Story
• Search Key Elements: Phrases, Images, Author, Location
• Be Skeptical of Data & Charts
4
Source:
Quartz
Magazine

5. FAKE
OR
PAID?
5

6. BUYING
YOUR
WAY
IN
• Bloomberg – Custom Content $150K+
• Economist – Custom Content $20K+
• Financial Times – Paid Posts $65K+
• Fortune – Native Content $50K+
• Harvard Business Review $15K+
• WSJ – Branded Content $50K+
6

7. REPUTATION
AS
CURRENCY
Strong, Positive Reputation
• Cultivates trust, confidence, preference and loyalty
• Assigns character traits, moral and ethical code to a brand
• Sets expectation for future behavior, policies and products
• Attracts and retains top talent
• Drives financial performance
• Strengthens resilience in a crisis
7

8. SHEERAN
VS.
BEIBER
8
Who
was
arrested
for
DUI
in
LA
Last
Night?
Source:
Hollywood
Reporter
Source:
Daily
Mail

9. CHRISTIE
VS.
BOOKER
9
Who
pulled
a
neighbor
from
a
burning
home?
Source:
SG
Berman
Source:
PoliYco

10. J-­‐LO
VS.
J-­‐LAW
10
Who
had
cleaning
woman
fired
from
set
for
making
eye
contact?
Source:
Just
Jared
Source:
Glamour

11. KIND
SNACKS
VS.
NATURE
VALLEY
11
Which
raised
minimum
wage
in
all
manufacturing
faciliYes
to
$24.50?

12. UBER
VS.
LYFT
12
Which
company
found
to
have
not
conducted
‘mandatory’
background
checks
on
more
than
36%
of
drivers?

13. AMAZON
VS.
APPLE
13
Which
company
docks
pay
for
fulfillment
center
workers’
bathroom
breaks?

14. BUILDING
A
BRAND
1. Ethics
2. Employees/Workplace
3. Financial Performance
4. Leadership
5. Management
6. Social Responsibility
7. Customer Focus
8. Quality
9. Reliability
10. Emotional Appeal
14
10 Primary Components of Organizational Reputation
Source:
Business
Focus
Magazine

15. REPUTATION
OFFENSE
101
15
Proactive Ways to Invest in Your Brand’s Reputation
• Build Strong Owned Channels: Website, Newsroom, Multimedia, Social
Media, Newswires etc.
• Cultivate Relationships with Top/Key Industry Journalists
• Develop Influencer Relations/Customer Advocacy Program
• Consider Paid Opportunities/Sponsored Content
• Understand and Invest in a Strong SEO Strategy
• Review/Update Your Crisis Response Plan

16. NEW
RULES
OF
MEDIA
RELATIONS
• The gatekeeper is off-duty
• Credibility can be bought
• Social media makes/breaks stories
• Truth is relative
• Objectivity is almost non-existent
16

17. SUPPORTING
NEWS
LITERACY
17

18. EMERGING
TECH
• Machine Learning – Software that learns on it’s own. The more data it has,
the more it may be able to predict behavior or preferences.
• Artificial Intelligence - Building machines capable of human intelligence.
Typically implements logic, memory and decision-making capabilities.
• Virtual Reality – Immersive experiences are more powerful in engaging
the senses.
18

19. REINVENTING
YOUR
JOB
• ABL – Always Be Learning
• Don’t Be a Victim or a Perpetrator
• Educate Your Colleagues
• Best Defense is a Great Offense
19

20. THANK
YOU
Sandra Fathi
President
Affect
@sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
email: sfathi@affect.com
Slides: www.slideshare.net/sfathi