Category: Digital & Creative

The following list highlights the innovative ways that the PR industry is evolving. Recognizing that the tried-and-true methods (e.g., press releases, press conferences, etc.) will continue to drive tangible value for many companies, this list identifies some exciting new options that are worth exploring to better reach key consumer audiences and tell stories in more dynamic and engaging ways...

Steve Salvador, Director of Video and Brand Programming at APCO explains why more brands should feel emboldened to be benefactors...

Dasha Iventicheva—senior associate director at APCO Worldwide and member of the Strategic Partnerships and Global Engagement team sat down with Sue Kim, Head of Global Partnerships and Philanthropy for MIT Solve, an APCO client...

America is exhausted and brands offered A-list celebrities and light humor-driven Super Bowl ads. Bill Dalbec analyses Super Bowl LVII ads...

While it's impossible to think of every possible scenario, UX designers must work diligently to consider as many situations as they can...

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close and as companies wind down their celebration efforts, it’s an opportune time to revisit how Hispanics continue to shape the United States, as well as the challenges they face year-round. As consumers of data, companies should care about where their data comes from and how it was collected, especially when that data is being used to inform corporate strategy...

The tools used in today’s learning environment have evolved over the past two years as the educational landscape adapts to external factors...

VTuber refers to a digital creator persona who streams using a virtual avatar generated by computer graphics also known as “CG.”..

Increasingly, people want to see real people living an unfiltered life, speaking on issues that matter and simply keeping it real...

Gen Z finds themselves logging in to social media to discover new trends, friends and brands—and often-times find new products to buy...

There’s never been a better time for more people to be given license to think more creatively to solve problems at work...

This is 2022 and brands are making a leap toward a more creative approach to bridge the communication gap between themselves and clients...

So, what sets companies that can come back stronger from a crisis from the rest? It comes down to battle testing...

Incorporating social impact into a strategic digital plans is an important way to increase social awareness...

This has been the most highly anticipated technology revolution in a long time, and it is staring right at us...

APCO Insight analysed UK-based Twitter followers of four Tory MPs tipped to succeed Johnson according to two key criteria...

AI is an exponentially growing force across industries, with new AI products revolutionizing the market and adding ease of doing business as a core component of the workspace...

Published ahead of COP26, a new report by Logically and APCO Worldwide found a worrying link between climate change misinformation and COVID-19 conspiracy theories...

As the world’s largest women-owned and independent advisory and advocacy communications consultancy, it’s our responsibility to not only celebrate the work we’ve done so far, but to continue to push ourselves to do more and to do better...

Disinformation isn’t new, but in today’s digital world, it's as omnipresent as it is nebulous. How can we combat such a pervasive threat without finding ourselves playing an endless game of whack-a-mole? What role do individuals, platforms, and companies play in turning the tide against bad actors and towards a renewed emphasis on fact-based reporting and messages grounded in truth?..

The core digital principles of knowing your audience, listening, having a clear message, building trust with your audiences in credible ways, and being authentic and transparent still matter...

Even with Germany’s EU Council Presidency coming to an end, it is expected that digital transformation in the financial sector will still be a widely discussed topic in 2021, in particular, as it intertwines with other legislative plans at the European level...

A rising social consciousness fueled by the rapid evolution of digital communications has compelled companies to make social impact a core tenet of strategic program development. Corporate social responsibility has evolved from sidecar activities to bolster reputation to strategic investments in concrete action connected to larger purpose and impact strategies for the business, more and more often with C-Suite buy-in...

The Chinese Communist Party leadership recently came together at the Fifth Plenum to review and formulate the country’s next Five-Year Plan (FYP). This context provides insight into the role “dual circulation” will play in future reforms...

Like America’s major political parties, companies all over the world are grappling with how to re-engineer a live event, especially one that has strategic importance to their business. There are some useful lessons emerging from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions about what’s working, and what’s not, in virtual event programming...

APCO's digital team in Europe used a qualitative approach, that focused on the cultural contexts surrounding online conversations, to gained interesting insights into how various audiences interacted online to create a unique fan experience that was more virtual and unlike any other Champions League final ever before...

While person-to-person interaction is at an all-time low as we struggle to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, grassroots advocacy and social media engagement is at an all-time high. Phone2Action’s Stephanie Stouffer, an APCO alumna, joins our hosts on the latest episode of Essential Bytes to discuss the unique opportunities presented by the unified collectives emerging online in the wake of COVID-19 and renewed calls for social justice...

Welcome to Essential Bytes, where APCO’s team of digital strategists discuss their perspectives on the latest digital news, reveal challenges they’re facing and highlight the opportunities that lie ahead for brands online...

COVID-19 has had a profound impact around the world. The use of digital technology to facilitate effective communication has intensified and cutting-edge tech is booming...

Media relations and social media communications are more important than ever during this time of fast-paced news cycles and endless Twitter debates, driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic...

Research demonstrates that it is critical for brands to use their advertising to amplify their COVID-19 efforts and solidify their role in the community. As you develop advertising messaging here are three things to focus on as you build the right message...

One of the most jarring consequences of a pandemic in our interconnected world has been the restriction of individual movement. The freedom to travel, locally or abroad, has been limited. Beyond canceled vacations, the travel, tourism and hospitality industries have been crippled and only recently, experts began imagining the future of travel in a post-COVID-19 world...

The world has changed and while you need to be aware and evolve, you can’t go quiet until you need your advocates again. A campaign that is nimble in managing against the evolving landscape and demonstrates an understanding of who its advocates are and what information they need to be able to take meaningful action is always going to be impactful. ..

COVID-19 has forced the 2020 campaigns—much less our connections with friends and family—into virtual mode for the foreseeable future...

As more of the world works remotely, video allows us to remain seen and heard. But when the situation calls for recording video with a mobile phone, how can you ensure you look and sound your best?..

While in-person events may be the preferred method for many gatherings, virtual events can—with proper planning—be an effective way to educate, engage and inspire your audience...

Intelligence from APCO Worldwide’s proprietary COVID-19 Response Index (CRI) show that brands such as Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Pepsi are underperforming in consumer online conversations despite having pushed out messages of reassurance, hope, and health...

As industry professionals, we have a responsibility to seek the truth and only share information from credible sources. As people and a community, we must always strive for an univocal relationship with the truth in everything we share...

There have been countless 2020 trends posts written as we enter the new decade. APCO's European digital team takes a closer look at which of the many-predicted trends will matter most to our industry in 2020 and beyond...

As we look ahead to 2020, at least in an ideal world, every designer should be aware of the implications and effects of the tools we use, and the products, services, campaigns and brands we research, plan and enable across societies...

In the coming year, we will see brands investing more in analytics and finding new ways to leverage data sets to create customized, transparent and credible experiences that continue to inform and achieve quality (over quantity) results...

For people working in public relations and political communications, the notion of alternative facts presents many challenges. As an industry, we need to become more discerning about fact-checking to recognise exploitation for what it is, and more importantly to have an unambiguous relationship with the truth, whatever the channel or form of communication...

While watching Evil Dead 2 recently for the 20th time, I suddenly realized horror tropes are metaphors for what it’s like to be a career creative sometimes. Here's how:..

Twitter is stepping back from political ads; what does that mean for issue and advocacy campaigns?..

We’re operating in a divisive digital environment where people are actively advocating for issues, only engaging with brands that align with their values and being openly vocal about brands they think are doing it wrong. The pressure is on for companies to continually push towards and build authentic connections with their key audiences...

For a long time, communicators have said that we need to reach, target and engage our consumers with great creative. Instead, we need to be expanding how we talk about creative to reach the consumers of the future...

APCO's Flor Marenco-Adelberg shares key lessons and takeaways from the Design Matters 19 conference in Copenhagen...

In today's world, how can organizations engage with important events that they weren't invited to? APCO's Dan Smith shares a few digital tips and tricks to make your presence felt at events, even if you don't have any boots on the ground...

For organizations looking to use digital targeting to support their public affairs efforts, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t possible when it comes to individual or small group targeting using paid social, as well as best practices for reaching the right individuals and achieving the best result possible...

Understanding who and what influence decision makers online allows communicators to make more informed decisions about indirect influence strategies..

There are reasons to be optimistic and excited about the promise of machine learning in medicine, but the path and speed towards wider implementation is hard to predict...

The expertise and frameworks to ensure that the mathematical foundation of AI and machine learning algorithms are ethical and fair has not kept up...

When I was a child, I knew when I grew up, I wanted to be a horse. Yes. A horse...

To better understand the future of health care, members of APCO’s global team took a closer look at the industry and shared analysis on the issues that will define the sector moving forward...

Health is always undergoing change – what is new today, will certainly be old by tomorrow. Actors in the industry need to understand how patient preferences are evolving and driving innovation...

Settlers of Catan is an apt metaphor for the geopolitical developments that accompany China’s rise to the world stage...

Bill Dalbec, managing director of APCO Insight, takes a closer look at the Super Bowl LIII ads and what they mean for the brands behind them...

A digital analysis of Americans’ perception of Emmanuel Macron...

Given the fraught political and social times we’re living in today, brands are stepping up to take a stand on issues seemingly more than ever. This is primarily due to consumers becoming more informed, louder and organized to put pressure on brands – all through the ubiquity of engagement on social media platforms...

APCO Partners with Crowdskout and the Grassroots Professional Network on New e-Book, “The Intersection of Innovation and Advocacy” ..

This year’s final round of the presidential election on May 7th will force voters to choose between two non-traditional political parties. Cody LeBlanc takes a look at the conversations surrounding it...

If President-elect Donald J. Trump calls – or tweets – are you ready? ..

The future of digital in Seattle is rooted in the optimization of SEO, the implementation of niche influencer programs and the individualization of content...

A new survey from APCO Insight reveals some interesting trends on the U.S. public’s perceptions of the power of social media...

A strong resistance has given birth to a newfound explosion of creativity since Trump's inauguration: Individually, collectively and organizationally...

Jo Kimble responds to The Times' "Big Brands Fund Terror" story...

To say that Super Bowl advertisers were operating in a new era this year is a bit of an understatement. ..

Bay Area technology professionals think their industry can solve major domestic and global problems. D.C. policy elites are less confident, but agree that tech should take the lead in trying...

The sanctity of the courtroom has been invaded by the Internet and the use of social media. Courtroom justice is played out across the globe in the nanoseconds it takes to put information online for use and abuse by interested and committed parties...

Across categories—from apparel to automotive, food and beverage to personal care—global competition, new domestic entrants, and digital transformation are making it more difficult for brands to stand out, to differentiate, to win new customers, to maintain loyalty, and to achieve word of mouth buzz. ..

To grow your audience and spread your message in today’s noisy digital landscape, you need to change the way you communicate. This means working backwards from the traditional model and starting small...

On the surface, it can be difficult to understand how artificial intelligence has anything to do with communications because communicators are most likely to understand their consumers, right?..

Second only to “blue sky thinking,” “thought leadership” may be the most irritating and overused corporate phrase. What does thought leadership mean? Is it more than just jargon? Can it ever make a positive contribution? These were some of the questions our Dani Lebor was interested in exploring at the European Digital Advocacy Summit in Brussels. ..

Through my time as a community manager, I have learned these six key elements to successfully advocate for an entity’s brand on social media:..

As internal social media (ISM) becomes more prevalent in the workplace, how is this impacting employee engagement? wwwwwww..