| Your free trial subscription expires 8/14/20. Go here to extend your term, only $79/year. STAT OF THE DAY According to data from Adzooma, people are less likely to follow brands on social media if they speak up on politics—but 63% are more likely to buy from a brand that speaks up on politics. The data reveals a disconnect between consumers behavior on social media and purchase intent. COVID-19 UDPATE
Are you asking the right questions about DE&I at your organization? Here’s how FOFO (Fear of Finding Out) might be skewing your internal surveys and other measurement tools as you try to tackle structural inequality.
Healthcare PR requires a careful hand. How can you make sure your message and campaign checks all the boxes for this complicated industry—particularly during a pandemic? Here’s a list you should check out. Social media is a crucial tool for building brand authority. Are your thought leaders and subject matter experts getting the necessary amount of visibility? Here’s how PR can help you build a vibrant and respected brand on digital platforms. Prepare your employees to build trust. Blindsiding your workers is disastrous for morale, as well as undermining engagement and trust within your organization. Here’s how to make sure your workers are primed for tough times ahead. Finding the silver lining behind the pandemic. How can you find positivity amid waves of bad news? Here’s how to reframe this difficult time in terms of an opportunity to set your organizations up for success for years to come. Is there such a thing as remote work culture? Here’s how one pioneer of the completely virtual office says remote work destroys workplace camaraderie and his argument why many will try to return to an office after COVID-19. He writes about his remote work experience: For starters, we have no company culture. There is no team. There are no relationships. I have people working for me who I've personally seen face to face maybe five or six times in the past decade. I’ve had employees of my own company meeting each other for the first time at a client’s location in the middle of a project. We do not have a softball team. We don't barbecue on Friday afternoons or get together for pizza at lunch. Should you prepare to onboard contact tracing tech? Virginia has launched an app that can help trace the virus, showing how technology might already be available to help keep employees and customers safe and track the virus within your community. A small shift in remote work could have big cultural implications. Here are a few predictions about what could change in our everyday lives if workers don’t meaningfully return to the office—from politics to careers. Alaska Airlines joins other airlines in requiring masks on flights. The change comes as many businesses are taking a stand on mask use—despite resistance from some who claim health concerns and other reasons for not being able to wear a face covering. The company shared the announcement on Instagram: 
Live Nation says it has lost 98% of its revenue during COVID-19. The concert promoter described its path forward in a statement that focused on financial liquidity and a return to live events in 2021. The Music Universe reported: “Over the past three months, our top priority has been strengthening our financial position to ensure that we have the liquidity and flexibility to get through an extended period with no live events. Our expectation is that live events will return at scale in the summer of 2021, with ticket sales ramping up in the quarters leading up to these shows.” the company says in a statement. Special Report Get a free copy of Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board’s “Organizational Responses to Black Lives Matter,” a concise and meaningful review of how 10 brands responded to the Black Lives Matter movement—from best to worst—and the lessons taken from each response. Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Communicators Virtual Conference Sept. 17-18 to learn beast practices and tactics for improving diversity and inclusion in your workplace and making your comms programs reflective of your core values and beliefs. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and after the crisis. As a board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter—as well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources—plus a peer-to-peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at HannahL@ragan.com with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com. Your free trial subscription expires 8/14/20. Go here to extend your term, only $79/year. | 
