PR Future, the USC Center for Public Relations Podcast

Fulfillment and purpose: two things that we all search for throughout our lives, and maybe have been thinking more about lately in our new normal. And two things that Global CEO and Founder of WE Communications Melissa Waggener Zorkin thinks about constantly. Leading with purpose and fulfillment in mind, Melissa and her agency have built strong, authentic campaigns over the years for big companies like Microsoft and Khan Academy.

Melissa's secret to success? Listening intently to internal voices and connecting everything they do to an organization's innate purpose. In this episode, Melissa will discuss the importance of having a diverse employee base and the increased need for focusing on diversity retention in the communications industry, what it means to find your organization’s purpose, and how to tie it to your campaigns to create authentic content that resonates with your audiences.

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/relevance.

Featuring:

Melissa Waggener Zorkin (@melissawz), Global CEO and founder of WE Communications

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman 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

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

This year, we’ve not only experienced a pandemic that continues to upend our lives, but the resurgence of a powerful racial justice movement that has reminded us all that it is time for change. It is time for equality. It is time to put in the work across our industry and many others to dismantle white supremacy and systemic racism, and establish a work environment where everyone sees themselves represented and feels comfortable speaking their mind.

In this episode, our guests Bill Imada, chairman of IW Group, Julia Wilson, CEO of Wilson Global Communications and Margenett Moore-Roberts, chief inclusion officer of Golin and IPG DXTRA, discuss ways that agencies and corporations can improve their diversity efforts and in turn, find greater success. They also offer their predictions on the impact of the 2020 presidential election.

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.

Note: This episode was recorded in December 2020.

Featuring:

Bill Imada, chairman of IW Group (@IWGroup)

Julia Wilson, CEO and founder of Wilson Global Communications (@wilsonglobalcom)

Margenett Moore-Roberts, chief inclusion officer of Golin and IPG DXTRA (@IPGDXTRA)

Host:

Fred Cook (@fredcook), Chairman 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

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

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

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

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

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

As part of USC Annenberg’s PR Futures podcast, Professor Burghardt Tenderich spoke with USC alum and former Annenberg Executive in Residence, Pilaar Terry. Pilaar is currently the Managing partner and COO of POV Agency and the conversation covers her experiences as a founder, client relationships, advice to those starting out and more.

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.