Millie F. Dizon

WITH students trooping back to school, juggling both face-to-face and online classes, it’s a great time for the next generation of PR pros to learn what it takes to succeed in this very specialized field.

CRISIS management is an important part of every PR practitioner’s life. Whether it’s a customer complaint, an accident, an environmental issue, or a matter of national significance, it is something that can affect a company’s reputation and has to be dealt with much strategic thinking and grace.

AS communicators, we know that good writing is the holy grail of our profession.  It sells products and services, builds brands, creates goodwill with customers and stakeholders. As they say, good business writing is a matter of survival.

Now that things are easing up, events are slowly emerging, company plans put on hold are being implemented, and brands are back with what’s now and what’s new.

Part 1

WE’VE all heard the phrase Death by Meetings, and it’s not surprising. After all, as Bill Novelli says in an article in prnewsonline, “we spend enormous amounts of time in live and virtual meetings—probably the most common and consuming activity in our professional lives.”

DO you “work to live” or “live to work”? Research at Yale, Jessica Stillman mentions in an article in Inc.com., says that people can be divided into those who see work either as a job, as a career, or even as a calling that is central to their identity.

AS we approach midyear, it’s a good time to reassess and reconsider how we look at things.  After all, everything is changing around us—brought about by the pandemic that we still have to cope with, world events, and closer to home, national elections.  And how we approach these challenges will certainly matter.

After two years, the games have finally begun!  We can now enjoy Philippine Basketball Association, UAAP, and NCAA games from the hardcourt in person from our favorite sports arenas or feel the energy live on television or streaming services.

MASTERING good business writing is a must for all communicators. After all, “great business writing isn’t just about style,” says Jessica Stillman in an article in Inc.com. “It’s about survival.”

WE all know how the pandemic has not only put a lot of pressure on our physical health, but also challenged our mental health as well. The good news is that paralleling the inroads made in finding cures for Covid, last year was also a busy and productive one in the field of positive psychology.

NOT too long ago, millennials – and later on Gen Z—were every marketer’s focus, dream, and biggest challenge. How does one, after all, reach out to a segment that represented the largest population group apart from baby boomers? How do brands entice a generation—boosted by technology and changing attitudes and values – so different from the rest?

WE all talk about how Covid has changed our lives. And as we look forward to exiting the pandemic, we also realize that this massive global shake-up has come with practices that seem here to stay.

AS PR Pros, we are all potential wordsmiths. The way we speak and write can create beautiful programs for our company and clients, boost their visibility, and craft unforgettable images.

WHATEVER you plan in 2022, seeking your own happiness should be tops on that list. And why not? Happy people are said to be more responsible, and more successful. They maintain relationships better, are more likely to give to charity, and help to make the world a better place.

THE New Year brings with it great hope for a better time, a better world. A year of Covid, crazy weather, and an incredibly unpredictable business environment has brought about great anxiety, burnout, and even trauma for many in 2021.

THE fascinating thing about TikTok is that while we are all enthralled by it, many of us don’t understand enough about it to make it work. Nevertheless, it remains a Holy Grail in social-media because of numerous TikTok success stories.

WITH the easing of restrictions as cases decline, offices that have been on a work-from-home mode are slowly opening again. And employers are spending a lot of time determining how to bring people safely back into the office.

AS going green increasingly becomes part of the initiatives of many companies, communicators working in organizations should grow in their awareness of environmental issues and sustainability. More importantly, they should be able to communicate these efforts well to boost their company’s image.

MORE than ever, we’ve suddenly found ourselves swamped with meetings—endless virtual meetings that leave you zoomed out; and from time to time, face to face meetings that seem to go on forever.

READING can be healing, and is a good place to start recovering after a year of uncertainty, struggle, and loneliness.

WITH things slowly reopening, there will definitely be changes in working arrangements as WFH workers prepare to go back to office life.  But what kind of office will they be going back to post-pandemic?

Part Two

Part One

PR pros will be interested to know that last Sunday May 16 was the celebration of World Communications Day. As a backgrounder, World Communications Day was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration that encourages us to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that the modern means of social communications (the press, motion pictures, radio, television, and the Internet) afford the church to communicate the gospel message.

AT a time when millions of school children around the world are homebound and studying remotely, it’s a good time to look back at the beginnings of distance learning.  And we will be surprised to know that while technology and the pandemic has made this seem like a modern concept, long-distance correspondence actually began in the mid 19th century when the US Postal service was developed.

DURING the early months of pandemic, we were all initially excited about Zoom meetings. Working from home, these connected us to the office, to business partners, to friends and colleagues during the lockdown.

EVERY New Year brings with it aspirations for hope, a fresh start, a new beginning. But after a year that changed the world, the desire for better times and a better world resonates so much stronger as we welcome 2021.

AMID all the economic difficulties, as well as the growing anxieties brought about by the effects of the pandemic, there could be a spark of hope, a silver lining ahead of us.

‘YOU actually go to your office to work?” Many of my colleagues in public relations and marketing express surprise—and disbelief—when they learn that yes, I have been going to office regularly since May.

DURING this time of the year, marketing professionals would normally be busy organizing conferences, trade shows, concerts, and on-site events. They would also be preparing plans for Christmas, which for many businesses is the happiest time of the year.  But that was it seems, in another life—meaning before March this year, when the impact of the coronavirus struck like a bolt out of the blue.

LIKE all things related to the coronavirus pandemic, change has redefined today’s PR practice. While most of us communication practitioners have focused on day-to-day concerns—work from home arrangements, spreading good news amid all the challenges, and handling crisis matters—we should use this opportunity to also think about the future.

SINCE the coronavirus pandemic began, PR pros have been on overdrive testing and honing their communications skills as they address their stakeholders: employees, customers, business partners, community members.

WITHOUT a doubt, the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. And that includes the way we speak, and the way we write.

IN last week’s column, we wrote about how working from home (WFH) has transformed from a trend into a necessity.  We also gave some tips on how we can do this efficiently, keep our spirits high, and as the song goes, make lemonades out of lemons.

WITH the recent extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), most PR pros would probably have had their fill of Netflix series binges, news updates, and other on-line activities.

IN the past few days, the inevitable has happened. Taking a page from what other countries have done, the government has declared the whole of Luzon on enhanced community quarantine for a month.  And most of us find ourselves having to stay home and work from home (WFH).

Part Two

DID you know that the average time people spent in meetings doubled from 10 hours a week in the 1960s to today’s average of 23 hours a week?

FOR the past few weeks, the coronavirus has swept headlines. Nikkei Asian Review, which is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus, gave the following updates on February 5:

FOR many years, marketers have applied the 4Ps of marketing—place, price, product and promotion—into their programs and strategies, at times with much success.

Part Three

In last week’s column, we answered the letter of Deanna Y., who asked what PR practitioners can look forward to this year, which is also the beginning of a new decade.

Dear PR Matters,

THIS past week, we welcomed, not just a new year, but with the onset of 2020, a new decade. We ask ourselves now, where did all that time go?

Part Three

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Part One

While we have tackled the subject many times, we still get a lot of inquiries from readers on how they can improve their writing.

Dear PR Matters,

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Part Two

In this week’s column, we will take a different approach to our usual mode of answering readers’ questions related to public relations.

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