ReportWire

Tag: Public Relations

  • An Overnight News Success? Not So Fast

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    When it comes to a winning PR strategy, you have to bring your A game and be ready to deliver what reporters and producers are really looking for. Not sure how to play by their rules or where to start? No stress—we have you covered. 

    The voice of authority  

    There is no way around it; the bigger your name or the more recognized you are as an expert in your industry, the more appealing you will be to producers and bookers.  

    Building your name and your brand takes time, so remember the old adage: The one way to become an overnight success is 10 years of hard work. You must be strategic and allocate your time wisely, first and foremost focusing on your craft and building a business that validates your credibility. You could be incredibly talented or one of the most brilliant people in your field, but if the numbers, awards, and accomplishments don’t tell the same story, no one can verify your abilities.   

    No accidents 

    Building your public-facing brand should also be addressed intentionally. Networking, writing and publishing thoughtful content, submitting op-eds, and interviewing with regional and local news are seemingly small but important steps to growing your reputation and making you the “biggest name.” A publicist and a PR team play a strategic role in achieving some of these goals, from empowering you to make those network connections to fine-tuning your talking points to be more media-friendly. Before partnering with a publicist, ensure you’ve done your due diligence and have solid communication foundations in place; otherwise, your investment may not yield the desired results.  

    Despite doing all of this work to make yourself the biggest name, it’s important to remember that you seldom, if ever, will be the story. For example, a supply chain disruption, a sinking stock, or a regional wildfire are all examples of “the story” itself. Hopefully, you didn’t personally cause that supply chain disruption, sinking stock, or regional wildfire, but reporters will still want to talk to experts to make sense of the story for their readers, listeners, and viewers. When you establish yourself as the expert in your field or industry, it makes it a no-brainer for producers to invite you for commentary. 

    Tap into the trends  

    It’s critical to understand that reporters and journalists are constantly trying to feed the 24-hour news cycle with new content, ideally the hottest topic. If you read or hear about something in the news and think, “I could comment on that in my local news. I’ll work on a pitch next week,” don’t bother. You must be ready to respond in the moment. After reporting on it once, they may move on altogether.  

    In an era of breaking news, it’s not uncommon for the hottest topic to change within the hour. So, that means you need to have your talking points ready, be able to schedule an interview quickly, and respond to your publicist promptly. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that you will miss your moment.  

    Timing is everything  

    Keep in mind that in a 24-hour news cycle, a producer or reporter always wants to be the first to report on the hottest topic or breaking news. If you’re invited to interview or comment, you can’t delay scheduling until the next day or next week. Not only will they move on to someone available, but you run the risk of damaging your reputation.  

    It’s a hard truth, but important to remember that no one is irreplaceable or unforgettable in this industry. While you may be the leading expert in your field, it’s just as crucial to be reliable, available, and easy to work with. Because yes, the biggest name matters, but in such a fast-paced industry, the next best thing will do.  

    It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it 

    Delivering on what producers and reporters are looking for is not an easy task as you build your brand. It requires intentionality and a long-term strategic plan. Yet with consistency and the right publicity team on your side, you can ensure you’re investing your time and resources in opportunities that build credibility, attract meaningful media coverage, and move you closer to your goals. 

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Ronica Cleary

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  • The Future Is Fragmented: Why Media Diversification Isn’t Optional Anymore

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    The marketing landscape has changed forever. Consumers now discover products in dozens of ways: a TikTok Shop haul, a Substack review, a Reddit thread, a podcast ad, or even an AI-generated shopping suggestion via their preferred LLM (Large Language Model). What used to be a clean funnel from awareness to conversion is now a tangled web of discovery.

    The funnel isn’t linear anymore. As I wrote in my last Inc. article, trust is the new KPI, and in this new environment, brands need to earn that trust across more touchpoints than ever before.

    The death of predictable discovery

    For a long time, media planning was predictable: Meta drove performance, Google captured intent, and press built credibility.

    But that world doesn’t exist anymore.

    Usually, by the time they reach checkout, they’ve already crossed at least seven different touchpoints. On the very high end, consumer journeys being cited as “20-500+ touchpoints” when you include all micro-interactions. It’s messy, human, and nonlinear.

    To understand why this matters, it helps to know what each channel actually does.

    • PR is about storytelling and trust. It’s what earns a brand its reputation–coverage in Vogue, Forbes, or a founder feature that shapes perception.
    • Affiliate connects that credibility to commerce. It’s the infrastructure that lets those same stories drive measurable sales through tracked links, commissions, and partnerships with publishers.
    • Paid media is the amplification layer. It turns proven stories or products into scalable growth across Meta, Google, TikTok, and beyond.

    The problem is that most brands still manage these disciplines in silos. One team builds awareness, another chases conversion, and another optimizes ads, each speaking a different language. But that’s not how people buy anymore. Discovery now happens everywhere at once. Managing PR, affiliate, and paid media as completely separate and distinct channels no longer reflects how people actually make decisions.

    The halo effect and the end of perfect attribution

    Marketers love data, but some of the most important effects, like how press shapes perception, how affiliate links legitimize a product, and how word-of-mouth compounds long after a campaign ends, can’t be neatly measured.

    The halo effect is one of them. It’s the bias that occurs when a positive impression of one product or story lifts the way consumers perceive the entire brand, subtly shaping trust, loyalty, and even future purchase decisions.

    You might see an increase in branded search or conversions and attribute it to an ad, when in reality, its media trail leads back to a newsletter, podcast, or creator mention that built trust weeks earlier.

    In today’s fragmented landscape, the real work of marketing often happens between channels. Brands that recognize this move away from chasing last-click data and start looking at their ecosystem as a whole.

    AI-powered discovery Is changing everything

    The rise of large language models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews has accelerated this shift.

    These tools don’t just index pages. They synthesize. When someone searches for the best clean skincare brand, the AI pulls from thousands of data points: top-tier press (and old-fashioned press releases, believe it or not), Reddit forums, Youtube creator reviews, affiliate articles, and brand websites (make sure yours is optimized for GEO!).

    A brand’s visibility within LLMs depends on how often and how consistently your brand is mentioned in credible places.

    PR, affiliate, and paid media no longer operate in separate lanes. They feed the same system. Every link back to your website and piece of coverage that comes from a trusted, authoritative source (ideally a publication with a high domain ranking) contributes to the data LLMs use to surface brand and product recommendations.

    The future of search won’t be won by whoever spends the most on keywords. It will belong to brands that have built a trustworthy, widely referenced presence online.

    Why diversification has become a business imperative

    Here are three reasons why brands must diversify to remain visible, resilient, and relevant.

    1. It creates protection. When one platform changes its algorithm or costs spike, diversified brands can adapt without losing momentum.
    2. It deepens reach. Each channel attracts a different audience mindset. Diversifying ensures you connect with multiple types of customers, and not just repeating your message in an echo chamber.
    3. It builds AI visibility. The more credible mentions your brand has across platforms, the more likely it is to appear in AI-driven search results.

    Winning brands now treat their media presence like an investment portfolio, balancing proven channels with new, high-upside opportunities.

    How to build for a fragmented future

    If you’re a CMO or founder, here’s how to start:

    1. Audit your media footprint. Map where your brand appears across earned, owned, and paid channels. Identify where your customers are discovering products that you’re missing. What shows up on the first page of Google? It should look pristine with third-party reviews and “I Tried It” pieces from top-tier publications, organic 5-star consumer ranking, Youtube video testimonials, and positive Reddit chatter. Is there enough third-party content that’s going to help bring customers in with an automatic layer of credibility and validation?
    2. Design for collaboration. Make sure PR, affiliate, and paid teams are aware of and remain cognizant of one another’s respective KPIs and data. When channels work together, performance improves everywhere.
    3. Build credibility loops. A single earned story should power affiliate coverage and then be amplified through paid. Each layer reinforces the others.
    4. Measure influence, not just clicks. Track branded search growth, share of voice, and sentiment. These signals tell a fuller story of impact.
    5. Tell one story across many forms. Your message should feel consistent, whether it appears in a piece of earned media coverage, a creator post, or an ad.

    From funnel to flywheel

    The old playbook tried to control the journey: linear campaigns, rigid messaging, a clean cause-and-effect. The new one accepts what’s true now: people move in loops. They scroll, compare, forget, and rediscover. What matters isn’t control; it’s coherence–that every touchpoint still sounds like you.

    Fragmentation isn’t something to fear. It’s a chance to connect more meaningfully with the people who care (or untapped consumers who will soon care!) about your brand.

    The brands that succeed will be the ones that build credibility everywhere consumers turn: earned, affiliate, paid, and AI. Growth won’t come from dominating a single platform; it will come from creating consistency across them all. 

    When every touchpoint tells the same story, your brand doesn’t just get noticed–it gets remembered. 

    The early-rate deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, November 14, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Lauren Kleinman

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  • How Your Brand Can Win the Holiday Gift Guide Game in 2025

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    There’s power in a good recommendation, and now, in the age of AI and lightning speed consumer discovery, the stakes couldn’t be higher for brands striving for a successful holiday shopping season and close to 2025

    According to recent data from Accenture, 77 percent of consumers plan to use generative-AI tools to assist with holiday shopping, and 75 percent of heavy genAI users say they’re using those tools to explore new gift ideas. That shift means one thing: gift guides are no longer just about December sales, they’re actually shaping how algorithms learn what to recommend next now.

    As the founder of Dreamday and co-founder of The Quality Edit, I’ve seen both sides of this evolution from the earned-media side, helping brands secure high-authority placements, to the owned-media side, deciding which products deserve to be featured.

    Gift guides used to be simple: pitch an editor, land a placement, and hope for clicks. Now, gift guides and listicles are part of  a layered ecosystem where PR, affiliate, and editorial data all feed each other to culminate in a continuous cycle where insights from one channel fuel the next, creating smarter storytelling and measurable growth

    Here are Five Key Takeaways and Brand Best Practices from My 14 Years in the Industry:

    1. Pitching season started months ago, but it’s not too late.

    Legacy outlets like Oprah’s Favorite Things and Goop’s Annual Gift Guide close their lists in the summer. Digital publications begin their early brand and product vetting processes up in September. But there’s still space in November (and even early December for “Best Subscriptions to Gift” and “Shopping Guides for the Procrastinator”), especially in quick-ship and creator-driven (even Substack!) guides. Editors update stories weekly up until the last few days before the holidays. The key is timing, in addition to fit. Know exactly who you’re pitching and make a strong case for why your product belongs in the shopping story.

    2. Not all editors are the same.

    A recent piece on Meredith & The Media’s Substack reminded publicists what many these days forget: a freelancer, a staff commerce editor, and an affiliate manager are three different decision-makers.

    • Freelancers care about story fit and reader alignment.
    • Staff editors care about performance and update potential.
    • Affiliate managers (the quiet power players) care about commission structure, conversion, and data.

    Pitching all three the same way and using the exact same pitch is like pitching into the void—a missed opportunity. The brands that will win this season are the ones that are approaching these three distinct, yet complementary roles at once, by aligning editorial relevance with affiliate readiness and commercial viability.

    3. Relationships still matter most.

    Editors, writers, and managers are all human. The best coverage usually comes from someone who’s been using the product for months, not weeks. At Dreamday, we seed early (sometimes in February), so by Q4, there’s authentic familiarity felt by the journalist. When editors genuinely love a product (and have been using it all year), they advocate for it in meetings you’re not in. 

    4. Algorithms reward authority.

    Gift guides are quietly becoming one of the strongest authority signals for LLMs and generative-search models. A Strategist or Vogue mention isn’t just a bragging right; it’s training data. These placements now fuel the trust graph, shaping which products AI recommends and surfaces next.

    So while SEO and paid are still incredibly important pieces of the puzzle, editorial credibility has become the foundation of ChatGPT 5.0, which frequently references high domain ranking outlets and even press releases. The next wave of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) isn’t built on backlinks; it’s built on trust.

    5. Personalization and performance are the new metrics.

    Editorial and commerce  teams are slicing gift ideas into hyper-specific, SEO-friendly angles: “for the minimalist traveler,” “for the wellness skeptic,” “for the skincare maximalist.” This isn’t particularly novel or new, but the most successful pitches I’ve seen match that same level of granularity. Paint a dynamic narrative via a compelling pitch that fits their reader’s mindset, and show affiliate data that proves it performs.

    The takeaway

    Gift guides may feel nostalgic, like something you’ve seen time and time again, but they’ve evolved into full-funnel growth engines. The smartest brands see them not as seasonal press, but as long-term, evergreen assets that compound credibility, performance, and discovery.

    In a world where AI amplifies authority, the best gift you can give your brand this season is trust: earned, optimized, and built to last.

    The early-rate deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, November 14, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Lauren Kleinman

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  • Don’t Chase Trends—Catch Them

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    What do menopause, cryptocurrency, COVID-19, and streaming wars all have in common? They are all topics that have had major trending moments in the media over the past few years. Perhaps you recall these topics being omnipresent in the media, or even tried to pitch yourself as a contributor when they were in vogue. Whether it was one of these examples or another headline, chances are you have experienced a common PR challenge: trying to ride a media trend only to find that your expertise doesn’t translate. 

    Pickles or politics

    I recently looked up from my phone and declared, “Pickles are about to be trending in the media.” My husband, in the driver’s seat, let out a slight chuckle, but as we pulled up to the red light, he looked over and saw my expression. “Oh, you’re serious?” he questioned. As I began to lay out the evidence, he realized I was quite serious: Elle Decor published an interview with Pamela Anderson, launching her line of rose-infused spicy pickles. There was another piece in Livingetc, where a journalist shared her excitement over IKEA’s pickling collection after she took up the food preservation method as a hobby over the summer. If that wasn’t enough, Food Drink Life boldly declared that dill pickle has officially emerged as the new foodie trend. While it’s one thing for a handful of food and lifestyle outlets to feature the same topic, what really sent up my antenna was an article in the Wall Street Journal, a primarily business and finance outlet, which featured the briny cukes.  

    Whether it’s pickles or politics, great publicists observe trends in the media before you do. And we can learn from that as we think about future pitching, why you aren’t getting coverage, or why that coverage might suddenly stop.

    When a trend aligns perfectly with your expertise and takes over the conversation in the media, it’s natural to assume that pitching and landing coverage will be effortless. Then you’re left confused when no one is interested. What’s the disconnect between a topic you’re perfectly poised to speak on, being featured everywhere from spanning news, podcasts, and print, and yet no one is returning your inquiry? Chances are, you waited too long; you noticed the trend at the same time the rest of the world did, and by that point, the media outlets had already booked the experts they needed. 

    Paddle before the wave arrives

    What many people don’t realize is that if you wait until a topic is “on trend,” there’s a chance you’re too late. It’s a PR professional’s job to notice a trend before it goes viral and then find ways to connect your expertise or products to that topic. Your connections alone won’t land you features. Without a strong understanding of how to link your voice to the trending topics and stories, the media wins you are looking for will always feel out of reach. Once you grasp the nuances of the media, including how to spot a trend before the media becomes inundated with the topic, you will hold the keys to becoming a part of the narrative. When you can spot a trend on the horizon, you can make sure you don’t miss the moment.

    Think of a trend like a wave on the ocean, and yourself as a surfer. To surf, you have to start paddling before the wave arrives so you can match the wave’s speed and catch it. The same principle applies to pitching; when you know how to read the media landscape, like the ocean, you’ll know when to start pitching so you have enough momentum to catch the trend at the perfect time. 

    Katie Lockert is a travel and food journalist who has contributed to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and many other top-tier publications. She recently shared on her Substack what she looks for when receiving or pitching trend articles:  

    • “Numbers data or evidence that this is, in fact, a growing trend (the most important thing!)
    • Multiple examples of this trend around the world, or wherever the trend is happening (for example, the U.S. or Europe)
    • A “why now” angle. Why is this important now, or what is the reason behind this new trend?”

    Understand a trend’s rhythm

    Each of these tips is not just great information to include in a pitch, but a signal to watch that a trend is on the upswing, and it’s time to start paddling. The goal is to capitalize on that trend’s 15 minutes of fame. Your publicist wants to get you connected to the trend when it’s hot. However, it’s also their job to notice when it starts to cool so they can guide your pitching strategy and connect expertise to another angle or topic. Whether that’s catching the next trend or returning to an industry-specific outlet that always needs your insights, this allows you to stay relevant and prevents you from turning into another flash in the pan. 

    Understanding the rhythm of a trend and how the media operates is crucial to creating an effective pitching strategy. Publicists constantly have their eyes on the news and media landscape, subscribing to multiple publications across topics and industries, allowing them to spot when a trend is forming long before the public does. So when they come to you and say, “Hey, pickles are trending!” it’s not guesswork or random; their skills are in positioning your expertise where it belongs: front and center in the media. 

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    Ronica Cleary

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  • Trust Is the New KPI: The Strategy Helping Brands Win Over Customers Today

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    For years, brands tried to split the difference by hiring a PR agency for visibility, an affiliate manager for commerce coverage and affiliate partnerships, and a media buyer for paid social scale. Seven years ago, I, in fact, was one of them as the former VP of Marketing and Founding Team at Ritual. On paper, it made sense. In practice, I found it created silos, competing agendas, and a lack of shared accountability and synergy across agencies and partners.

    PR teams fought for glossy earned placements that drove awareness, but had no understanding of how to interpret the performance data that was now available through affiliate marketing. Affiliate was treated as a “last-click” discount lever instead of a strategic storytelling channel. Paid ads delivered reach, but eroded credibility the more aggressively they followed you around online and touted huge discounts (a never-ending race to the bottom).

    Trust is the new currency

    The customer journey has never been more fragmented. Discovery happens everywhere: a podcast shoutout, a Reddit thread, a TikTok Shop haul, a Substack product review, or even an AI-powered search result.

    In this reality, trust is the only real currency. Consumers don’t care whether a placement was earned, affiliate-driven, or paid; they care if it feels credible, consistent, and relevant to them.

    So how can brands actively build that trust?

    • Be transparent about incentives. Consumers aren’t turned off by affiliate links, they’re turned off when they feel misled. Work with creators and publishers who disclose clearly and genuinely believe in your product.
    • Invest in quality storytelling. Clickbait and discount-driven messaging might drive short-term traffic but rarely long-term trust. Prioritize partners and content that add real value or perspective.
    • Align messaging across channels. The fastest way to lose credibility is inconsistency. If your paid ad says one thing and your press coverage another, consumers notice. Every touchpoint should reinforce the same brand truth.
    • Measure what matters. Awareness, reputation, and conversion are all valid goals, but you have to know which you’re pursuing with each channel. That clarity builds internal trust, too.

    The takeaway for founders and marketers is simple: if your PR, affiliate, and paid media aren’t working together, you’re sacrificing trust and growth.

    The post-PR agency model

    At Dreamday, we coined the term Performance PR: an integrated approach where affiliate and earned media work in tandem. Every consumer press hit is designed to drive not just visibility, but measurable revenue. For brand and business press (think: Inc. or Fast Company) we measure success using the Barcelona Principles, a global framework for evaluating PR effectiveness. In plain terms, the Barcelona Principles remind us that not all press should be measured by direct sales. Some coverage exists to build awareness, credibility, or influence perception, which are all valuable outcomes in their own right. 

    A feature on a founder’s leadership style, for example, may not drive immediate sale conversions, but it can meaningfully shape brand reputation, attract talent, and open doors for strategic partnerships. Performance PR refers to consumer press that can be measured, actually very effectively these days, through affiliate marketing and commerce’s growing role in publisher objectives (and revenue).

    Quality Media has pioneered what we call Performance Publishing, a model where editorial storytelling, creator-led content, and paid amplification combine to outperform traditional brand campaigns.

    At both agencies, our main KPI isn’t awards or impressions, it’s the case studies we create for our clients. We don’t rest on our laurels; we’re only as good as the last results we delivered. That focus keeps our teams sharp, ensures accountability, and, most importantly, builds client trust over time.

    When we applied this model for clients like Quince or The Bouqs, it wasn’t about choosing between “story” or “scale.” It was about ensuring every placement, whether in Vogue, on TikTok, or in a sponsored story, pulled in the same direction: building credibility and driving conversions.

    The key insight: trust compounds when PR, affiliate, and paid collide, not when they compete.

    A playbook for founders and marketers

    So how can brands put this into practice?

    • Audit your partners. Are PR, affiliate, and paid run by separate agencies or teams competing for credit with different KPIs? If so, you’re eroding trust before you’ve begun.
    • Bring your partners together. Get your PR, affiliate, and paid leads in the same room (or Slack channel). Share KPIs and have them co-own performance. When everyone is accountable to the same metrics, alignment, and trust, follow.
    • Consolidate when needed. If your agencies are working in silos or competing with one another, it’s time to rethink your structure. That might mean consolidating scopes, appointing an internal lead who oversees the full funnel, or finding a partner built for integration.
    • Think like a consumer. Ask yourself: if someone Googled my product, or if ChatGPT surfaced me in a recommendation, would they see consistent, credible validation across multiple sources?
    • Build for convergence. Instead of planning PR, affiliate, and paid as separate campaigns, design them as parts of the same trust-building system.

    The future belongs to trust

    Trust has always mattered in marketing. What’s different now is how fragile (and essential) it has become for growth.

    The brands that win in the next five years won’t be the ones spending the most on ads or executing the flashiest PR moments. They’ll be the ones that can point to undeniable results: credible press hits, measurable affiliate-driven revenue, and high-performing creative that amplifies both.

    That’s why we hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of our clients: results that stand up as case studies. Trust isn’t a buzzword—it’s the most valuable KPI left. And it’s earned daily.

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    Lauren Kleinman

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  • Outreach pro Victoria Ryan appointed to Islip Planning Board | Long Island Business News

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    With a career focused on representing development projects before officials, Victoria Ryan now finds herself on the other side of the table. 

    The development advocate and community outreach specialist is now a member of the Town of Islip Planning Board, appointed earlier this week to fill the unexpired term of former member Brad Wilson through the end of 2031. 

    Through her firm VR/PR, Ryan has worked with applicants who have appeared before planners in Islip and other towns to obtain land-use approvals, though her process has always begun with knocking on doors, acting as a liaison between the community and her clients to try and build consensus. 

    Ryan says talking to people in their homes has enabled her to get their unique perspectives and humanize the impact of each application, while working with developers to revise their proposals to smooth the long and arduous approvals process that Long Island is infamous for. Whether the project is multifamily development, a public works project, or a quick-service restaurant, Ryan stresses that communication is key to bridging the gap between concerns of residents and the goals of developers and her experience in the trenches brings a unique perspective to her new role. 

    “My goal is to find the sweet spot between what can turn into two polarities, particularly with controversial projects: the property owner’s right to develop their property, and the concerns of nearby residents,” Ryan told LIBN. “My experience in this business has shown that some concerns are valid, others less so. Some applications make sense, others less so. But everyone has a right to be heard.” 

    Ryan cut her teeth in the political arena, serving as the assistant to the mayor of Saratoga Springs, where she shared in oversight of the city’s planning and engineering departments. She later served as policy analyst for the Albany County executive. Ryan later served as vice president for a Melville-based advertising agency, producing award-winning television and radio advertisements for political candidates throughout New York. 

    In 2007, Ryan was tapped as executive director of lslip’s Foreign Trade Zone, where she ran day-to-day operations, uncovering and addressing non-compliance issues that saved the agency over $500,000 in pending fines. 

    Ryan, who is married to Phil Boyle, a former state senator and current president and CEO of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, has served as a trade mission delegate to Ireland for the Ireland Chamber of Commerce-USA and currently serves on the board of the Long Island YMCA and on the gala committee for United Veterans Beacon House. In 2023, she was honored by LIBN as one of Long Island’s Top 50 Women in Business. 


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    David Winzelberg

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  • What Neanderthals Can Teach Us About Brand Transformation | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

    The primitive stereotype: A brand in ruins

    The Neanderthals’ early reputation was, in modern marketing terms, a branding nightmare. Ever since the first fossils were unearthed in the 19th century, their heavy brow ridges and unusual skeletons led scientists to portray them as inferior to modern humans. This “caveman” stereotype stuck. For over a century, calling someone a Neanderthal meant implying they were backward, unsophisticated and even stupid.

    In essence, Neanderthals were a maligned brand — synonymous with failure and obsolescence. Just as a company rocked by scandal or a public figure tarnished by bad press becomes a punchline, Neanderthals became the mascot of being primitive. The narrative was simple and damning: They lost out to superior modern humans because they just weren’t good enough.

    Entrepreneurs know this pattern well. Markets and media can be unforgiving; a single damaging narrative can reduce a once-promising brand to a cautionary tale. Whether it’s a tech firm written off as a “dinosaur” or a founder dismissed as out of touch, the world loves a tidy tale of the mighty who fell behind. The Neanderthal brand was defined by others and defined harshly. Brands and individuals today face the same risk if they remain passive during image crises. Reputation, like fossils, can harden into “rock” if left untouched.

    Uncovering a new narrative: Rehabilitating the caveman image

    Fortunately for Neanderthals, their story didn’t end with the stereotype. Over the past few decades, science has done what any good PR team would: conducted a rigorous brand audit and found the facts to counter the fiction.

    Research reveals that Neanderthals were far more capable and human-like than anyone imagined. They were skilled hunters and tool-makers who thrived across Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows Neanderthals coordinated complex group hunts — behavior requiring planning, communication and smarts. They gathered a diverse diet, used fire creatively and built surprisingly sophisticated tools.

    Perhaps most stunning, Neanderthals demonstrated signs of culture and abstract thinking. Discoveries of pigment, personal ornaments and cave engravings suggest they engaged in symbolic rituals and even made art. They buried their dead with care, hinting at reverence for their departed. They even crafted tools using glue made from tree bark — a process requiring technical knowledge and foresight.

    And in the ultimate irony, we now know they are literally part of us: Modern humans carry Neanderthal DNA in our genomes from ancient interbreeding. The very people who once used “Neanderthal” as an insult likely have a bit of Neanderthal lineage themselves.

    For Neanderthals, this re-evaluation was a posthumous rebranding. Misconceptions were corrected with evidence, and the public’s view shifted from “dumb caveman” to “misunderstood relative.” This turnaround didn’t happen overnight; it took decades of excavations, genetic analysis and rethinking old assumptions. But it happened. The Neanderthal brand went from rock bottom to remarkable. If the image of an entire extinct species can be rehabilitated, so can yours.

    Related: 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis

    Branding lessons from a prehistoric PR makeover

    The saga of Neanderthal reputation offers rich lessons in how to recover from a damaged brand image or public misperception:

    • Own your story before others do: Neanderthals couldn’t speak for themselves, and others defined them as inferior. In business, if you don’t actively shape your brand’s story, competitors or critics will do it for you — and not in your favor.

    • Confront misperceptions with facts: The Neanderthal comeback hinged on hard evidence overturning myths. Likewise, a beleaguered brand must bring proof to the table. Counter outdated perceptions by showcasing real improvements, new achievements and factual corrections.

    • Embrace (don’t erase) your heritage: Instead of denying their past, scientists reinterpreted Neanderthal history in a proud new light. Similarly, a brand with a legacy — even a troubled one — shouldn’t just bury it. Acknowledge your history and highlight the positives within it.

    • Humanize and connect: Part of rehabilitating Neanderthals was realizing how closely connected they are to us. Successful rebranding finds ways to relate to the audience on a human level. Show customers, investors or the public that you share their values and concerns.

    Legacy management: Evolving the narrative over time

    One striking aspect of the Neanderthal story is how long the misperception lasted. Long after Neanderthals disappeared, the myth of the knuckle-dragging caveman lingered in the public mind. It’s a cautionary tale for legacy management: Perceptions can lag behind reality by decades. Entrepreneurs must recognize that shaping a legacy is an ongoing process, not a one-time campaign.

    Managing legacy also means planning for how your brand will be remembered. Neanderthals left behind bones and artifacts, but no control over the story future generations told about them. You, on the other hand, have the tools to influence your legacy now. Document your values and contributions, live them authentically, and people will eventually see the truth — just as researchers eventually saw the truth about Neanderthals’ capabilities. Every press release, customer interaction and even apology is an artifact shaping how you’ll be remembered. Make those artifacts count.

    Finally, consider the Neanderthal’s ultimate fate: They didn’t so much vanish as merge into the wider human story. In business, this speaks to the idea of integration and adaptability. Sometimes the path to saving a reputation is to become part of something larger — to ally with partners, join a bigger brand, or pivot in purpose. By blending strengths with newcomers, an old brand can find new life within a fresh narrative.

    Related: 5 High-Profile Reputation Nightmares Your Brand Can Learn from

    The evolution of respect

    The renaissance of Neanderthals’ public image — from pitiable cavemen to complex humans — is more than a curious science story. It’s a powerful metaphor for brand transformation. Reputations, like species, evolve. They can also go extinct if they fail to adapt. But the Neanderthal example shows that even a reputation dragged through the mud for ages can climb back out with persistence and truth.

    Entrepreneurs should find hope in this: No matter how dire your PR fallout or how entrenched the public’s misperception, there is a path to renewal through authenticity, strategy and patience. If Neanderthals can win respect 40,000 years after extinction, your brand can survive a rough quarter. Reputation isn’t fossilized — it evolves if you guide it.

    Being called a “Neanderthal” has long been shorthand for a knuckle-dragging brute — an insult implying someone is primitive and clueless. In popular imagination and even early science, Neanderthals were cast as dim-witted cavemen, a species of losers on the evolutionary stage. But recent discoveries have radically rewritten that story. Far from being sub-human dullards, Neanderthals are now understood as complex, intelligent hominins who created art, used tools and even share genetic ties with all of us.

    In a sense, the Neanderthal “brand” has undergone a posthumous PR makeover: from reviled caveman to respected ancestral cousin. This dramatic evolution of public perception holds a trove of insights for entrepreneurs and brands. If a whole human species can rehabilitate its reputation (albeit with an assist from science), then a company or individual can certainly transform their own image. Let’s explore how the Neanderthal journey from primitive to progressive serves as a metaphorical masterclass in rebranding and legacy management.

    Related: Does Your Reputation Need Rehab?

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    Scott Baradell

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  • Is AI the Future of PR? | Entrepreneur

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    I was recently asked, “What trends should we be watching out for in terms of the future of PR?” Well, according to my 75-year-old mother — and lots of other interested observers — the future of PR looks like it’s populated with a little AI, some more AI … well, okay, entirely with AI.

    If you’re a business owner considering letting AI run your PR show for you, let me tell you why that’s a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan myself; I’ve steadily been incorporating AI tools and tasks into my daily workflow, and I get the appeal. And the added efficiency.

    But as a two-decade veteran in this field, I also know a helluva lot more about PR than any bot you can call on, and here’s my take on where things stand now and where they look like they’re going in the marriage between PR and AI.

    AI is great in the passenger’s seat, not the driver’s

    AI makes for an incredible assistant. PR professionals can benefit from it tremendously in myriad areas, such as drafting initial press releases and pitches, creating data-based reports and analyzing audience/consumer preferences and trends. The time savings (and thus the concomitant cost-efficiency) are indisputable.

    But public relations, by definition, involves the “public” — a public that expects cultural awareness, responds to qualities like empathy and humor, and demands ethical accountability. Last I looked, AI doesn’t live by a moral code, it isn’t a sentient being personally sensitive to any specific cultural milieu, and it certainly isn’t the funniest guest at the party!

    So long as the “public” with which our industry deals turns to us for solid expertise, sound judgment and fair business practices, human intuition and integrity should steer the vehicle, not algorithms.

    Related: AI Is Changing Public Relations — Here’s How to Stay in Control

    The old-fashioned meetup is still a thing

    Remember when everyone thought books were going to die once Kindle hit the market? And yet reading is still a beloved pastime in America, with most readers still preferring printed books over ebooks, relishing the touch, feel, smell and experience of turning actual pages.

    The same applies to PR. Journalists love it when we pop into the office to bring them a coffee and have a chat. Media contacts readily accept our personal invites to restaurant openings or product launches. Influencers welcome the opportunity to come meet us at a new venue or promoted site and actively participate in our PR efforts.

    And when it comes to PR clients, they, too, appreciate sitting across the table from us face-to-face, where we can see each other’s expressions, read each other’s gestures, shake hands hello and hug goodbye in person. AI can’t replace eye contact and shared smiles, the authentic moments of connection that form client bonds.

    So long as “relations” remains part of our industry name, being in the same room with someone is always going to bring you closer than ChatGPT output. Which leads me to …

    Relationships will always trump datasets

    Cue up Streisand for this one: “People who need people …” As smart and spiffy as AI is, it is not and never will be a person. People build rapport. People establish credibility. People learn to trust one another. People interpret emotions and moods. And people can adapt on the spot when they sense the discomfort of clients, stakeholders or team members.

    I’m excited about implementing AI to help my firm with research, scheduling, campaign details and delivering up-to-the-minute insights about my clients’ customer base. But AI will never hold a meeting with one of my clients. It will never anticipate their needs, see their eyes light up when we come up with a brilliant plan or reassure them when an initiative doesn’t land as hoped.

    Idea generation, mapping out a project and determining custom-tailored campaign goals for a particular client are best left to the experts. Why? Because AI’s intelligence is artificial. Humans, on the other hand, possess EI — emotional intelligence.

    Related: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Key to High-Impact Leadership

    AI is more prone to mistakes than people are

    Sounds improbable, right? How can machine learning be inferior to us flawed and fallible mortals? I’m not talking here about mistakes like typos or forgetting to order the banners for the fundraiser. I’m talking about the things that really matter in PR, like understanding societal nuances, interpersonal dynamics, behavioral psychology and actual lived experience.

    And when AI gets that wrong? The consequences can be serious for clients. Using no-longer-acceptable language. Producing content that could be offensive to certain populations. Providing out-of-context information. And, most notably for our purposes, communicating faulty messaging.

    In PR, marketing and advertising, messaging is everything. Humans can better spot potential pitfalls with language (even if it is absolutely technically correct) and can better discern the tone and subtext of customer engagement communication. So it’s great to use AI for media monitoring and sentiment analysis. But what to do with the results of those measures should remain in the hands of real-life pros who employ cognitive reasoning, not just logic; who shrewdly apply information, not just amass and analyze it; and who can make moral judgments when called for.

    SIDE NOTE here on crisis communications: Using AI to manage crises is a whole different topic unto itself. For now, suffice it to say: It’s a no-no. Keep out! When an individual’s or company’s reputation is at stake, coming across as tone-deaf can toll the death knell for their public image. And the generative AI tools we have available today (the type of AI content-focused industries like mine are using far more than agentic) definitely runs the risk of sounding too factual, too formulaic, too … well, inhuman, right when a human touch is needed most.

    Keep your eye on integrative PR

    So what do I think the wave of the future is? Integrative PR — an approach that blends all the various communication channels into a cohesive whole for consistent branding across all platforms, no longer separating different aspects of marketing and public relations into different compartments.

    Of course AI will play a significant role as we shift toward more social media–focused campaigns and more content curation taking the place of strictly media relations, which traditionally dominated PR. But the type of integration I envision requires creativity, first and foremost, coupled with inventive strategy and finding new connections where none existed before.

    Generative AI relies on anything and everything that has existed before, and precisely for that reason, I believe humans will remain the alchemists who bring humanity to PR. After all, PR is an art, not a science. And art is made by artists — original thinkers and doers, master storytellers, who will ever play the starring role on this always-changing, wildly interesting stage of public relations.

    I was recently asked, “What trends should we be watching out for in terms of the future of PR?” Well, according to my 75-year-old mother — and lots of other interested observers — the future of PR looks like it’s populated with a little AI, some more AI … well, okay, entirely with AI.

    If you’re a business owner considering letting AI run your PR show for you, let me tell you why that’s a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan myself; I’ve steadily been incorporating AI tools and tasks into my daily workflow, and I get the appeal. And the added efficiency.

    But as a two-decade veteran in this field, I also know a helluva lot more about PR than any bot you can call on, and here’s my take on where things stand now and where they look like they’re going in the marriage between PR and AI.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Emily Reynolds

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  • SWNSN PR launches on Long Island to help local brands | Long Island Business News

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    With latest venture, Long Island entrepreneur finds a new leash on life 

    Corey Lieblein launches Big Old Pup, debuting a 5-in-1 hands-free dog leash with mobility support, storage, an[…]

    August 22, 2025

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    Adina Genn

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  • Claire Bahn Group Launches NIL Division for Student-Athletes, Signs Exclusive Agreements With Emerging Talent

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    Press Release
    •

    Feb 25, 2025

    Award-Winning Agency Expands Its Personal Branding Expertise to College Athletes With New NIL Division


    LOS ANGELES, February 25, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Claire Bahn Group, an award-winning boutique agency specializing in personal branding and public relations, is pleased to announce the official launch of its new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) division. This exciting expansion comes on the heels of signing exclusive agreements with promising student-athletes, positioning Claire Bahn Group as a key player in the emerging NIL landscape.

    The NIL division at Claire Bahn Group will focus on building and managing personal brands for student-athletes across social media and negotiating sponsorship and endorsement deals to elevate their profiles on and off the field.

    Claire Bahn Group’s comprehensive branding approach includes:

    With the NCAA’s NIL ruling allowing college athletes to profit from their personal brands, Claire Bahn Group is at the forefront of guiding athletes through the complexities of this new landscape. The agency’s NIL division is committed to helping athletes not only secure lucrative sponsorship deals but also build their brand value to create lasting opportunities beyond their collegiate careers.

    “We are thrilled to officially expand our services into the NIL space,” said Claire Bahn, CEO of Claire Bahn Group. “Our agency has built a reputation for crafting powerful personal brands that resonate with audiences, and we’re excited to bring that same level of care and expertise to student-athletes. Our goal is to empower athletes to think strategically about their personal brands and create a legacy that will benefit them for years to come.”

    About Claire Bahn Group:

    Claire Bahn Group is an award-winning boutique agency specializing in personal branding and public relations for high-profile executives and international clients. With a proven track record of creating impactful personal brands, the agency is committed to helping clients elevate their visibility, grow their audience, and achieve their professional goals.

    For more information about Claire Bahn Group’s NIL division and partnership opportunities, please visit clairebahn.com or contact pr@clairebahn.com.

    Source: Claire Bahn Group

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  • Your Current Marketing Plan May Not Work Overseas — Copy Strategies From Spotify and Snickers to Succeed Anywhere | Entrepreneur

    Your Current Marketing Plan May Not Work Overseas — Copy Strategies From Spotify and Snickers to Succeed Anywhere | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Expanding into new international markets presents an exciting yet formidable challenge. With over two decades in the PR industry, I’ve navigated the complexities of diverse cultural landscapes and I’ve seen firsthand how a PR strategy that thrives in the U.K. might not resonate, for example, in the U.S., Asia or Brazil. The key to a successful international PR campaign lies in understanding and adapting to the unique characteristics of each market.

    So, how do you ensure your PR strategies are optimized for foreign markets? This article will explore how to elevate your PR game to meet the demands of international audiences. Drawing on inspiring examples from leading brands and our own successful expansions into various markets, we’ll provide insights to help you scale your business effectively.

    Related: 10 Expert Insights for the Optimal (and Most Effective) PR Budget in 2024

    Understanding the new market

    Before venturing into a new market, comprehensive research is critical. This involves delving into the region’s culture, consumer behavior, current market trends and competitive landscape. For instance, conducting targeted surveys can shed light on customer sentiments toward your competitors and identify key issues your target audience faces. This insight allows you to tailor your PR campaigns to address those specific needs.

    Understanding the local culture is equally important. A prime example is Uber’s adaptation to the Indian market by offering cash payments and auto-rickshaw options. This localized approach garnered significant media attention and resonated with the Indian audience, highlighting the importance of cultural adaptation in PR strategies.

    Localized content and messaging

    A one-size-fits-all approach to PR and communications is rarely effective when entering new markets. The success of your PR efforts hinges on your ability to adapt content and messaging to the local context. Here’s how you can ensure your PR campaigns resonate with the new audience:

    1. Tailor your content: Use insights from your market research to customize your messaging. This involves adapting your brand’s tone, style and content to align with the cultural and linguistic preferences of the local audience. For example, in Germany, where directness is valued, a straightforward approach might be more effective; whereas, in Japan, a more subtle and respectful tone might be preferred.
    2. Engage local PR experts: Collaborating with local PR firms can be helpful. They have a deep understanding of the cultural nuances and can help craft messages that are both culturally sensitive and engaging. They also offer insights into local media landscapes and consumer behavior, which can guide your PR strategy.
    3. Incorporate cultural significance: Recognize and respect local holidays, milestones and cultural events. Tailoring your PR campaigns to reflect these significant moments can enhance audience engagement. For instance, incorporating local stories and testimonials in your campaigns demonstrates your brand’s commitment to understanding and valuing local traditions.
    4. Be sensitive to local norms: Ensure that your campaigns do not inadvertently offend or alienate the local audience. Familiarize yourself with cultural sensitivities and avoid using stereotypes or imagery that may be deemed inappropriate.

    A nice example of localized content across regions is the Snickers campaign “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” which ran for over six years across 58 markets. While the message remained the same globally, its presentation was tweaked for different markets. For instance, U.S. audiences were treated to the famous Betty White Superbowl ad in 2010, while in the U.K., the campaign was launched using Twitter (now X). National newspapers picked up the story and a campaign of just 25 tweets reached more than 26 million people.

    Related: Beyond Borders: Five Tips For Expanding Your Business

    Building relationships with local media

    Cultivating positive relationships with local journalists and media professionals is crucial for gaining favorable coverage. If you’re not familiar with the local media in a new area, a quick online search can help identify key newspapers, TV stations, radio channels and news sites.

    Spotify’s launch in India in 2019 serves as an excellent example. By engaging local media with relevant campaigns and participating in social media trends, Spotify gained substantial media coverage and built a strong presence, reaching over 100 million listens from more than 55 million active Indian users by December 2023.

    Face-to-face interactions, such as conferences and product launches, can significantly enhance media relationships as well. Research shows that 61% of people consider such direct engagement the most effective marketing channel.

    My team has experienced how valuable these interactions can be by attending major conferences like Latitude59 in Estonia and Money20/20 in Amsterdam and Thailand. These events provide invaluable opportunities to meet media representatives through side events, partnerships with organizers and pre-booked meetings. By building relationships in these settings, we’ve been able to collaborate on article pieces and extend invitations to our own media events, further solidifying our presence in these markets.

    Related: Why Local Media is the Secret to Getting Free PR

    Utilizing sponsored content

    Sponsoring content is another effective strategy for penetrating new markets. By sponsoring sports teams, events, TV shows or online content, you can increase brand visibility and control the narrative presented to your audience. Sponsored content allows you to maintain creative control while ensuring rapid visibility across key media outlets.

    For example, our own experience with a sponsored article in IBTimes significantly boosted our visibility as we expanded into the Asian market. The article highlighted our strategic move to incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, effectively targeting a specific audience interested in market expansions and financial operations. This demonstrates how a timely paid piece can be more efficient than waiting to cultivate a new media relationship, especially when immediate visibility is crucial.

    By combining paid and organic PR, you can maximize the impact of your brand in new markets and deliver its message more effectively.

    Related: Does PR Actually Help Increase Sales? Yes — Just Do It Right and Be Patient

    Leveraging influencers and local advocates

    Influencers play a crucial role in amplifying your brand’s reach in new markets. Their established trust with their followers can significantly enhance your product’s credibility. To leverage this, identify influencers who align with your brand values and offer them exclusive access to your products. This strategy helps build trust and effectively engages new customers.

    While global celebrities can boost brand visibility, partnering with local influencers and advocates who genuinely connect with the target audience can be more impactful. For instance, Nike’s “Nothing Beats a Londoner” campaign successfully used local athletes to connect with young Londoners, resulting in a significant increase in searches for Nike products.

    Another great example is the fintech company Wise, originally founded in Estonia, which specializes in international money transfers. To promote their international Visa debit card in Brazil, Wise recently launched a national campaign featuring local influencers and brand ambassadors. The positive media coverage and high engagement levels indicate that this localized approach is already proving successful.

    Related: How Can Startups Leverage Influencers?

    Developing a local network

    Just as leveraging local influencers and advocates is key to establishing your brand, developing a robust local network is equally important. A strong network can open doors to future partnerships, provide valuable insights and offer resources that are crucial for navigating the cultural and regulatory landscapes of a new market.

    When we expanded to Estonia, we experienced firsthand the power of a local network. Through Estonia’s e-Residency program, we were able to quickly and efficiently set up our company and operate globally from a digital hub. But the benefits didn’t stop there. The program introduced us to key stakeholders, bridged connections with local media and even provided a platform for us to share our news. This network facilitated our entry into the market and laid the foundation for sustainable growth.

    By actively cultivating relationships with local business leaders and government agencies, your brand can gain the support and credibility needed to thrive in new markets. Engaging with local chambers of commerce, industry groups and other community organizations can also help you stay informed about market trends and opportunities, making your PR strategy even more effective.

    Monitoring and measuring success

    Last but not least, ongoing monitoring and evaluation are essential to gauge the effectiveness of your PR strategies. Establish KPIs to track progress against your objectives and measure ROI. Utilize tools like Google Analytics, social media monitoring and sentiment analysis to track engagement, brand awareness and media coverage.

    As discussed, entering new markets successfully demands a well-researched and strategically tailored PR approach that adapts to local consumer needs and cultural nuances. By applying the insights shared in this article, you’ll be well-equipped to effectively navigate international landscapes, build brand awareness, trust and credibility in new regions and drive sustainable growth for your brand.

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    Alexander Storozhuk

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  • Navigating Media Relations in the Cannabis Industry: Tips for Effective PR – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Navigating Media Relations in the Cannabis Industry: Tips for Effective PR – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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    Michael Mejer

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  • 5 PR Mistakes AI Startups Must Avoid | Entrepreneur

    5 PR Mistakes AI Startups Must Avoid | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The world of entrepreneurship has been transformed in a big way by the emergence of artificial intelligence. The numbers speak volumes. In 2023, AI startups worldwide raised an impressive $50 billion. And in Q1 2024, they had already scored $11.4 billion, roughly 17% of the total global funding.

    Investors definitely have a soft spot for AI, which explains why it’s still attracting hefty financing during the venture capital winter. It’s no wonder that at Y Combinator demo days in 2024, a whopping 172 out of 247 projects were all about AI.

    The AI boom — from niche to must-have

    AI has come a long way from its days in science fiction and academia. What was once considered niche and impractical has blossomed into a massive industry. Whether it’s voice-activated assistants on our phones or recommendation algorithms that help us shop online, AI is now a vital part of our routines.

    Generative artificial intelligence is the talk of the town, thanks to user-friendly programs like Google’s Gemini (formerly known as Bard) and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This surge in popularity is expected to skyrocket the Gen AI market to a whopping $1.3 trillion by 2032, up from a modest $40 billion in 2022.

    But it’s not just consumer products — in heavily regulated sectors such as healthcare, finance and government services, Gen AI opens up unprecedented opportunities to automate tasks and synthesize data. Take, for example, HCA Healthcare, one of the world’s largest healthcare providers, which is using it to speed up the process of drafting medical notes. And Moody’s, the financial ratings agency, has rolled out its Gen AI Research Assistant to help customers uncover fresh insights from credit research, data and analytics.

    Startups are eager to leave their mark and bring innovation to the table. According to Tracxn, there are over 67,000 AI and machine learning projects, along with more established AI firms globally. The next wave of AI enablement market players is already emerging. Startups assist with Large Language Models training, deployment and evaluation, as well as tackle critical AI concerns, from preventing hallucinations to addressing ethical dilemmas.

    The big question is, how do you stand out among this sea of competitors and avoid getting lost in the crowd?

    Related: 4 Ways to Build a Successful AI Startup

    The PR pitfalls to dodge in a crowded market

    Effective public relations has emerged as a make-or-break factor for AI projects in a hypercompetitive environment. Yet, despite its importance, many startups miss the mark on PR, unknowingly sabotaging their efforts to attract and keep customers. These are the most common mistakes they make.

    1. Putting all eggs in the product basket

    Having cutting-edge tech isn’t enough to guarantee success anymore. Startups tend to assume that their product will naturally speak for itself. Sure, having a superior AI solution is crucial. However, neglecting the importance of strategic promotion and brand building can be a costly oversight.

    To catch attention, AI projects should take the lead in engaging with their target audience. This means reaching out to potential customers through various channels, like social media, platforms such as Product Hunt and popular media outlets, including Forbes, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur and many others.

    But it doesn’t stop there. In a truly competitive environment, it’s essential to stand out from the crowd. Following the same old routine as everyone else won’t do justice to your offering. One effective way to differentiate yourself is by not only growing your company’s brand but also your own personal brand as a founder. Your reputation is the bedrock of your influence, which can sometimes hold more weight than the product itself when it comes to attracting investors or partners.

    2. Neglecting audience analysis

    Another common mistake that many AI startups stumble upon is forgetting to personalize their communications for different audiences. Some projects go for a “one-size-fits-all” approach, hoping to catch everyone’s eye. However, this broad strategy often waters down the message and misses out on opportunities to connect with potential customers as well as investors.

    Imagine there’s a startup developing AI-powered chatbots, aiming to serve both companies and individual users. However, in their PR efforts, they’re only talking about personal content creation. They’re overlooking enterprises by not highlighting how their product can assist in preparing marketing strategies and descriptions. Similarly, some AI projects might use complex jargon that only appeals to tech enthusiasts, instead of crafting compelling narratives that resonate with everyday users.

    To avoid falling into this trap, market players need to conduct thorough research, segment their audience based on relevant criteria like industry, demographics and pain points, and adjust their PR strategies accordingly. As I’ve mentioned in another article, think of your business like a Rubik’s Cube. Just like the cube’s various colors, your company can be showcased from multiple angles tailored to your audience. Always be ready to adapt and roll the dice.

    Related: The Success of Your PR Campaign Depends on These 3 Essential Elements

    3. Starting PR campaigns prematurely

    Timing is everything when it comes to PR. Starting too early may do more harm than good. In fact, it’s a common mistake for startups to launch media campaigns when they’re still in the early MVP stages because they often fail to meet clients’ and investors’ expectations. As a PR specialist, I often see businesses struggling to provide me with answers about their activities, even when it’s for their own sake. Journalists, partners, investors and end users, who have different goals and standards, are much more demanding to satisfy.

    Let’s consider an example. Recently, Krutrim AI unveiled the beta version of its highly anticipated LLM and an AI assistant similar to ChatGPT, but with a focus on Indian culture. Soon, the AI chatbot faced criticism from users who found inaccuracies in responses ranging from general queries to translations, mathematical problems and logical reasoning. The bot even claimed to be produced by OpenAI, with the company attributing these issues to problems in the training dataset.

    Krutrim’s founder has a proven track record of success and has already founded two unicorns in India: Ola Cabs and Ola Electric. It’s highly likely that the company will improve its model and address any concerns raised. It may not be the case for smaller AI startups. It’s better to wait until you’ve built a solid foundation with clear positioning, reliable processes, and ideally some tangible results, before diving into PR.

    4. Overhyping and underdelivering

    In the race to grab attention and secure funding, some AI startups tend to exaggerate their products and capabilities, making big promises they can’t really back up. This often leads to disappointment among customers, investors and stakeholders when the startup fails to live up to its hype.

    Last year, Inflection AI managed to raise over $1 billion at a valuation of $4 billion, with heavyweights like Bill Gates, Eric Schmidt and Nvidia backing it. Inflection’s flagship product was Pi, an AI chatbot designed to offer emotional support and advice to consumers. However, rumors are now swirling that the startup will abandon Pi less than a year after its launch. It seems the company wasn’t able to deliver on its promises.

    Sometimes, taking a more cautious and transparent approach to communication is preferable. Instead of making lofty claims, focus on highlighting real achievements and milestones. By being honest and upfront, startups can build trust with their audience and investors, ensuring a more sustainable path to success.

    5. Ignoring AI ethics and data privacy

    In an AI-driven world, ethics and data privacy are more important than ever. We’ve even seen the rise of organizations like The Israeli Association for Ethics in AI, which work hand in hand with researchers, developers, policymakers and everyday users to ensure responsible innovation.

    Sadly, not all AI startups are giving these concerns the attention they deserve in PR efforts. This oversight could lead to serious repercussions, including damage to reputation and legal troubles. Whether it’s mishandling personal data or failing to address ethical implications, negligence can push potential customers away.

    Take OpenAI, which is currently facing legal challenges. Most recently, The New York Times sued them for copyright infringement. They’re also dealing with a bunch of lawsuits from authors, artists, music labels and others. One even alleges that the company improperly obtained massive amounts of personal data, such as medical records and information about minors, to train its ChatGPT model.

    To avoid such risks, AI projects should make compliance and ethical conduct their top priorities. Adhering to guidelines and demonstrating a commitment to responsible AI development is one of the key factors to long-term success in the complex AI landscape.

    Related: What Will It Take to Build a Truly Ethical AI? These 3 Tips Can Help.

    Looking ahead

    AI startups might face tougher challenges in the near future. Some leaders in the field begin to wonder if the industry is overhyped, as only a handful of companies have been able to build profitable businesses. In times of uncertainty, effective PR could become the deciding factor between success and failure.

    By steering clear of common pitfalls and embracing strategic promotion strategies, AI startups can boost their visibility, attract both customers and investors, and ultimately gain a competitive edge in the market. Ultimately, it’s all about showing the world what sets you and your AI solution apart.

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    Evgeniya Zaslavskaya

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  • 4 Tips for Cannabis Brands to Connect with Journalists and Generate Publicity in 2024 – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    4 Tips for Cannabis Brands to Connect with Journalists and Generate Publicity in 2024 – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

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    Susan Gunelius

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  • How to Get Beat Out Your Competition by Making a Lasting Impression | Entrepreneur

    How to Get Beat Out Your Competition by Making a Lasting Impression | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I’m in the public relations space, and as of last count, there are more than 48,000 other PR firms in the United States. A large fraction of these compete with my agency in the five hub cities where I operate. Yet mine consistently ranks among the highest in those cities — Nashville, for example.

    Is it because I know my industry better than my competitors? Because I land more placements for my clients? Because my team is more talented or my network of connections more expansive? As much as I’d like to think that I’m running with the front of the pack based solely on the quality of my services and the effectiveness of my methodologies, it’s far more likely that I earn rave reviews and generate referrals from my clients due to two words: personalized attention.

    More specifically, my team and I go well above and beyond to create an exceptional customer experience at my firm because I’ve learned over the years of running my own business that it’s the client’s impression of you that matters most — that’s what informs all other aspects of customer relations, drives all other client decisions and determines if they’ll stay with you or not (even more so than short-term results).

    Even in the digital age we all inhabit, with so many automated tasks and productivity tools that populate our workplaces, personalizing the professional is a surefire means to client retention and satisfaction. Here are five practices I regularly follow to make the most positive impression on my clients I possibly can.

    1. Get a copy of your client’s org chart

    When you understand the structure of your client’s business, you understand who does what, who reports to whom, and, in turn, you know who to go to for what. Not only is this an immense time-saver — as in not filling people’s inboxes unnecessarily with work that doesn’t pertain to them — but your clients will also appreciate that you did your homework on their staffing.

    It’s so much more impressive to send a note that says, “Would your team like to see this before we send it up to Jeremy?” or “I believe Bettina has the final sign-off here” than “Are you the right person to contact about this?” And note the use of actual names here — learning the first names of everyone you’ll be working with moves you into first place faster than you’d think!

    Related: 4 Ways to Make the Best First Impression With Your Customers

    2. Use proper grammar and punctuation

    Make sure that all your communications to your client — and, far more importantly, all the communications you prepare on their behalf — are written properly. Yes, it takes some extra work to eliminate errors. Still, it’s absolutely worth the effort when you consider how much just one typo can mar an entire project (ever seen “pubic” instead of “public”?) and how poorly faulty grammar can reflect on quality output, education level and attracting the intended audience.

    Though it may be true that language standards are slipping in America, that doesn’t mean nobody’s noticing the shoddy quality of copy. Some people still notice and care. If your client is one of them, you’ll earn bonus points by knowing the difference between “compliment” and “complement” by not allowing both “San Antonio Riverwalk” and “San Antonio River Walk” in the same publication. Use your grammar checker. Always do a spell-check. Re-read everything you produce. And if you don’t have a language maven on staff to serve as your in-house proofreader, hire an affordable freelancer who can provide quick turnaround times.

    3. Choose video over audio

    Whenever possible, schedule video calls and videoconference meetings over phone calls and phone meetings. The day and age of in-person meetings is quickly becoming obsolete. Still, there will never be a replacement for face-to-face interaction, eye contact, observing facial expressions and showing your client with every head nod and eyebrow raise that you’re following what they’re saying and closely attending to your conversation.

    During the pandemic, cultivating one-on-one relationships over Zoom and Teams became the new norm, and most people are entirely fine leaving it that way! Interacting over a screen instead of a conference table is just more convenient, time-effective and environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, we can’t afford to lose the “one-on-one interaction” part of business relationships. Remember the old Bell advertising slogan? Well, video is the modern-day equivalent of “the next best thing to being there,” so leverage your camera as often as possible to “see” your clients, not just talk to them.

    4. Mark your calendar!

    Notate birthdays, business anniversaries, baby due dates. Keep a record of your client’s big meetings and conference attendance. On those days, send a person-to-person text or email. And the more specific, the better, such as “Hope your coffee product presentation in Jersey went well and the traffic wasn’t too bad on the Parkway!” Or “Congrats on baby Elliot. That was my grandfather’s name, and I hope it serves your brand-new son as well as it did him.”

    By incorporating the personal into the professional, which is a pillar of my own approach at my company, clients value your role more because you’ve actively endeavored to become part of their lives, not just an appendage of their business. In other words, when you add personal touches to your communications and conversations, your clients can’t help but think of you on a more human level rather than just a professional contact with whom they can easily cut ties.

    Related: 6 Strategies for Making a Good First Impression During Business Meetings

    5. Observe the line between personal and professional, but use both — often

    On a related but separate note: As much as I’m saying to weave personal connections into your daily dealings with your clients, you never, ever want to go too far. You can use humor, but not off-color humor. You can show vulnerability, but you don’t want to appear weak or indecisive. You can ask questions and admit what you don’t know, but be strategic (not lazy) about trying to resolve issues yourself before coming to your clients with them. And be yourself, absolutely always be genuinely yourself, but don’t expose so much that you cross the line into overintimacy or inappropriate divulgence.

    By speckling your client interactions with individual touches as you simultaneously maintain proper decorum, you will put a personal face on your business name. And that name will leave more of a mark on your customers precisely because of your adept balancing act between the personal and the professional.

    Part of making a meaningful impression on your clients is consciously putting your best face forward every day, in every way. Don’t let them see a messy office behind you on Zoom, but let them vent about their kid’s tonsillitis for 10 minutes if needed. Don’t bad-mouth other clients or finger-point when things go wrong, but get to know them well enough that you’d love to grab a drink next time you’re in town.

    Take every opportunity you can to show your clients — and then remind them often — that “business as usual” to you means being prepared (as in learning an org chart), producing quality output (that’s been proofed), scheduling face-to-face encounters, observing special occasions in their lives and sharing your authentic self, who happens to be a multifaceted, wonderful human being with flaws who’s also an utter professional and a real pro at what you do!

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    Emily Reynolds Bergh

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  • Stock investors fear ‘no-landing’ economy could spell trouble. What’s next?.

    Stock investors fear ‘no-landing’ economy could spell trouble. What’s next?.

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    While the U.S. stock market has been pricing in a “soft-landing” scenario for the economy, a blowout January jobs report, relatively strong corporate earnings, and Federal Reserve Jerome Powell’s comments during the past week could point to the possibility of “no landing,” where the economy is resilient while inflation stays on target.  

    Such a scenario could still be positive for U.S. stocks, as long as inflation remains steady, according to Richard Flax, chief investment officer at Moneyfarm. However, if inflation reaccelerates, the Fed may be hesitant to cut its policy interest rate much, which could spell trouble, Flax said in a call. 

    What the past week tells us

    Investors have just gone through the busiest week so far this year for economic data and corporate earnings reports, with stocks ending at or near their record highs.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average
    DJIA
    finished the week with its nineth record close of 2024, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The S&P 500 index
    SPX
    scored its seventh record close this year on Friday, while the Nasdaq Composite
    COMP
    is about 2.7% lower from its peak.

    The Fed kept its policy interest rate unchanged in the range of 5.25% to 5.5% at its Wednesday meeting, as expected. However, in the subsequent press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell threw cold water on market expectations that the central bank may start cutting its key interest rate in March, and underscored that they want “greater confidence” in disinflation. 

    Roger Ferguson, former Fed vice chairman, said Powell introduced “a new kind of risk, the risk of no landing.” 

    In that scenario, inflation will stop falling, while the economy is strong, Ferguson said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday. However, Ferguson said he doesn’t think it is the likely outcome.   

    Traders were pricing in a 20.5% likelihood on Friday that the Fed will cut its interest rates in its March meeting, according to the CME FedWatch tool and that’s down from over 46% chance a week ago. The likelihood that the Fed will kick off its rate cutting program in May stood at 58.6% on Friday.  

    The stronger-than-expected January jobs data released on Friday further eliminates the chance of a rate cut in March, said Flax. 

    The U.S. economy added a whopping 353,000 new jobs in January while economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 185,000 increase in new jobs. Hourly wages rose a sharp 0.6% in January, the biggest increase in almost two years.

    The past week has also been heavy with earnings reports, as several tech giants including Microsoft
    MSFT,
    +1.84%    ,
    Apple
    AAPL,
    -0.54%    ,
    Meta
    META,
    +20.32%    ,
    and Amazon
    AMZN,
    +7.87%
    reported their financial results for the fourth quarter of 2023. 

    Among the 220 S&P 500 companies that have reported their earnings so far, 68% have beaten estimates, with their earnings exceeding the expectation by a median of 7%, analysts at Fundstrat wrote in a Friday note.  

    While the reported earnings by big tech companies have been “okay,” the guidance was not, said José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers.

    What has been driving the tech stocks’ rally since last year was mostly the prospect of sales from artificial intelligence products, but tech companies are not able to monetize the trend yet, Torres said in a phone interview. 

    Adding to the headwinds is a comeback of concerns around regional banks. 

    On Thursday, New York Community Bancorp Inc.’s stock triggered the steepest drop in regional-bank stocks since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023. New York Community Bancorp on Wednesday posted a surprise loss and signaled challenges in the commercial real estate sector with troubled loans.

    Meanwhile, the Fed’s bank term funding program, which was launched in March last year to bolster the capacity of the banking system, will expire on March 11. 

    If the Fed could start cutting its key interest rate in March, it would be “sort of like the ambulance that was going to pick regional banks up and save them,” said Torres. “Now the ambulance is coming in May at the earliest, I think that we’re in a particularly risky period from now to May,” Torres said. 

    What should investors do 

    Investors should go risk-off before May, according to Torres. “Last year, goods and commodities helped a lot on the disinflationary front. This year for disinflation to continue, we’re going to need services to start contributing to that. Then we’re going to need to see an increase in the unemployment rate,” Torres said. 

    He said he prefers U.S. Treasurys with a tenor of four years or shorter, as the long-dated ones may be susceptible to risks around the fiscal deficit and government borrowing. For stocks, he prefers the healthcare, utilities, consumer staples and energy sectors, he said. 

    Keith Buchanan, senior portfolio manager at Globalt Investments, is more optimistic. The slowdown in inflation and the relatively strong economic data and earnings “don’t really paint a picture for a risk-off scenario,” he said. “The setup for risk assets still leans towards the bullish expectation,” Buchanan added. 

    In the week ahead, investors will be watching the ISM services sector data on Monday, the U.S. trade deficit on Wednesday and weekly initial jobless benefit claims numbers on Thursday. Several Fed officials will speak as well, potentially providing more clues on the possible trajectory of rate cuts.

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  • Mark Zuckerberg could pay millions to the IRS on Meta dividends. He still might be getting ‘a major break’.

    Mark Zuckerberg could pay millions to the IRS on Meta dividends. He still might be getting ‘a major break’.

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    Mark Zuckerberg delighted Meta shareholders and Wall Street this week with news of the social media giant’s first-ever dividend.

    The IRS may also be happy, now that it’s staring at millions in taxes on the Meta stock dividends bound for Zuckerberg’s portfolio.

    Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc.
    META,
    +20.32%    ,
    is poised to make $700 million in dividends yearly. He owns nearly 350 million shares, according to FactSet, and the company will start paying a quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share.

    That would yield nearly $167 million in federal taxes yearly, after a qualified-dividend tax of 20% and another 3.8% tax on the investment returns of rich households, two accounting experts said.

    California income taxes of 13.3% on the dividends could cost Zuckerberg another $93.1 million, said Andrew Belnap, an accounting professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

    All in, that’s a combined $259.7 million in federal and state taxes annually on the Meta dividends, Belnap estimated.

    For context, U.S. taxpayers reported over $285 billion in qualified-dividend income to the IRS though mid-November 2023, according to agency statistics. Nearly 30 million tax returns reported qualified dividends through that time.

    Meta said it plans a quarterly cash dividend going forward, with the first such payment in March.

    Meta shares soared 20.5% on Friday, ending with a record-high close of $474.99. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
    DJIA,
    S&P 500
    SPX
    and Nasdaq Composite
    COMP
    all closed higher Friday.

    ‘Zuck is getting a major break’

    Meta announced the dividend payment in its earnings results Thursday, on the same week that Americans began filing their income taxes.

    A look at Zuckerberg’s dividends and their tax implications offer a peek at the debate about the varying ways wages and wealth are taxed.

    “Zuck is getting a major break,” said Andrew Schmidt, an accounting professor at North Carolina State University’s Poole School of Management who also crunched the numbers for MarketWatch.

    Approximately $167 million “seems like a high tax bill,” he said. But if Zuckerberg received the $700 million as a straight salary, Schmidt estimated he’d be looking at a roughly $259 million tax bill on the wages after they were taxed at the top marginal rate of 37%.

    Federal income tax brackets run from 10% to 37%.

    Meanwhile, the IRS taxes qualified dividends and capital gains at 0%, 15% and 20%, depending on income and household status. The net investment income tax adds another 3.8% for individuals making at least $200,000 or married couples worth $250,000.

    For federal and state taxes on the Meta dividends, Zuckerberg would face a combined rate of 37.1%, Belnap noted. “His tax rate on this is actually fairly high,” he said.

    The gap in tax rates on income derived from wages and investments “has been a big criticism with U.S. tax policy,” Schmidt said, especially as lawmakers look for ways to come up with more tax revenue.

    Regular retail investors enjoy the same preferential rates on capital gains and dividends as the top 1% of taxpayers, Schmidt added. The issue is that those dividends and stock profits are a smaller part of their income while salaries, taxed at higher rates, are a bigger proportion.

    Belnap noted that California’s state tax rules don’t provide special treatment to dividends.

    Read also: Where Trump, Biden and Haley stand on capital gains, the child tax credit and other key tax questions

    Zuckerberg received a $1 base salary in 2022, a figure that hasn’t changed in several years. He is now worth $142 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the fifth-richest person in the world.

    Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Taxes on the Meta dividends will not be something Zuckerberg, or any Meta shareholders big or small, need to deal with until next year’s tax season, Belnap and Schmidt observed.

    But as taxpayers amass their 1099-DIV forms on dividend income, IRS figures show that it’s mostly upper-echelon taxpayers reaping the rewards on the preferential rates for qualified dividends.

    Households worth at least $1 million accounted for 40% of the approximate $285.3 billion in qualified dividends reported through mid-November, according to agency figures.

    For less affluent investors, “it’s usually a nice supplement, but I’d say very few people are living off dividends,” Belnap said.

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  • Meta’s stock is the most overbought in 11 years, but that could be a good thing

    Meta’s stock is the most overbought in 11 years, but that could be a good thing

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    There’s a common belief that “overbought” is a technical condition for a stock, but in practice it seems to be more of an ability.

    Meta Platforms Inc.’s stock
    META,
    +20.32%
    soared so much Friday after a blowout earnings report, that some technical readings have reached levels not seen in 11 years.

    The stock rocketed 20.9% to close at a record $474.99, to book the third-biggest gain since going public in May 2012. The only bigger rallies were 23.3% on Feb. 2, 2023 and 29.6% on July 25, 2013, which were also after earnings reports.

    The stock’s Relative Strength Index, which is a momentum indicator that measures the magnitudes of recent gains and losses, climbed to 86.48. That’s the highest level seen since it closed at a record 89.39 on July 30, 2013.

    But that shouldn’t scare off Meta bulls.

    Many chart watchers believe RSI readings above 70 are signs of “overbought” conditions, which suggests bulls need a breather after running faster and farther than they are used to.

    There are also many who believe the ability to become overbought is a sign of underlying strength, since a stock tends to be trending higher when RSI hurdles 70. (Read Constance Brown’s “Technical Analysis for the Trading Professional.”)

    For example, the record RSI reading came three days after the record stock-price rally of 29.6% on July 25, 2013. Even though RSI closed at what was then a record of 88.27 after a record price gain on the 25th, the stock continued to rally and become even more overbought.

    It was that spike that snapped the stock out of the year-long doldrum that followed the initial public offering, and flipped the long-term narrative on the stock to bullish. (Read “Facebook’s ‘breakaway gap’ is a bullish game changer,” from The Wall Street Journal.)


    FactSet, MarketWatch

    And while the record RSI readings in July 2013 did lead to a minor short-term pullback, it didn’t stop the stock from embarking on a long-term uptrend, in which RSI made multiple forays above 70.


    FactSet, MarketWatch

    And the last time RSI closed above 85 was Feb. 2, 2023, when it closed at 86.07, also after a blowout earnings report.

    And similar to 10 years earlier, that historically high overbought reading helped launch another long-term rally.


    FactSet, MarketWatch

    So yes, Meta’s stock is now facing historically high overbought conditions. But as many chart watchers like to say, overbought doesn’t mean over.

    One thing to consider, however, is that the two prior times RSI spiked above 85 were while the long-term fates of the stock were still in question — the stocks were working on short-term bounces following long-term downtrends.


    FactSet, MarketWatch

    But Friday’s blast off happened just days after the stock closed at a record high. There was no resistance to hurdle, so rather than a bullish “breakaway gap,” Friday’s jump could be considered more a bullish leap of faith.

    Also read:

    Meta’s killer stock rally could add $200 billion in market cap — a historic haul.

    Nvidia’s stock could rise above $600 — despite signs it’s already overbought.

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  • Alphabet’s stock dips because advertising was good, but not good enough

    Alphabet’s stock dips because advertising was good, but not good enough

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    Google parent Alphabet Inc.’s stock was tumbling late Tuesday, as a rebound in digital advertising fell short of analysts’ lofty expectations.

    The search-engine powerhouse reported a jump in fourth-quarter sales, chiefly through advertising, but Alphabet’s shares
    GOOGL,
    -1.34%

    GOOG,
    -1.16%
    fell 4% in after-hours trading.

    Total revenue was $86.3 billion, up 13% from $76 billion a year ago. Sales minus total acquisition costs (TAC) came in at $72.3 billion, compared with $63.1 billion a year ago.

    Alphabet reported fourth-quarter net income of $20.7 billion, or $1.64 a share, compared with net income of $13.6 billion, or $1.05 a share, in the year-ago quarter.

    “We are pleased with the ongoing strength in Search and the growing contribution from YouTube and Cloud. Each of these is already benefiting from our AI investments and innovation. As we enter the Gemini era, the best is yet to come,” Alphabet Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a statement announcing the results.

    Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected on average net earnings of $1.59 a share on revenue of $85.3 billion and ex-TAC revenue of $71.2 billion.

    Google’s total advertising sales climbed to $65.5 billion from $59 billion a year ago, edging analysts’ average expectations of $65.8 billion. YouTube ad sales rose to $9.2 billion from $7.96 billion a year. Google Cloud rang up $9.2 billion in sales, up from $7.3 billion.

    Alphabet is also ramping up AI initiatives to improve operational efficiency and productivity for 2023 and beyond. The company is using AI in its finance organization and analytics, but Alphabet did not break out AI revenue in Tuesday’s earnings report.

    Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat told CNBC that gen-AI will be a focus of the call with analysts now taking place.

    Shares of Google have climbed 53% over the past 12 months. The S&P 500 index
    SPX
    has risen 21% the past year.

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  • Denim pioneer Levi’s is rolling out ‘tech pants’ and other new offerings this year. But will retailers stock them?

    Denim pioneer Levi’s is rolling out ‘tech pants’ and other new offerings this year. But will retailers stock them?

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    With a rough 2023 in the rearview mirror, Levi Strauss & Co. this year is trying to tackle its problems with new pants.

    That includes pants with lighter-weight denim; pants for women that can be worn as high-rise or low-rise; and even nondenim pants that management, during Levi’s
    LEVI,
    +1.27%
    earnings call on Thursday, referred to as a “tech pant” for men with “moisture control and 360 mobility.” The company also plans to expand its offerings of Performance Cool pants intended to keep the wearer cool and dry on hotter days.

    But as those products roll out, the retailers that account for most of Levi’s sales are still cautious about packing their shelves with new apparel — even though Levi’s executives pointed to slightly better demand from clothing stores during the fourth quarter and holiday period. And as the denim pioneer cuts costs, brings in new leadership and tries to be a bigger e-commerce player, Wall Street will now be digging around for signs of a payoff.

    “Ultimately, the market will be looking for evidence new strategies can drive accelerated growth,” Stifel analyst Jim Duffy said in a research note on Thursday.

    “We continue to believe in brand vitality and opportunities for extension. With product reflective of new direction arriving in the marketplace across 2024, the proof will be in consumer response,” he continued.

    In an interview with MarketWatch on Friday, Duffy said he was optimistic about Levi’s standing as an established brand and stronger demand for its dresses, skirts and other women’s clothing items. But the more products a company rolls out, he suggested, the more it has to invest to make them work — and the more it needs to manage if sales falter.

    “The risk, as I see it, is that more categories means more SKUs and more product that is fashion rather than core basic styles, and more investment and inventory that, if it doesn’t translate to the marketplace, could result in higher markdowns,” he said, referring to the stock-keeping units by which retailers track inventory.

    Levi’s on Thursday said it would lay off between 10% and 15% of its global corporate staff in the first half of this year, a move intended to save $100 million in costs over that period. The layoffs are part of a two-year plan, called Project FUEL, intended to save money and strengthen the part of Levi’s business that sells directly to consumers via its own e-commerce network and its physical stores, as opposed to third-party retail operations.

    The layoff announcement arrived days ahead of Chief Executive Chip Berg’s departure from that role, with Michelle Gass taking over on Jan. 29. As the company tries to be bigger than men’s jeans, Gass, in Levi’s earnings release on Thursday, said she saw an opportunity to grow internationally, make Levi’s own online and bricks-and-mortar sales a greater priority, and turn the brand into a larger “denim apparel lifestyle business.”

    Levi’s shares fell after hours Thursday, after the company’s full-year profit forecast came in below expectations. The stock rebounded 1.3% on Friday but is still down 10.3% over the past 12 months.

    Still, Levi’s direct-to-consumer sales jumped 11% during the fourth quarter, and accounted for 42% of sales overall. Duffy said that the company has pushed deeper into its direct-sales business because it gives executives greater insight into what consumers want, as well as more control over how it markets and sells its clothing. Cutting out other retailers also widens margins on sales, he noted.

    Levi’s operating margins were higher in the fourth quarter. It also declared a dividend of 12 cents per share, payable in cash on Feb. 23.

    But sales in Levi’s wholesale segment — the sales it gets from retailers who buy Levi’s product, then sell it to consumers — fell 2%. Better results in the U.S. and Asia were offset by a drop in Europe, the company said.

    Retailers have spent the past two years trying to clear unwanted clothes from their stockrooms, and cutting prices in the process, after spiking inflation restricted many shoppers’ appetites to basics.

    As Gass prepares to take the reins, she sought to put a positive spin on retail-chain sentiment. “So net-net, overall, as a company, we’re exiting the year on a strong note,” Gass said on the earnings call. “And U.S. wholesale, we’re encouraged. But as it relates to that channel, we’re not declaring victory yet. There’s been a lot of volatility this past year, some in our control, some outside. And so we are taking a cautious approach as we look forward.”

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