Which social media tools do the country's largest companies use? According to new research from M&C Center Senior Fellow Nora Ganim Barnes, the Fortune 500 are focused on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, but use of YouTube and Instagram is growing quickly. It's now clear that successful companies must have a social media presence.

Is your brand ready to manage and survive an organizational crisis? Chances are your company will face a crisis soon, so be ready with some simple ABCs: Define your tipping point; Have a crisis plan; Monitor everything; Don't be dumb.

What are the hallmarks of leading online customer communities? Typically, it's a combination of ease of access, SEO prominence, purpose, and UX, style and technology. According to an analysis of these communities by Leader Networks, technology companies embrace them more than their peers, while the largest companies of the Fortune 500 were more likely to have active online communities. To make your online community more successful, activity and engagement are crucial.

It is no longer enough to be an expert in communications to succeed as a communications professional. A recent research brief titled The Case for Business Acumen published by IC Kollectif spotlights key findings from primary and secondary research on the importance of business acumen for internal and external communications professionals.

Developing compelling strategic communications is essential to successfully creating and implementing strategy across the enterprise—but it also touches the preparation of annual leadership team and shareholder meetings, large M&A deals, investor roadshows, divestitures, reorganizations, and a host of other high value, high stakes strategic events. It is present at every moment when you need to move an organization forward.

Are ad agencies being fooled by online media and wasting big clients’ money? Bob Hoffman, Chief Aggravation Officer of Type A Group and a well-known industry disrupter, thinks so. He cites numerous scandals and revelations about corruption, fraud, and lies in the online advertising ecosystem as evidence. Join us for our October Marketing & Communications Center Chat webcast.

Is improving leadership even on the radar screen in the public relations profession? The short answer appears to be no, according to the results of the Plank Center’s Leadership Report Card 2019. Though numerous blogs, articles and research studies in our field recognize the importance of improving leadership to help the profession achieve positive outcomes, the industry struggles to make it happen.

Why don't CEOs and communicators agree on the role and future of the function? The 2019 Global Communications Report from USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism highlights at least three disconnects between company leaders and the communicators who work for them: the purpose of communications, the point of communications, and how tech will contribute to the field.