Business

Holidays are fast approaching, and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prove it’s up to the challenge. With the “Delivering for America” plan in full swing, the USPS has transformed into a leaner, greener and more efficient operation. Daily package processing capacity has skyrocketed to 60 million, and an upgraded fleet – featuring 66,000 electric vehicles – underscores its commitment to sustainability and reliability.

Services like USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect have streamlined shipping, while extended hours and affordable rates make sending gifts stress-free. This holiday season, the USPS is hoping to deliver customer confidence in addition to packages.

– Abby Watkins, 360 Media, Inc., The Atlanta 100

Think teens don’t want to work? Think again. According to the Labor Department, 37% of Gen Zers (Zoomers) held jobs in 2023. That is the highest level since 2009 and reverses 40 years of decline.

Two hundred fifty thousand more teens are working today than before the pandemic. Workers between 16-24 years old got a 9.8% pay hike last year, about twice as much as employees overall.

Many local governments have used COVID-19 related funding to improve summer youth employment programs. The goal is to cut down on neighborhood crime and also focus on ways to combat mental illness among teens.

– Vikki Locke, C2 Communications, The SWFL 100

Do you think culture and strategy are separate?

Strategy without a strong Culture is just a bunch of good ideas and a positive Culture without a Strategy is just a great place to hang out. These two are intimately intwined in great companies.

As an example, when COVID struck in 2019, a progressive company that created a culture of respect and inclusion created a new strategy to adjust to the pandemic. Fast forward to 2021, the company’s employee and client retention was excellent and it has grown its revenue while most companies in the same industry retracted.

Read more here.

– Jon Ouellette, Leaders Team, The SWFL 100

On The A100 Podcast, Big Bold Brand’s Karley Cunningham discusses how associations can create a brand that truly stands out, reminding us that your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s the sum of every interaction with your members.

Cunningham shares actionable strategies, including building a brand from the inside out by aligning with your association’s core values and purpose. She explains how to define your unique value proposition by focusing on the top three benefits that differentiate your association, emphasizing the importance of creating an authentic brand that resonates and drives engagement.

– Colleen Lerro Gallagher, OnWrd & UpWrd, The Association 100

Are you ready to be a leader? Anyone can be a leader if they are willing to take themselves on or be willing to question and explore who they have become for themselves or have become as an identity. After all the reality is, YOU are the leader in your life.

Being a leader is a here-and-now phenomenon in everything you do. It’s a human being given by a set of distinctions or network of conversations that allow for a leader to naturally show up and deal powerfully and creatively with new people and situations.

To read more, click here.

– Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team

Content marketing is one of the most commonly used types of marketing practices that can generate three times more leads than traditional advertising.

It’s an effective strategy that can lead to sustainable, long-term growth for your business. Here’s how to do it:

• Define your target audience

• Create customer personas

• Perform trend analysis

• Select topics wisely

• Optimize content for search engines

• Diversify content formats

• Test and improve

Make sure your content is performing at its best to maximize its benefit for your business or consider hiring a reliable digital marketing service to help you achieve results quickly and efficiently. Learn more.

– Aivaras Galdikas, Cyber News, The SWFL 100

I wrap our podcast series on AI in PR by highlighting AI’s game-changing impact on crisis management and influencer engagement.

I discuss how AI tools can offer real-time sentiment tracking, enabling proactive crisis response. Learn about AI’s role in drafting crisis strategies and combating disinformation. Get a step-by-step guide on how to create a crisis comms plan for your association. I also dive into AI’s role in influencer identification engagement.

AI is a powerful tool in ensuring you get the right message to the right people. It helps streamline your efforts and provides data-driven insights to enhance your PR strategies.

– Colleen Lerro Gallagher, OnWrd & UpWrd, The Association 100

Organizational culture is the most significant factor in the success of any company.

Understanding the difference between intentional and unintentional culture is crucial because it helps leaders recognize areas where they can actively shape and influence the culture to align with their vision and objectives.

Intentional culture refers to the set of values, beliefs and behaviors that are deliberately cultivated and promoted by leaders:

• Strategic Development

• Communication

• Alignment

• Measurement

Unintentional culture arises organically from the interactions and behaviors of members within the organization without deliberate guidance or intervention:

• Organic Development

• Implicit Norms

• Inconsistency

• Influence of Informal Leaders

Read more here.

– Jon Ouellette, Leaders Team, The SWFL 100

In the 2024 Consumer Research Report by Salsify, 40% of shoppers said that User-Generated Content is “extremely” or “very” important when making a purchase decision. This proves the increasing relevance of UGC and is a wake-up call for businesses to start implementing it in their strategies.

Here are a few iconic and unique UGC campaigns from popular brands and what you can learn from them:

• Sephora’s Beauty Insider Community – relatable and showcases user experiences.

• Chipotle’s Lid Flip Challenge – understands the target audience and most effective platform for engagement.

• Spotify’s Spotify Wrapped – shareability and visually stunning graphics.

Learn more: c2-com.com

– Marie Patasin, C2 Communications, The SWFL 100

In the latest episode of The A100 Podcast, I discuss how AI can revolutionize your pitching efforts. This second installment in our special three-part series on AI in PR covers creating targeted press lists and crafting customized pitches.

Key takeaways:

• Building press lists – Learn how AI can streamline creating highly targeted press lists, ensuring accuracy and relevance.

• Crafting pitches – Discover how AI can help make your pitches more personal and tailored, saving time and increasing effectiveness.

• Real-world examples – Hear about successful pitches transformed with AI, like a logistics pitch on a Canada border strike and a PTSD Awareness Month pitch.

– Colleen Lerro Gallagher, OnWrd & UpWrd, The Association 100

In today’s dynamic professional world, prioritizing wellness is essential. Studies show that companies investing in employee wellness see a 21% increase in productivity.

Regular exercise, hydration and balanced nutrition enhance energy levels and cognitive function. Mental wellness, including stress management and mindfulness practices, fosters resilience and clarity of thought. Embracing wellness practices not only improves individual performance but also cultivates a positive and productive work culture.

Employers benefit from increased productivity and reduced absenteeism, while employees experience greater job satisfaction and overall well-being. Investing in wellness initiatives demonstrates a commitment to holistic success, ensuring that individuals thrive professionally and personally.

– Samira Medina, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, The New Orleans 100

Since 2004, the San Francisco-based Yelp has been publishing crowd-sourced reviews for local businesses – from restaurants and bars to hairstylists and mechanics.

The name, a hybrid term at the intersection of “help” and “yellow pages,” makes it easy to connect with new customers.

With a database of 20 million business locations and more than 80 million monthly visitors, leaving a positive review on Yelp can be priceless when it comes to:

• Kick-starting a burgeoning business platform.

• Attracting potential customers.

• Showcasing the best a community has to offer.

• Turning searchers into visitors.

Spread the word about your favorite local spots. Stat.

– Hannah Van Sickle, The Arizona 100