PR News Recap— February 2021
2021 is well underway and there is plenty to talk about in this month’s PR News Recap. Members of the Publications Subcommittee and I break down some of our favorite news stories below, ranging from streaming services and the Super Bowl to Edelman and more. See more below:
iCarly Debuts on Netflix, setting the stage for show’s Reboot — Christina Billie
iCarly’s first two seasons debuted on Netflix on February 8, and it has all fans going crazy over the show. As of February 24, it is rated number 4 on Netflix in the United States, and iCarly even trended on Twitter the day it was released onto the streaming service. Netflix put the show on its platform just in time for the reboot set to come out later this year.
Paramount+, a streaming service that’s a future competitor for Netflix, is currently working on an iCarly reboot starring Miranda Cosgrove as Carly (the main character), Nathan Kress as Freddie (Carly’s friend and technical producer of iCarly), and Jerry Trainor as Spencer (Carly’s older brother).
With the show now on Netflix, all of iCarly’s fans are now watching the show, reminiscing the old days when the show still aired on Nickelodeon. This also has people talking more about the reboot, since they can now watch iCarly before watching its reboot. Though there are only two seasons on Netflix, fans are still getting excited about both shows. With all the fans watching iCarly on Netflix, it will make fans then want to purchase a Paramount+ subscription so they can also watch the reboot. The timing of putting iCarly on Netflix is perfect, and it could also help Paramount+ with its subscribers in the future.
Super Bowl LV ratings are in: more streaming, but less viewers overall — Dieter Tirado Núñez
Super Bowl LV will go down in history as the most-watched NFL game in history, but also the lowest numbers in more than a decade in terms of total audience.
CBS Sports reported that this year’s NFL championship drew a total audience of 96.5 million viewers and streaming in particular was 65% up compared to 2020. Yet despite the global pandemic forcing more people to watch from home all the new ways of streaming the game, the numbers were low, noted Taylor Lyes of The Verge.
The 2020 Super Bowl drew 102 million viewers, meaning this year’s game is 5 percent down compared to last year. In simple terms, the audience was the lowest since the 2007 Super Bowl, which had just over 93 million people tuning in to watch the Big Game.
This year’s Super Bowl also faced several technical problems. CBS All Access subscribers experienced trouble tuning in while they tried to watch the game, clouding much of viewers on America’s biggest television broadcast of the year.
Technical reliability, particularly of live broadcasts, is becoming a big problem for broadcasters as viewers move from traditional television to streaming. Expect this to continue to evolve as streaming becomes a bigger part of mainstream television.
Edelman’s Newest Global Offering Tackles Disinformation — Ama Akoto-Boateng
The popular use of the internet and social media has culminated in information overflow all over the globe. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation has also been associated with this trend over the years, with a number of companies having to bear the serious brunt of false information.
Thankfully, with Edelman’s launch of the first ever global offering to help companies fight against disinformation, clients can finally heave a huge sigh of relief. Known as the Disinformation Shield, the solution will enable companies to monitor the internet and counter any form of disinformation with fact-based communication campaigns.
According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, two out of three executives at large global companies worry about the weaponization of false information, adding that its adverse effects go as far as affecting a company’s share price, destroying a brand’s loyal customer base and even threatening the safety of company executives and their families.
It will be interesting to see how agencies and corporations alike continue to address the issues of misinformation and disinformation. This move by Edelman marks a huge step in tackling this issue.
Miami Mayor Kickstarts the City’s Tech-focused Rebrand — Zach Ferenchak
The shift to remote work continues to transform the business landscape of many industries, and technology is no exception. The first few months of 2021 have seen many companies fully embrace this idea, with multiple entrepreneurs and startups choosing home cities that weren’t nearly as popular before the COVID-19 pandemic. The mayor of Miami, FL has welcomed this trend with open arms and is encouraging all to take their talents to South Beach.
The New York Times first reported on this in their January 29th article describing the evolving business climate in Miami, a city typically known for its nightclubs and tourist attractions.
A huge part of the new Miami formula has been the city’s mayor, Francis Suarez. Suarez has recently embraced a new role — social media influencer. This tweet alone has gotten over 2.3 million organic views and even landed on a San Francisco billboard as an ad to lure tech startups away from the Bay Area and into the Sunshine State.
For an excellent case study on city/region marketing and pivoting to adapt to a post-COVID reality, check out some of the things happening right now with Miami and its influential mayor.
Christina Billie is a junior public relations major at Temple University. She serves as her Chapter’s vice president and is also an account associate for PRowl Public Relations, Temple’s student-run public relations firm. She is currently interning at Breslow Partners, where she serves as a public relations intern.
Dieter Tirado is a junior student at Universidad de San Martín de Porres (USMP) in Lima, Peru. He is pursuing a major in PR with a minor in Advertisement. He has served as a PRSSA National Publications Subcommittee member since 2019. As PRSSA USMP’s International Ambassador and the Assistant Director of its Student-run Firm, PR USMP, Dieter takes advantage of every moment and experience in the Society. During his free time, you can find him singing, connecting with people from his city and the world, and watching any kind of videos online just for fun. Connect with Dieter on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Ama Akoto-Boateng is a graduate student pursuing master’s degree in communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She serves as a PRSSA National Publications Subcommittee member. In her free time, Ama enjoys singing, trying out new recipes, and going on a road trip. She is passionate about visual storytelling, sustainability and public relations, and has been at the forefront of a number of award-winning sustainability initiatives. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Zach Ferenchak, 2020–2021 vice president of brand engagement, is a senior at Capital University, a private university in Columbus, Ohio. He is majoring in emerging media with an emphasis in public relations and minors in journalism and marketing. In his free time, Ferenchak can be found obsessing over the latest gadget or video game, exploring a coffee shop with friends, or going on a trail run. He hopes to elevate the voices of all PRSSA members through the organization’s various brand platforms. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.
