Brand-produced video has become a key component in garnering positive media coverage, according to a new study from D S Simon Media.
The “DS Simon Brand Visibility 2020” report, which surveyed 366 journalists, found that media platforms across the board want to use brand video. The appetite for brand video is strongest among blogs—with 85 percent saying they use it—and television stations, which come in close behind at 84 percent. About two-thirds of radio station web sites (66 percent) say they use brand video, as do 54 percent of print media outlets.
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In addition, more than eight out 10 media organizations (82 percent) who use brand video said they use the entire video with no editing. That number reaches 94 percent for blogs, and the overall number is up 11 percent from Simon’s 2018 survey.
In-house spokespeople are more popular with journalists than are outside sources. Almost nine out of 10 respondents (87 percent) said they would rather interview an in-house spokesperson than a third-party expert. The reason for that: 83 percent of those surveyed said in-house spokespeople make brands appear more authentic, while only 44 percent thought that a third-party expert added to a brand’s credibility.
Making CEOs available to the media was seen as an effective way of boosting the appearance of brand authenticity by 76 percent of survey respondents.
And for those afraid that the messages they get into the media may be drowned out in a tidal wave of political news coverage over the next year, the study finds cause for optimism. Only 12 percent of TV news stations surveyed said more than half of their news coverage would be political in nature, with 67 percent saying that political subject matter would fill 25 percent or less of their air time.
Even though a majority of consumers are turning to social media as their preferred source of breaking news, issues surrounding trust and the quality of social media content remain a concern for many of them.
While PR pitches play a major role in shaping what stories journalists cover, Muck Rack’s “State of Journalism 2026” report says that there are several ways PR pros could improve the chance of their pitches making it on to a media platform.
Internal communications have become a key element in how well organizations are able to negotiate change, according to a new report from Gallagher Communications Limited. That makes change communications targeted at employees more important than ever. 
The deadline for O'Dwyer's 2026 rankings of PR firms, a benchmark study of the growth of the industry since 1970, is Mon., Mar. 16. Show your expertise in 23 PR specialties. Rankings are also tabulated by 14 cities and regions.
Zeno Group releases a report showing that while communications are a bigger factor than ever in strategy, growth, risk and workforce decisions for companies, most communications leaders don’t think they are totally ready for what lies ahead.
