Doug Simon, along with 20 other top communicators, offers tips on how the lessons learned from 2020 can be applied in 2021 on a special year-end edition of the “PR’s Top Pros Talk” video interview series.

Simon gets things rolling with two pivotal suggestions. Number one: Follow Amazon’s lead and invest in local TV news, which is set to become “a more important way to communicate with your key audiences.” He also says that public affairs will be a “key storyline” in the year to come, and that it will merge with corporate social responsibility from a communications perspective.

Then a panel of experts offers some other key talking points. Keeping the communications pathways open is a prime consideration, as are empathy, creativity and accountability. The importance of being optimistic and inspired are stressed as is the importance of really listening to stakeholders.

And in the wake of 2020’s groundswell of interest in social and racial justice, meaningful actions to increase diversity, equity and inclusion are cited by many of the executives who share their views in this episode.

In the special year-end “PR’s Top Pros Talk,” you’ll hear tips and advice from:

• Jennifer Beugelmans, CCO, Groupon

• Richard Edelman, CEO, Edelman

• Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO, Ruder Finn

• Michelle Gross, President, Spectrum Science

• Mike Paul, President, Reputation Doctor

• Emily Poe, CIO, W2O

• Heather Kernahan, CEO, North America, Hotwire Global and Board Chair, PR Council

• Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5W PR

• Gigi Garcia Russo, Partner, Hunter

• Marty McDonald, EVP, Fahlgren Mortine

• David Imre, CEO, Imre

• Marc Banks, National Press Secretary, NAACP

• Glen Jackson, Co-Founder, Jackson Spalding

• Gini Dietrich, CEO, Arment Dietrich

• Matt Kucharski, President, Padilla

• Kristin Cahill, Incoming CEO, GCI Health

• Neil Foote, President, National Black Public Relations Society

• Luke Lambert, President & CEO, G&S Business Communications

• David Gwyn, President, French West Vaughan

• Maria Rodriguez, President & CEO, Vanguard Communications

View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Subscribe to get notified when new episodes are available.

Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected]

D S Simon Media helps clients get their stories on television through satellite media tours and by producing and distributing content to the media. The company also produces live social media events.