OOO!
Newsletter #130
This Week
Vacation? How to Keep It Branded
ICYMI: Lake Life
Spotted
Before We Go…
1. Out of Office. Still on Brand.
The Fourth of July is behind us, and vacation season is officially underway. Inboxes everywhere are filling with out-of-office replies.
They run the gamut from polished and professional to playful and personal. Some are concise. Others read like a vacation itinerary, complete with lake plans, limited Wi-Fi, promises to "check in occasionally," and even accidental old details left over from the last holiday break.
Most organizations never think much about them. But they should. An out-of-office email seems like a small thing. It's automatic, temporary, and easy to overlook.
But to the person receiving it, it's another interaction with your organization. And every interaction communicates something.
What are you and your teammates communicating?
2. ICYMI: We’re At The Lake!
Last year, your EO Report writers were both at the lake. And because we can find a good communications lesson anywhere, we pulled together our observations from Okoboji and the Lake of the Ozarks. It’s the perfect read for a July day.
3. Spotted
Merriam-Webster’s social media strategy has always been top-notch, but they really outdid themselves last week. Study their accounts to learn how you can enter a conversation about current events while staying true to your brand, all while avoiding sounding corny or performative.
Two examples from last week include a response to the U.S.’s controversial red card during a World Cup match and a jab at England in honor of the Fourth of July (always welcome).
4. Before We Go…
Last week, NPR’s Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg mistakenly reported that Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito is retiring. This is an excellent analysis on NPR’s response to having to pull the story. ,
From The New York Times: Wikipedia is battling for the soul of the internet
“Wikipedia has long been a proxy battleground for warring ideas about truth: What constitutes balance? What makes a good source? But now, those online debates could result in real repercussions.”
From PR Daily: Your wrapper is killing your pitch
“The problem is that most PR pros treat that match as the finish line. Finding the reporter who covers your subject is Step 1…The real question isn’t, ‘Does this reporter write about my topic?’ Instead, it’s, ‘Does my story fit the specific way this reporter writes about my topic?’ Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2026 report found that 47% of journalists call PR pitches ‘seldom or never relevant’ to their work.”