Happy November! Is it just us, or was last week a bit of a blur? Perhaps it was Halloween, or the rush of holiday marketing that started on November 1 (looking at you, Starbucks) – or maybe it was just that things have been hella busy here at Reach. (Note: We like busy.)

Whatever it was, we’re bringing your our weekly roundup just a few days late, focusing on some articles from last week that we think you should read. From the impact that social controversy could have on your brand (even if it doesn’t involve you) to the growing abilities of AI, check out this brief, slightly random, installment of Our Favorite Headlines.

The Takeaway: Whether you’re a Fortune-500 company or a mom-and-pop shop in Grand Rapids, you must be aware of the role that social issues can play in your brand – including both what you say about a topic AND what you choose to be silent about. More and more, brands are being called to stand up for social issues; but doing so comes with significant risk. Brands stand to lose big if they don’t say the right thing, or if a social responsibility initiative comes off as inauthentic. So how can you make this balancing act work for you?

The Takeaway: The point of this article is most definitely not to say that email marketing doesn’t work. On the contrary, what you should take away is that email marketing can be incredibly effective when done right. Start by using data to truly understand your audience – beyond your intuition, that is – then create highly relevant emails based on what matters most to them. Don’t forget that the more consistent you are with your emails, the more likely your audience will know to look for your messages. And, of course, remember that you must integrate your email campaigns with tactics that reach your audience outside of their inbox.

The Takeaway: We couldn’t let Halloween pass without including a spooky article in this week’s roundup. Beyond the spookiness, we’re sharing this one because it serves as an important reminder for all communicators: That AI has come pretty far in the past few years. And while we probably have some time before we should worry about robots taking over our jobs, we’re already beginning to see how AI can be used to communicate with customers, including chat bots and robots like Shelley.

What articles did you find particularly interesting or relevant? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter.