Today finds hundreds of brands huddled in their war rooms, rehearsing how they will respond to what-if scenarios at the Super Bowl. I loved the line uttered by David Matahia, director of marketing communications for Hyundai, at the Holmes Innovation Summit last week: “Oreo screwed us all with their Super Bowl moment.” Because Oreo generated …more
Have you ever noticed that the more famous a person becomes, the less accessible he or she becomes? Marsha Collier is an exception to this theorem (and I thought I would never use my high school algebra). As a leading expert on customer service, small-biz guru and best-selling author, she still lends a helping hand …more
Given all the industry organizations based in New York that count PR as a target audience, we were enthused about the Holmes Report hosting its first Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley last week. As with any first-time activity, there are going to be hits and misses. Still, I would characterize the overall conference as a …more
The tidy sandbox called PR no longer exists. Social media, search engine marketing (SEM), owned media, endorsement, native PR, paid media and content marketing – they all overlap into the PR world. Even software programming comes to bear on these blended campaigns. Work from our China team demonstrates how this plays out in the real …more
It seems like every Crisis 101 playbook now includes taking out full page ads in a cross section of national and metro dailies to publish an open letter from the CEO. The tactic gives the company under siege the opportunity to control the narrative. It can be effective as long as the company surrounds the …more
I must confess to feeling a gravitation pull to old-school POVs. While storytelling in business might be the new black, the fundamentals of communications still hold true. That’s why the following guest post from friend and colleague James Strohecker resonated with me. BTW, I now know how to get to Carnegie Hall. By James Strohecker …more
To bastardize a famous line, “I have met the enemy, and he is the status quo.” Whether you work for a PR agency or within an organization, the quest for efficiency doesn’t necessarily raise the bar when it comes to actual results. Here are three thoughts for pushing out of the comfort zone and generating …more
Predicting how the PR and communications scene – defined as anything that impacts a person’s or organization’s image – will unfold over the next 12 months is not a job for the squeamish. As for last year’s predictions, one out of nine ain’t bad. I believe a Meatloaf verse makes that very point. Look, anyone …more
I’ve been told that documenting New Year’s Resolutions increases the likelihood that they will happen. Consider this a test for business storytelling that we’ll revisit in December. Here’s what I’m hoping to change and improve upon in the coming year: Bulldoze the “Look and Feel” of the Blog: Friends, family members and complete strangers have …more
