The Agency will celebrate its 30-year anniversary on Sept. 15 with a party. There’s nothing like a milestone to prompt reflections. Yes, 30 years is a long time. At the 10,000-foot level, I view the Agency’s lifecycle from a U.S. perspective in three phases: . . Naturally, our lifecycle takes the form of the classic …more
Every PR agency with a pulse touts its storytelling chops. You half expect carnival barkers shouting, “Step into our tent, and we’ll show you how to tap the magic powers of storytelling to connect with the outside world, eat canapes at Davos and pal around with Anderson Cooper.” Yet, the vast majority of content developed …more
By Mark Pinsent, Managing Director Europe, The Hoffman Agency . . Breakfast: the most important meal of the day (they say). But often the easiest one to skip as a shortcut to the goal of weight loss. Too many marketers treat a proper investment in strategic development in the same way. But as skipping breakfast …more
The New York Times published a feature, “Old Skills, New Career,” on Friday that examines the question on everyone’s mind, perhaps with the exception of stand-up comics and UFC fighters. . . The story paints a gloomy picture for those with skills projected to lose the battle against computerized brethren: “Even if workers want to …more
Communicators have recognized for some time that people, otherwise known as the target audience, increasingly turn to mobile devices to access content. How has this phenomenon impacted the PR profession? In a word, notmuch. As long as our coveted media targets did their part to ensure their stories were mobile-friendly, we figured our bases were …more
I predicted this train wreck. Tapping my vast network of contacts in D.C., I published a post on May 16 that managed to piece together President Trump’s first draft of a job description for press secretary. When it comes to this White House, the smoke signals don’t lie. Sean Spicer resigned last Friday. Let’s look …more
Mark Twain famously said, “I never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” Now that the internet has ended the correlation between barrels of ink and reach of audience, companies are more inclined to “quarrel” with the media. In the old days, if a company took issue with a critical article, it …more
Season 7 of “Game of Thrones” is off to an epic start with plenty of foreshadowing. My favorite was Sansa’s quip that she learned a lot from Cersei. Still, I can’t see Cercei holding the Iron Throne to the end, and Daenerys Targaryen seems too obvious. Might Tyrion navigate his way to last imp standing? …more
It’s that time of the year. About 19.9 million college graduates have descended on civilization with shiny apples in hand. Unfortunately, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in their favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium on the resume and its associated cover letter. No university invited me to deliver a commencement …more
