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
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
To find an individual who has dominated the new cycle for such a long stretch of time like President Trump, you have to go all the way back to 1994 and the O.J. Simpson trial. It’s not a bad comparison. The trial of American People vs. President Trump is unofficially underway delivering plenty of fodder …more
Owned media has come a long way since serving as the platform of choice to highlight the availability of vegan options at the corporate café. Google’s decision to communicate its exit from the China market was a turning point. When Google published a blog post with the no-frills headline, “A New Approach to China,” on …more
Back in March when Uber shared it was searching for an exec to ride shotgun with Travis Kalanick in hopes of modulating the CEO’s behavior, I suggested that the recruiters should take a look at the talent pool of PR executives. My point was that critical areas like brand management, the relationship with drivers and …more
Most PR consultancies implement some type of PR program for themselves. Few PR consultancies embrace advertising as part of their outbound arsenal to raise awareness and build their brands. In our quest to punch above our weight when it comes to the world order of PR companies, we believe advertising has place in the mix. …more
Hey, if Bono can assemble some of his favorites into “U2’s Greatest Hits,” why can’t I do the same with blog posts? Exactly. Tapping posts published between 2012 and 2014, here’s the latest version of Ishmael’s Greatest Hits (minus the tinted shades and tattoos). The Worst Customer Service Narrative in the History of Branding United …more
It’s easy to pile on United. More than the mistakes, it’s the type of mistakes, lacking that quality known as common sense. I’ve certainly taken my shots at United over the years with posts ranging from “The Worst Customer Service Narrative in the History of Branding” to the recent “United Enters Third Stage of a …more
It’s been a rough week for United Airlines. When my mom — who is still getting the hang of this thing called the internet — asks if I’ll continue flying on United, you know the PR debacle has reached the masses. I have this theory that a PR crisis typically breaks down into five stages: …more
