I’m talking at the Holmes Report’s Innovation Summit today on “Applying Supply and Demand Economics Theory to Media Relations.” Preparing for the talk reminded me that journalists tend to view PR as the enemy (or worse). Given the different charters of the two professions, one expects some friction. But this friction can give way to …more
People gravitate toward extremes. Extremes make for interesting reads, which is why the media devotes so much energy to skyrocketing darlings and train wrecks. Of course, the best story is the skyrocketing darling that becomes a train wreck. Meet Theranos. The media spent months building up the startup as the best thing since sliced rye.Then, …more
The search for influence in the tech industry can at times resemble the hunt by Ponce de León for the Fountain of Youth. Elusive. That’s why a fresh approach to defining influence from Apollo Research caught my attention. Before going further, if you’re not familiar with the company, Apollo measures media and influence in the …more
After deep study and discourse, the FTC delivered its enforcement policy on native advertising last month. And to help corporations toe the digital line, the FTC offered up “Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses” with 17 examples covering every imaginable scenario. If only it were that easy. Take the sponsored content from Marketo that recently …more
Journalists, particularly journalists at business and mainstream publications, show the way when it comes to applying storytelling techniques to business communications. Pick out a story in media properties such as The Atlantic or The New Yorker. Reverse-engineering the content and studying the construction of the story will surface lessons that can be applied in business. …more
I wasn’t going to write about the FTC’s latest salvo on native advertising. When the agency announced its “enforcement policy” on Dec. 22, I was focused on making sure there was enough “Bud’s Famous Egg Nog” in the fridge and constructing my argument that binge watching Empire absolutely fits the holiday spirit. But so many …more
The relationship between the media and PR can resemble a tug of war. But it’s not like the tug of war at your grade school birthday party when the mom splits the kids into two equal teams ─ also making sure that the big kids are equally divided ─ and shouts, “Go”! Instead, the media has a clear …more
Look at the construction of any major feature story in Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Atlantic, Wired, take your pick. What element is likely to underscore the narrative? Here’s a hint. It starts with an “F.” Failure (if you guessed frickinmess, you were in the ballpark). Something going terribly wrong — the bigger the “train wreck,” …more
TechCrunch is the latest publication to play the tired narrative that the public relations industry is behind the woes of modern day journalism, GMOs and global warming. In the latest bullish show from TechCrunch, Alex Wilhelm looks into the camera, laments the state of the journalism and recites these “horrifying” statistics: There are 4.6 PR …more
