Elon Musk kicked up a Twitter storm last week, essentially saying (among other things) that the media unfairly picks on Tesla because Tesla doesn’t advertise. He went on to infer that the makers of gas guzzlers and fossil fuel companies get more favorable media attention because they pump millions of advertising dollars into the media’s …more
Observing Facebook navigate the onslaught of negative media coverage fueled by the Cambridge Analytics fiasco and Russian operatives using Facebook advertising to advance their cause, I wanted to revisit reputation management and being ready when things don’t go according to plan. Virtually every organization experiences a point in time that feels like a demolition derby. …more
Most of those in the over-50 crowd remember a movie called “Wall Street.” The main character is played by Michael Douglas, and he exclaims what became a famous line back then in describing the attitude of those in finance, “Greed is good.” If Hollywood were to create a movie called “PR Street” with Michael Douglas, …more
I can’t say I’m a fan of procurement. I recognize that every company wants value in its purchases. Yet, procurement’s behavior often reflects a singular mission: secure the cheapest price point possible. I also find that procurement often takes the same approach to selecting PR services as pitting Walmart against Costco in buying soda pop. …more
By Haley Dowell, Account Coordinator In PR, storytelling is the foundation of everything we do. Not only is every story unique, but the methods in which each one is told vary greatly. A creative narrative for one B2B technology company looks completely different from the ideal story for another, although the end goal is …more
I’m convinced that the secret sauce for global PR campaigns is collaboration. It stands to the reason that the better folks know each other — even those halfway across the world — the better the collaboration. That’s why we invest in a program called “Building Bridges,” allowing staff members to travel overseas and work out …more
The two agencies pen literally thousands of news releases for their clients each year, many addressing M&A. How tough can it be to apply this expertise to their own announcement? Of course, what the news release states doesn’t necessarily align with reality. As a public service, I’ve addressed the news release distributed over Business Wire …more
For those who toil on the front lines of media relations, it’s easy to drift into a Jim Carrey-like optimism. . PR: “What are the chances that you’ll write about this pitch?” Journalist: “Not good” PR: “You mean not good like one out of a hundred?” Journalist: “I’d say more like one out of a …more
Before addressing the question, let’s consider the high-level objectives of the typical communications campaign. Increase awareness, often in the form of media coverage. Strive to fortify the brand. Of course, the ultimate goal is to win people over to your way of thinking so they “buy.” By this definition, Trump’s unconventional approach to communications has …more
