Many variables go into determining the price point of acquiring a startup venture. Does a startup’s public profile play a role in determining valuation? One would think greater awareness generates more buyers which can bring an auction-like dynamic to the proceedings and drive up the price. On the intangible side, the buzz that comes from …more
PR professionals are quick to sing the virtues of storytelling, but their actions tell a different story. That’s how I kicked off my talk on visual storytelling at a PR Newswire event, scrutinizing the content generated by PR with two questions: Does the content deliver the “frame” that today’s journalists need to write a story? …more
One of the best parts of a 12-hour overseas flight is catching up on the stack of magazines that have accumulated on my night stand. The March 28 issue of Businessweek carried the story, “Li Huabo, Corrupt Chinese Bureaucrat or Fall Guy?” It’s the type of business storytelling that I suspect we’ll be reading more …more
At its core, global PR isn’t about infrastructure or titles. The most important factor in the success or failure of an international PR campaign comes down to mentality. Two basic questions go a long way toward revealing the presence of a global mentality: Do the account team members collaborate in a way that leverages content …more
As U.S. companies increasingly search for revenue overseas, demand for global PR rises as well. For the vast majority of PR agencies without global capabilities, this poses a quandary. Do they start investing in building out a global infrastructure – a pricy proposition with the ROI years down the road – or establish relationships with …more
By now, everyone and his dry cleaner has weighed in on how Lance “performed” during his first interview with Oprah. Literally. My dry cleaner knows I’m in the communication business (must be the Façonnable shirts) and asked for my viewpoint on how Lance came across in the interview. My scientific answer in three words — …more
The word is out that Lance Armstrong will come clean (no pun intended) in an interview with Oprah to air on Thursday. I can imagine the discussion among Team Armstrong debating who would be the “best” interviewer: “Let’s see, 60 Minutes would make a great forum to reach the masses. What about Morley Safer? No, …more
With business publications ranging from Fortune to The Economist devoting seemingly endless cover features to China, companies have gotten the memo that it behooves them to establish a China strategy. But what about communications? Is there a China spoke in your 2014 PR plan? I conducted a storytelling workshop for a Fortune 1000 company last …more
I debated whether to write this post and actually decided to take a pass on it. Then, the same mass blast came to me a second time and prompted the change in heart. It’s more than sad when a PR company, in this case Media Connect (part of Finn Partners which sits under the Ruder …more
