A recent interview on NPR’s Fresh Air caught my attention. Terry Gross is interviewing Time Magazine journalist Simon Shuster about the dodgy relationship between Rudy Giuliani and Andrii Derkach, a Russian intelligence agent. The two did their best to sabotage Joe Biden during last year’s presidential campaign. At one point, an incredulous Gross asks if …more
The vast majority of companies invest in public relations to raise their public profiles — and with a little luck, fortify the corporate brand. Then, there are the situations in which PR becomes a blunt instrument in a public spat, and the objective becomes exerting as much pain on your opponent as possible. That’s what …more
I’ve been following the Samsung PR crisis. In the spirit of balanced reporting, this is what a Samsung Note7 looks like before it catches fire:When things go awry as they have with the Samsung Note, it’s easy to forget that “connection” underpins every brand. What is the consumer’s level of passion for the brand? How …more
Big companies gravitate toward the status quo. Big companies also typically take themselves way too seriously. That’s why it was refreshing to see Sony take a chance and yes, have some fun, holding a wedding in Vegas yesterday between Bravia (Television) and SEN (Internet). You can find the back stories in the form of a scrapbook. Naturally, the …more
