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
Back in 2015, I wrote that PR’s version of the Industrial Revolution had begun. I made the point that the upheaval in the business of communications was redefining our world in similar way that manufacturing did in the 18th century and captured 10 symbols as proof points. Now, two plus years later, let’s revisit those …more
Communicators have recognized for some time that people, otherwise known as the target audience, increasingly turn to mobile devices to access content. How has this phenomenon impacted the PR profession? In a word, notmuch. As long as our coveted media targets did their part to ensure their stories were mobile-friendly, we figured our bases were …more
Mark Twain famously said, “I never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” Now that the internet has ended the correlation between barrels of ink and reach of audience, companies are more inclined to “quarrel” with the media. In the old days, if a company took issue with a critical article, it …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
I will always remember November 14, 2014, and it has nothing to do with my birthday. That was the day that Mike Sottak called to say he was accepting our job offer to run our European operation. Since we entered the European market in the late 1990s, the Agency’s experience had resembled a roller-coaster ride …more
If there were ever a year that proved life is better than fiction, it was 2016. As always, subjectivity rules my curation of the best posts of the year. In fact, the most popular post of the year, “Fresh Take on Influence in the Tech Industry” — thank you, Kara Swisher, for that one tweet …more
Spending time in Singapore at the start of the month to celebrate our 20-year anniversary of operating in Asia included a few interviews with journalists. Here’s the unfiltered version of a Q&A that touches on topics ranging from the future of communications to our differentiation. Q. Happy 20th Anniversary on your operation in Asia! Can …more
When months of investigative reporting by The New York Times produced the story, “How Think Tanks Amplify Corporate America’s Influence“ and the companion piece, “Think Tank Scholar or Corporate Consultant? It Depends on the Day,” I wondered how Brookings would respond. The wondering didn’t last long. The same day the stories came out, Brookings published “Brookings …more
