We are increasingly executing campaigns that leverage owned media and paid owned media as well as earned media. Companies recognize that all three channels have a place in brand building. Plus, publications are willing to blur the line when it comes to journalism and sponsored content to increase the value of the paid stuff. Such …more
What is the longest-running sponsored content (sales promotion) in the history of marketing? I’ll give you a hint. The Jewish holiday of Passover kicked off last night. And the answer is … Maxwell House which has produced the Haggadah — the text that walks everyone through the Passover story and Seder ceremony — for roughly …more
The balance of power in media channels has shifted. It used to be that if a company felt wronged by the media, the next logical step involved arranging a press tour to counter the “injustice.” Thanks to the rise of owned media and paid content sometimes masquerading as journalism, companies are no longer dependent on …more
Here’s my second grab bag post of 2018, capturing vignettes that caught my attention, but don’t lend themselves to stand-alone posts. Broken Links, an Opportunity Most companies treat broken links as a functional challenge. The person has clicked to a wrong place (page doesn’t exist), bringing a 404 page to navigate the person back …more
While the communications world increasingly tilts toward digital, there are opportunities to play the contrarian card with an analog tactic. Executed right, the payoff can generate more than your fair share of attention. That’s what SHETRANSFORMS.US strove for last week. As background, SHETRANSFORMS.US advocates for taking the gender bias out of online search. The organization …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
French President Emmanuel Macron has concluded that government legislation is the antidote for “fake news.” Before going further, it’s worth stepping back and considering what constitutes fake news. I see two components to the equation. First, you have the source. Does the media property practice the tenets of journalism? Does the media property have a …more
I continue to come across shards of content that amuse, surprise or teach. As individual content, each one doesn’t necessarily frame a post. Which is why I invented the grab-bag post. Coming at you … Japanese Train Apologizes for Departing 20 Seconds Early That’s not a typo in the headline. . A Tokyo …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
