There are lasting public relations lessons from large, newsmaking, once-in-a-lifetime events. Take this week’s solar eclipse, for example. Long after we dispose of the special viewing glasses and stop listening to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” we can benefit from a mini-analysis of ways to leverage national events for our own brands and clients…sometimes! Smart PR…
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There are many fabulous industry awards and “best of” lists that public relations teams help their clients go for every year. These include everything from the Stevie Awards and the EOY (Entrepreneur of the Year) to best workplace awards like those sponsored by Inc. and others. And that doesn’t even include vertical awards and “best…
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2017 has seen its share of public relations hits and misses, and staying on the “hits” side of the ledger is linked with maintaining brand trust. Companies like Yum! Brands keep finding ways to do well by doing good. Other brands, like United Airlines, have worked to repair a loss of trust. Still others, like…
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Those engaged in B2B tech public relations have to be able to strategize and deliver at lightning speed. Whatever was hot today, will be “not” tomorrow and PR teams need to stay ahead of the curve. Here are the top 10 tech blogs you need to read to prepare for promoting clients across a range of industries,…
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Nothing in public relations is quite as rewarding as securing an important interview for a client. But when it happens, that’s not the time to relax; in fact, it’s when the work escalates. For some, this can mean an intense media training session. For others, a simple review of the interviewer’s background and expectations are…
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A third-party partnership is a staple of the public relations repertoire at many successful agencies. Opportunities expand when smart agency teams find ways to shape a multi-dimensional partnership where each side succeeds. Smart PR partnerships expand opportunities Make sure your messages are aligned. The best PR partnerships are borne of positions or values that are similar or…
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In public relations we’re always looking for ways to help produce quality content for clients as well as our own brand. And there are useful tools that can save time while improving topic choice, leads, and writing style. Here are some of our favorite apps and tools that help PR teams create winning blog posts,…
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A brand-sponsored survey is a time-honored tool for public relations. But how do you ensure the success of a given survey? After all, if the questions are too obvious, it’s likely to be boring, but if the outcomes are unpredictable, could it backfire? Like any PR vehicle designed to generate positive press response, the success of…
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In public relations, it’s not always obvious what is and isn’t a story. It’s an important skill to differentiate between story ideas and angles that will make news and those that will make it into the email trash folder. What’s more, it takes PRs with diplomacy and sometimes backbone to ferret out the “good stuff”…
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In public relations we are on a constant quest to tell resonant, compelling stories that the media love and people will share. In that spirit, here’s a look at a few companies really killing it in the storytelling game. Is your brand telling its best story? Take some tips from some stellar standouts and to further improve…
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In public relations, we often describe our approach to earned media this way; what we give up in editorial control we make up for in credibility. We can’t always persuade a writer to compose a story exactly the way we want, but a publication’s imprimatur and its digital domain authority can more then make up for…
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Last week we shared best practices for delivering bad news, but sound public relations techniques are also effective for amplifying good tidings. In fact, happy news is a main driver for social media sharing. Emotions layered with happiness make up the majority of top drivers of viral content. Crenshaw client Brainjolt knows this; it delivers feel-good content that…
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At some point in a public relations career, you will have to be the bearer of unpleasant news, or the person who helps craft its communication. But there are strategies for delivering such news properly, tempering the blow and assuring that no one shoots the messenger. First, you have to take a good look at where…
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Those of us in public relations spend a lot of time helping clients speak effectively in front of strangers, but what about our own speaking skills? Last week some of us addressed a client conference on best practices in PR and social media, which was an opportunity to put those skills to use. The crowd was engaged,…
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Surprises? Great for parties and gifts, but not so great for public relations. Like many client service businesses, ours works best when it’s predictable and reliable. This means attention to staffing, budgets, deadlines and prep work to ensure successful outcomes. Our informal poll elicited some interesting – yet undesirable – surprises we all strive to…
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Summer in public relations includes outdoor meetings, shorts and flip-flops (if your office works that way), Summer Fridays, and an all-around happier work environment. But it doesn’t mean we strive any less to keep clients happy and implement great new campaigns. If you find yourself needing any more motivation, music is always key and we…
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In public relations, it’s always gratifying to be recognized by one’s peers. Typically, that recognition comes in the form of industry awards. Right now we’re finalists in a couple of awards competitions, and we’ve won our fair share as well. So, we thought it might be a good time to review what helps make a…
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The past couple of weeks have seen quite a few public relations faux pas committed by folks who should know better. But it seems a combination of hubris, ignorance and impatience may have gotten the better of them! Some have handled the situations well, and others, not so well. Let’s review. PR: The good, the…
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When choosing top summer books with public relations interest, our first “KPI” (key performance indicator) is anything that is well-written. Writing is the backbone of all good PR, and the best way to become a better writer is to read great stuff. After that, the criteria looks like this: books that touch on PR and marketing;…
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Congratulations, you’ve retained a new public relations firm, and you’re getting ready to kick off a successful partnership. Like any new relationship, this one is in the honeymoon phase as everyone gets to know each other. But things are about to get real, so all parties need to be on their toes to ensure success…
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Public relations experts know that the majority of traffic coming to a blog post comes in the first hours and days of publication. This makes the timely promotion of your blog content critical to its success. And, according to TrackMaven, you might want to publish your post at 3 p.m. EST for the highest number of…
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Recently a journalist posted some basic advice for public relations people to improve media relationships. He said to “read stuff, then take it to reporters who like that stuff.” That’s a little like Elmore Leonard advising writers to “try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.” Simple, yet true, and harder than…
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Millions of college students graduate this year, and if my inbox is any indication, many would like to work in public relations. Of course, anyone entering the field is likely to look at the different paths to a career, which typically means exploring large agencies, in-house opportunities, and smaller firms. We’d like to make the…
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Nearly every public relations campaign can benefit from smart use of hashtags, those words that start with the symbol # and make social content more searchable by topic. Marketers know that hashtags help spark brand conversations, expand content reach, engage a target audience and improve search and SEO. Building Better Hashtags Hashtags work best when…
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When it comes to good public relations, a company can have great potential that for one reason or another is never realized in the form of media coverage. There can be a number of reasons, including bad timing, a poor approach, or competition in the space. But it’s often simply because the company is unprepared for…
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Timely, authoritative and well-written bylined articles – contributed pieces for business and trade publications – can elevate a B2B public relations effort exponentially, if executed correctly. How hard is it to write some short articles on a subject you know well? Harder than you think, if you want editors to consider your content for publication….
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The Tony nominees were announced this week, and it’s award season for public relations as well. We are pleased to be contenders in a couple of categories. Nothing beats acknowledgment by industry peers for a job well done. The timing also provides a good opportunity to review the kinds of traits that create award-winning PR teams….
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Throughout the past decade, public relations pundits have trumpeted the rise of the personal brand in the digital era. By now we expect that many have mastered the basics of personal branding, but it’s not as easy as setting up a social media presence and hoping an audience finds you. There are concrete steps to…
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Later this year, The Museum of Failure will open in Sweden. Those in public relations will notice the product flops it reportedly features, like Colgate beef lasagna, Harley Davidson perfume, and, of course, new Coke. But we like the museum for the lesson behind it, which is that even the biggest brands and most successful companies…
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In public relations, sometimes the stars align and a story just writes itself. When looking for winners and losers in the realm of public opinion, this past quarter offered a wealth of excellent examples. The criteria for this quarter’s selections are simple enough: the coverage had to be plentiful and broad and the story had to pass…
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