branding

branding • July 4, 2011

Craft Beer Fight Over B-Word Rages, With Good Press On Tap

The Bitch is back. That’s Flying Dog Brewery’s Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA. Now maybe the name should offend me, but it doesn’t. I don’t actually have a dog in this fight, but I do think it’s fitting that on Thursday, just in time for the July 4th weekend, the state of Michigan reversed a decision […]

branding • March 22, 2011

What Marketers Don’t Know About PR

Are we living through PR’s “golden age”? Sometimes I think so. Clients understand the benefits of PR and are sophisticated about the tricky aspects, like trading perfect control for a measure of credibility. And budgets are opening up after the economic downturn. But other times I wonder. Last year a favorite client of mine refers to […]

branding • March 15, 2011

PR By Another Name: Public Relations and the "New" Competition

The chemistry was great, our experience perfect, and they loved the proposal. But, in a twist, the account went to a “digital brand management” shop whose website touts its ability to drive visibility and engagement. PR by another name? The “creative destruction of PR”? It’s true that social media has changed the game for our […]

branding • January 25, 2011

Banned-Ad Gimmick Loses Super Bowl PR Points

As Super Bowl XLV approaches, marketing pundits are suiting up for the ad-stravaganza, but I’m naturally more interested in the PR Bowl. It’s a big part of the marketing investment, and it’s fun to watch brands try to score free media coverage weeks ahead of time. But, one much-practiced play that’s losing ground is the “banned” ad. […]

branding • November 11, 2010

Can You Turn Bad Publicity Into Good PR?

When Gap unveiled a new logo last month, the negative buzz forced it to backpedal and eventually restore the original, iconic identity. It was a miss for Gap…or was it? Logo-gate may have awakened brand fans and made it more relevant than it’s been in years. Accident? Probably. But there are ways to turn a PR failure into […]