Have Press Agents Become "Suppress" Agents?
Recently I attended an awards luncheon where a prominent PR woman was honored for her fierce protectiveness of her clients and her way of shutting out press who didn’t promise positive coverage. It made me wonder about the guard-dog publicist in the age of social media. A few days later, I read the New York […]
Read MoreIs PR Really That Stressful?
There was lots of discussion in PR circles this week about CareerCast‘s annual list of Most Stressful Jobs, because public relations has moved into the #2 spot. That’s right, PR officer beat out photojournalist and even emergency medical technician, among other gigs, and was second only to airline pilot (where’s air traffic controller on this list?) […]
Read MoreIn PR Melodrama, Hoover Tries To Save The Soaps
Cue the organ music… here’s the dirt. A top appliance brand is so steamed by the demise of ABC’s daytime serials that it’s yanked its advertising clean off the network. That’s right, in a move worthy of Erica Kane herself, Hoover announced that it won’t be advertising on ABC after Friday of this week. What’s more, […]
Read MoreChains Serve Up Savvy Response To Drink Mix-Ups
Tempest in a sippy cup? Some might think so. But as one PR expert put it,”the story was too good.” When a Michigan Applebee’s restaurant mistakenly served a pre-mixed margarita to a 15-month-old boy, the chain found itself battling a flood of critical coverage and a reputation threat. The media and blogosphere was stirred up […]
Read More6 Ways To Refresh Your PR Program
For a creative services firm like, say, a New York PR agency, the two greatest blessings might be loyal staff and long-term client relationships. Each is a gift, and they often go together. But longevity can also pose a challenge. How do you keep a five or ten-year PR program new and relevant? Here are some tips from the […]
Read MoreGoDaddy Competitors Move In For the Kill
In posting a gruesome video of his African elephant hunt that went viral last week, GoDaddy Founder Bob Parsons may have shot himself in the foot, at least from an image standpoint. Parsons spent Friday posting statements and offering interviews in defense of his actions. PETA jumped on the story, instantly closing its GoDaddy hosting account […]
Read MoreWhat 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 […]
Read MorePR 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 […]
Read MoreIf PR Is A Woman’s World, Why Do We Earn Less?
The feminization of the PR industry is undeniable, and it’s not a particularly good thing. For one, it hurts diversity. And it’s been widely noted that the domination of any profession by women tends to have a depressing effect on salaries. A recently debated 2007 PRSA study confirmed what we already knew: that men earn up to $30,000 […]
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