Crenshaw Communications

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • 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 […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, leadership, public relations • November 3, 2010

PR Lessons From The 2010 Election

No matter how you feel about the results of the 2010 midterms, it’s been an interesting election season. Start with a stagnant economy, add a soured electorate, pour on the tea party activists, and it’s a bitter brew, at least for incumbents. The election also offers lessons for communicators. Here’s what marketing and PR pros […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, public relations • October 29, 2010

Truth Is The New Black: The Case For Authenticity In PR

At a meeting of the Council of PR Firms last week, keynoter Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Chief Marketing Officer and the man responsible for spending more marketing dollars than any human on earth, called public relations “the most authentic form of marketing.” It’s a crowd-pleasing line, at least in a room full of PR professionals. Now, I’m […]

advertising, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • October 25, 2010

When Should An Agency Fire A Client?

Towards the end of season four of “Mad Men,” we see Don Draper take out a full-page ad in The New York Times to announce that his firm will no longer accept tobacco clients. The ad paints the move as an ethical decision and even implies that the agency’s split from its largest client, Lucky Strike, […]

advertising, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • October 19, 2010

Trust And The Age Of Prank PR

It seemed like a bold PR strategy and a decisive move toward corporate responsibility and transparency. Chevron Vice Chairman George L. Kirkland said. “We’ve got problems and challenges, and we too make mistakes, but we’re telling truths no one usually tells, and looking wide-eyed into the future.” Wow. Except he never said it, of course. […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, social media • October 13, 2010

Crisis Management: Lessons From The Chilean Mine Rescue

As the world watched, the government of Chile showed not only leadership, but remarkable PR and communications savvy as it sought to free 33 miners trapped underground for over two months. Its handling of the ordeal was like a mirror image of the BP disaster. Here are some crisis management learnings we can unearth from […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, social media • October 11, 2010

The Gap’s New Logo: Bad Fit Or Savvy PR Move?

It almost seemed like a PR stunt. When the Gap replaced its iconic logo with a new visual identity, Gap-watchers were not just alienated. They seemed to take it personally. It was as if a fortyish suburban dad suddenly hired a downtown stylist. Branding experts decried the Helvetica font with its tech-y box as “lazy,” and fashion bloggers rejected […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • October 5, 2010

Five Things I Learned On The Client Side

Guest post by Patricia Gibney After many years in the agency world – from boutiques to multinationals – I found myself in that magical place called in-house. As a client, I looked forward to developing a company-wide communications strategy. I envisioned following an orderly protocol for media relations, being the internal expert and adviser to senior […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, social media, technology • September 29, 2010

When Social Networking Make Us Anti-Social

I was intrigued by Malcolm Gladwell’s insights in the recent New Yorker piece, “Why The Revolution Won’t Be Tweeted.” It rejects the perception, common among some social media enthusiasts, that social networking has the power to foment true activism for social change. Gladwell talks about the “weak ties” that characterize most online networks, arguing that a […]