Crenshaw Communications

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 […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications • September 23, 2010

Has PowerPoint Made Us Stupid?

Recently I sat through another firm’s presentation at a client offsite and realized by the end of the session that I had spent 20 minutes admiring their slides. The presentation template had nicely rounded text boxes in pleasing pastels and clean, elegant fonts. The text was minimal and uncluttered. What was the content? Um…. I’ll get back […]

Crenshaw Communications, public relations, social media, technology • September 16, 2010

Offlining: The New Digital Detox

I’ve known for a while that multitasking is a lie. I don’t know anyone who can truly spread their attention across multiple jobs with equal focus. Like most people, I tend to toggle back and forth among tasks – blogging, watching Top Chef, listening to my daughter, ruminating about tomorrow’s schedule. It’s like trying to […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • September 10, 2010

Did The Media Create Terry Jones?

In an interesting sidebar to the Terry Jones firestorm, web host Rackspace today shut down the pastor’s website for violating its acceptable use policy. A good move, I thought. Then I read criticism of the move, on the grounds that it gives Jones even more attention and may trample his right to free speech. It’s a fair point. Not about free speech – […]

advertising, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations • September 7, 2010

How To Be Creative Under Pressure

An episode of “Mad Men” featured Don Draper and Peggy Olson wrestling with a tough creative challenge – how to dream up a breakthrough campaign for Samsonite. Don dismisses a celebrity pitchman as a “lazy” strategy, then criticizes Peggy’s next round of ideas as variations on a theme – a boring one. At Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, a booze-soaked all-nighter […]

advertising, blogging, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation, social media • September 1, 2010

Web of Lies: Astroturfing Threatens The PR Business

Astroturfing is like the underbelly of the PR business – large, hidden, and when it pops out, really ugly. A decade ago, that kind of fake grassroots campaigning was at the edge of public relations, and it happened primarily in politics. Today, the rise of social media has put a new spin on astroturfing, with faux reviews […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • August 26, 2010

A Sorry State: How We Apologize

As every PR professional knows, an artful public apology is a staple of reputation management – just ask Toyota, BP, or Goldman Sachs. A cottage industry has been created that’s dedicated to what I call “apology PR.” But, apologizing is also a key piece of the social CRM toolkit, which communicators are rapidly learning and […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, reputation • August 19, 2010

Did HP Get Bad PR Advice?

A seat at the table. That’s how those of us in PR often put it when we talk about the role of public relations counsel in the corporate suite. Since the PR function is easily misunderstood, marginalized, or reduced to tactics, it’s a popular topic in professional circles. We want that seat, and we applaud signs […]

Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • August 15, 2010

The Steven Slater Effect: Has JetBlue Lost Its Cool?

Steven Slater’s slide to freedom took less than a day to establish him as a folk hero. The reasons are obvious. Who hasn’t wanted to make an, um, emergency exit from a miserable job with that kind of flourish? It was just one employee who lost his cool, in a big way. But did his exit signal a downhill slide […]