Our Insights

PR Fish Bowl • October 14, 2011

Don’t Take My Landline! (yet)

This week may ultimately be remembered for other news stories, but the one touching most people I know is the great “Blackberry breakdown.” Millions of people were without emails for about 24 hours and a feeling of helplessness has prevailed. Yet, there remains the humble landline. Of course, pundits believe it will soon join its […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • October 12, 2011

The Care And Feeding Of Bloggers: Tips For PR Pros

Last month, a top-ten firm cooked up a PR mess when it tried to surprise bloggers by serving frozen entrees from a client brand instead of the freshly cooked meals the guests were led to expect. The duped bloggers started an epic food fight, dishing on the agency and their client online for weeks after the event. […]

creativity, Crenshaw Communications, PR Fish Bowl, public relations • October 7, 2011

How Workplace Superstitions Can Boost Business

The quarterback of my alma mater played every game wearing the same socks. Ernest Hemingway always wrote standing up. Matthew Weiner, creator of “Mad Men,” claims all of these superstitions in this recent NY Times article: “No hat on the bed. No shoes on the bed. Do not step over people on the floor. Put […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • October 6, 2011

What Steve Jobs Knew About PR

In the wake of Steve Jobs’ passing, pundits and Apple-watchers are trying to outdo one another to describe his talent, vision, and impact. But if you look at Jobs as the presumed architect of Apple’s ongoing public relations strategy, he was a disaster. At least, he should have been. After all, in the digital age, […]

public relations • October 4, 2011

How To Be Indispensable In PR

There’s no better way to end a work week than with a thankful note from a client. “Great job this week, couldn’t have done it without you.” Yep, that sums it up. Weeks worth of hard work have paid off. In public relations, we have to be indispensable. Every action must prove to our clients […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • September 30, 2011

A Weighty Issue: Is Being Heavy Bad PR?

One of the tweets after the earthquake in August was about a certain hefty New Jersey governor and object of Republican presidential fantasies: “I think Chris Christie just jumped into the race.” Bada-bum. Christie’s size has been the butt of jokes, with puns always intended, since his own campaign against Jon Corzine. His bulk is the […]

branding, ImPRessions, public relations • September 29, 2011

When Brand Nicknames Are Bad PR

Coke. Mickey D’s. Tar-zhay. Brand nicknames are usually a marketer’s dream. Impossible to impose (just ask RadioShack), they have enormous power when they happen organically. And they’re nearly always a sign of familiarity, engagement, or even affection. That’s what General Motors learned – the hard way – after its ill-fated attempt to legislate use of […]

PR Fish Bowl • September 27, 2011

So You Wanna Be In A Holiday Gift Guide?

Holiday gift guides are the perfect resource for that unique gift each year, and great editorial exposure for PR folks. Who wouldn’t want to be included in a list of “must-have,” “gotta-get” products for the season? Almost every publication has one – from top newspapers to local TV to lifestyle magazines to technology blogs to […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions • September 21, 2011

What Netflix Can Teach Us About Apology PR

Public apologies can be powerful, especially when they come from the top. Even in our crisis-of-the-day era, there’s something arresting about a chief executive admitting he was wrong, or a company making amends to customers. As a self-appointed “apology PR” analyst, I’m fascinated by the communications strategy, language choices, and delivery of a corporate mea […]