Our Insights

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation, social media • April 5, 2010

After Sea World and Nestle, How Risky is Social Media?

I once had a client whose CEO was so PR-averse that his response to requests for media interviews was the Zen-like platitude, “The spouting whale gets harpooned.” That unfortunate phrase popped into my head as I read stories like “Shamu Attack Exposes Social Media Risks.” The Orlando Sentinel and others recounted how @Shamu, the Twitter feed set […]

advertising, Crenshaw Communications, social media • March 31, 2010

Facebook Wants You To Like This – All Over The Web

Does Facebook have a problem with commitment? Or, on the flipside, has it fallen in like so hard that it wants to own both the word and the concept all over the Web? There are a couple of ways to look at this week’s announcement that the Facebook fan page will soon be a thing […]

Crenshaw Communications, technology • March 26, 2010

How To Take A Vacation When On Vacation

Years ago, before smartphones, I traveled to a spa in Mexico that had no cell service or phones in the rooms. Learning of a client company’s decision to restructure and fire my firm (as I crouched at a hallway pay phone, scrounging for quarters) didn’t leave me feeling exactly relaxed. And though the bad news […]

Crenshaw Communications, marketing, public relations, social media • March 20, 2010

Ford Leads The Way For Influencer Marketing

As I’ve previously blogged, I get a charge out of the Fiesta Movement, Ford’s nontraditional campaign to promote its new subcompact car. Not because it’s innovative, although it’s undoubtedly a departure for the automotive category. I admire it precisely because it’s not groundbreaking in the truest sense. It’s something better. The Fiesta Movement is a […]

celebrity, communications, Crenshaw Communications, marketing, social media • March 16, 2010

Genius PR Move Of The Year – Conan on Twitter

Before late February, the closest Conan O’Brien came to social media was making lame jokes about tweeting celebrities on his show. So, when his updates came over my Twitter stream, I thought it was a clever way to stay relevant for a guy who’s barred from going on television for six more months. @ConanOBrien‘s bio seemed to […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, reputation • March 11, 2010

Goldman Sachs And The Cost of Bad PR

What’s a reputation worth? For most businesses, there’s an obvious cost to negative publicity. Sure, a few are still stuck in the “any PR is good PR” camp. And then there are those for whom public perception simply doesn’t matter. A year ago, I would have put Goldman Sachs in that category. With a track record of breathtaking […]

advertising, branding, celebrity, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, marketing, public relations, reputation, social media • March 5, 2010

The Future of Celebrity Endorsement, Post-Tiger

Last night I had the pleasure of speaking at a symposium sponsored by The Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal. The topic was “The Tiger Woods Effect” on celebrity endorsement, contract negotiation, morals clauses, and a host of other legal, marketing and PR issues. Here’s my take on the discussion, from a strictly brand marketing perspective. Brands […]

News • March 3, 2010

Crenshaw Communications Named PR Agency Of Record For Verizon Wireless

Big news! We’ve been named agency of record by Verizon Wireless for the New York metropolitan region. Crenshaw was selected from among 30 agencies participating in a competitive review. Our team will run media relations, multicultural outreach, social media and corporate communications for the region, supporting new product launches, retail events, and Hopeline, Verizon’s smartphone […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, reputation • March 1, 2010

When Not To Hire A PR Firm

Like Tolstoy’s observation about unhappy families, relationships between clients and their PR agencies go bad for different reasons. That’s why I can’t respond directly to a piece in today’s Huffington Post that questions the relevance of PR firms today. Grant Cardone’s “Do PR Firms Make Sense Anymore?” recounts his failed and apparently fruitless relationships with three […]