branding

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • February 8, 2013

Naming Storms Is A PR Blowout For The Weather Channel

I found #Nemo! This, and hundreds of other tweets about the blizzard bearing down on the East Coast helped propel it to the top of Twitter’s trending topics. And, barring a lawsuit brought by Disney, it’s a cool bit of PR bluster by The Weather Channel, who’s responsible for the nickname that’s been widely adopted […]

advertising, blogging, branding, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations, social media • February 4, 2013

Marketers Tackle Super Bowl Blackout In PR Score

The first half of Super Bowl 2013 was a yawn, at least for football fans. For brand-watchers, the commercials were respectable, and a few even stood out. (My favorite was Amy Poehler at Best Buy.) But the game changer on Sunday was the unprecedented 34-minute power failure that left the players frustrated, the announcers in […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, marketing, public relations, reputation • December 12, 2012

Five Ways PR Can Build Brands

It’s been said that PR drives reputation, while marketing builds brands. But that simplistic premise defines both PR and brand far too narrowly. It may not always take the lead in brand-building, particularly with large, global companies, but there are many ways in which the classic PR approach and tactics help defend, deepen, and even […]

blogging, branding, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, marketing, public relations, reputation, social media • June 28, 2012

PR Techniques: How To Get ZMOT On Your Side

Marketers like to talk about the Zero Moment of Truth, or ZMOT, for a product or brand. Loosely defined as the moment when a prospective buyer looks for online reviews and recommendations for a product, ZMOT follows the P&G tenets of the “first moment of truth,” when a customer chooses a product on the store […]

advertising, branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations, reputation • March 7, 2012

What’s In A (Brand) Nickname?

Al Ries’ recent column in AdAge, “When It Comes To Names, Corporations Just Aren’t People” got me thinking about the PR of brand nicknames. Corporations may not be people, but their brands can get pretty darn close. That’s why “pet” names for products and companies can be powerful, from the classic shorthanders like Coke and […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations, reputation • January 20, 2012

Paula Deen’s Diabetes Disclosure: A Recipe for Poor PR?

As the queen of “comfort cuisine,” Paula Deen has been a favorite among many members of my family, all of whom live in Georgia or the Carolinas. I’ve admired Paula for her unapologetic taste for indulgence, and for her Southern fried authenticity and down home charm. I’ve never even watched her show, yet I feel […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations, reputation • December 22, 2011

Well-Handled: FedEx Delivers On "Apology PR"

Talk about heavy lifting. Pity the communications pros at FedEx. At the height of the holiday season, when the company wants to focus on its state-of-the-art technology and customer service prowess, it’s the recipient of an unwelcome holiday gift – a viral video that threatens real damage to its brand. One careless employee and 20 seconds – caught […]

advertising, branding, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions • October 18, 2011

When A New Name Is Bad PR: A Rebranding Gone Sour

A new name often brings a reputation lift – suggesting renewed relevance or sweetening an unpalatable handle. Which would you rather eat – Patagonian Tooth Fish or Chilean Sea Bass? But beware the rebranding for reputation reasons. It can make news, but not always in a good way. Right now, a bitter battle’s brewing over the […]

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, […]