ImPRessions

ImPRessions, public relations • December 5, 2014

Rolling Stone’s Weak ‘Apology PR’ Won’t Heal Its Reputation

Rolling Stone’s explosive story about sexual assault on college campuses was horrifying, but from a PR and reputation point of view, it seemed like a journalistic milestone. “A Rape on Campus” was the type of piece that produces headlines and drives traffic, but also sparks real change. The outrage it triggered echoed some of its […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • December 2, 2014

Five Signs You Shouldn’t Hire A PR Firm

Many of us in the PR agency world evangelize about the benefits of a strategic public relations campaign, including why and when a company should bring on a firm. Yet the growth of our industry – it was up 11% in 2013, the first double-digit increase in five years – doesn’t mean PR’s benefits are […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • November 25, 2014

8 Sins Committed In The Name Of Good PR

ProPublica’s recent expose of The American Red Cross contained a colorful and symbolic detail that made PR agencies and their corporate communications counterparts cringe. The article reports that the organization drove around nearly-empty trucks in the wake of Hurricane Sandy “to be seen,” to give the impression that it was delivering aid when in fact […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations, reputation • November 18, 2014

Is Anything Ever Really Off The Record?

Uber hit another reputation speedbump yesterday when one of its senior executives shared an unusual suggestion for generating better PR for the brand with a group of notables. At a celebrity-studded dinner in New York, SVP of Business Emil Michael floated the idea of hiring opposition researchers to dig up dirt on journalists who’ve been […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • November 14, 2014

Six Reasons A PR Agency Should Drop A Client

As posted previously, the Jian Ghomeshi sex abuse scandal is a PR meltdown – a real study in a breathtakingly swift public fall from grace. In PR land, it’s also a knotty moral dilemma for any PR or crisis agency who might take him on. The whole mess is a reminder that, just as no […]

Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, ImPRessions, public relations • November 11, 2014

Does Everyone Deserve PR Agency Representation?

Would you serve as PR agency for a sexual predator? What about a celebrity with a reputation crisis? The sexual abuse scandal surrounding CBC radio personality Jian Ghomeshi raises questions for PR agency professionals. The storm may be smaller than some recent mega-agency controversies like Ketchum’s work on behalf of Putin’s Russia, or Edelman’s involvement […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • November 4, 2014

6 PR Agency Pet Peeves

In my first PR agency job, during the times that drove us crazy, the owner had a favorite line, “This would be such a great business if it weren’t for the clients.” Bada-bum. Of course he wasn’t serious, and the comment was a way to boost sagging morale when clients behaved in ways that his […]

Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions, public relations • October 29, 2014

"Winning And Losing" Election-Year PR Strategies

Like many PR professionals, I love an election year. The communications strategies embody what Michelle Han calls a “vote for me” story (or, as I like to think of it, the Coke vs. Pepsi angle.) And though midterms aren’t usually very interesting, with control of the Senate up for grabs, this year is different. Many […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, ImPRessions • October 24, 2014

Why PR Should Rethink Social Influence

What if everything the PR industry believes about social influence is wrong? And that there’s no such thing as truly viral content? That’s the case made by Duncan Watts, network-theory scientist for Microsoft Research, whose views are outlined in the book Everything Is Obvious (Once You Know The Answer.) His research challenges accepted thinking about […]