social media

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, leadership, public relations, social media • October 13, 2010

Crisis Management: Lessons From The Chilean Mine Rescue

As the world watched, the government of Chile showed not only leadership, but remarkable PR and communications savvy as it sought to free 33 miners trapped underground for over two months. Its handling of the ordeal was like a mirror image of the BP disaster. Here are some crisis management learnings we can unearth from […]

branding, communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, social media • October 11, 2010

The Gap’s New Logo: Bad Fit Or Savvy PR Move?

It almost seemed like a PR stunt. When the Gap replaced its iconic logo with a new visual identity, Gap-watchers were not just alienated. They seemed to take it personally. It was as if a fortyish suburban dad suddenly hired a downtown stylist. Branding experts decried the Helvetica font with its tech-y box as “lazy,” and fashion bloggers rejected […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, reputation, social media • July 27, 2010

Shirley Sherrod And The Death Of Context

It’s practically a given that privacy is dead. Just ask Mel Gibson. His creepy rantings (and pantings), as recorded by his girlfriend, have probably ended his career. In a different way, General Stanley McChrystal was also brought down by a breach in the traditional discretion granted to subjects of his ilk, greatly amplified by digital […]

advertising, communications, Crenshaw Communications, public relations, social media • July 21, 2010

Should PR Own Social Media?

This week’s news that ad and PR behemoth Interpublic Group has launched Rally, a social media unit, has the industry buzzing. The launch gave fresh fodder to the old turf debate, spiced with speculation about infighting under a single corporate roof. EVP Heidi Browning says Rally won’t mean new competition for IPG-owned PR firms. Insiders say […]

communications, Crenshaw Communications, crisis management, public relations, social media • May 24, 2010

Is Facebook Evil, or Just Clueless?

Shall I quit Facebook? Facebook’s recent fumble along policy, technology, and PR lines has many asking the question for the first time. Not just privacy activists or technophobes. But, regular people who are pretty savvy about the social Web. The perception is morphing from irritation to doubts about its integrity. That’s not a good thing. I’ve never […]