There was a time when good public relations dictated that a CEO shouldn’t take a position on a controversial issue. A public stand, of course, can risk backlash among customers or employees. Conventional PR wisdom may be changing. Starbucks chief Howard Schultz is known for his willingness to wade into treacherous waters – from healthcare…
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Once, after I offered unvarnished – and fairly negative – feedback to a prospective PR client about his company’s branding, an associate cautioned me for being so frank. The prospect was planning a luxury product launch, but the brand didn’t carry an upscale image. My colleague agreed but warned me that I was “telling him…
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For a technology startup company, good public relations can go a long way. But when and how to execute a strategic PR program can vary with the individual business.  Principals of early early-stage companies don’t always recognize how to deploy PR to maximum effect. The most critical decision isn’t whether to hire a PR agency…
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Marketing software company Hubspot’s recent struggle with writer Dan Lyons is instructive for anyone embroiled in a public relations war about reputation. The brouhaha wasn’t as public as some such battles – largely because Hubspot isn’t a consumer company  — but it made the rounds in technology circles faster than new malware and probably caused…
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Influencer marketing programs are a godsend for PR agencies and others who look to combine the third-party endorsement of earned media with the credibility of word-of-mouth marketing. But any influencer marketing opportunity comes with risks and caveats, as recent news suggests. Compliance.  Lord & Taylor recently settled charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission for…
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A well-designed public relations campaign can be an asset to any organization. But sometimes the PR team works hard to generate results, then moves on to the next thing. In order to truly optimize the public relations investment, the publicity placements should work as hard as we do. Here are some ways to amplify those…
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Because we spend time preparing clients for meetings with journalists, PR people tend to study media interviews from the view of the person getting the questions. During this crazy political primary season, interview-watching is a spectator sport, usually starring Donald Trump. Yet something changed this week. Trump has had interviews with conservative Wisconsin radio personality…
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A relationship with a public relations agency can be a little like a marriage. It starts with a spark, yet like any partnership, it can change over time. Take a look on Quora, or talk to someone who has worked with many different PR agencies, and you’re likely to hear about a range of experiences,…
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For a public relations professional, it’s annoying to read about “DIY PR.” These types of articles – usually targeted to small companies or startups – sometimes contain useful information. But they imply that anyone can learn to do PR with a crash course enabled by reading a few blog posts. Maybe it’s just professional pride…
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In my first New York public relations job, one of my tasks was to sort and tally the stacks of client publicity clips that came in from the clipping service. That’s right, kids, there were actual newspaper or magazine cuttings, each bearing a white tag that listed where and when the item appeared. My fingers…
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