PR

When the college admissions cheating and bribery scandal broke nearly a month ago, two names led the headlines. More than 50 people were implicated, but actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were featured in every article. Both actors’ spouses were mentioned, and as a social influencer, Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade was also drawn into the…
Read more

In its business and in its PR, Apple has had a golden touch. For a decade sales have climbed along with profits, and its reputation for innovation has flourished. Until recently, that is. iPhone sales started slowing several years ago, but no one seemed to mind or even notice much because prices kept going up,…
Read more

Public relations is hot. Businesses from tech startups to nonprofits have come to recognize the value of a strategic PR campaign executed by a talented team. But PR’s popularity has given rise to some misconceptions. Here’s what every business person, from marketers to CEOs, should know about public relations. It can’t replace marketing Occasionally a…
Read more

For PR professionals, it’s interesting when a particular company or public figure is said to have a “PR problem.” Of course the term is used as shorthand, but it can signal that brand-watchers are misdiagnosing what’s really wrong. “Bad PR” generally means negative media coverage, but the coverage is often a symptom rather than the…
Read more

An “off-the-record” conversation with a journalist can sound mysterious or complex, but in PR it’s a very effective tool. Whether you’re providing candid background about a frustrating trend in your industry or trying to blunt the impact of a coming story about your organization, off-the-record interactions with reporters can deliver benefit for your brand, even…
Read more

YouTube was hit with a major brand safety crisis this week after a blogger revealed that a community of predators have been using the platform to view content in inappropriate ways that exploit children. In the wake of the scandal, some of YouTube’s biggest advertisers, including Disney and AT&T, have pulled the plug on their ad spend –…
Read more

Big Tech’s reputation has taken a beating lately. Facebook’s clumsy handling of its data privacy scandals has been a PR and government relations disaster. Apple always had a love-hate relationship with the press but was admired for its innovation. Recently it has lost that luster, and the bizarre FaceTime bug dented its status as a…
Read more

For PR people, the Gillette ad that roiled social media and birthed a thousand thought pieces raises an old question – is there such a thing as bad publicity? Normally when a company manages to generate international attention and earn millions of views for a brand message, it’s a win. Certainly the controversy has been…
Read more

Any good public relations agency should want to have an open conversation about what clients can expect for their investment. And most do. They’re hoping for a productive meeting and a solid start to what they expect will be a long and successful partnership. But even the best agencies don’t always spill the tea at…
Read more

For public relations and reputation experts, it’s easy to point out the brands and personalities who mishandled bad news or missed opportunities after public mistakes. Our list of the PR losers of the past 12 months is out, but what about the good news stories of the year? Here are my nominations for the best, most…
Read more

Against the backdrop of an ever-faster news cycle, 2018 has featured brands and personalities who seized unexpected opportunities to generate positive PR. By the same token, 2018 has brought public disasters for others. Which stories captivated us in 2018, and who came out where? Here’s part one of my list for 2018 PR Winners and Losers. Let’s…
Read more

A remarkable aspect of Russian propaganda efforts around our elections is how well they follow the modern social media and public relations playbook. Maybe because the news has come out in steady drips over two years, I hadn’t put the full picture together. But today’s story about the latest report to the Senate Intelligence Committee…
Read more

Considering he is “one of the most powerful people on the planet,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai has kept a low profile. But this week, after Google had skipped earlier Congressional hearings involving his peers at Twitter and Facebook, Pichai had his high-stakes moment. And in PR terms, he may have dodged a bullet. No wonder…
Read more

Influencer programs can be very effective, particularly as part of a strategic PR program. From YouTube kids to #dogsofinstagram, influencer marketing has grown fast, especially in consumer product sectors like toys, fashion and beauty. Inevitably, problems have emerged. The relationships are not without risk, and some marketers simply go too far with influencer marketing, essentially…
Read more

The #metoo movement has claimed the reputations of many high-profile men. But its real impact may be at the corporate level. Our heightened awareness – and the corporate reluctance to address systemic misbehavior – presents serious public relations challenges for established companies in every sector from technology and media to food service and sports. No…
Read more

Is it ethical for a PR agency to smear a competitor? The question came up after a recent report in The New York Times about Facebook’s handling of its PR problems over the past three years. Its strategies are right there in the title – Delay, Deny, and Deflect: How Facebook Leaders Fought Through The…
Read more

There’s not a major corporation today that doesn’t have a small army of PR and reputation experts helping it navigate a tricky media and government relations landscape. But occasionally, the damage comes from a company’s own ranks. That happened this week when the Campbell Soup Company found itself in hot water after a bizarre tweet…
Read more

Business storytelling has become a buzzword in PR and marketing, because, when done well, it works. But what some communicators don’t realize is that a storytelling approach can work throughout the marketing journey, from prospecting for customers to closing the deal. I recently refreshed my skills and point of view at a workshop sponsored by…
Read more

As a PR professional and secret Zillow enthusiast, I can appreciate real estate euphemisms. We’ve all seen flowery descriptions describing homes for sale as “cozy” (read: tiny); with a “low-maintenance yard” (probably concrete); or “partial water view” (maybe a dried stream bed). A recent tweet about a “Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired cabin” made me think about…
Read more

Rebrands are almost always tricky, but they can pay big PR dividends. (Just ask IHOB!) Seriously, that was a publicity stunt, but this week, no less than three companies officially unveiled new names. Despite heavy news competition, they all grabbed public attention. The undisputed champ, if you measure by quality and quantity of positive media…
Read more

Should PR people be loyal advocates for clients? The obvious answer is yes. How can you be persuasive with others if you yourself aren’t convince of a brand’s worth?  But is there such a thing as too much client allegiance? I don’t mean blind support in the face of malfeasance or unethical conduct. I’m talking…
Read more

For CEOs of technology companies, arrogance is out and humility is in. “Boring is the new black,” proclaims New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo in a piece about the latest trend for technology company chiefs. Whereas they once reveled in being colorful, brash, and outspoken, today’s leaders have quieted down a bit. The trend…
Read more

As many in PR and politics have observed, the president has a talent for exploiting cultural flashpoints. The NFL’s battered reputation has been partly blamed on his criticism of players who chose to take a knee during the national anthem at the start of many games. But Mr. Trump may have met his PR match….
Read more

The best PR agency in the world can’t hold a candle to employees who are empowered to do the right thing. That was my thought when I read @scottmonty’s tweet about an incident involving a Wisconsin Costco. Monty’s screengrab recounted the experience of a resident stranded by heavy rains and flooding. Apparently the staff of…
Read more

Twitter stepped into a PR mess this week when it broke ranks with peers and declined to suspend conspiracist Alex Jones from its platform. The decision came after most tech giants hosting InfoWars content – Apple, Facebook, Spotify, and  YouTube — removed at least some of its pages or broadcasts in response to public pressure….
Read more

There’s more bad news on the “fake news” front. It seems lies are more viral than truth – at least on Twitter. That’s the conclusion of a study recently published in Science magazine. Conducted by the MIT Media Lab, it was unprecedented in scope, analyzing 126,000 distinct “rumor cascades” that spread on Twitter from 2006…
Read more

For a fast-growing startup, a dynamic founder can be a huge PR asset. A charismatic entrepreneur is the face of his brand, its best media spokesperson, and the embodiment of its values. The most talented can attract a top workforce and inspire it to achieve beyond expectations. From Steve Jobs to Marc Benioff, the examples…
Read more

Until they were found, I’d no idea that 12 boys and their coach were trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand. But once the news broke, I was hooked. And I wasn’t alone. The national fascination tells us something about PR, storytelling, and ourselves. Why was the plight of the stranded Thai boys so…
Read more

Sometimes a story is so strong that all you need to do is tell it and get out of the way. Improving on a good thing can be tricky, because there’s always the risk of over-embellishing. Too much PR or packaging can overwhelm an emotional punch.  “Doors,” the remarkable ad by Texas congressional candidate…
Read more

If timing is everything, how does a business know when it’s time to invest in a public relations program? Here are some of the most common signs. Competitors are beating you to the punch. They may be beating you in business deals, customers, or simply mindshare. If your B2B service isn’t in the consideration set…
Read more