Mark Zuckerberg’s trip to Washington this week marked a high-stakes PR challenge for the Facebook CEO as well as its brand. After months of negative coverage following the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal and a series of half-hearted public responses, Zuck faced the music. So how’d he do? Above all, Zuckerberg was well prepared. Some…
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Since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, a small group of activist students have shown remarkable media and public relations savvy in taking on powerful forces who oppose firearm limits. In just six weeks, they may have accomplished more to raise awareness and change public opinion on gun safety than…
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It will come as no surprise to those of us in public relations that 205 million people in the U.S. attend conventions, conferences, and trade shows each year. What we in PR like about such conferences are the opportunities to secure industry speaking gigs for executive clients. So-called speaking ops are a great way to…
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Stereotypes about the public relations industry abound in popular culture, and some are anathema to real PR professionals (see Samantha Jones in “Sex and the City”). Happily, today there are TV shows that offer a more sophisticated and up-to-date look at PR and how it works. They can even help a company exploring PR learn a bit…
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The advent of spring means that public relations people are devising creative ways to put a fresh spin on program activities as well as spruce up client relationships. Here we take a look at some ways to maximize spring with some PR inspiration. New season, new PR opportunities Review all existing PR plans Ideally, the…
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Tech PR and media relations are sometimes a bit like dating. You must be thoughtful about when and with whom you become “exclusive.” If a PR pro fails to consider offering a story to media as an exclusive, he may forfeit a great opportunity. Overuse it, and he risks getting a bad rep with journalists….
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As an industry, public relations has a PR problem. Stereotypes about the profession die hard; 14 years after “Sex and the City,” people still think Samantha Jones is a typical PR woman. Or maybe they liken PR to dirty tricks, like the antics of fictional Big Tobacco flack Nick Naylor in Christopher Buckley’s satire “Thank…
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When should a large company take a political stand? Some PR experts would say never. And you can’t blame big companies if they want to avoid public debates about the causes of gun violence, climate change, or other politicized issues. But increasingly, corporate America is being asked to pick a side. It seems there’s more…
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Who says you can’t make lemons into PR lemonade? That’s precisely what the UK unit of fast-food chain KFC managed after an embarrassing shortage of a pretty important ingredient in its prepared meals – that’s right, chicken. Due to a change in suppliers, KFC was somehow unable to procure birds in the UK, forcing it…
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For any organization in initial talks with a public relations agency, there are many questions to be asked. The obvious ones include queries about relevant experience, the team’s approach to media relations, and case histories. Every client has its list of questions, including very relevant ones and occasional eye-rollers. Here are some of the most…
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The best public relations partnerships are client-agency collaborations that involve a serious time commitment on both sides. Most clients know this and they have great intentions when they embark upon a relationship with a PR firm. But what if the client has limited time to invest with the agency team? Or if it lacks experienced staff…
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Can you imagine being the guy running a public relations agency that “perished in a public relations fiasco”? That’s the unhappy fate of James Henderson, the former CEO of now-defunct PR and crisis management powerhouse Bell Pottinger. The London-based firm imploded last year after its role in running a “dirty campaign” for South African client…
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Want to boost your public relations acumen? One of the best ways is to stay on top of key PR industry blogs as well as more general sites that offer a fresh take on business, creativity, and content. Why limit yourself to PR blogs when there’s a whole world of interesting stuff that can offer…
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Yes, 2017 feels like a lifetime ago, given our breakneck news cycle, but there were plenty of public relations lessons over the year for big brands and business categories. Here’s a look at those who came out on top, and others who took a reputation beating last year. The Winners Amazon 2017 was like a…
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This year’s best picture nominees offer glimpses into different lives and compelling stories, and they also offer up some lessons for public relations professionals. So, time spent watching movies this year can definitely be categorized as professional development, right? Here’s a light look at what we can learn from the films that captured moviegoing audiences…
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Public relations has many fans, from legendary figures like Steve Jobs, to the current occupant of the White House. Yet PR doesn’t always command the same respect as other disciplines, like advertising or direct-mail. It’s even still a bit mysterious to some. As Greg Galant of MuckRack once observed, the advertising business is linked with…
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Can public relations help consumers fall in love with a brand? The answer is a resounding “yes,” but it’s not always easy. There are specific steps marketers must take to achieve full customer engagement. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon and many looking for tips on love in their personal lives, we thought it a good…
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In public relations, choosing the right words to pitch a story is as important as using the right fabric in fashion design. Words bring ideas to life and paint a picture for media and other audiences, whetting appetites to learn more. There are some tips to word choice that can make the difference in whether…
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For years, public relations and reputation experts have promoted CEO activism and corporate social responsibility, preaching its benefits and warning of limits and pitfalls. But for many corporate communicators, the position was lonely. For some companies, the embrace of social change programming was little more than lip service — maybe a dignified corporate social responsibility…
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An anonymous quote tells us, “A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker,” and those in public relations would be wise to remember it when something goes awry. As most PR people know, even the most meticulously planned programs are vulnerable to mistakes. Though the first instinct may be to panic and scramble, most…
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A recent study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the USC Center for Public Relations found that marketers plan to increase staffing and overall spending on public relations over the next five years. This is good news for clients and PR firms alike. But it’s also a challenge to all marketers to create…
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“Content is fire. Social media is gasoline,” according to writer Jay Baer, and most in public relations would agree. The trick is how to create content that is “fire” and will fire up audiences about your brand. We look at an eight-point plan that will help any team create, produce and promote meaningful content. And,…
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Smart public relations can help put a new brand on the map or burnish the image of an older one. This year, businesses face perennial questions like how to maintain customer loyalty, and fresh challenges like changes in federal regulation laws and the tax code. But, with change comes an opportunity to tell new and different stories or…
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What can PR professionals expect in 2018? Despite the accelerated pace of change, new directions don’t always announce themselves with great clarity. Yet in 2017 we’ve seen the growth of specific trends that might reasonably be expected to continue through next year. Here are some we’ve noticed. Brand advocacy will grow. Shortly before the inauguration…
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Armchair PR experts get lots of mileage from critiquing crisis management by major brands and businesses this time of year. But what about the crisis situations that are handled well? Those instances are obviously few and far between, presumably because we don’t hear about the bad news that never hit the press. But in the…
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Where is your company in its public relations planning for 2018? Whether a brand needs B2B or B2C PR next year, the steps to manage the process are similar. It’s best to begin by looking at the big picture to see where PR fits in the overall marketing scheme of things and then take a look…
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Each December public relations agencies spend time crafting pitches and byline articles capturing clients’ takeaways for their particular industry. It’s the season for recaps, forecasts, and lessons learned, so it makes sense for PR professionals, too, to look back and ruminate on the year that’s coming to an end and share a few observations from…
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As brands set plans and budgets for 2018, engaging a public relations firm may be at the top of the list. Finding the right agency partner can begin with an online search to narrow the field to a short list of agencies invited to share capabilities. Next steps include a face-to-face meeting, a formal proposal…
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There are now five PR people for every working journalist. This may seem like a good thing for the PR business as companies increasingly tell their stories through social media and branded content. But as stark evidence that sources of objective news are shrinking, it’s not a healthy sign for either industry. What may be…
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