Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work with companies spanning numerous industries and at various stages of growth, from start-ups to global, publicly-traded companies. Each of these stages of maturity has necessitated different types of PR representations. Early-stage companies seeking investment or acquisition tend to require strong focus on brand recognition and thought…
The other day, I received a phone call from the alumni office at my alma mater. I have received phone calls from the alumni office in the past asking me for donations (and have made donations), so I had no qualms about answering the phone and engaging with the associate on the other end. What…
Thought leadership has become a big part of organizations’ communications mix, even for companies like our clients who are selling solutions to government agencies and other businesses, especially here in DC. The idea behind thought leadership is to take the focus away from products and direct it towards the underlying issues that our clients’ solutions…
As PR professionals in DC, it’s our job to monitor the federal marketplace for trends that inform our clients’ communications and marketing strategies. One theme we’ve heard a lot about lately is that in this era of flat or declining government budgets, it’s become almost cliché to talk of agencies “doing more with less.” How…
Most PR pros know that reporters get hundreds, maybe thousands of emails a day, many of which are irrelevant newsletters, press releases and pitches that are the product of old or misinformed lists. Unfortunately it gives a lot of good PR pros a bad rap. It also makes it more difficult for your story idea…
He wears leather gloves and constantly smokes cigars. He is cool and calm even when in peril. A master of disguise, this chief tactician relishes the moment when he can say, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Thanks to a recent film adaptation of a popular 1980’s TV show, old and young will…
The news that the U.S. government is giving up control of the Internet – that is, the Department of Commerce announcing it will end its oversight of ICANN, the non-profit that administers Internet domains – brought me back to a time in my public affairs career when I learned first-hand about managing controversies, especially those…
Does your company NEED a PR firm? Doing a simple Google search brings up numerous articles on both sides of the question. And even we agree that sometimes the answer is “no.” Don’t get me wrong; public relations is essential to the growth of a business and, at RH, we believe in it wholeheartedly. But…
The modern landscape of PR has changed. When companies hire a new PR firm, not only do they expect placement in top-tier media like The New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, but they also expect their message to be trending on Twitter, written about by bloggers and optimized on Google. Internet publishing has…
One of my favorite, and one of the most under-appreciated holidays is Groundhog Day. While millions of Americans turn to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to see the groundhog’s predictions for the end of this winter season, many others fondly remember Groundhog Day through the prism of the beloved 1993 comedy. In the film, news anchor Phil Connors…
I read a Washington Post blog recently calling 2013 the year of cybersecurity. While the year saw a profusion of data breaches and leaks, it’s more accurate to call 2013 the year of cyber violations – not cybersecurity. I think it’s more likely that 2014 will be the year of cyber solutions – maybe the…
With the New Year upon us, it’s time again for industry insiders and gurus to come out with their predictions for the upcoming year. Traditional media and blogs are peppered with predictions stories, from technology trends to outlooks for the U.S. economy. The PR industry is no different. PR practitioners have already begun to hit…
