As the world becomes more and more digital, so too does the world of public relations. The media landscape is constantly changing as publishers tweak their business models and expand further online. Social media cannot be ignored as a viable source of information and home to many influencers. PR professionals even have to take into…
This post is not intended to weigh in on either side of the gun control debate. Rather, it is to call out the inexplicable approach the NRA has taken since the school shootings in Newton, Connecticut. The organization, which represents 4 million gun owners – surely all of whom are sickened and heartbroken by the…
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the Gartner ITxpo with our client WatchGuard, a global business security solutions provider. In between staffing meetings with industry analysts, I had the opportunity to attend a session called, “The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2013” presented by VP and Gartner Fellow David Cearley. Some…
Events present a great PR opportunity for our clients. Whether it is an industry tradeshow or a grand opening of a new location, events for customers, partners and media offer an enticing news hook and a chance to secure interesting video and photos. We recently had the honor of assisting one of our technology clients,…
Government IT managers today have to do more with less. For even as cloud computing and “government 2.0” initiatives are supposed to save taxpayer dollars, continuing security threats and ballooning government programs are straining agency IT budgets just the same. Pressures like these mean many agencies are paring private-sector contractors to a strategic few. In…
Great public relations campaigns create tangible value for businesses that advertising or other marketing strategies often can’t match. That’s because the results are ‘earned’ rather than ‘paid.’ A message about your company that is repeated by a respected writer or analyst has far more value than one you insert into a paid banner ad, and…
It’s the peak of summer in the Pacific Northwest. And that means the mountains here are full of people hiking, backpacking, and climbing. For years, well-equipped outdoors types have carried the “10 essentials,” a list of must-have items coined back in the 1930s by members of the Seattle Mountaineers club. The list includes things such…
Don’t let the suits, grim faces and bad lighting fool you; Congressional hearings play an important role in shaping news every day. A well-timed hearing can bring widespread media attention to a topic that was below the nation’s radar – not to mention bringing prestige or notoriety to the presiding member of Congress. With cameras…
As public relations professionals, we are often like surfers – aware that epic waves will occasionally arrive and therefore doing our best to pre-position ourselves (for our clients) to catch and ride them all the way to media coverage glory. It doesn’t always work out that way, even when the approaching wave is a rare…
When it comes to crisis management, a lot of companies could learn from David Letterman. That’s right, Letterman. Back in 2009, you’ll recall, a TV producer tried to extort $2 million from Letterman by threatening to publicize Letterman’s affairs with female staff members of “The Late Show.” News of the affairs likely was going to…
Most of the PR agency world is divided into business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). But it would be a mistake to assume that the consumer doesn’t play a central role in a quality B2B public relations program. While my colleagues and I spend most of our time in the B2B sphere, working with businesses that…
Can you name someone whose opinion you value, to whom you would look to for guidance, who might have an influence on how you conduct business? Chances are you can. You might think of that person as a mentor. But in a broad sense we have another term for it: “Thought leader.” What is a…