During a recent interview I was asked to identify the top attributes or skills we seek in our future employees. The easy answer is, “it depends.” But one thing is for certain – while basic public relations skills like media relations, writing, pitching and project management are absolute musts, they don’t come close to capturing…
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…
We can only wonder whether a faster release of critical information about the actual path of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight would alter the outcome, such as a rescue of passengers, a discovery of wreckage, or the quick pursuit of leads in a criminal investigation before they dried up. Instead we are witnessing a communications…
If you’ve paid any attention to SEO lately, here are two ideas that you’ve probably picked up on: SEO and PR are converging Good SEO practices are starting to very closely resemble classic PR Gone are the days when technical webmasters were the only ones concerning themselves with SEO. Last year I wrote about how…
This year the convergence of conferences our clients are attending and our staff are supporting has grown to epic proportions. Okay, maybe not epic, but given the snowy winter this year, these conferences could not have come at a better time to drag folks out of the doldrums. Nearly all of our clients will be…
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…
There are many important types of relationships in PR – relationships with reporters, relationships with clients.  As a strategic public relations firm, understanding our client’s target audience and their marketplace is vitally important for helping them build the right kind of relationships that are going to strengthen their brand. In today’s world of social media,…
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…
They say that pitching is 90 percent of baseball. I would argue that the same is true for public relations. Securing meaningful coverage is the bread and butter of a successful PR campaign and the most straightforward way to showcase results. However, as any PR pro knows, getting the story placed takes a lot of…
