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.’Â 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…
Schema Creator Form Social media is everywhere these days, like water around a fish. The original players – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – are as popular and influential as ever. And new platforms are popping up at a dizzying pace, such as Google + and Pinterest. Despite the hype, social media has proven to be a…
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…
When rolling out a new product or service to your customers, establishing valuable and authentic communication is of vital importance. You want to tell them what’s new and at the same time communicate your value. A robust email campaign is a tried and true method for sending out the message. One of our clients, Clarity…
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. Â It doesn’t always work out that way, even when the approaching wave is a rare…
Earlier this month, the Puget Sound Business Journal published an article about the growth of Seattle-area businesses involved in fighting cybercrime. The article included our client Stroz Friedberg, which helps business customers manage digital forensics, data breach and cybercrime response, electronic discovery, security risk consulting, and business intelligence. There next to the Front Page headline…
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…
