“Will it make us rich?”
“Will it make us famous?”
“Will it make us happy?”
Before I started my own public relations consultancy, I worked at larger marketing firms. At one of the agencies, we had a three-pronged new business philosophy. Before pursuing a new account, we’d apply the “rich, famous or happy” filter to any opportunity. If we couldn’t answer “yes” to at least one of the questions, we'd pass.
I took that with me into private practice, and have been using it for most of the 15 years I’ve been on my own. Lately, though, I’ve whittled those criteria down to one:... ⇢ read more
It’s October. This time last year, many of us in Red Sox Nation were living the dream. The Yankees were sent packing for the off-season and the Boston Red Sox were en route to winning the World Series.
This year, the Red Sox, who many sports pundits thought could be the... ⇢ read more
As a communications professional, I’ve come to accept — and joke about — the negative terms used to describe our profession. From the more genteel “wordsmiths” to the oft-derogatory “spin doctors”, “PR hacks” (and a few not publishable names), PR professionals probably have as many negative monikers as lawyers.
Years ago,... ⇢ read more
Waiting to board the final leg of a two-flight trip, a number of things go through my mind. First and foremost was this blog post. It was four days late and I really don’t like being late. I thought, "What should I write about?"
A few things popped into my head,... ⇢ read more
Facebook grabbed headlines last year when it cut its “trending topics” editorial team. Now, it’s back in editor hiring mode.
Recently, the social media leader announced plans to hire what it is describing as a “small team” of veteran journalists – likely 10 or fewer – to choose content that will... ⇢ read more
The new P’s of marketing may just as well be pixels, princesses, pirates, pixie dust and pre-orders. They inspired ten lessons for marketers at the D23 conference.
Thousands of Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm fans descended upon the Anaheim Convention Center for the ultimate biennial celebration of enchanting animation and swashbuckling... ⇢ read more
A number of years ago, we represented the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), which has provided patients with in-home nurses for 125 years. The services provided by VNSNY are essential, and they help many patients and their families, but to many people, the health care industry is dry... ⇢ read more
Community Relations: Lessons Learned from Airbnb
Airbnb, formerly a big, bad corporate bully, has found a way to endear itself to local communities. What it’s done serves as a modern model for excellent community relations and earns five stars from this public relations consultant.
In 2013 the company launched its Open Homes... ⇢ read more
As reputation keepers, much jargon continually tries to make its way into our vocabulary and play deck. Some of it’s for a season, but some stand the test of time and become best practices. Being authentic is one of the latter.
Merriam-Webster defines authentic as “true to one’s own personality, spirit... ⇢ read more
As public relations counselors, we’re used to preparing our clients for how to deal with bad news. But, this past September 2018, our client experienced the opposite issue – how to avoid being overwhelmed by good news!
United Food Bank of Mesa, Arizona, learned that it would receive an abundance of... ⇢ read more
By Fran Stephenson, Principal, Step in Communication
If you haven’t yet heard of the Fyre Festival, there are two new documentaries—one on Netflix and one on Hulu -- which highlight the massive failure of a 2017 luxury music festival promoted by entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule.
It was such a... ⇢ read more
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