This year’s Academy Awards frontrunners are speaking directly to communicators. Here are some top-line spoiler-free life hacks from each of this year’s Best Picture nominees, provided by Cookerly PR president and movie reviewer Stephen Michael Brown . Before the #Oscars get unveiled this Sunday, read the post here.
Stephen Michael Brown is president of Cookerly PR, an integrated communications firm based in Atlanta. He is also founder and chief film critic of Silver Screen Capture.
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By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing, and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
Some 9-5’ers would rather watch anything on TV but something about their career. Whether I’m an entrepreneur who doesn’t know what 9-5 means or a news junkie, I’m hooked on Apple TV’s latest headline, The Morning Show.
My journalist wiring pushes me to ask a lot of questions in a variety of settings. I’ve asked doctors if they think one of my faves, Grey’s Anatomy, is accurate in its representation of medicine. If I knew anyone who sold paper, I'd definitely ask if The Office's Dunder Mifflin... ⇢ read more
Earlier this month, International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP) made a bold decision to rebrand. At least, that’s what people initially thought. IHOP announced June 4 on Twitter it was “flippin’ our name to IHOb.” The company didn’t tell anyone what the “b” would stand for initially, building suspense for the big reveal.
People guessed everything from biscuits, to bacon to butternut squash. Many people assumed “b” would stand for “breakfast” since IHOP is known for its pancakes and other morning fare. For a week, IHOb (the name had already been changed on Twitter) continued to engage with followers via social... ⇢ read more
“I will contribute to Puerto Rico’s recovery by not becoming an unemployment statistic.”
That statement became my mantra as soon as I knew my family, friends and employees were safe after Hurricane Maria wiped out Puerto Rico’s power, telecom, and basic needs infrastructure.
Yes, we have helped in volunteer efforts and community building initiatives, but making sure that my clients were properly served and that we kept our jobs became a top priority, especially the first days after the storm.
This is how we “Ricanstructed” our business during the first 72 hours after Hurricane Maria:
Knock, Knock. It’s me.
As all wireless telecom systems collapsed... ⇢ read more
Much has been written about the importance of organizations communicating effectively in the wake of a tragedy. That includes being mindful of what you say to avoid appearing tone-deaf.
From the devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico to the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, we’ve seen countless viral examples of people who got it wrong.
There’s the CBS News attorney who posted a comment about the Las Vegas shootings on Facebook, “I’m actually not even sympathetic [bc] country music fans are often republican gun toters.” And, Donna Karan who weighed in on the... ⇢ read more
I love being a public relations consultant for the past few decades, and have enjoyed representing New England's largest and longest-running Renaissance Faire for the past five. Running your own PR firm can be fascinating, and we are required to keep all the “balls in the air” at all times. Just like a good juggler at the Faire, I’ve uncovered eight life lessons gleaned from observing master performers, including my favorite: the “grand finale” is a simple compilation of many smaller achievements.
Whether you are striking out pitching a story or creating a clever idea, or just need extra motivation for a personal goal, here are tips... ⇢ read more
For companies like Pepsi and United, these past few weeks have not been “friendly” after long hours trying to battle crises within their respective organizations.
Every time a crisis hits major corporations, such as these, public relations professionals are left scratching their heads wondering who is in charge and why the PR people “didn’t have a seat at the table?”…from the beginning.
PR professionals are oftentimes called in after the crisis hits versus having a seat at the table during the initial planning and strategizing phases.
It’s clear that in the case of Pepsi, the advertising firm created what they thought was a... ⇢ read more
Whether you tweet, Facebook post, Instagram, Snapchat or shoot Vine videos for yourself or a client, every social media moment matters. Just as the goal of any actor is to be able to tell a story through a character, your brand needs warmth and personification to really resonate and engage.
Not all brands are wild and wacky, but there are plenty of examples of conservative brands who exploded on social in 2015 once they found their “voice”. Check out the Twitter feeds of @oldspice, @tacobell, @MyCascade, @lushcosmetics, @jetblue, @PopChips, @Intel and the SM conference favorite, @Oreo (check out #OreoHorrorStories). It’s okay... ⇢ read more
By Deborah Trivitt, APR
http://www.trivittpr.com
I’m not a fan of the recent fad to make a list of the “best,” “worst,” “most,” “least” of anything. I’m pretty sure the people making the lists are arbitrarily picking from their favorites or least favorites to make the list. I doubt any real research goes into the making of any of them.
Recently PRSA Tactics columnist Tim O’Brien, APR, invited me to participate in making the list 4 Myths About Being an Independent Practitioner
http://www.prsa.org/intelligence/tactics/articles/view/10969/1106/4_myths_about_being_an_independent_practitioner#.VRMfwjvF_lM
As I prepare to begin year 18 as an Independent Practitioner, I can assure you his list is “well-researched, and insightful.”... ⇢ read more
by Kristin Helvey, APR, president/owner, Helvey Communications
This year, my husband and I took our first Super Bowl trip. The football hype began upon landing. Airport workers wore jerseys, balloons lined hallways and murals covered the baggage claim. This was, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. For four days, we were enveloped by building-sized endorsements, crazed fans jumping around in the background shots of athlete interviews (if you saw someone that looked like me, I probably just have a twin), live bands playing ear-shattering music, and more beer than should be allowed in any one place.
I was in love.
As... ⇢ read more
By Felicia Knight, President, The Knight Canney Group
When PRConsultants Group, a national consortium of public relations and communications professionals launched the first annual Snark Free Day last year, the response from some quarters was predictable—even funny. Turns out, some people are just too damned cool to lose the snark, if only for 24 hours. It’s like asking Gordon Gekko to nuzzle a kitten.
The point of Snark Free Day is make people take a moment to think about the effect their words or deeds have on other people. The abundance of snark is especially evident in cyber-space, where speed and anonymity... ⇢ read more
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