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 or character.” Also, “not false or imitation; REAL.” When thinking of how this applies to brands, organizations, communications strategy and the real life of companies and their people (both internal and external audiences), this word among all others is a moral compass for distinguishing the good from the great.
At the... ⇢ read more
By Brian Chandler, APR
If you’re looking for a so-called “Victory Royale” with your public relations work, or counsel to clients, you might want to set your crosshairs on how Epic Games handles public relations and marketing around its popular game Fortnite.
In case you’ve been off the grid or stuck under a rock for the last two years, Fornite is the most popular video game available right now. It is easy to think of video games as strictly for kids and teens, but Fortnite has attracted individuals of all ages, demographics, geographic locations and cultures, with more than 125 million players... ⇢ 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
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
Uber and Lyft just lost an $8.6 million game of public affairs.
In a case billed as Silicon Valley money versus Texas public servants, the two giant rideshare companies have suspended service in Austin after voters turned down Proposition 1 on Saturday, bringing to a stunning conclusion the most expensive campaign in the city’s history.
So, why did Proposition 1 fail? Lyft and Uber totally botched the campaign.
The rideshare companies used bullying tactics, a threatening tone, and aggressive advertising to promote their agenda. Needless to say, Austin residents weren’t receptive to the way the message was communicated.
Uber and Lyft, through their five... ⇢ read more
By Natalie Ghidotti, APR
It’s no shocker that online video consumption continues increasing at a rapid pace. According to comScore’s Video Metrix, 190.3 million Americans watched online content videos last summer.
Videos are easily viewed from a variety of devices – whether that’s a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. They’re also entertaining, while informing. Think of the number of videos you probably watch just in your Facebook feed alone. Don’t tell me you haven’t clicked on one of those Buzzfeed videos before. We all have!
So knowing that people like to watch things, it’s no surprise that using video in your media relations... ⇢ 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 Amy Kossoff Smith, Write Ideas, Inc., and Founder/Editor PRCG Powerlines
Boots and lots of brainstorming were on the ground in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, this year for the PRConsultants Group Annual Conference. More than 40 of the network’s markets attended for professional development, networking, and of course, some great Tex-Mex food. Themed, “Not the same old bull,” there was a healthy dose of humor and Southwestern fun as we held our annual crash course in PR education together.
Here are highlights from this year’s conference:
Day One, after a team brainstorm (get ready to be wowed in 2015 by some new... ⇢ read more
By Dawn Stranne, President, Dawn Stranne & Associates
Happy Snark Free Day! Today, our group of public relations professionals from every corner of America asks everyone to take some time to think about the power of words and to be snark free, just for a day.
Snark gone bad can cross over the ugly line into bullying at the office. For most of us, we probably experience or dish out a little snark at work now and then. But for those who have been bullied, snark is probably where the bully began the torture.
While Snark Free Day doesn’t address that level... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President, Write Ideas, Inc. and Founder/Editor of PRCG Powerlines, @WriteIdeasPR
When 40 public relations consultants get together, there’s bound to be some magic sparks. This year’s 11th Annual PRConsultants Group Conference in Orlando, Florida, was a great example of long-time peers collaborating on the latest in strategy, technology, valuation, community service, and creativity in the field of PR. Created this year by a fabulous duo, Susan Hamburg and Brendy Barr, along with their committee, here are some highlights of the Orlando Conference:
Situated at the newly renovated B Resort in Lake Buena Vista, the group was treated to... ⇢ read more
By Barb Harris & Sharon Kreher, teamworks communication management
There’s always been an appropriate tension between what nonprofit agencies spend on their mission and what they spend on administration. And certainly, that’s a ratio one should consider in evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of a charity. But, the tendency to adhere too rigidly to the “spend as little as you can on admin” often backfires. As any for-profit business understands, sometimes you have to invest dollars in order to generate more funds. That means expenditures in facilities, staff, capacity, advertising, and yes, public relations. While nonprofits don’t think in terms of... ⇢ read more
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