By Barb Harris & Sharon Kreher, teamworks communication management
Corporate social responsibility isn’t a new concept. Many companies participate in charitable giving; some even do “cause marketing.” But do most do enough to let their customers know about their giving? Do they give their customers opportunities to join in supporting the chosen cause? Does their charitable giving program involve their employees? Are they getting enough “upside” to warrant maintaining or even expanding their giving?
Corporate giving, of course, starts with a donation to a worthwhile cause. But too many companies, large and small, fail to incorporate additional levels of participation that can directly impact their... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, Write Ideas, Inc.
I flew Virgin America to California this past weekend, and couldn't wait to get back to my desk to write about the unique marketing muscle behind this flying experience. It's hard not to look at my own customer service experiences through a marketing/PR lens, and this was no exception.
Initially, I thought I was flying on one of those "off brand" airlines, and wasn't sure what to expect, if anything! Instead, I couldn't believe the swank, nightclub feel on board. Black leather, comfy seats, decent leg room, magenta-ish track lighting, a safety video cartoon-style with... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, Write Ideas, Inc.
I flew Virgin America to California this past weekend, and couldn't wait to get back to my desk to write about the unique marketing muscle behind this flying experience. It's hard not to look at my own customer service experiences through a marketing/PR lens, and this was no exception.
Initially, I thought I was flying on one of those "off brand" airlines, and wasn't sure what to expect, if anything! Instead, I couldn't believe the swank, nightclub feel on board. Black leather, comfy seats, decent leg room, magenta-ish track lighting, a safety video cartoon-style with... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President, Write Ideas, Inc.
Despite - or because of - this recession, there's still clearly a hearty appetite for designer duds at discount prices. Target's recent launch of Missoni, an upscale Italian label with wild, colorful, geometric patterns, was a huge success on many fronts. Even though their website crashed from the sudden surge in traffic, I'd call it a PR success story for lots of reasons.
Lydia Dishman reported in Forbes (The Genius of Target's Missoni Madness) "Two full hours before Target threw open doors...to offer rabid fashionistas a lower priced collection of haute Italian label Missoni...the... ⇢ read more
By Lisa Rhodes, Rhodes Morell Communications, CT
Social commerce or buying sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial are popping up at an astounding rate. (In fact, it is reported that Groupon is one of the fastest growing companies in the world. Their proliferation – on the national level as well as on the micro level – make sharing hot and seemingly scarce deals with friends easy to do. Capitalizing on basic social principles, these buying sites are fast becoming part of the social media playbook.
But, are they good for a brand and a business? This debate no doubt will continue as... ⇢ read more
By Claude M. Gruener
There are many pitfalls to avoid when promoting a service, idea or product to the media.
Don’t lie. It might have worked at times before the internet and its vast immediate resources appeared, but today telling a lie is almost a sure guarantee of failure. If you don’t tell the truth, you are certain to be found out by a reporter. On the reverse of the coin, you must let a reporter know if he or she made a mistake in their reporting.
Don’t expect a purely self-serving news release to be run. Buy an ad instead. Reporters are... ⇢ read more
PRConsultants Group, a national collaborative of independent PR firms covering all 50 U.S. markets, broadcasts its news and insights.
