I recently participated as a panelist in a webinar by BusinessWire for public relations professionals who pitch to journalists covering sports. I was asked to be a panelist because of my experience as a sports business analyst and reporter for outlets such as ESPN, Forbes, and Comcast Sports Southeast. However, I also brought something to […]
It’s one of the most overused sentences in the communications industry: “Let’s do a press release!” The press release is perhaps the best-known public relations tool. As a result, it tends to be the first option that comes to mind when a client or company wants to get the word out about their latest project […]
“Why don’t my news releases get picked up?” Just about every PR consultant has heard this lament at one time or another – often, from a prospective client who’s been trying to handle his own PR with little success. Yet even veteran communications pros have experienced the frustration of sending out a press release that […]
I’ve been doing PR for nearly two decades. DECADES. That’s a long time to be in an industry that’s somewhat young. And boy has it changed since I started out. My first job out of college was in London (long story), working for a tech PR firm during the early days of the dotcom boom. […]
Add Foursquare Founder Dennis Crowley and his wife, Chelsa, to the list of public figures issuing ineffective public apologies. The situation The Crowleys found themselves in the position of needing to make a public apology today, when Boston’s WCVB revealed that Chelsa Crowley ran this year’s Boston Marathon using a forged bib. In reality, the […]
Recently, we talked about that bane of celebrities and major corporations alike – the public apology – and gave a few examples of some memorable apology train wrecks. As those examples attest, far from quelling a PR crisis, a poorly worded apology can add fuel to the media fire and send the crisis spiraling out of control. […]
In honor of April Fools’ Day, we recall some of the less-than-successful public apologies made by celebrities and other public figures. Believe it or not, these apologies weren’t meant as an April Fools’ joke – and their impact on the reputations of the individuals involved was anything but funny. Elton John was right. Sorry seems to […]
For the first time in what seems like ages, I recently attended a networking event. Having focused on growing my business over the past few years, I haven’t been as involved in the community as I like to be. But now that our firm is more mature, with a team of senior professionals, I’m venturing […]
They say there’s no such thing as bad PR. Tell that to Mike Jeffries. Not long ago, Jeffries — the longtime CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch — was flying high on his reputation of transforming stodgy A&F into one of the hottest teen clothing brands. But then sales started to decline, and last year a […]
The prospective client described her company’s upcoming event with great enthusiasm. Everything was all set: The venue was booked, the speakers and entertainment were on board and the guests had been invited. All she needed us to do was get media coverage of the event, which was happening the following week. Since managing client expectations […]