Amanda Knox and the Double-Edged Media
Amanda Knox was just a name I’d see periodically in the news. I knew this woman had been convicted of killing her British roommate while studying abroad in Italy. But then, an appeal of her conviction was raised and I started to pay attention. Something had changed – and whatever it was had grabbed my […]
Dealing with Subtle, and Sometimes Not So Subtle Snark
I’ll admit it. When I drive the kids’ carpool or overhear interactions during “play dates,” there are times I feel conflicted. One child makes a subtle statement or comment that seems to take aim at another child’s perceived weakness. It is these subtle jabs that I struggle with – do I jump in or let […]
Driving Awareness on the Issues of Dwarfism With Seattle Children’s Hospital
Did you know that approximately one in every 15,000 children is born with dwarfism, also known as skeletal dysplasia? And that 80 percent of those children have average-height parents? Neither did I. To raise awareness around this condition and to change perceptions of those individuals with dwarfism, Seattle Children’s, Little People of America’s (LPA) Puget […]
The New Facebook – How Do You Communicate Change Effectively?
Most people have a problem with change and I am no exception. So when I logged into Facebook a few weeks ago, I was sent into a panic as once again another change was made to my trusty social networking site. As I scanned over my newsfeed, post after post was complaining about the new […]
Fundraising With Social Media: Causes.com
I’m checked in at Starbucks, video chatting with my uncle in England, scanning pictures from this week’s Seahawks game and rescuing dogs from Hurricane Irene all at the same time from my Facebook account. What’s next, Facebook – foot rubs? While Facebook may not be coming out with foot rubs anytime soon, one thing that […]
Road Trip to Spokane: MarCom and Strategic Public Relations
Last Friday, Colleen Moffitt and I had the opportunity to speak to the members of the Spokane MarCom Association about the importance of strategic public relations. The journey to Spokane was one we will never forget. We began our descent into the city only to have our landing aborted, turning us back to Seattle due […]
Back to the Basics: Building Relationships With Media
It’s no secret that social media has drastically changed the PR landscape and how PR professionals engage with media. Twitter, Facebook and other social media services can provide great vehicles for connecting with journalists. However, with the social media trend generating so much online chatter and shifting at a rapid pace, it’s important to not […]
The Spam Stops Here
With the invention of email, reporters got the proverbial short end of the stick. They are targets of many organizations who want to share information that may be of interest to the reporters and their audiences. Unfortunately, this means that reporter inboxes are filled each day with mail that they need to sort through for […]
Subject Lines That Are Sexy
Half of the battle of pitching is getting a reporter to open your email. Now-a-days like many industries reporters are doing more with less. That means less time available, they need the information fast and efficiently. Before coming to Communiqué PR, I was a reporter at a small TV station and managing my inbox was […]
Building Teams Based on Talent, Not Skill
Teamwork. Some people love that word. Others despise it. Regardless, teams are a part of life. As an employee, your individual success will in part depend on your ability to exist as part of a team. As a manager, the success of your department, work group or organization is a function of how well you […]