The Power of Analogies
We often use analogies to help our clients tell their stories. We find the more complicated the subject matter or the more novel the concept, the more helpful it can be to use an analogy to help people grasp your ideas. An analogy is a similarity between like features of two things, on which a […]
Great Tools to Get a Pulse on the Analyst Landscape
Analysts are a critical audience. They influence customers, provide endorsement to the media, and help create visibility around the category. Developing an effective analyst relations program is often one of the cornerstones of our clients’ overall PR programs. However recently, there’s been a significant amount of consolidation in the analyst arena with large firms such […]
The Importance of Quotes
A good quote can be the heart of a compelling article. Good quotes help to tell a story and enhance the credibility of a press release, news story or speech. Words that are crafted well can leave a lasting impact on the world. Every day I drive by a reader board on my way home […]
It’s Not You. It’s Me: Breaking Up With Social Media
Losing fans, followers or subscribers can leave a painful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Twitter and Facebook don’t offer an explanation for this. Consumers are allowed to “unlike”, unfollow or unsubscribe without reason. This leaves the author or organization asking, why? What did I do? The cliché breakup line “it’s not you, it’s […]
Public Relations, April Fools’ Day, and Fake News
With April Fools’ Day fast approaching, it is a good time to revisit the topic of fake news. While I look forward to Google’s annual tradition of announcing fake features and NPR’s trick segments, it is dangerous territory for PR professionals to disseminate fake news. If not executed well, an April Fools’ Day stunt can […]
The Long Lost Art of Phone Conversation
Last week, I read a really interesting article in the New York Times titled, “Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You” by Pamela Paul. The story examines the cultural shift from using the telephone (including mobile phones) as a primary communication tool to today’s ever present preference of email and text. Paul writes, “According to […]
The Rwanda Girls Initiative – How Collaboration Can Create Positive Change
We recently had the pleasure of working with the founders of the Rwanda Girls Initiative (RGI), Suzanne Sinegal McGill and Shalisan Foster, with an announcement sharing their milestone achievement of opening the Gashora Girls Academy. Their story had all of the right elements for us to share a compelling and inspiring story with the media […]
iPads, Kids and Snow – Securing Broadcast News Coverage Requires Flexibility
Earlier this month, we visited Lewis Elementary in Portland to facilitate broadcast interviews with KATU, KPTV and KOIN. What was the exciting news that drew three stations to Lewis? The draw was the announcement of a new digital learning pilot program introducing iPads into the classroom. Reporters came to talk with students and teachers involved […]
Managing Collaboration Between U.S. and European Agencies
When our clients announce new products or services, they also consider whether to make the announcement on a global scale or keep it to the U.S. This was especially true for one of our clients who wanted to make an announcement at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. In order to ensure they […]
How Communicators Can Learn From Past U.S. Presidents
There are frequent conversations about how communication has changed with the adoption of the Internet and more specifically social media. We have published several posts on our blog on topics related to these changes including Mastering the Nine Second Sound Bite and Staying Ahead of the New-Media Curve. And while it is true the landscape […]