The History Channel is finally delivering on its original brand promise
Friday, November 20, 2009
Like its siblings in the Discovery Channel programming stable, The History Channel has badly lost its way of late. Rather than broadcasting historical programs that subject matter buffs like me covet, the network has focused instead on such garbage as the travails of Alaska ice truckers and tabloid.. .. read more..
A (social) media relations case study
Friday, November 20, 2009
Social media is changing the way PR pros handle media relations. .. read more..
We\'re just finding different ways to not be successful
Thursday, November 19, 2009
We all have our crosses to bear in this life. For me, it\'s rooting for the Mets and Jets. Each season, each team finds new and different ways to disappoint. The Mets staged the single greatest collapse in Major League Baseball history three years ago. They followed that up with another, less dramat.. .. read more..
Gossip Much?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
When the discussion turns to gossip, it can be a morale breaker. .. read more..
Newspapers vs. ‘Newspapers’
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Guest Post by Carl Foster, Peppercom UK \"Good morning, Trinity Mirror news desk\" \"Hi, I\'m calling from Trinity Mirror PR to follow up on the press release I sent you about our new widget\" \"Oh, right. When did you send it?\" \"Just a little while ago\" \"And you\'re calling from where?\" \"Trinity Mirror P.. .. read more..
Give? In this Economy? In Minnesota! Today!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Youbetcha! Today, if you live in Minnesota, you\'ve heard of GiveMN.org. It\'s not just because we\'re known for leading the nation in charitable giving it\'s because every non-profit and anyone connected to those organizations is promoting a great way to... .. read more..
When it Comes to Social Networks, Some Things Are Best Left Undefined
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Yesterday, I gave a presentation on leveraging social networks to help build your brand, during the Minnesota Society of CPA\'s annual tax conference. The audience was great and asked some great questions throughout. But one question in particular stuck with... .. read more..
What Kellogg\'s and the Great Depression Can Teach You About PR and Marketing
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A few weeks ago, my friend Steve McKee wrote in his BusinessWeek column about companies doing their growth a big disservice in a down economy when they cut their advertising and PR budgets. You can read the article and comments here . Then, when I asked each of you what you’d like to read about in .. .. read more..
Getting Motown\'s mojo back
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Five Detroit advertising agencies are donating their collective firepower to a year-long campaign aimed at attracting \'young and creative people\' to consider Motown as a place to live and work . Underwritten by Time Inc., \'Assignment Detroit\' also involves reporters and editors from Essence, Fortun.. .. read more..
Dirty Pool
Monday, November 16, 2009
I\'ve had the opportunity to judge everything from the Silver Anvils and CIPRAs to the PR Week and Big Apple industry awards. And, while I\'m honored to be asked, I have to tell you something: the industry awards programs are badly broken. They\'re broken in one, fundamental way: big agencies are allo.. .. read more..
The benefits of simplicity in social media
Monday, November 16, 2009
Here are some effective ways to keep your social media simple. .. read more..
All the world\'s a stage and all the men and women merely players
Friday, November 13, 2009
I was reminded of Shakespeare\'s classic words as I listened to an extraordinarily strong panel at yesterday\'s Ernst & Young\'s Strategic Growth Forum (note: we represent EY). The panel was entitled, \'Navigating Through Challenge and Triumph: How top leaders do it.\' The panelists were: Lynn Eisenhans.. .. read more..
Story...More Important Than Ever
Thursday, November 12, 2009
I\'m sharing the next few days with 250+ of the most successful emerging-growth CEOs in the U.S. They\'re competing for Ernst & Young\'s Entrepreneur of the Year award, of which Padilla is a sponsor, and listening to the likes of... .. read more..
What has become clear to you since we last met?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Ralph Waldo Emerson was noted for greeting friends with the question, \'What has become clear to you since we last met?\' His intent, say historians, was an invitation and a challenge to guests to assess the progress of their thinking. I find the question profound in its simplicity and thought I\'d sh.. .. read more..
Social media for B2B
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Finally, the tsunami called ‘social media’ becomes meaningful and relevant for business-to-business. .. read more..
The new girl network
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Take a look around the public relations industry and you\'ll find a firmly established lower echelon that is almost exclusively female. I call it the new girl network and it\'s rapidly replacing the final vestiges of its old boy predecessor. I\'ve noticed it in college lectures, in meetings wi.. .. read more..
Jimmy, forget about being the next Woodward or Bernstein. Mommy and daddy are bu..
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I knew the newspaper business was tanking, but I had no idea how horrific the current landscape was until checking the stats in a recent O\'Dwyer\'s news piece (See \"Newspaper Circ Drops Some More,\" Jack O\'Dwyer\'s Newsletter , November 4, 2009, Vol. 42 No. 43). Did you know there are 44 million newsp.. .. read more..
Social Media Interns: The Pros and Cons
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Today\'s blog topic came from my friend Jeff Lipschultz . There’s been a lot of talk (and action) lately centered around “Social Media Interns.” Can you share with us the parameters for having an effective program? Some work for free. Some work remotely. Qualifications? Training required? Return-on-.. .. read more..
Talk about the client from hell
Monday, November 9, 2009
How\'d you like the task of rehabilitating Joseph Stalin\'s image and reputation? Well, according to O’Dwyer’s, Russian Information Agency Novosti is searching for an international PR firm to do just that. According to the report, the goal is to re-position the Soviet despot who, some historia.. .. read more..
Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Last week I read an article on Harvard Business Review called “The Martial Art of Difficult Conversations.” While the author related a personal story to reflect on how to have conflict conversations, it very well applies to business. I hate conflict. I hate hard conversations. I have th.. .. read more..
Disney and social media
Sunday, November 8, 2009
In an age when social medial is becoming the hottest trend around – everyone is talking about it and focusing on it, much like computer animated films in 2003 – there is still a place for using traditional channels. .. read more..
Dewmockery
Friday, November 6, 2009
Imagine how bad life must be right now within the walls of a traditional advertising agency. Now imagine what it must be like inside the walls of a traditional advertising agency owned by a holding company. It has to be just brutal. Not only is the basic advertising model broken, but holding compan.. .. read more..
#FollowFriday – November 6, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
@mbernier I\'ve just recently met Matt on Twitter, but he lives in Denver so you know we\'ve become quick friends. He started a team on Movember.com , an organization designed to change the face of men\'s health. The men involved are growing out their beards for the charity and women are helping to ra.. .. read more..
Standing Behind a Brand Promise
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Guest Post from Matt Sloustcher, Peppercom From government bailouts to bankruptcy, it has been a decidedly tough year for General Motors. Adding insult to injury, the company’s archrival just announced a surprising $1 billion in profits while GM continues to hemorrhage. Even the much anticipated “M.. .. read more..
Stickiness is so 1999
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Remember what a big deal stickiness used to be? Dotcom executives loved using the word. First, they\'d talk about eyeballs on their site. Then, they\'d wax poetic about stickiness. \'Steve, guess how long the average visitor stays on www.fallenarches.com? Three minutes! That kills our competitors\' num.. .. read more..