An era when data can be sent and received outside of traditional media outlets–via blogs, email, instant messaging, text messaging, camera phones, etc.–has created an atmosphere where truth is the prize. Those in the public relations industry must delicately balance the public’… Read more
When the phone rang at midnight, I knew something was wrong. The caller was a spokesperson for a large, public technology company based in Silicon Valley: “We’re filing for bankruptcy in the morning. I wanted to let you know. We’re announcing it at 7:00 AM EST. Get the word out.” … Read more
Using plain language to communicate with journalists is not considered bland but effective. Whether your public relations campaign targets community or business publications, it is unlikely that reporters reviewing your press kit will be familiar with specific industry jargon. Providing them wit… Read more
Who says a press release is the only way to court the media? Story proposals can sometimes be more effective when approaching your personal “A list” of journalists, presenting customized pitches that match their sensibilities and the news beat they cover.… Read more
Facing a potentially damaging newspaper investigation, a Fortune 500 company fully expected to be forced to relocate one of its primary facilities. The story turned out to be just as bad as everybody had feared. But the outcome did not. The community rallied in support of the company, vilifying the newsp… Read more
While today’s small businesses and small public relations firms have a number of economical means to reach national and international media–e-mail, on-line press kits, and press release delivery services, such as eReleases–the pitch will still need to be as good as the product to … Read more
Of all the subsets of public relations, community relations is perhaps the most perplexing. That’s because the term encompasses so many different types of activities. When budgeting for public relations, how should you decide where to focus your community relations dollars and energies? By go… Read more
An in-depth feature article can be a priceless source of publicity for any organization or industry. But such an article rarely results from the standard one- to two-page press release drafted by most public relations firms. And who has the time to write an in-depth article when there’s only a smal… Read more
Television interviews with great visuals instantly grab viewers’ attention. Yet many public relations firms fail to plan their visual content before approaching TV producers. In a multi-media world, public relations isn’t just about text-based press releases or well-written speech… Read more
As a web site consultant who focuses on the public relations role corporate web sites play, I’ve created the following quick tips for anyone to evaluate the public relations success of their web site. As you read this article, open your browser and see how your web site measures up.… Read more