Learn from the World’s Biggest Companies

I touched briefly last week on the present controversy at Hewlett-Packard, and before the “ink” was even dry on my column, the company had swung into action. (Read more…)

The Long, Hot Summer

The only thing hotter than the weather is the water that Mel Gibson is in.

I’ll get to Gibson shortly, but I’d first like to bask in the glow of my recent vacation, part of which was spent reading, “Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story,” a book about the implosion of Enron by New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald. (Read more…)

The PR Winners of 2006

YouTube: The little video engine that could did in 2006. YouTube grew from a cult hit to a global power and even its acquisition by Google has done little to tarnish its image. The company has taken some PR hits, but even my eighty-five-year-old grandmother sings the praises of the service, which just gives people what they want. (Read more…)

Mailbag Odds and Ends

I haven’t dipped into the mailbag lately, so I thought it was a good time to do some spring cleaning by responding to some letters and sweeping up some odds & ends. (Read more…)

Public Relations Home Runs in Short Supply Following Mitchell Report Release

The release of the Mitchell Report, a two-year investigation headed by former Senator George Mitchell into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Major League Baseball (”MLB”) players, has proved to be a bonanza for public relations voyeurs. Players named in the report have employed a wide range of public relations tactics with mixed results. (Read more…)

Your 2007 Public Relations Calendar

As I’ve done each year for the past few years, I wanted to begin closing out the current year by publishing a “print and save” public relations calendar for the upcoming year. In this issue you’ll find calendar listings for holidays and observances, elections, major sporting and entertainment events, as well as list of anniversaries being celebrated — or simply remembered — in 2007. (Read more…)

Finding Ammunition and Shields

In early 2004, I received a phone call from a reporter for a major business publication. She wanted to know if I was the Ben Silverman who was donating heavily to Democratic political campaigns. She thought it may make an interesting story considering I wrote a business column, one in which I had been critical of the Bush Administration on more that one occasion, for the right-tilting New York Post. (Read more…)

Penalized by the Media

The murder of professional football player Sean Taylor was shocking, but how the media initially reacted to the news was not. The twenty-four-year-old was punished for not playing ball. (Read more…)

The Worlds of Corporate Strategy and PR Collide

Wine.com turns ten this year, but the celebration has been muted thus far. Wine-lovers are whining about the company’s actions, which have caused a public relations problem and could cost the nation’s number-one online wine retailer business. (Read more…)

PR Versus the Experts

By any measure, Barry Diller makes a lot of money.

The chairman and chief executive officer of InterActiveCorp. (”IAC”), Diller hauled in $295 million in compensation in 2005, according to The Corporate Library, a corporate governance research firm. The figure put Diller at the top of the list of highest-paid CEOs, which brought plenty of attention from the media - none of it positive. The figure is also misleading. (Read more…)