media outlets

November 19, 2009
Is the “Social Media Release” Much Ado About Nothing?

There’s no doubt that social media has made a huge impact on the world of PR. For companies looking to use social media to get the word out, there is no shortage of products and services that are billed as tools to gain exposure on blogs and social networks. (Read more…)
September 21, 2009
Stress Your “Value” in Holiday-Related Public Relations

Each year, the clock for getting out holiday-related press releases starts ticking earlier. Recent holiday seasons have proven to be ultra-competitive because of genuine fears that consumers would not be spending money like they had in the past. These fears push purchases back, causing retailers to discount more heavily in an effort to reduce inventories. So when it comes to holiday planning, it’s imperative that manufacturers and service providers push the value element of their products when doing public relations. (Read more…)
April 30, 2009
Thorough Research Can Lead to a Public Relations Coup

Several years ago when I was covering the dot-com bubble, a German magazine featured me in a story. “The Harbinger of Death,” the writer called me, noting that if I wrote about a company there was a good chance that said company was on its way to the grave. “The Harbinger of Death” is back, but these days I’m an analyst, studying corporate executives who disastrously borrowed money against the stock they own in their company. (Read more…)
April 23, 2009
You Can Learn a Lot From a Public Relations Pro

Kelly Larabee is one of my favorite public relations contacts, someone who can help a lot of people in the PR industry simply by sharing her knowledge. I decided to just fire away at Kelly with some questions via email. As many of public relations pros know, this is the kind of interview you want — essentially one on your terms. Unlike being under the gun while on the phone, television, or radio, a written response to interview questions allows you to set an agenda and take time to polish your answers. Take a few minutes to digest her ideas because what she has to say should be very helpful to anyone in public relations. (Read more…)
April 16, 2009
Turning the Tables: A Journalist Talks Public Relations

A while back, a friend who works in the public relations industry cornered me with a few questions. The following discussion about public relations and the media takes a little peek into how the two intertwined industries relate to each other. (Read more…)
April 1, 2009
Public Relations Tips: Protecting Your Brand and Working with Investor Relations

Part of protecting your company’s brand is ferreting out which public relations opportunities are being presented by questionable companies. Recently, I turned down the opportunity for one of our company analysts to give an interview to MN1.com, an online video company that covers the stock market. By weighing, and rejecting, this opportunity for seemingly easy publicity, I saved our company from a public relations nightmare. (Read more…)
March 20, 2009
How to Make Sure Your New Public Relations Job is Right for You

Looks can be deceiving, and so can job offers. The latter fact was recently illustrated by the tale of two friends who have spent a combined four decades in the public relations industry. (Read more…)
March 19, 2009
Off the Beaten Path: Finding Public Relations Success in Smaller Cities

Arizona is probably best known for three things: the Grand Canyon, sports, and retirement communities. Arizona doesn’t exactly top lists when it comes to notable businesses and the media moguls. Jeremy Pepper is a public relations professional who cut his teeth in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco during the dot-com boom, working for both new economy and old economy companies. (Read more…)
March 12, 2009
Coordinated PR Is The Key

A coordinated public relations attack can be a thing of beauty. When all the pistons are firing, and the planets align, PR can pour down like rain in a drought-stricken area. But the key to a coordinated PR attack is coordinating the people behind it. (Read more…)
February 23, 2009
Public Relations Basics: There Is No Magic Press Release Bullet

The “magic bullet” theory of public relations — that one press release is all you need grab the attention of journalists — is easily debunked. A single press release will rarely, if ever, do the trick. (Read more…)