The Phony Press Release Trend: Why It Hurts the Industry

As you pore over your morning emails, you see a press release from your company’s president that he is very sorry for the recent problems customers have encountered with the latest product release. He promises no more errors will be made in the future, but in the meantime, all customers experiencing issues will be issued a full refund. And free candy. (Read more…)

Opportunities for PR Pros at SXSW 2011

When most people hear someone mention SXSW, they probably think of the film festival or all the music and partying that goes on there. However, the mega event known as South by Southwest is more than just a big blowout gathering. In recent years the newest component of SXSW – SXSW Interactive – has taken over as the best attended portion of the festival. Due to its three-pronged nature – music, movies and internet – SXSW is known the world over as a place where representatives from all forms of media gather to talk about the industry. (Read more…)

Top 20 PR Blogs You Should Be Reading

Let’s be honest: PR Fuel isn’t the only PR blog out there. And while I like to think we do a good job of providing useful information here, the truth is there are some other truly great PR blogs. So, if you want a well-rounded education, I highly recommend following these blogs. (Read more…)

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…)

Can You Explain Public Relations Basics to the Public?

I had an eye-opening conversation over the weekend with a friend of mine from Germany. She was surprised to see PR Fuel on my new business cards. When I explained it to her, she came back with a rather odd response: “So, public relations is like headhunting?” After about an hour of fielding questions about public relations, I came to the startling realization that many people don’t really understand how the PR industry really works. (Read more…)

Catching Up with Jeremy Pepper and Blogs

Back in May 2003, I sat down – ok, instant-messaged – with Jeremy Pepper to talk about what it’s like to start your own PR firm. Pepper had just launched his own firm, POP! Public Relations, and was beginning to get settled.

Since our first interview, Pepper has been busy not just practicing PR, but writing about it. His Musings from POP! Public Relations weblog has become a leading online destination for people looking for insight into the PR industry, and Pepper has become an outspoken advocate for and critic of the industry. I caught up with Pepper this week and we spoke – ok, instant-messaged – about the challenges an independent PR practitioner faces, the role of weblogs in PR, good and bad PR campaigns, and a number of other issues. (Read more…)

Public Relations Begins to Bounce Back

The clouds that have hovered over the public relations industry for the past few years are beginning to clear, according to the third annual Public Relations Generally Accepted Practices Study (“GAP III”), published by the USC Annenberg School for Communication’s Strategic Public Relations Center (“SPRC”) and sponsored by the Council of Public Relations Firms. (That’s a mouthful.) (Read more…)

Another Year of Lessons

As you read this, I’m most likely playing poker at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, winding down another year that saw me work way too much and play too little. I’m sure you feel the same way, so I hope you’re getting some well-deserved time off. Looking back, 2004 wasn’t an unusual year for PR, but there were some interesting developments. (Read more…)