It’s once again time to dip into the PR Fuel mailbag for another batch of reader queries. How much do I charge for public relations services? Can a newswire service refuse to distribute my press release? Come find out the answers to these puzzlers from the world of public relations. (Read more…)

It’s time for another dip into the PR Fuel mailbag. This time around, readers have questions about job interviews with public relations firms; the pros and cons of media training courses; the potential public relations pitfalls of Facebook; and more. (Read more…)

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…)

We all know the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Grammys. But there are plenty of other awards ceremonies taking place this year. Various organizations run annual awards programs recognizing the work of public relations firms. Winning these awards can bring additional visibility to your business, help you win and retain clients, and bolster the enthusiasm of your workforce. For the individual, being part of an award-winning team or campaign can help you earn a promotion and more money. (Read more…)

A close friend has been developing a training program for interns and new hires in his company’s corporate communications, public relations, and marketing divisions. With three summer interns and three new hires, the company’s public relations department now has fourteen people; it also utilizes two outside firms to help with branding, events, tradeshows, and specialty PR. (Read more…)

Give the Killeen Furtney Group some credit. The Los Angeles-based public relations firm eliminated the name of its clients from its website, which is the second smartest thing it did last week. The smartest thing the firm did was drop Nadya Suleman as a client. (Read more…)

An economic downturn is something that no one — save pawn shop operators, repo men and payday lenders — wants to deal with. The situation, however, does not have to be a negative. Economic downturns can present opportunities for many businesses, including public relations firms. (Read more…)

To get publicity in the busy run-up to the holiday season, public relations firms have be prepared. By August, I had already received emails and press releases from PR representatives at Nextel and Epson regarding holiday gift guide stories. (Read more…)

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…)