Knowing the Basics Can Prevent Public Relations Mishaps

Baffled is the word I’ll use to describe how I felt after having a conversation recently with a public relations rep. I was baffled because this putative public relations professional had no clue what he was talking about. And I was baffled because I could not figure out how or why a company would hire such a person. Think you know everything about your company? (Read more…)

The Public Relations Dangers of Being a “Third Party”

Being a third party can sometimes lead to public relations headaches. Earlier this year I helped a journalist on a story about a company that shall remain nameless. I helped the journalist analyze some data and provided him with my perspective on what the data meant. I’ve done this hundreds of times over the past few years and this particular time was no different than any other — until the story was published. (Read more…)

A Matter of Trust for the Public Relations Industry

I cannot imagine what Nina Devlin is going through right now. Last week, her husband Matthew Devlin, a former broker at Lehman Brothers, was charged by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission with violating insider trading laws. According to the SEC complaints, Matthew Devlin had spent the last several years tipping off friends and colleagues about mergers and acquisitions, and trading on this information. The details of the charges relate the sickening way that Matthew Devlin got his inside information. And the Devlin case highlights dangers faced by those in the public relations industry. (Read more…)

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…)

Get It Right the First Time

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and two companies recently provided ample evidence of why, when communicating with the public, it’s important to make the right first impression. (Read more…)

Making News in 2006

Welcome to 2006: a year that will see mid-term elections, Winter Olympics, and the release of Paris Hilton’s first (and dare we hope last) album.

As is the case every year, the news cycle will be driven by known and unknown events. Being prepared for the unknown events is difficult. Being prepared for the known events can be easy. With the latter statement in mind, here are the events and emerging trends I think will dominate headlines this year. (Read more…)

Overstock.com’s Over-The-Top PR Strategy

Bizarre is a word I’ve heard muttered often over the past few days when it comes to Overstock.com. (Read more…)