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
It’s perhaps one of the longest running questions in public relations: How do you deal with a journalist who has an agenda? Some journalists do have agendas; columnists are paid to comment on the news and provide opinion, not just report the news. Even in traditional reporting, sometimes a personal agenda seeps into a story. Just as every public relations consultant has their own style, background, level of intelligence, gifts, resources, etc., so does every journalist. Read More
During my first television interview, the producer had one piece of advice for me: Don’t use profanity. During my second television interview, the producer had another piece of advice for me: Be controversial. Public relations consultants should take both of pieces of advice to heart. But there’s a lot more to an effective television interview. Read More
Consistency in public relations is important. Public relations consultants and corporate executives are often told to “stay on message” and not to stray from a script. Companies and organizations put an enormous amount of time and energy into hammering home a consistent key messages, be it through public statements, advertising, or simple branding. Read More
I have one friend from the country of Georgia, and we were talking on the phone when President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia appeared on NBC News to discuss the recent Georgian crisis. Saakashvili compared Russia’s current actions to those of its predecessor, the Soviet Union, in 1956 in Hungary and 1968 in what was then Czechoslovakia. Read More
Comcast uses the phrase “Comcast Cares” but my experience with the company seems to show they care only up to a point. If, like the majority of users, you get cable installation and it works, that’s great. Comcast really cares about these customers. They require little work. The company sits back and enjoys the revenue.
However, if you have a problem with your connection, in this case Internet connectivity, that’s where the caring appears to stop. Read More
In the world of public relations, press leaks can be damaging affairs. Sensitive internal information being sent to journalists can wreck a company’s reputation, cost it customers or clients, or even land it in legal hot water. But how can public relations consultants prevent press leaks, or at least clean up the damage they wreak? Read More
Recently I appeared live on national television. (Well, it was actually cable, but that’s national now.) Using my experience as an example, this installment of PR Fuel discusses the pros and cons of television-based public relations. Hopefully you’ll be able to take away some tips about how to get your public relations message on the air, how to prepare for that first television interview, and how to make the most of it once you’re in front of the camera. Read More
My friends think I’m strange when I tell them that the best way to solve a problem is to call someone who works in public relations. As a consumer, I’ve learned that PR people usually take their company’s customer service seriously. When traditional dispute resolution fails, a call or email to a PR person can work wonders. In recent weeks, as a consumer, I’ve had three experiences with PR people that I wanted to note; these examples should illustrated why all PR people need to be ready to act as a customer service rep in their company’s interest. Read More
A successful public relations strategy depends on well-planned objectives. However, it takes more than just good public relations skills to plan good objectives. Here are some tips for setting effective public relations and marketing objectives. Read More