I’ve long advised non-political PR practitioners that they should pay close attention to the political scene because there are many lessons that are used by political operatives that can be used on non-political accounts. In this essay, I’ll identify the many...
If there’s one aspect that all PR practitioners should be aware of, it’s that when arranging an interview for a client there is only one certainty: Until the story appears, you’ll never know if it will be what you hoped for. Experience shows that the resulting story...
There’s an old adage that goes, “the cover-up is greater than the crime.” I don’t fully agree with it; it depends on what the crime was. But one thing that’s evident is that covering up a crime, no matter how big or small, will usually lead to extensive negative media...
Earlier this month, on this website, I authored a column about how President Trump’s tactics regarding the Epstein crisis are an example of “how to keep a PR crisis in the news.” This is an addendum to that column. An accurate title could be “How to make certain that...
I’ve often criticized the strategies used during a PR crisis because many are from hackneyed by-the-book manuals. That’s definitely not true about the tactics that President Trump has been using during his Jeffrey Epstein crisis. But just because it’s original...
I’ve attended and led hundreds of public relations creative meetings during my career in the propaganda business. I’ve heard brilliant ideas, good ideas, bad ideas, silly ideas and outlandish ideas. Most often missing during almost 100% of the sessions was the...
Ours is a craft that has tenets that date back to the founding fathers—not of our country, but of public relations. And many of those do-it-by-the-book rules are still taught in communication schools and are practiced today at PR agencies large and small. But there...
For years, many years, I’ve been writing and telling PR practitioners that once a client has had a PR crisis it’s embedded in the client’s DNA and can resurface any time. And I’ve counseled that PR account handlers should always be prepared for a crisis to reappear. ...
Hordes of PR grads are now or will soon be applying for positions at agencies. Some from elite schools will be granted interviews by elite agencies. Others from lesser colleges might seek employment at the many “mom and pop” and mid-size agencies out there. Both are...
There is no statistic that accurately states the number of sportscasters in the United States, but one thing is certain: it’s a highly competitive business (as is the public relations business). Another thing that is certain is that relatively few sports announcers...
It’s no secret to people who follow the shenanigans of the business world that companies have long attempted to camouflage their warts. These robber barons do so by donating fortunes to various projects that help society. Three of the most visible businesses that...
On Sept. 8, 2023, this website published an article I wrote titled, “The too-often neglected facet of PR: Good customer service—my personal experience with American Airlines.” The essay detailed my correspondence with American Airlines after I wrote AA about a...