Archive: June 2013

Bringing two organizations together is tough. When you’re merging disciplines as well as cultures, it’s tougher still.

Morgan McLintic, executive vice president of LEWIS PR and PR News Next Practices Annual Conference presenter, weighs in on Instagram video and what it takes to grow a community on Facebook.

The Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs last night in dramatic fashion to claim its second consecutive NBA championship, and increased global awareness of the towering image of star LeBron James first, and its own team brand second. That’s a lot of No. 6 jerseys and, ultimately, boosts in CPMs for Heat games on TV.

Facebook on Thursday introduced video for Instagram, which the company acquired last year for $1 billion. While the announcement came as little surprise to reporters and bloggers following the story, it has left PR pros scratching their heads wondering how to leverage the social platform’s latest feature.

The basics of writing great news releases are more important than ever. Outside of your headline, most of your focus should be on crafting a strong lead paragraph—that’s where your news release lives or dies.

For this week’s video pick, PR News chose “Bodyform Responds :: The Truth.” In the spot, Maxipad’s fictional CEO Caroline Williams addresses a man named Richard Neill who penned a tongue-in-cheek Facebook rant decrying the brand’s false depiction of a woman’s “wonderful time of the month.”

Serena Williams has a history of speaking her mind and shooting straight from the hip. However, she may have crossed the line in a recent Rolling Stone interview.

Celebrity chef and butter aficionado Paula Deen is losing in the court of public opinion as revelations of her racist remarks and behavior continue to unfurl in a lawsuit brought against her by a former manager. Deen’s actions are undeniably inexcusable and begs the question: Has anyone dared to suggest to her that perhaps she needs some media training?

As PR professionals, we understand the value of a well-written, timely press release. As a crucial part of any successful public relations strategy, a press release provides you with an opportunity to boost company visibility and have control of the news that’s being shared.

My son Max tells very long stories that veer in curious directions. By the time he’s nearing the point, he forgets the ending. It’s rather cute and endearing – he is, after all, only 12 years old. He will sometimes exclaim frustrating…