Media Relations

I haven’t heard Christmas tunes in the shops of New York yet, but any minute they’ll be cranking them out. Once I hear that first awful new version of Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song” everything’s… Continued

While the NAACP’s travel advisory for African Americans is only the most recent reference to airlines’ perceived discriminatory behavior toward travelers, its calling out of a specific brand perhaps augurs a new era of coordinated confrontation between mission-based nonprofit organizations and brands.

You’ve heard the adage “timing is everything.” Well, it applies even to media pitching, says Jayme Owen, SVP, FleishmanHillard. The firm’s guidance, gathered informally, on best times to pitch and send news releases is shown on the accompanying chart.

Every day, PR is doing its job rather well. Communicators are masterfully engaged in storytelling, managing reputations and fostering relationships with its various and varied constituencies. But one major constituency it’s still suffering reputation problems with is the media. Is there a misunderstanding that PR is called in only when all else is lost, when it “comes to that”?

When Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg took a trip to DC last week to assure politicians that Facebook was taking serious the claims about Russian meddling in our elections, it was referred to as a “PR Blitz”… Continued

Back in January 2015, it seemed like such sweet pairing: Dannon and NFL quarterback Cam Newton. Dannon had just made a deal to be the official yogurt of the NFL, and made a side deal with Newton, who would serve as the lead pitchman for Dannon’s new Oikos Triple Zero. What could possibly go wrong? Brands make deals with celebrities and influencers all the time, and we all know that once a deal is signed, the celebrity or influencer will be super, super careful not to do or say anything that might reflect badly on the brand.

As PR practitioners, it’s easy to forget the multitude of ways that other fields—such as social media and influencer marketing—can improve and enhance other core aspects of the job, such as media relations. Social media can offer a treasure trove of stories because it brings you closer to those who are using and loving your product. And influencers can also make for great brand ambassadors on platforms other than social media. Here are three ways you can mine these areas to take your storytelling to the next level.

“Video, video, all is video,” seems to be the mantra of communicators today. And how many times have you heard a variation of this recently, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, aren’t videos… Continued

It’s a fact of life in today’s market: many PR people shuffle from sector to sector and region to region during their careers. What are the best ways to learn a new field as well as the journalists in it? Our author provides tips that will help you quickly gain leverage with media members in your new sector and get a handle on trends.

Growing up, most of us were encouraged by our parents and teachers to play well in the sandbox, to share our toys and pay attention in class. Fast forward to now, and imagine your boss… Continued