Google Goes On The Offensive

Edward Snowden (Photo: VentureBeat)The NSA revelations from one strange cat named Edward Snowden and his enabler, the lawyer turned political activist turned commentator turned journalist Glenn Greenwald, put Silicon Valley’s biggest brands on the defensive.Reports by Mr. Greenwald writing about Verizon’s breach of its customers’ privacy (in the news hole of The Guardian) were quickly overshadowed…… Continue reading Google Goes On The Offensive

Reputation Capital

Is it just me, or are you also seeing a sudden rise in Apple-bashing these last few weeks? If my journalist and tech pundit-filled Twitterstream is any indication, the answer is yes. Consider:”Is Apple running out of juice?”Has Apple has lost its way? Bobbie Johnson and Mike Butcher debate whether the tech giant is in…… Continue reading Reputation Capital

Election Eve Round-Up

What a week…so many PR and media-related kerfuffles to ponder. Here’s a round-up:Frustrated Marathoners (Photo: AshleyKMayo via Gothamist)Q: Was it a good or bad PR move for Mayor Bloomberg to cancel the NYC Marathon?A: I think Mayor Mike’s instincts were correct. The comparison to 9/11 is apples to oranges. Too many peoples’ lives continue to…… Continue reading Election Eve Round-Up

Bad Behavior’s Rewards

In the nascent days of this blog, I penned a post on Donald Trump and the catalyst that thrust him onto the national stage. That small, but powerful gesture singlehandedly paved the way for a credible conversation about a Trump Presidential run. Do you remember what it was? I’ll remind you.After years of neglect and…… Continue reading Bad Behavior’s Rewards

20-Nothings

In following all those forward-thinking PR and media types on Twitter, I often lose sight of the profession’s various other dimensions. Information technology has created so many positive industry benefits to help us advance our clients’ communications objectives, we have a tendency to get lost in the digital sauce. Just consider:How Ford’s social media chief…… Continue reading 20-Nothings

Dem Past Mistakes

To engage or not to engage…that is the question. For as long as I can remember, good crisis managers stressed avoiding knee-jerk reactions to unpleasant characterizations in the media of your company or person.Crisis pros advised: “Why draw attention to something that will disappear with the next news cycle?” “You’ll only make matters worse.” “Time…… Continue reading Dem Past Mistakes

Fame Formula

For years, I’ve believed that the higher one’s fame rises, the lower it can (and often does) fall, only to rise even higher. (Think Charlie Sheen, Britney, Kate Moss, Mel Gibson, and soon, Kiefer Sutherland).I once considered making application to one of journalism’s fellowship programs with a thesis that would attempt to scientifically measure how…… Continue reading Fame Formula