Category: public relations

Russia’s Olympic Surprise

With the world media fully invested in Beijing (e.g., “…the press workroom is the largest in Olympic history with 971 broadband-equipped workstations, 680 high-speed network connections and an additional 206 for photographers…”), the Russians gambled that the court of public opinion would be sufficiently sidetracked to permit a brazen attack on Georgia, its pro-Western, NATO-allied…… Continue reading Russia’s Olympic Surprise

News Hole Partisans

Presidential politics was on the menu at Michael’s (alongside the $34 cobb salad) during a recent gathering of our men’s lunch group of PRs, journos and one special guest, the head of a magazine publishing company.The day’s topic explored the variables that might still make a measurable impact on the candidates’ respective fates. It included…… Continue reading News Hole Partisans

A More Social SEC?

Why shouldn’t a publicly traded company be allowed to use its blog to break material news? That was the question Sun Microsystems CEO (and blogger) Jonathan Schwartz posed to the SEC nearly two years ago, a subject on which this blogger posted at the time.Last Wednesday, the SEC finally issued its initial ruling that offered:…… Continue reading A More Social SEC?

Leverage and Maximize

Not to be a curmudge or anything, but check out this news release header: Event Planners Will Learn to Leverage Public Relations to Maximize Integrated Marketing at HSMAI’s Event Technology Expo(TM) @ Affordable Meetings(R) National Yikes! The particular release was issued by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) to tout an upcoming event…… Continue reading Leverage and Maximize

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

Comcast Listens…At Last

I just came back from the Lincoln dealer, which had finally fixed the dent in my roof caused by a failed roof rack. (When I arrived to collect my car, the owner smiled at me and said “squeaky wheel.”)You may remember my post on the Monday after the July 4th weekend wherein I ranted on…… Continue reading Comcast Listens…At Last

Pedestrian PR Pitch

Any pitch that starts off with “Hope you’re well” is the kiss of death as New York Times business columnist, and now blogger, Joe Nocera astutely confirmed for us yesterday in his “Executive Suite” blog.The object of his disaffection: a publicist named Amanda from a PR firm that shares its name with the sporting world’s…… Continue reading Pedestrian PR Pitch

Unity in Unity

If authenticity is the new PR buzzword, then who’s going to explain it to Sen. Obama’s PR consiglieres?Didn’t anyone learn anything from the faux photo-ops and canned colloquialisms deployed by the Bushies to intentionally deceive the public these last seven years?Americans so desperately want a commander-in-chief with a reasonable command of the English language, but…… Continue reading Unity in Unity

Sen. Obama, Don’t Try This

It’s simply the nature of the beast. As much as the Obama campaign insists it will forgo the saccharine opaqueness and command & control ways of the Bush PR machine, the need to “manage” his public image remains paramount if the Illinois Senator ever expects to get elected.There’s nothing new here. Joe McGinness first threw…… Continue reading Sen. Obama, Don’t Try This