Athletic PR-owess

With two public (relations) apologies — one major and one minor — now behind us, who in the PR-sphere hasn’t reflected on the “what if’s” of these now fading acts of contrition?What if Tiger hadn’t filled the room with friends and family (as props) but instead allowed in journalists to ask questions (versus delivering a…… Continue reading Athletic PR-owess

Getting Social in Moscow

So I’m back from a three-day jaunt to Moscow where I gave a talk to a group of Russian marketing and communications executives on media, social media and PR trends in the U.S.This was my second visit there in six months, and yes, the traffic was still horrendous, the cars remained caked in mud, and…… Continue reading Getting Social in Moscow

The Great Firewall

When this blog first visited the subject of how China would handle a sharply focused media spotlight, it recognized the immense public relations challenge that lied ahead for the Chinese authorities, the IOC, and their respective outside agencies.Thus far, the series of gaffes and misdeeds have by and large been washed away by the fluidity…… Continue reading The Great Firewall

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

Three Days in Moscow

If you happen to be one of my scant few followers on Twitter, you would have learned that I spent much of last week in Moscow. I was invited there to give two speeches on the changed dynamics of PR these last few years. The audience: about 100 corporate communications chiefs from Russia’s largest companies.…… Continue reading Three Days in Moscow

The Committee to Unprotect Journalists

If you think American journalists are under government siege, their plight pales in comparison to the way Russia deals with its investigative scribes (or any other malcontent).They just murder them, or so it appears, based on today’s news emanating from that increasingly despotic regime.AP Moscow reported moments ago that Ivan Safronov, the military affairs writer…… Continue reading The Committee to Unprotect Journalists