The Flack

The fab photos and prominent product mentions in Ruth La Ferla’s New York Times story today is, for many in marketing, reason alone to shell out the big bucks for rotating celebrity endorsers. The challenge of course is measuring the brand or sales impact a newsworthy celebrity will make. Does the publicity the endorsement generates…… Continue reading Speed Dating

Donald Trump is so ingrained in America’s celebrity culture that few remember exactly what catapulted him there in the first place. I do. It was his bodacious offer and successful effort to re-build an ice skating rink in NYC’s Central Park on time and under budget after the city failed to do so over a…… Continue reading Past Glory

Whenever the purveyor of a new product or service can involve the consumer in its marketing, the prospects for generating news coverage are that much greater. It could be the local casting call for the next “American Idol,” the introduction of “Halo 2”, or what we’re witnessing this morning: multitudes of fans lining up to…… Continue reading Fans as Marketing Tools

One of the hardest decisions in public relations is weighing when to leave well-enough alone. When Steve Jobs took a very public exception to his new unauthorized biography, it boosted book sales. When the William Morris Agency sued the New York Post’s “Page Six,” it only drew more attention to the negative item the gossip…… Continue reading Box Office Bonanza

Dear Richard,Why does the usually plugged-in “Page Six” deem it noteworthy that Ron Torossian, who seems to get more publicity for himself than his clients, has raided one of the least-respected, but most exposed “PR firms” in New York — Lizzie Grubman PR — for a junior staffer no less? In the real PR industry,…… Continue reading A Letter to “Page Six”

I don’t pretend to be an expert on the roller coaster ride called the telecom industry, but I do know that in the broadband space, the dominant cable companies now have a real threat on their hands. It’s called fiber, and it’s not the kind that will lower one’s cholesterol. (In fact, broader bandwidths may…… Continue reading Eat Your Fiber!

Conde Nast is the most influential magazine publishing company around. With 17 titles ranging from Vanity Fair and Vogue to Details and GQ (not to mention sister publications W and The New Yorker), the privately-held company also has a pretty mean PR machine. No, the publicists for its individual titles are not nasty (only some…… Continue reading The Allure of Ellen

I have learned over the years that the prospects of emerging unscathed at the dinner table following a pro-life v. pro-choice debate are slim. So when the subject comes up, I have a rule in my home: talk about something else!I read however with some interest the story today of Terri Schiavo’s parents visiting with…… Continue reading Schiavo Lives On

Yes, I know Oprah is one of the most reverred, benevolent and social-minded celebrities in the world. One cannot underestimate how much attention and support her involvement in a humanitarian cause can bring to that cause. Still, I’m scratching my head at the over-the-top party she threw for herself this past weekend that “featured” all…… Continue reading Conspicuous Consumption

He is a very viable candidate (that young man at the far right of the picture). Instant name recognition, good looks, a legal pedigree with credentials in education reform at the state level… Ed Cox will give Hill a run for her money. Yes, I know, New York leans left. Even so, Mr. Cox’s astute…… Continue reading Hillary, Take Notice