There have been an unbelievable number of articles circulating lately about the horrible relationships between PR pros and reporters. This is of course is based on the countless bad PR professionals out there who are making it hard for the rest of us and the reporter who has to deal with them.
However, when we are not hating on each other, sometimes friendships are formed. Not all reporters and PR pros are at odds, some work well together. Let’s face it, we work together daily and sometimes talk more frequently than you do with the co-worker in the next cubicle over. Forming relationships are almost inevitable if you are a quality PR pro. Continue reading →
Dear PR colleagues: Pls do not pitch earthquake-related stories unless you rep an earthquake preparedness company/expert.
I wrote that tweet Wednesday afternoon in response to a tweet from Forbes media reporter Jeff Bercovici that he, like every other reporter it seems, had received an irrelevant earthquake-related pitch from a PR pro.
And Friday afternoon, I tweeted this as Hurricane Irene beared down on the East Coast:
Oh wow. Bad PR RT @ShopWiki_Hlth_B Be prepared for Hurricane Irene with this awesome waterproof mascara by @LorealParis
*Headshaking* Far be it from me to fault my many excellent colleagues in the PR business, but let me be blunt, fellow PR pros:
“I heard you missed us… we’re back!” –Van Halen, “Hot For Teacher”
While you may not have the flair of good ol’ “Diamond” David Lee Roth, this time of year can still be a perfect opportunity to show your networking chops. Ok, so you are shuddering at the thought of going back to school. Don’t. You should really be relishing the chance to grow your relationships: in school and in the community.
See, we are always networking… whether it be at school, out with friends, or online. Think about your last PRSSA meeting, Twitter chat, or Facebook group discussion. Did you talk about how you can help with an event or talk to a respected pro about setting up a lunch discussion? Bingo! You are networking. Continue reading →
I may be in a minority here, but it’s getting harder and harder to tell when I’m watching politics from when I’m reading the conversations on some of my favorite blogs these days. As things change, money comes into the picture and a new wave of bloggers emerges, the “vibe” inside the social media bubble is feeling a lot less hospitable.
I don’t want to get lost in the who are the Republicans and who are the Democrats nonsense (although it would be a funny post if anyone else wants to write the damn thing), but what I do want to point out is this… At the moment, no matter what your leanings are, it has always been difficult to have a political conversation and it is starting to feel similar in Social Media. Continue reading →
I sure hope there’s a PR team out of work after the epic failure of Christine O’Donnnell on Piers Morgan August 17, 2011. Didn’t see it? Check this out first.
The team handling Christine O’Donnell committed three cardinal sins of media relations that should be addressed in any, thorough PR education. Continue reading →
The popular “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has come back in-style (if it ever left), so networking is becoming more important than ever. Whether you are in college or already a veteran PR professional, it is a pretty well-known fact that getting to know people in the industry is a good idea. As a 2011 graduate myself, internships were pushed on me constantly for this exact reason – networking. I am not here to lie and say that internships are overrated. Internships are probably the best possible way to network and get your name out in your field, and I had many friends who secured a job solely because of their internships. Aside from networking, internships can give you a real look into what it’s like to work in PR. In other words, I agree that if you can get an internship, you are probably ahead of most.
However, during my time in school I noticed that there were many college students who simply could not afford to spend a summer at an internship for a variety of reasons: Continue reading →
Now, I have never seen one millisecond of the TV show but I have seen commercials for it leading me to believe that it not only isn’t something that I would want to watch but falls under the category “Realty Trash” in my book. However, Abercrombie’s announcement did give me pause to think, “Was this a smart move or bad PR?” After all, it seemed like a calculated risk for them to blatantly send a message to viewers of one of the top Reality shows in the U.S. that they think Mike “The Situation” is a bad influence and dare I say, a loser. Continue reading →
It seems like every time I turn around I am reading a blog, an article, or hearing someone talk about ‘networking’ and ‘making contacts’ to develop your business. Frankly, I have never felt comfortable with the words ‘networking’ or ‘contacts’ – they seem so impersonal. Continue reading →