As an individual and PR professional, I enjoy learning something new every day. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to learn something new daily? When I was given the opportunity to review the book, “Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age,” (Que Publishing) by Arment Dietrich founder and CEO, Gini Dietrich, I was excited. Gini has great respect in the PR/marketing/social media world. My only concern was that the book would be a collection of blog posts from her blog of the same name. I should have known better. Continue reading
All posts by Jason Mollica
Book it! Ideas for the Bookworm on your Holiday List
Show of virtual hands. How many of you have said at some point this year, “I’ve got to read that book by (insert author here)!” I’ll raise mine, because I’ve said this at least five or six times in 2013.
Here at PRBC, we love to read and gain a better grasp of what is going on in public relations, social media, technology, and marketing. To further our knowledge and yours, here are a few good books to get or download this holiday season. Continue reading
Should Interns Be Paid or Unpaid?
It’s one of the most hotly contested issues around right now. No we aren’t talking about Alex Rodriguez and Biogenesis. We aren’t even talking about Obamacare. The hot debate lately has been over whether interns should be paid or unpaid.
Over the last few weeks, this story has been front and center. On Aug. 14, the Lean In Foundation’s Editor-At-Large, Jessica Bennett, posted on her personal Facebook page that she was looking for a “part-time, unpaid” intern. The post had many positive responses, even \ from those who were interested in the part-time gig. It was the negative responses that really put fuel on the fire. Continue reading
Auto-tweets, Kawasaki and Takedowns: The Ugly Side of Social
The Monday afternoon bombings at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts sent shockwaves across the world and social networks. As has been the case since Facebook, Twitter and blogs became staples in our world, social media was the place to get immediate information. While not always accurate, it was integral in the wake of this tragedy.
When events such as this occur, it is essential that we make sure our clients aren’t pushing product or seemingly “cheery” type posts during a tragedy of this manner. The world isn’t going to stop, but we as community managers and public relations pros need to be sensitive. This wasn’t the case with well-known social media personality Guy Kawasaki. Continue reading
Solo PR can be rewarding…and damn tough
In September 2011, I embarked on my solo public relations pro journey. Although, it wasn’t necessarily on my terms, I always dreamed of being my own boss. When the opportunity did arise, I was excited and eager to take on the solo PR world. It’s been nearly two years now, so how do I feel? It’s hard to put into one or two words. Continue reading
Target, Wal-Mart Get PR Grief…But Did it Matter?
While most of us were enjoying our Thanksgiving turkey, trimmings and (hopefully) football, some were enjoying waiting outside their local Targets and Wal-Marts. Both retail chains opened Thanksgiving night for early Black Friday shopping and s
pecial deals. This didn’t make some folks too happy, including those that had to work at the retailers.
News outlets and people on social media were critical of Wal-Mart and Target for opening early on a day that you normally spend with your family. Workers at Wal-Mart planned protests; Target also had its fair share of grief as well. In the end, it seems the noise was a whole lot of just that… noise. Continue reading
Asking for Likes isn’t a Social Strategy
As a community manager, you need to be adept and keep in tune with your audience. How do they react to posts? Will they be your champions in a crisis? Do they really like you?
One of the
ways we find out if followers enjoy what we post is the good ol’ “like” on Facebook. It’s a magical button. It brings joy and makes the sky seem brighter and really makes kittens happy. Ok, I kid. Continue reading
Why We Need to Set the Bar Higher When Giving Advice
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Earlier this week, Ragan.com posted a blog titled, “8 Foods PR Pros Should Avoid.” When I first saw it tweeted, I thought that it may have a few foods that aren’t good as we are working. Maybe I shouldn’t have that chicken finger sub for lunch; should I bypass the Starbucks breakfast sandwich. Heck, maybe I should be skipping Starbucks altogether (ok, that’s not happening).
As I clicked the link and actually read the blog, it was neither about foods we shouldn’t eat nor healthier options. The blog discussed how on the next visit to the store, we “consider which items not to buy. These products can rattle PR pros by planting negative subliminal messages in their psyches.” Continue reading
Replacement Refs, Credibility and PR
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Unless you ignore social media, the internet, and sports (if so, who ARE you?), then you pretty much have heard about/seen the ending of Monday night’s Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game. A summary:
A Hail Mary pass by the Seahawks is intercepted in the end zone by a Packers player; one referee says touchdown; the other calls it an interception. After replay, the ruling is a touchdown, game over. Seahawks win. Continue reading