Tag Archives: PR

Linzy Roussel Cotaya

Journalist Relationships

5 Comments

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 →

Joseph Vasquez

No Children Allowed: A Recipe for Publicity

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A few weeks ago, the owner of a little restaurant attached to a golf driving range in Pennsylvania, decided to introduce a new policy that it will no longer serve any person under the age of six.

As principal of a PR firm with restaurant clients, I followed this story right from the beginning. From what I observed, the story was initially reported by a local TV news outlet in Pittsburgh on July 8th. The Associated Press picked it up and reported it the following day. From there, the media frenzy took off.

If this were a legal blog, I’d pontificate about the obvious discrimination against children under six years old. From my understanding, children are not a protected class unlike senior citizens.  Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on your point of view), I do not hold a law degree so I can’t say whether there are legal implications to this restaurant’s policy.

Since this is the PR Breakfast Club, which serves everyone in PR (including the ones who at times act like children—you know who you are!), just let me say that from a PR standpoint, this new restaurant policy was a win. Here are my three reasons why: Continue reading →

Manny Otiko

Death of News Outlets Isn’t Good News for PR Business

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Another day, and another article bashing the growing ranks of PR flacks. The Economist, a British publication, recently ran an article saying the media business was in danger of being overrun by PR professionals. Republican, a publicly-financed American news outlet, also wrote a similar article recently.

As someone who has worked on both sides of the media business, I am concerned about this phenomenon, but I think these articles overlook a more important point.  Media critics should also be writing about the dearth of media outlets.  The reason why PR pros numbers are growing is because the number of journalists is decreasing. Continue reading →

Tracy Bagatelle-Black

Journalists’ Tips for Working with Flacks

6 Comments

Sometimes, probably on our worst days, being a publicist can feel like being a glorified telemarketer.  And, on those days, it seems that journalists feel the same way about us.  In fact, many of them have posted diatribes on their personal sites about us and how to properly pitch them.  In fact, I have seen whole sites devoted to just that topic.

However, there are many of us publicists out there that do the job right.  (Hopefully more of us than the bad ones, but I guess I’ll never know.)  The good ones make sure to create targeted lists of journalists and outlets that will care about our story, read/view/listen to  journalists’ work before pitching and create short, well-written pitches to hit the mark.  We are actually an asset to journalists, if only they would see beyond the words “public relations.”  To get the most of out of us, journalists could actually use a few tips of their own for dealing with PR people.  Continue reading →

Amanda DiSilvestro

Is Traditional PR Even Worth It?

11 Comments

Any PR pro knows that PR is entirely different than marketing and advertising. So how much should be done online and how much should be done through more traditional styles? That depends; how much what? The answer to this question differs depending on if you are discussing marketing, advertising, or public relations.

Every company should capitalize as much as possible on new, online forms of PR. This is the latest rage in the world of PR, and for good reason. Online PR is often cheaper, allows for better targeting, reaches a wide variety of people, and is flexible. However, this does not mean that you should forget about your old, traditional PR ways. Continue reading →

Keith Trivitt

News of the World Hacking Scandal is Bad Business, Not a ‘PR Disaster’

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The fallout last week from the News of the World phone hacking scandal, and the subsequent bombshell decision by News International to close its 168-year-old tabloid, has raised a whole slew of accusations, questions and soul-searching within the media industry as to what it all means.

And, of course, it’s also led to the media reducing this to yet another “PR disaster,” as though every business crisis, or every crisis in general, falls squarely on PR’s shoulders. If only we had that much influence on company’s bottom lines.  Continue reading →

Nathan "PRCog" Burgess

Are Your Employees Undermining Your Business?

4 Comments

Quite a few of us have been there – the new agency on the block – handling a portion of a client’s business while another agency hangs out with the lion’s share.  Either it’s a new line of business for the company or the old agency fell down and this particular part ended up in your lap.  Everyone play nice but there’s no mistaking it – you want the rest of the business and the other agency, no longer resting on their laurels, wants to get the part you have back.

But we “play” nice. Continue reading →

Keith Trivitt

Google’s Savvy Marketing Launch of Google+

9 Comments

Some quick thoughts from a marketing, PR and ad perspective on Google’s just announced new foray into social networking — the terribly named Google+ (as Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land terms it*).

As I tweeted earlier in the day:

keithtrivitt: Prediction: Ad buyers will be all over Google+. More open analytics plus more targeted networks to tap into http://t.co/usHznta

I like that Google has started out by opening Google+ to only a select few and allowing them to invite their friends. Continue reading →

Jeff Esposito

Quintessential Summer Reading

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With the weather heating up and Fourth of July weekend around the corner, I find myself nostalgic for the summer vacations of my schoolboy years. While most of the memories are fond ones, I also remember the last month or so of the summer where everyone tried to cram in the required summer book list. Although it was somewhat of a drag, the activity actually kicked your brain back into gear for the coming year.

Flash forward to present day and your summer distractions. Chances are that you don’t get June to August off of work and your Little League games have probably been replaced by slow-pitch softball leagues where winning flip cup at the bar is more important than winning the game. Even with these changes, it is important to keep your mind fresh. Continue reading →

Jason Mollica

Want to Run Your Own Business? There’s a Book for That

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So, the time has come and you want to be your own boss. Maybe you’ve been forced into this because of a company’s downsizing or maybe you would rather work from home to have additional freedom. If you do a Google search, you are sure to find a ton of links to books and seminars to assist you along the way.

I’ve been contemplating my own future, so when I had an opportunity to read Richard Walsh’s book, “The Start Your Own Business Bible,” I jumped at it. If you are even close to thinking like I am, this book is worth a read.

Walsh breaks down each business into how much you will need to start, with statistical information at the beginning of every entry. It shows you potential earnings, start-up cost, advertising, and the bottom line, to name a few. Continue reading →