For many small businesses, the painfully slow recovery of the national economy has been difficult to navigate. The Christian Science Monitor reported earlier this year the recession that ended more than three years ago has been followed by the feeblest economic recovery since the Great Depression. The story also found that “since World War II, ..
Nostalgia is a powerful mechanism for promoting your business, product, or service; most people look at days gone past with a favorable view. Here are a handful of reasons why nostalgia can be an effective tool for communicating with your consumers. 1. Being a kid again As children, we looked at the world with wonder ..
Here’s a quick snapshot of counsel we often provide: 1.Create value, not lip service. If you don’t want to donate money to a local or national relief organization following a disaster, make sure the response is authentic to your brand. A good example of positive “branded” responses that created real value for victims vs. empty ..
As a communications professional, one of your most important tasks is making sure your brand’s reputation is spotless. Long ago, this meant selling a good product and avoiding bad publicity. But that was then . . . Thanks to the Internet explosion, online brand reputation management demands so much attention, it’s become a job unto ..
Actually, there are many reasons that companies hire marketing, PR and creative agencies, and often they are the wrong reasons. Here is my list of Three Reasons NOT to Hire a PR firm: 1. Do not hire a PR firm because you want to see your name in print or see your face on TV. ..
It’s hard to predict, and even harder to handle appropriately. It may come in the form of a Google Alert, a phone call inviting comment, or an email from a customer or colleague. You, or your company, is being criticized in public. Some say there’s no such thing as negative publicity, but most businesses on ..
Despite the warm feelings Thanksgiving inspires—heaping plates of mashed potatoes, the delicious smell of turkey, pumpkin pie—thinking about the holidays may also send you in a panic. It’s a common feeling when PR pros look at their to-do lists. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and to help ease that anxiety, here are seven lessons PR ..
It’s an age-old question: What do reporters want from PR folks? In preparing for this we considered supplying you with some best practices, but instead decided to ask a few of our news contacts what it is they don’t like. Not only did their answers prove to be quite insightful, but at times flat out ..
It’s our favorite time of the year, but not because the temperatures are cooling or the leaves are turning rich shades of red and brown. As entertainment junkies, we are most excited about the new fall TV season and the awards season that’s not far behind. It’s exciting to see new talent and new shows, ..
Now is the time if you are a toy company to begin planning in earnest for Toy Fair 2013. More than 1,000 reporters, editors, photographers and bloggers from Manhattan to Moscow are on‐site at Toy Fair each year to report on hot new toys and the latest trends for kids. Thousands of articles and broadcast ..
