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Why a PR Bounty Will Damage Your Brand

If you have strep throat, a lozenge isn’t going to provide lasting relief. You need a professional who will diagnose and treat the problem with something more powerful. As a maker of “softish cough drops,” Pine Brothers probably knows that about its product. Apparently it doesn’t realize the same holds true for…

The Mobile Toddler

He doesn’t have a job or any money. He can’t tie his own shoes, count past 10 or spell his name. But he’s fast becoming a coveted consumer. That’s because my youngest son, not yet three years old, is pretty adept at using the iPad and iPhone. Flipping through my…

Verizon’s Low 5

I’m told that an iPhone 5 is headed my way Friday. At least, that’s what the Verizon rep relayed, not what the Verizon website read. Were I to believe the latter – and it was convincing during some frantic moments over the weekend – there was no record of my…

To Inform or Commemorate?

In PR we absorb, study and work with the media every day. But that doesn’t mean we’re not left scratching our heads over certain editorial decisions. Tuesday marked 11 years since the 9/11 attacks. While the memory is still fresh in so many Americans’ minds, many news organizations seem to…

Content Strategy for the Web

Without content, a website is nothing but logos and oft-neglected promises that something is “coming soon.” Content, besides being the sole reason for a website’s existence, forms the root of all decisions about a website’s form and purpose.It’s a very common pitfall in web development: the site-map, wireframes and design…

Zeroing In on the Consumer

You know those life-altering choices you face every day? Harpoon or Sam Adams? Black raspberry or mocha chip?P&G calls them the First Moment of Truth, when the consumer settles on what to buy. Studies tell us it often happens in the first seven seconds.But there’s a big step before any…

No PR Medal for NBC & Twitter

The usually savvy pros at NBC and Twitter need a PR refresher course after their recent decision to suspend a journalist’s Twitter account over criticism of NBC’s Olympic programming.Guy Adams (@guyadams), a Los Angeles-based reporter for British newspaper The Independent, began posting criticism of the tape-delay Olympic programming last Friday….

When in Rome, Make Sure You’re Prepared…

It takes a lot to make Jim Rome look at least somewhat sympathetic. Actually, not sure it’s ever been done before. But David Stern found a way earlier this week, delivering the sort of churlish answer that made him look childish and insensitive. And, in doing so, reinforced a key…

A Guide to Job Interviews for PR Grads

It’s graduation time, which means that the real world beckons for college seniors. While some have landed their first jobs, others continue to update resumes, research job openings and head out on interviews.We recently filled an entry-level position, which doesn’t help those of you still looking. But the experience and…

Tweeting Away Our Soul?

For me, the allure of politics was always a mix of core beliefs, shared causes and stirring speeches. And as someone drawn to communications, I found the rhythm of the words and a speaker’s own unique cadences captivating. It is the currency of all politicians and some do it in…