Exceeding expectations has a nice ring to it, especially when it means going from “good” to “great” rather than “bad” to “worse.” And so it is with the 11-11-11 promotion at Mancini’s Pizza Pasta Cafe in Oak Park, Illinois that I wrote about two weeks ago. Instead of raising, oh, maybe $1,111 for the Hephzibah […]
Over the past few weeks, I have met with a pair of prospective clients. Both are excellent companies, national in scope and doing some outstanding, innovative work that fill major needs in the market. Alas, both have news releases that suffer from the same ailment that beset countless others with white-noise writers at the helm: […]
Small miracles pop up in the most unlikely places at the most unexpected times. Take two weeks ago, when I sat through a discussion on Tax Increment Financing. Years ago, I thought maybe, just maybe I had left TIF-related matters in my rear-view mirror. I figured I’d paid my penance, having covered TIF issues for […]
It’s the 315th day of 2011, though you probably know it more as November 11, 2011 or–even better–as 11-11-11. As an unabashed numbers nut, I’ve had today’s date marked on my mental calendar for many moons now. And months ago, here in Oak Park, I started urging Al Mancini, a longtime friend and owner of Mancini’s […]
Say it ain’t so, JoePa! Sadly, longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno didn’t say enough–and to the appropriate people, such as law enforcement authorities–when he learned of allegations of criminal sexual misconduct regarding his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Last night, as the Herman Cain sexual harrassment scandal continued to unravel and as Paterno was […]
What constitutes a creative professional? What value does a creative content producer actually offer the world? Earlier this year, those questions were gnawing at Jon Schickedanz, a sales and business development professional. A creative talent in his own right, largely in the music field, Schickedanz resolved to come up with a resounding answer to those […]
Yesterday, I was thoroughly excited to attend the first day of the TEDx Midwest conference at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. And today, I’m headed back for a full slate of speakers who will deliver not only information but inspiration from their varied experiences and points of expertise. The big-name speaker yesterday was actor and Six […]
“Visit and “like” our page!” So declare countless businesses, organizations and causes all over this fair Facebook-land. They’ve all got the “what” down pat. What’s glaringly absent is the “why.” Why should I like your page? What’s in it for me? As you ask someone to like this, that or the other thing, then, be […]
The death of Steve Jobs this week has prompted an increased use of the word “legacy” in tributes far and wide. Steve Jobs, during the early days of Apple. But it’s vital that we recognize everyone is building a legacy–and everyone has a distinctive story to share. What is effective in developing public relations angles is […]
Have you heard of The Human Calculator? If not, you can find him at, aptly enough, www.humancalculator.com. His actual name, the one that he was born with nearly 48 years ago, is Scott Flansburg. Two weeks ago, he buzzed through Chicago, speaking to nine schools as part of his work as an ambassador for Mathletics. Among other […]