Category Archives: Media Relations

Positively Connecting Your (Seemingly) Disconnected Past With Your Present

Erik Knowles, the new fitness director at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge, spots personal trainer Mike Sullivan last week at the club. What does military service have to do with being a fitness director at a sports club? When it comes to forging relationships with your audience, it’s essential to take the […]

In the Midst of The GoDaddy Hacker Debacle, A Media Relations Lesson

Thanks to some dastardly GoDaddy hacker, my email and  Internet access was shut down for more than three hours this afternoon. The outage came shortly after 1 p.m. Central time, just as Inside Edge PR was about to wage outreach with the Chicago-area media about an 11th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. […]

Mickey Straub’s `50 Capitols in 50 Days’: A Story You Can `Get’–And Get Behind

  Mickey Straub and the Lincoln Town Car that he’ll use to criss-cross America over a 50-day span starting on Sept. 4th. Pitching a story can be much like selling a product–if you can command attention and capture imagination from the get-go, then you’ve got a clear advantage over your competition. Such is the case […]

5 Years Later, Documentary `Breaking and Entering’ Into Public Consciousness

What does ultra-endurance athlete George Hood have in common with a world-class “joggler”–someone who juggles as he jogs great distances–and a guy with an uncanny passion for catching grapes in his mouth when they are hurled from long distances? All are prominently featured in “Breaking and Entering,” a terrific tapestry that displays individual drive for stunning achievement […]

A Hinsdale Foster Mom’s Heart: When a Great Story Trumps Imperfect Timing

When considering your public relations campaign, it’s obvious that timing is a crucial ingredient. Want to make a pitch about your cause or business that is tied to the Super Bowl? You’re pretty late–or extremely early, depending on which football title game you’re thinking of. Interested in raising awareness about your work at a prestigious […]

On the Menu (And In Any Communication): Vary Your Words, Advance Your Story

As my wife would readily attest, I have been editing menus for years. But it’s happened only in my head, as I have scanned my restaurant meal options. Along the way, among other peculiarities, I have been struck by the neck-and-neck race between the properly labeled “Belgian waffles” and the rampantly used but wrong-wrong-wrong (!!) “Belgium waffles” variation. […]

For Media Relations, Twitter Is For the Birds–Especially the Early Ones Seeking the Worm

“Twitter is for the birds.” So goes the silly refrain–still–from some quarters, including one particularly troll-like alum of my journalism school who I suspect just likes to goad folks into foaming at the mouth. Having opened a Twitter account four years ago, I have long seen the benefits of the social-media platform, both under my @InsideEdge handle […]

If It’s 2012, That Must Mean It’s Time For Joe The Plumber, Act II

Four years ago, I predicted in this blog that as long as Joe the Plumber was around, he’d have a voice during each Presidential campaign cycle. My post was headlined, “Hey Joe the Plumber, it’s Just the Start!” Turns out my prediction was too timid in its vision—in case you missed it, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is […]

“Roadshow” Public Relations: The Five Steps to Telling, Then Re-Telling Your Story

A traveling circus and an informational presentation performed in a variety of locations over a span of time. What do they have in common? Among other things, each represents an excellent opportunity for ongoing public relations. That is largely because they lend themselves to the approach of building a general news release that you can […]

3 `always’ & 3 `never’ tips heading into your next media interview

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine who is opening a restaurant had a nice problem on his hands. The nice part: a local newspaper reporter had arranged to interview him about the new venture. The problem part: my friend was a rookie when it comes to dealing with the media, and didn’t know what […]