If an advertisement makes you laugh, chuckle or, especially, laugh out loud, that’s usually a very good sign for the marketers behind the ad. It means they cut through the clutter and stirred a positive reaction. And the glow of that positivity shines onto whatever product or service they are promoting. It places a halo […]
Category Archives: Public Relations
Building on Part I, 2014 PR & marketing resolution: consume better sources of information, we turn our attention to “exercising more.” More of what kind of exercise, though? In the athletic (and New Year’s Resolution) arenas, it is so easily associated with vigorous displays of energy—running, jumping, moving about in one way or another. With […]
As we look ahead to the next 12 months, much that rattles around is so much white noise—about the same shade as the snowfall that is currently descending on Chicagoland. We are barraged with stuff like “I am resolved to eat better” and “I am resolved to exercise more,” along with endless tips on how […]
If you’re like most small businesses, marketing decisions revolve around how to make the best use of limited promotional dollars: Sponsor a youth sports team or write a check for a few weeks of advertising in the local paper? By contrast, consider the Super Bowl looming on February 2nd. With rising demand this year, the […]
It’s a phrase that is steeped in our collective consciousness: David vs. Goliath. Dating back to the original confrontation between David, the shepherd boy, and Goliath, the fearsome Philistine, the two opposing forces represent the underdog going up against the giant—and somehow, some way, finding a way to win. In his latest book, David and […]
With Veterans Day coming up, it has been an honor to develop a news release and provide media outreach for a couple I have known the past five years, Brian and Jun Benakos. Their auto body shop, George’s CARSTAR, was recognized by 3M’s “Hire Our Heroes” initiative for employing a military veteran. The story is […]
“Hello–I am trying to reach someone in your PR/Marketing department. A client of mine is donating money to your organization, and I need to coordinate communication–prior efforts via this page have not borne fruit.” Two weeks ago, that was my post on the Facebook page of a nationally renowned charitable organization. Frankly, I was sorely […]
A Chicago media personality today told me that my pitch on behalf of a client was “self-promotional” and so, if they were guests on a segment, it would be a “free commercial.” At first, I thought about replying snarky-style: “Isn’t that the whole idea behind public relations?” However, that’s not the whole idea. It’s a happy byproduct […]
Did you know that yesterday was National Child Health Day? And, at the risk of having you worry why March and May were not designated instead, did you realize that April is Stress Awareness Month? Growing up, for yours truly, every day was Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. On a broader scale, however, that comfort […]
When we learn how to drive a car, we are taught the “three-second rule,” a safe following distance guide to ensure that we leave enough space between our car and the one in front of us to avoid a collision. Or perhaps you know it as the “two-second rule,” which is considered a minimum separation […]