media relations Archives

Papa John’s Takes a Dip; Shaq Comes to the Rescue in More Ways Than One

Having a real person associated with your brand can help your company connect with consumers on a personal level. It can also bring negative publicity from the actions or statements of those spokespeople. While it might be harder for audiences to connect personally with the Trix Bunny or Pillsbury Dough Boy, neither is likely to be in the news for making offensive statements or getting arrested.

That can’t be said for real-life figureheads or spokespeople.

Continue reading “Papa John’s Takes a Dip; Shaq Comes to the Rescue in More Ways Than One”

Daimler Learns About Viral Customer Service Stories the Hard Way

There’s an old saying in customer service that a customer who has a good experience with your business might tell a single friend while a customer who has a bad experience will tell ten. Unfortunately, those numbers might be drastically out of date in the age of social media. In an era where any individual has the chance to communicate with millions of people around the world, even a single incidence of poor customer service can have significant impacts for businesses of any kind. Continue reading “Daimler Learns About Viral Customer Service Stories the Hard Way”

The Fyre Festival: Some Marketing Takeaways

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

A couple of years ago, Ja Rule — a rapper who rose to prominence in the early 2000s — and Billy McFarland — an entrepreneur and now convicted fraudster — organized the Fyre music festival. Billed as a luxury music festival on a Bahamian island with gourmet food, beautiful people and top music acts, the festival briefly made big headlines as a total disaster. Continue reading “The Fyre Festival: Some Marketing Takeaways”

What We Can Learn From Amazon’s HQ2 Failure

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

We recently wrote a blog post on some of the lessons to be learned from a decision by retail giant Amazon to abandon plans to open one half of its HQ2 in New York City. The media have been quick to label the decision as a failure and a PR disaster for the firm that stirred up months of media frenzy when it announced its search for an HQ2 several months ago. Continue reading “What We Can Learn From Amazon’s HQ2 Failure”

When Your Brand is the Victim of an Epic Fail

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

Companies spend big money on celebrity endorsements. Nike alone spends billions of dollars on celebrity endorsements each year. Sometimes, the endorsements simply serve to bring publicity to a brand. Or they may entice consumers who want to emulate celebrities they respect. “A Taiwanese study shows that consumers show greater recall of products that have been endorsed by celebrities—regardless of whether they are actual fans or not,” says Guided Selling. Continue reading “When Your Brand is the Victim of an Epic Fail”

They Call It Public RELATIONS for a Reason

(excerpted from 21st Century Secrets to Effective PR: Tips and Best Practices for Gaining Media Exposure)

What’s the most important thing that any business person should know about working with the media? Relationships matter! I’ve been working with the media for a number of years — both as one of them in my role as a business journalist and on the other side of the relationship as a PR professional. Because I’ve had a foot in both camps for so long, I don’t have the same level of fear or anxiety about working with the media as many often do. I don’t view the media as “the enemy,” but as an ally in most cases. I need the media to help me get important messages out to various audiences. The goal: Continue reading “They Call It Public RELATIONS for a Reason”

How Social Media is Changing Advertising and PR

(excerpted from 21st Century Secrets to Effective PR: Tips and Best Practices for Gaining Media Exposure)

In the “old days,” there was advertising and there was PR. Advertising was paid communication that we created about ourselves. PR was communication that we earned through creating relationships and clever pitches to the media gatekeepers who would then share information about us on our behalf. Social media represents a new communication option that has had, and will continue to have, a marked impact on both advertising and PR. Continue reading “How Social Media is Changing Advertising and PR”

The Potential Perils of Tying Your Brand to a Real Person

There are numerous examples of company names tied directly to an individual. That person is often the founder but could also be a key personality. Even our current president achieved a great amount of fame by attaching his name to everything from hotels and golf courses to steaks and an online university. Naming a company after an individual can add some personality to the brand and make potential customers feel a more personal connection to that brand. We know who the frontperson is; we know what they look like; and we know a bit about their personality and character.

But that isn’t always a good thing. Continue reading “The Potential Perils of Tying Your Brand to a Real Person”

Companies Need to Make Sure Everyone, from the CEO on Down, Recognizes the Impact of Their Words

In a highly publicized conference call, first reported by Forbes, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter used the “N-word” during a discussion between Papa John’s executives and marketing agency Laundry Service. What followed was weeks of turmoil where Schnatter first stepped down as chairman of the Papa John’s board of directors, then said his decision to step down was a mistake, and then filed a lawsuit against the company he founded for what he describes as the “heavy-handed” way he was treated. The company’s stock has Continue reading “Companies Need to Make Sure Everyone, from the CEO on Down, Recognizes the Impact of Their Words”

How Even Very Small Businesses Can Gain Media Exposure

content marketing, content management, newsjacking, social media, digital marketing, SEO, online marketing For any business, getting your name out there in the marketplace and in front of potential customers is crucial for bringing in revenue. This is particularly true for new or small businesses that don’t have much, if any, name recognition. This is where public relations, or “PR,” can be extremely beneficial; it’s a low-cost, high-impact means of generating awareness, preference and driving business to your doorstep or website.

Here are some important things to know about PR and how you can put it to work for you. Continue reading “How Even Very Small Businesses Can Gain Media Exposure”