public relations Archives

When Your Brand is the Victim of an Epic Fail

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”

Key Takeaways From Amazon’s NYC Exodus

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

On February 14 – Valentine’s Day – Amazon announced a break up with New York City. The company faced intense backlash from community members after it was announced that the much-anticipated HQ2 would be split between New York and Arlington Virginia.

Here are some takeaways from a marketing perspective on the tech giant’s big decision. Continue reading “Key Takeaways From Amazon’s NYC Exodus”

Best Practice Insights: Include PR Implications in Decision-Making Processes

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

In recent weeks there have been multiple high-profile instances of company policies garnering unwanted national attention. Continue reading “Best Practice Insights: Include PR Implications in Decision-Making Processes”

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”

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”

Best Practices for Correcting Potentially Costly PR Missteps

Public relations can be a tricky business. Issues can emerge very quickly and unexpectedly, and just as quickly become very public. Both experienced PR professionals, as well as non-professionals forced into a PR role from time to time, have to think on their feet, acting on both instinct and experience. Particularly in a lightening-fast communication environment, it’s not surprising that there are often mistakes made by PR professionals and others in the public eye. Continue reading “Best Practices for Correcting Potentially Costly PR Missteps”

Strategic Communications Featured as a Leading PR Firm on Clutch

Customer reviews, client reviews, best PR firm, public relations, content marketing Strategy matters. Not only for our clients, but also for our own team. Strategy is what sets the foundation of a successful partnership, project, or campaign. Part of our strategy at Strategic Communications is being included on Clutch. Clutch is a reviews platform for businesses in the IT services and traditional marketing industries. Their coverage of public relations firms has been continuously growing over the last few years, with over 1,000 companies involved. Strategic Communications recently joined their growing list, making us very proud that we’ve been able to rise to the top as a leading provider in the PR space. Continue reading “Strategic Communications Featured as a Leading PR Firm on Clutch”

Sponsorships Can be a Slippery Slope

Sports fans and students of media and advertising are no doubt aware of the perceived sexist comments recently made by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton toward a female sports reporter. When asked by Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue about the route-running of Panthers receiver Devin Funchess during an October 4 press conference, Newtown stunned the gathered reporters. Continue reading “Sponsorships Can be a Slippery Slope”

Driving Revenue Through Public Relations and Media Placement

At a basic level, generating a profit in business revolves around a simple formula: revenues – costs = profits. In other words, the goal is to bring in more money than you spend. This is what makes the marketing function so tricky for many businesses. Marketing – if done properly – drives revenue. At the same time, marketing can be a significant part of an organization’s budget. According to a recent CMO survey, marketing can account for as much as a quarter of the overall budget for the consumer packaged goods industry, and ten percent for industries like retail wholesale and healthcare/pharmaceuticals.

So, any time you can find a way to do successful marketing on the cheap, it’s a great idea to take advantage. Using PR and free publicity to drive revenue is one of these methods, and here we examine what it takes to be successful. Continue reading “Driving Revenue Through Public Relations and Media Placement”