What do every great movie, book and marketing campaign have in common? The answer: a great story. Now this may seem like an old mantra, but as Internet marketing dominated our agendas in recent years, we focused our energy heavily (and a bit too much in my opinion) on keywords, tags, short-form posts, tweets, etc. While it’s OK to be brief in your communications, we can’t let our story suffer because of the medium. And with the continued fragmentation of media, we need to return to telling stories because it sets our message apart and helps our meaning ring clear amid the noise in the marketplace of attention.Read More
Storytelling Returns to Marketing
Posted on: 07.21.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
If I Were LeBron’s PR Guy…
Posted on: 07.09.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
The winds of backlash are again brewing near the shores of Lake Erie as Cleveland Cavaliers’ fans await “The Decision” part two. Rumors are flying that basketball superstar LeBron James may part ways with the Miami Heat and play for Cleveland. The idea that the Akron native might return to Ohio is not outside the realm of possibility. Read More
Disruptive Technology Merits Disruptive PR
Posted on: 06.27.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
One of the big stories of the summer is the rise of ridesharing services. You may have heard of the major players (companies Uber and Lyft) or seen one of the Lyft cars — distinguishably marked with a rather undistinguished-looking pink mustache.
For the uninitiated, ridesharing offers an alternative to traditional taxis. Read More
Three Reasons to Apply for Business Awards
Posted on: 03.26.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
At some point in the recent past, it became popular to include one’s awards and accolades in your e-mail signature. It’s now common to finish reading an e-mail and then notice that the sender’s company is a “Great Place to Work” or a member of the (insert trade magazine here) “Top 100.” While I don’t like to see e-mail monikers overwhelmed by such plaudits, I must admit that I’m a fan of awards. I think they make good business sense for a number of reasons, and here are my top three.Read More
Super Bowl Ads Ahead of the Game
Posted on: 01.23.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
While I don’t know who will win next week’s Super Bowl game between the Seahawks and the Broncos, I can say with certainty that, for many, the best part of the game will be the commercials. Advertisers have a lot at stake, paying nearly $4 million for the average 30-second spot, and they are leaving little to chance. They don’t just pick their best commercial and hope it catches our eye on Super Sunday – they start promoting the spots online and on television in advance. Yes, that’s right, we now have commercials promoting the commercials.Read More
Steps to Remove Defamatory Blog Posts
Posted on: 01.03.14 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
Online reputation management takes on many forms. When negative information is posted online about a person or business, a number of strategies can be employed. A business can respond to the criticism on review sites, like TripAdvisor or Yelp, by replying to a negative comment. One can also reply to an offending blog post. Some companies employ online reputation management companies to push down (suppress) negative content.Read More
Lessons from an Online Lynch Mob
Posted on: 12.27.13 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
Last Friday night, I took a peek at my Twitter feed and noticed that a marketing guy who I follow named Peter Shankman was pleading for some Internet sanity regarding a woman named Justine Sacco. Said Peter: “Yes [Sacco’s] tweet was awful. But she’s landing to death threats. Come on, Twitter, let’s be better than that.”Read More
Marketing by Ron Burgundy
Posted on: 12.05.13 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
One day soon (it was supposed to be tonight), fictional newsman Ron Burgundy will guest host ESPN’s signature newscast “Sportscenter.” If you don’t like sports and haven’t seen the 2004 classic comedy “Anchorman,” then you may not know what I’m talking about. I can guarantee this will change over the next two weeks as the publicity machine for Will Ferrell’s “Anchorman 2” hits full stride in ways that movie marketing has never seen before. In advance of the movie’s December 18 release, Ferrell and “Anchorman 2” are changing the way movies are publicized by going far beyond action-packed trailers and media tours.Read More
Crank-Up the Content in ‘14
Posted on: 11.21.13 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
Saw my first “perfect gift for Dad” holiday commercial this week. For the man who has everything, you can buy “super-grip” pliers that serve a multitude of macho functions including, this was my favorite, “safely hold materials when you weld and grind.” Does it get manlier than that?
I figure if they can start advertising the holiday season before Thanksgiving (and, alas, even before Halloween), then we can begin discussing marketing for 2014 now. Here are a few things to think about as you plan for ‘14:Read More
Catastrophic Success at Trader Joe’s
Posted on: 10.31.13 Posted in: DavidPRBlog
Trader Joe’s opened in my neighborhood, and I’m told the grocery chain has some great products at reasonable prices. Sadly, when I tried to shop there, I couldn’t find a parking spot.
The new location opened last week with much fanfare. However most of the early reviews didn’t discuss the great food but rather how tough it was to park one’s car. Read More