The Public Relations Blog

Several Northwestern University football players are drawing attention in Chicago as they try to seek representation by a labor union to be recognized as employees by the NCAA.

Will Microsoft shine as the “new kid” in open-source market?

Open-source tech people, meet the new addition to the class – Microsoft.

Why a smart PR campaign truly outshines a wildly expensive ad

In the time it takes you to get up from your screen during Super Bowl XLVIII and grab a second scoop of guacamole, some companies have blown through enough money to buy a private island. Or to purchase Mark Twain’s estate and move it to that private island. They could probably also throw in a small yacht to ride around the island and gaze at their purchase. (This might actually be more effective in terms of payoff than buying a whopper-priced ad).

Brand champion blogging: A little goes a long way

Wanted: A few good bloggers to artfully shout out about America’s top brands. (Several thousand bloggers, actually, to become brand champions and get more stuff sold for the companies that use them). If you struggle with how to harness social media power in ways that genuinely lift up your brand’s online reputation, while saving room in your budget for a total PR campaign, read on (and get used to the phrase “brand champion”).

Who is visiting the school of PR hard knocks? OfficeMax

They know who we are. They know what we like. They know what we watch, and where we shop. (The companies we buy from, that is). That data in and of itself is be very useful for both companies and consumers. However, OfficeMax’s recent PR blunder demonstrates important lessons in the challenge of maintaining quality control with data, and shows how not to deal with a PR crisis in your organization concerning data.

“LinkedIn is dead.” You’ve probably heard this before, but here’s the truth: LinkedIn is most definitely alive and kicking for the nearly 260 million people who use it, and it remains an extremely widely adopted social networking site. For businesses using PR campaigns to help cut through a sea of online chatter, LinkedIn is certainly an asset, creating a path to reach genuine brand champions and advocates. The platform also helps create targeted groups that can accomplish some serious reputation management through online conversations.

You could say snooty is the new strong, taking an example from the luxury car industry. And it’s OK to be snooty, if that’s what your audience resonates with and responds to.

Forget TV. Just stream it, baby. The Internet has nudged many viewers to seek programming on their time and from whatever device they choose. Recently, a company called Aereo began offering network television programming to consumers over the Internet. But it’s not that simple, and it involves a pending Supreme Court lawsuit case. What will the implications be for ad revenues and PR campaigns?

News releases can be like a bungee jump: Once the leap has started, there’s really no going back. You may feel somewhat jerked around and endure quite a bumpy ride if that news has gone out without proper permissions ahead of time.

Even ultra-clever commercials with catchy drum beats can’t distract millions of consumers from wondering, at least a little, if they can still shop safely at Target.