The Public Relations Blog

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.

Many of us have had a laugh over “the toddler’s rules for possession.” Many of us may have experienced these rules in action during the holiday season, such as “if I saw it, it’s mine,” “if I let you have it, it’s mine,” and, of course, “if I had it a little while ago, it’s still mine.”

Arguments over the nation’s minimum wage laws have been ongoing for years. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, and people taking sides on the issue are certainly doing their best to sway the public.

If you’re Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Olympus cameras or J.C. Penney, your fortune cookie for 2014 might read, “Big changes at next full moon in 2014, not good,” or, “Hey, you’re on the list of businesses predicted to tank this year.”

When you are a child, there is an undeniable sense of magic to Christmas. From Santa’s jovial laugh to the presents magically appearing under the tree on Christmas morning, it is a fantastic experience that makes the holiday unlike any other. As people get older, the magic tends to fade because of the stress of life and the fact that their wallets fund this magic for everyone else. WestJet brought that feeling of magic to children and adults alike, and that’s what made its “Christmas Miracle” PR campaign so great.