Every week, we like to hold mini-training sessions on everything from insider info from local “meet the media” events to the latest features on social media platforms. It’s a great way for our team members to share their expertise with the broader agency and learn valuable tips to help with the daily grind. Recently, I had the pleasure of leading a session that’s near and dear to my heart – running a PR campaign. Any successful PR effort requires careful planning, flawless execution Read more [...]
This week has been difficult for many people on the East Coast due to the Sandy “superstorm.” Homes and business have seen destruction, people’s lives have been uprooted, and emergency workers are working 24/7 to get cities and towns across the coast back to a normal, working state. In the wake of the storm, it’s important that we are understanding of the situation as we go about our daily work. As PR pros, we are constantly in contact with clients, reporters, vendors, and other people Read more [...]
Over the last 10 years, the line between journalists and readers has grown significantly shorter. From blogging to commenting to online sharing, the swift rise of the Internet and social media has allowed the consumer to be the producer in a way that was never before possible. The line between editorial and advertising has also always been a sticky area, and as a PR professional I’m trained to view pay-for-play media opportunities with a bit of a wary eye. Social media enables the proliferation Read more [...]
When first starting out in PR, pitching stories for clients can be nerve-racking. When my account supervisor gave me my first assignment, I was excited but also nervous. Finally, I was given the chance to contribute to the coverage I monitored for on a daily basis, but I didn’t want to mess up. What if I couldn’t produce any results? What if I said the wrong thing to the reporter? What if I ended up on the Bad Pitch Blog? Sure, if I were pitching a new Apple product launch it would seem like Read more [...]
We recently attended the Publicity Club of New York first of the Fall media luncheons. These luncheons are designed to provide public relations professionals with a behind-the-scenes look at many of the challenges they face in the industry and include a panel of guests from the media including television, print and online outlets. This particular one focused on business news and included a panel from major business outlets: Andy Hoffman – Executive Producer, Fox Business Network Mark Read more [...]
I had an interesting conversation with a someone today that reminded me of the importance of PR basics we were taught in PR 101. This person was explaining to me that while his company had been covered on multiple occasions by the Today Show, The New York Times and FOX News, among other national media outlets, that he wasn’t interested in that kind of coverage. I was quite surprised to hear that, to say the least. I can honestly say that was the first time in my career that anyone had said to me Read more [...]
Yesterday I spoke to the business-savvy teens of Teen Entrepreneur Bootcamp (TEBC) about the basics of PR. They were eager to learn and I was eager to share my passion for the craft. We talked about what PR is, how companies can leverage it as part of a marketing program and the in’s and out’s of dealing with the media. After the presentation, they worked on drafting a press release announcing the opening of their espresso bar, which I have no doubt will be great. A fun time was had by all and Read more [...]
An internship in any industry is vital to getting a foot in the door and a leg up on your competition with respect to obtaining a job. It helps determine if this field is the right one for the student or job-seeker, as well as provide the necessary introductory training for the intern to learn the basic skills of said profession. In public relations, an internship is often the key to a successful career in the field as it encompasses most of the duties a person finds in an entry-level position, Read more [...]
Walter Ocner attended PR Newswire and MultiVu’s Media Luncheon today. His guest blog follows. Thanks, Walter! PR Newswire hosted a fascinating seminar in midtown Manhattan this afternoon which I was fortunate to attend. The focus was to give a behind-the-scenes look at Fox Business Network and hear from the people who decide what goes on the air. Moderated by Andrew Meranus, Director of Agency Vertical at PR Newswire, the panel consisted of Andrew Hoffman, Executive Producer at Fox Business; Read more [...]
It’s definitely a sign of the times when the Queen of England has her own YouTube channel: The Royal Channel. For all of the non-believers that think YouTube is a fad or is just for funny videos by amateurs, this is proof positive that YouTube is an essential part of any PR program, even for the British Monarchy. Although the most popular videos on YouTube sometimes seem to be aimed at entertaining catatonic teens, there are real opportunities for business value in every interaction. Although Read more [...]
