How Much PR Should You Have? Persistent and Consistent is Key to Success
I’m always asked the question about how long a good publicity campaign should last. Invariably in the media business, more publicity is always better. Still, the question is a good one, and it bears answering.
To do that, I want you to think of the consumers you’re trying to reach as a quiet pond in the wilderness. If you want to make the pond ripple, throw a pebble in it. Big rocks make more waves than small pebbles, but even so, the ripples eventually end if all you’re doing is throwing in one rock at a time. Read more on how much PR you should have →
So I’m Launching a PR Campaign – How Many Sales Will I Make?
Understanding the Real ROI of PR
If I had a nickel every time a CEO or marketing executive asked me how many more sales they’d make by using PR, Bill Gates would be jealous of my island-sized yacht.
In order to answer that question, however, it’s important to understand the fallacy on which it’s based. So, let me ask you a few questions. Read more on the true ROI of PR →
How Steve Jobs Can Fix Apple’s iPhone PR Snafu
Let’s see how many cardinal rules of tech product launches Apple can violate in a 30-day period.
1. They released a new, bleeding-edge device behind enough hype to make the next Harry Potter movie look like a Mary Kate and Ashley video – only the darn thing wasn’t completely cooked, yet. Consumers generally understand that new releases may have their share of minor glitches here and there, but with the iPhone 4G release, it was suffering from reception problems. Now, I’m not a tech geek, but when you release a phone that doesn’t get good reception, I’d call that a primary issue. It’s like when you go to a KFC a half hour before closing, and they tell you they’ve run out of chicken. Come on! The “C” on your sign stands for chicken! How do you run out of it? (I wouldn’t be so upset about it if they didn’t put that “secret ingredient” in it that makes you crave it!) So, cardinal rule #1 – when you release a high priced, high hyped new tech device, you have to make sure it, you know, works. Read more on How Steve Jobs Can Fix Apple's iPhone PR Snafu →
How Can BP Improve Its Public Image?
It’s the big, greasy, sloppy elephant in the room. It’s been talked about on TV and radio and in print until I – and many of my colleagues – am sick to death of hearing about it. It’s the question of how BP can revive its public image.
If the record is broken, why am I trying to super glue it back together and play it? Well, someone asked. I received an email from a college student participating in his local Public Relations Student Society of America meeting, and he asked me what I thought. It caught me off guard, because there is so much they have done wrong with regard to their media relations efforts, I was concerned I wouldn’t know where to begin. Read more on how BP can improve its public image →
Stay Focused on Your Passion: Emmy-Winning Client Proves Passion and Drive Can Overcome ANY Obstacle
I spend much of my time doling out practical marketing and PR advice based on the harsh realities of today’s new economy. People ask me constantly for ways they can market themselves affordably and more reliably, so I try to make sure most of my tips are grounded and instantly useful.
But there is one particular element I discuss quite a bit in my book, Celebritize Yourself – I also refer to it so often when speaking to clients and potential clients that I sometimes feel I run the risk of it losing its meaning. The element I talk about copiously is following your passion, and because I hate the thought of sounding like a broken record, it’s refreshing when something happens that re-emphasizes the meaning of my words. Read more on passion being the driving force behind your success →
How to Make the Most of Your On-Air Time
Ever since the days when every TV set was a massive 12 inches, and millions of Americans tuned in to watch I Love Lucy in glorious black and white, television has been in the center of our living rooms.
Today, the screens are larger, the picture is in high-definition color and the programming choices are near infinite. Also, in addition to shows of general interest, there are now literally hundreds of cable network shows that cater to specialized niche markets. Plus, millions are now watching TV shows on their cell phones and computers. All in all, TV viewership continues to soar. Read more on how to make the most of your on-air time →
How to Get the Media Interested in You: You May Be Newsworthy Without Even Knowing It
Do you know what the media would consider newsworthy about you or your company?
Many new clients come to us with a strong opinion about what their “pitch” should be, but often miss the mark, in terms of knowing what will get the media to sit up and pay attention to their message. But it’s very understandable that this could occur, if you’re not working with the media the way we do, day in and day out, developing story angles intended to grab their interest. Read more on getting the media interested in you →
The True ROI of Public Relations: What Do You REALLY Get From a PR Campaign
Public relations is the hot potato of the marketing budget.
Chief Financial Officers hate it, while salespeople and business development executives love it. Every year, when the budget is drawn, this is typically how the conversation goes:
CFO: What’s the return on the PR budget?
Marketing Director: I don’t know. Read more on the true ROI of PR →
5 Steps for Using Creative PR to Become an Expert Celebrity
One of the things I love about my job is solving problems.
Sure, it’s great to have a client walk in the door who has a unique product or service, solid credentials and a compelling angle. It makes the work easier, certainly, but it sometimes is more satisfying to solve what a client thinks is an unsolvable problem in a creative way. Read more on the 5 steps for using creative PR to become an expert celebrity →
Apple’s iPhone Debacle Shows How NOT to Do PR
(Note from Marsha: My senior campaign strategist, Tony Panaccio, was about to bust this morning if he couldn’t blog about Apple’s iPhone prototype debacle, so in the interest of getting actual work done for clients, here’s what he has to say. Enjoy! – MF)
Okay, I was going to leave this one alone, but I find myself compelled to say something.
One of my many character flaws is that I’m an intellectual snob. I love smart people. Dumb people, not so much. And that is why I want to get on a plane, head out west, take a cab to Steve Jobs’ door and ask him why he is being such a mouth-breathing, Cro-Magnon, drooling MORON. This whole thing with the iPhone 4G prototype is getting out of hand, and Steve, you’re the guy at the top. If you’re not calling the shots on this one, you should be, because whoever is calling them is making Paris Hilton look like Stephen Hawking. Read more on Apple's iPhone debacle →
Stop the World – Charlie Crist Wants to Get Back On
I’m blocking out a week right after election night this November, because if Florida Governor Charlie Crist wins the Florida seat in the US Senate in that election, I am hijacking him and taking him to Vegas, because he is one heck of a gambler! Read more on Charlie Crist's run for US Senate as an independent →
Do You Have What it Takes to Be THE Recognized Expert in Your Field?
You might see yourself as only one of a million people who are knowledgeable in a particular area, but your friends, family and colleagues may see you as the reigning expert on the subject, the go-to guy or gal with the answers. Read more on having what it takes to be the recognized expert in your field →
Why So Serious? Corporations Could Take a Lesson From Conan
You have to change your perspective a little to understand the significance of what Conan O’Brien has done in positioning himself and his career.
First, you have to understand that Conan is not an individual. He is a corporation, and in fact, one that employs close to a hundred people. His team from NBC will largely be rehired to work on his show on TBS, which was announced last week. Read more on why corporations could take a lesson from Conan O'Brien →
How to Do the WORST Print Interview EVER! The Best Ways to Make a Reporter Think You’re a Fool
Over the years, I’ve given out reams of advice to people on how to do great press interviews, but sometimes it’s difficult to cover all the bases. After all, the way I got smart about the media was to make mistakes and learn from them. So I thought it might be fun and informative if I assembled some tips from the reverse angle – the best mistakes to make. I mean, if you’re going to mess up, why not do it in epic fashion so people remember you. Read more on how to do the worst print interview ever →
More Lessons from the Tiger Saga
The only time a good dog is likely to bite its master is when it hasn’t been fed in a while.
That’s the beast that Tiger Woods will be facing today, for the first time since his personal scandal hit the papers a few months ago. He’s made two statements on his Web site, offered a 13-minute, on-camera mea culpa and given two 5-minute interviews with friendly reporters from the golf circuit. Read more on lessons from the Tiger saga →
Do-It-Yourself Public Relations: Secrets to Getting PR with a Little Know-How and Elbow Grease
The cycle of marketing was once summarized in the story of the circus coming to town.
If the circus is coming to town and you buy a billboard saying “Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday,” that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local paper picks it up, that’s publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations. If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales. Read more on secrets to getting PR →
Ronald McDonald retire? Not on my Big Mac!
Setting aside for the moment the fact that clowns just CREEP ME OUT, I feel the need to stand up for Ronald McDonald.
This week, a Boston activist group called Corporate Accountability International is calling for McDonalds to retire the longtime fast food icon because it claims that Ronald is “the product of a well-orchestrated and shrewd marketing strategy by America’s king of fast food” and that “McDonalds’ food is responsible for such social ills as heart disease, diabetes, animal welfare abuses, labor exploitation, unceasing environmental destruction and the breakdown of our food system.” As if Ronald is the reason why kids do pirouettes when Mom pulls the family van into MickeyD’s. Read more on McDonalds PR →
The PR Secret that Got Me Coverage in Forbes, Business Week and CNBC – All in One Day
A lot of PR consultants give advice, but how many actually live by it? In talking the talk for my clients, I also like to think I walk the walk.
In promoting my book, Celebritize Yourself, I have my team at EMSI treat me like a client. They help me write and distribute articles that are aimed to promote the book, following the exact process that we perform for our clients. Read more on the PR secret that got me great coverage →
The Road to Celebrity Can Have Many Twists and Turns
At the start of her career, Rosie O’Donnell probably never dreamed she’d have her own TV talk show, but she did. And with Oprah Winfrey’s landmark show ending next year, a new Rosie show is being positioned to take over from Oprah as the preeminent daytime talk show. Rosie’s success in the entertainment industry is a lesson to everyone with aspirations to become a celebrity themselves. Read more on the road to celebrity →
How to Effectively Manage Your PR Agency
Companies Need to Be Responsive to Maximize Returns on Their Marketing Investment
You’ve looked at your sales, your marketing, your budget and your revenues, and you decided it’s time to make an investment in public relations. You interview several PR firms, take bids and make your choice. Now, you have an “agency of record” and you’re ready to reap the benefits of placements in print, online media, radio and TV. Read more on how to effectively manage your PR agency →
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You Can Enjoy Expert Celebrity Status
Are you ready for your own brand of celebrity? Public relations expert Marsha Friedman teaches you how to Celebritize Yourself! Learn the secret to becoming an expert celebrity. Her book is the manual for becoming well known as an expert in your field!
