PR Edge Blog

I admit it – I’m a family reality TV junkie. You know the shows – Jon and Kate Plus Eight, 17 Kids and Counting, Little People Big World.

Maybe it’s because as a mother of a six-month-old I feel I have my hands full and am fascinated how parents do it with more than one child. Seriously, how do you even get out of the house before 11 am without stains on your clothes and something stuck in your hair?

It was with this fascination I dove into the story about the mother in the US who recently had eight children. I was quickly disgusted by the fact she already had six children, was unemployed and living with her parents. I questioned why she would choose to have eight more children. Read the rest of this entry »

Before we dive into the Web 2.0 world and sell the virtues of new media to our clients, I suggest we all tread very carefully.

While social media might be “the greatest evolution in the history of public relations,” I’ve seen a lot of time and energy wasted at the expense of proven and traditional PR tools that help build solid relationships and reputations. As PR practitioners I think we need to carefully consider what role new media should play in our PR plans. We also need to consider the impact of social media on security and privacy issues. Security experts warn of the lack of control over the access and flow of information and how surveillance activities are increasingly mining for information that can impact privacy in ways we have yet to understand. This is particularly true for social media tools we might use in our personal life.

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Experiential Events. Event Environment. Some may refer to these as currently popular buzz words used by event planners and marketers – maybe so, but they are also terms that encompass two important inclusions that can help you create a memorable and resonating event – Interactive elements and the event setting.

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While news of deaths and the coast-to-coast recall was unfolding, communicators were transfixed by the bold crisis communications strategy being used by Maple Leaf Foods.

New research reveals that Maple Leaf Foods has not only regained its reputation with previous customers, but surpassed it.

The researchers, Dr. Terry Flynn and Leger Marketing, will present an in depth look at their findings at ‘On The Edge.’ They say their study demonstrates “for the first time, in tangible quantitative terms, the positive impact of immediate crisis communications on consumers.”

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Blogs. Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. SEO. RSS Feeds. These are buzzwords for today’s marketing and communications specialists.

I have many people tell us they want to think “outside of the box”. They read some business article “about this thing called web-two-point-oh, what is it?” They want it because the article says it will make their business grow magically, like Jack’s beans to the sky. And while I’m flattered to have these people approach me for advice, I say to them, “Stop!

“Social Media or web 2.0 will not save your business!” Flat out. Read the rest of this entry »