We’ve all experienced the dreaded phone pitch – you muster up the courage to call a reporter only to get told that you need to email them your pitch...read more
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Admittedly, I’m a bit of a space junkie. Most people of my age range are fond of the exploration of the “last frontier”. I vividly remember watching the first moon landing as a girl. I was about my son’s age and that moment is eternally embedded in my brain...read more
Years ago, when asked what I did for a living, my pat answer was, “I do public relations work.” I got lots of crinkled noses, squinty eyes and furrowed brows in response. When I later added, “I do communications strategy work,” I think I just dug the well of confusion even...read more
There are many skills a public relations professional needs to effectively support their clients: knowledge of the media and communications landscape, multi-tasking skills and a knack for being an effective communicator in multiple situations...read more
Social media is loaded with options, and automakers are coming along for the ride. The auto industry will spend about $1.2 billion in 2010 on social media, according to research from Ad Age Insights and Automotive News. And that number is projected to grow to $4.6 billion by 2015...read more
BP is being criticized from coast to coast and from beach houses to the White House. Many ask how the company will survive the backlash. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand for a crisis of this magnitude...read more
Terry Hemeyer and I spoke this afternoon with the Houston Business Marketing Association to discuss crisis communications, reputation management and how successful companies operate in today's changing business environment. In our presentation below, we reviewed how corporations navigate crisis...read more
There have been a couple of recently posted articles that have really stood out to give us some more insight into the potential of using social networks...read more
Part 1: Entry-Level Positions...read more
In a recent presentation I gave to a state-wide meeting of the Texas Public Relations Association, I discussed how Toyota’s face-to-face, personal contact strategy with customers is working to help the brand overcome its recent (and widely publicized) recall. How? The company is making...read more
Rodeo Houston Offers the Best in Livestock, Entertainment and Networking...read more
In the hours, days and weeks following the disastrous earthquake in Haiti on January 12th, through all of the news reports and horrific images, one message came through loud and clear to most Americans: Text HAITI to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross. (As a side note: this program is still...read more
Someone asked me recently about the biggest marketing trends of 2010. It really got me thinking and here’s one answer that emerged: the importance of meaning...read more
The recent Tiger Woods infidelity controversy and its gradual play-out is an interesting case study. While it’s easy for us to judge and form opinions as spectators, it’s a completely different ballgame when you’re calling the shots and making decisions that could cost a man his...read more
We’ve all seen examples of media relations nightmares – interviewees who go on live national television and provide incorrect information, come off unprofessionally, or have no clue how to answer even the easiest questions. The result? A publicity nightmare. When this happens, you have to...read more
When it comes to enlisting marketing and communications support, you probably have a lot of questions. What type of external partner should be engaged – a small, medium or large agency? Should I choose an agency down the street, or one that is across the country but has a core expertise in my...read more
This year's Interactive Strategies Conference (the IS Conference), hosted by the Houston Interactive Marketing Association, was nothing short of phenomenal. Similar to South by Southwest Interactive in Austin in terms of topic and speaker expertise, the IS Conference is where Houstonians go to get up...read more