For the past 6 weeks, I’ve been planning the media launch for FAIT ICI (I’m a partner in the biz). The target media for this event and business are markedly different from those I go after in my day job. This time it’s all about foodie, environmental and mommy people,…
All PR people admire Santa. Some want to be him. A lunatic fringe actually believe they ARE the Jolly Fat Man. Playing Santa is part of the profession and Flakians love nothing more than giving away stuff for coverage. All pros engage in this practice – a kind of twisted…
PR folks hate to admit this, but business is often good when things are bad. In fact, if it weren’t for loudmouth blowhards, dumb politicians, over coked celebs, and other bringers of bad vibes we all be a lot poorer. And, unlike our fourth estater cousins, PR people LOVE cash….
Today marks the beginning of a new series at Proper Propaganda. It will discuss stuff PR people like and, so no one gets confused, will be called “Stuff PR people like.” Astounding creativity, I know. This series is inspired by two things that are both more original and generally doper:…
This post is about spreading love and sharing potentially useful tips. I’m lucky. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing reporters and bloggers in my career. So, in an effort to help journalists build lasting relationships with flaks, I want to single out a few people I admire…
My guess is that you need fewer people than you think to edit your press releases. I once worked in an organization with approximately twelve employees. When it was time to send out a press release, five of the twelve people (if you include me) and one external person were…
Raphael turns 527 today. His name lives on because of the quality and QUANTITY of his work. He produced so much art because he fundamentally understood the needs and wants of his number one client – the Catholic Church. As a result, that constituency kept coming back for more. Good…
There are right ways and wrong ways to ask questions when you are new to the Comms business (or any business). No sane manager expects entry level people to place clients in huge outlets or solve massive PR crises. However, everyone likes to see that new folks think, even if…
The relationship between PR pros and journalists is too often adversarial. It doesn’t have to be. Especially in an era of newsroom cutbacks where both sides need each other more than ever. I’ll never forget the “PR manual” that was in my desk when I started my second management job….
One of the most difficult things about media relations is that you, the PR person, never have full control of the process and outcome. This can be a hard lesson for young people starting their careers. A reporter may get your name wrong, misspell your website, decide to ignore your…