We’ve officially entered the dog days of summer. How can we be certain? Aside from the oppressive heat, at no other time would the provincial Liberals’ attempt to manufacture outrage over PQ leader Pauline Marois’ alleged purchasing of Facebook fans get much media attention. That said, the episode is revealing…
I’m no fan of the exclamation point. It wasn’t always so, but its omnipresence has come to tyrannize me. I know it won’t stop. I should just deal. Alas, questions persist. Here are a few: Why does everyone under the age of 30 feel the need to put exclamation points…
As reported several times via this blog, my experience as an incipient PR entrepreneur has confirmed the cliché that being an owner is a ride. The ride does not have to be a painful journey, however. To that end, perhaps this A to Z guide will help aspiring, budding and/or…
That this happened just floors me (in a good way). Here are few more facts and observations about the Queen’s brief encounter with former IRA chief, Martin McGuinness: This was shot with only one camera crew present. That’s all that was needed, so why bring more? Both McGuinness and the…
I recently proposed, designed and helped a client execute a letter writing campaign. That’s right, a snail mail through the post kinda campaign that grandma would recognize. I did this despite being able to type, knowing that the internet existed, and having wasted hours reading those social media books that…
June marks my sixth month as the owner of a Comms shop. I worked with clients for a few years before I officially launched Proper Propaganda in January, but had the safety net of a salaried job to fall back on. This business owner thing has been a ride. Here…
I’ve been MIA on the blogging trail due primarily to work with a superb Montreal tech startup. Working with these guys got me thinking about what startup founders face when deciding if they should hire external PR counsel. Generally speaking (and, yes, I’m darn bias), I disagree with Mark Cuban…
You can find a treasure trove of blog posts about creating a healthy corporate culture. They all make it sound so easy. Most of these snack sized bites of wisdom cite Google or Zappos as paragons of virtue. Too bad we can’t all be Tony Hsieh. I’ve had the pleasure of…
In recent months, I’ve spent a lot of time working with bloggers on contests and giveaways. Some have been great successes, others miserable failures. Mostly via the failures, I’ve learned a thing or two. In the interest of sharing these learnings, here are 6 important questions you should ask before…
Keith Trivitt, from the PRSA, wants to kill “hits.” He claims referring to media placements in this manner destroys the profession’s rep. This strikes me as kinda prim and mostly pointless. Though I’ve often referred to it, I’m real tired of the profession’s preoccupation with our collective “reputation.” Face it,…