If you read this blog, you probably know I’m a Hip Hop fan. One of my favourite MC’s is Guru of the seminal group Gangstarr. They have a great song called “Mostly tha Voice.” Why am I telling you this? Because Guru was right, “voice” is key to storytelling. And storytelling is what…
I’ve never worked in the fashion industry. There is, however, some really amazing storytelling going on in that world by smart PR people. In the interest of learning and sharing expert opinion with you, I recorded a chat with fashion writer Vanessa Muri. She is editor at Sweetspot.ca and freelances…
“We’re on to something” is a dangerous phrase. It is fraught with risk because it necessarily entails trying out the unknown, and usually journeying into uncharted waters. For instance, when Grand Wizard Theodore and his boys from the Bronx started scratching over records they likely had a “we’re on to…
There is no law that says charities should be bad at PR and marketing. Many aren’t, but those that are seem to be especially weak. As I count a number of charities as clients, and often get asked ‘How come my charity gets no press?’ by others in the sector,…
(Note – you can listen to this post here) We’ve all heard about how this is a “transformational” time for the PR industry. Profits are soaring, and technology has made the game of managing relations and influence critical for most firms. That said, as an industry, we’re facing pressing questions…
(Note – you can listen to this post by clicking here) CBC radio’s program, Out of Their Minds, recently ran a piece about time travel. Scientists – including Einstein – have shown conclusively that when we move fast, time actually goes slower. In other words, someone moving at the speed of sound…
(Note – you can listen to this post here) I know you gotta measure stuff in business. That includes PR. We really suck at it though. We have no agreed upon standards, battle over crap like AVE’s, measure weird stuff that has little to do with actual business goals and have…
Will and Kate might just save the monarchy. As they tour my country with media obsequiously covering their every move, the following has occurred to me: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the best thing the British monarchy, an institution I and many of my generation have no time…
I think this one might get me pilloried. But who cares. It’s been brewing for awhile. The benefits of blogging have been clearly delineated over the past 10-12 years. Posts like this one do a great job of outlining the pros succinctly. I am starting to believe these posts are – for…
The tragedy of the commons is one of the most useful concepts for understanding the PR industry. It works well for other sectors, too (think politics, law, or agri-biz) but I’ll focus on my own world for now. Last month’s Burson-Marsteller/Facebook debacle is but one in a long list of…