How to Be a Great -- Not Just Good -- Agency Client

The Council of PR Firms' newsletter, "The Firm Voice," includes an excellent article this week from Ron Culp that draws on his many years as a corporate PR person employing agencies and what he's learned over the past eight years on the agency side. "During my 30 years in various corporate PR roles, I had always thought I was a pretty good client. If I knew then what I know now – after eight years on the agency side –...

How far have we come in Media Relations?

One of the benefits of tidying up the office is you run across presentations, materials and information you forgot you had. Take the presentation I stumbled across under one of several piles on my office floor, "Building Effective Relationships with Press and Analysts," dated June 5, 1996. What struck me most, besides the fact that there were ZERO references to social media, community building and engaging non-traditional media and analysts, were some tips that are still relevant today, after more...

EPA Backs Us Out of the Trash Can

Yesterday in Austin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made an announcement with the help of Michael Dell and the CEO of Sprint that it plans to roll out an aggressive electronics recycling program, which I was happy to read about. Dell and Sprint were the first members of the technology industry to volunteer to take part in the program. The U.S. is by far the largest consumer of electronic gadgets, devices and technology, and we're all craving the latest and...

NE Revolution Fan Protests Fall on Deaf Ears

Remember that old philosophy question: "If a tree falls in a forest and there's nobody to hear it, does it make a sound?" A perfect example occurred at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA this past Sunday. The only reason I heard about the protest mounted by the supporters group known as "The Fort," that sits behind the goal line at every New England Revolution game, is that my own personal crew of Revolution supporters were watching it happen from their...

3 Ways to Get Started on Google+ Now

As someone pointed out today, it's been 24 days since the launch of Google+. In case you haven't been able to follow the constant chatter about it, Google+ is its new social networking play that is in "Field Trial" as of now. This means that you only can join through an invitation from another user (please let me know if you would like one). The best resource I've seen on how to use it, is a Google Docs-based crowdsourced user...

Jon Stewart and Hugh Grant Take on News Corp. Scandal

Although I’ve personally enjoyed seeing Rupert Murdoch at past D conferences and have admired his aggressive intelligence and his interest in newspapers in general (Lord knows someone needs to help that industry), I’ve been worried about his impact on the Wall Street Journal, since he added that publication to his empire. As a former journalist and a watcher of all things communications, I've been following the current scandal swirling around News Corp. due to the egregious actions of the now-shuttered...

Why There's No Snoring in Storage

While it's safe to say there probably aren't many technologies I don't like, I've always had a soft spot for storage. And, yes, there are a few who know I take it seriously enough to "Heart Storage." With that said, one of the benefits of working in the industry for as long as I have, is that you get to meet some interesting people. Jerome Wendt, president and lead analyst at DCIG is one of them. I had a chance...

Is Twitter the Right Forum for National Debate?

When I read about President Obama's Town Hall being held on Twitter this afternoon, I started doing some digging to make sure I was following the right people to see how it plays out. I know a number of journalists and bloggers are planning to live-tweet the event, along with the President's own aides, who will have the daunting task of summarizing the President's answers and cutting them down to the requisite 140 character requirement to share them with the...

What's Your Magic Number?

There isn't a day that goes by where I don't receive at least 30 emails with headlines like, "Top Ten X," or "Six Best Tips for Y," or "Five Ways to Maximize Your Presence on Z." For those of us in PR, and in particular for those of us who spend hours working in Technology PR, the number varies. Sure, many can point to David Letterman and Late Night TV for some of the best "Top Ten" list creations but...