The Public Relations Blog

Submit better award entries by drafting better PR plans

For some, entering a public relations program for a recognition like the Silver Anvil, Image Award, or Radiance Award can be daunting. In my PR career, I’ve written multiple award entries and, while the first one seemed overwhelming, I was hooked from the start and hungry for more.

How to keep your company from making reputation-ruining mistakes

Social media is the most accessible tool customers have to learn about your company and become familiar with your brand. It’s also incredibly impactful in helping – or hurting – your company’s reputation.

Every company needs PR to build trust, increase sales, and more

What is public relations?

The world revolves around relationships. Every company has relationships with its customers, shareholders, and employees as well as the public. Without these relationships, business would cease to exist. So, what does public relations have to do with relationships?

3 ways your company can rise above the fray and maintain a positive image

According to the Knight Foundation, public trust in the media is at an all-time low. In a recent survey conducted with Gallup, the group dedicated to supporting quality journalism and engaging communities found some shocking facts. One surprising finding was that participants ranked newspaper and television news lowest, next to Congress, among major institutions they trust.

3 tips to improve your pitches

For more than 25 years, I worked as a journalist. During that time, I would pitch story ideas, while simultaneously learning the preferences of my editors. One time, an editor declined my offer to write about an emerging artist. "What will your second paragraph say?" he asked. He explained that he wanted human interest. So, I gave him plenty. I repitched the story, providing details about an 88-year-old dying artist, who was bedridden and painting with an easel sprawled out on his stomach. This time, my editor approved the story.

Urban Meyer’s denial made a crisis situation more complicated

In any line of communication, the audience must trust you. Your message needs to be clear and straightforward. This prevents any confusion or feelings of distrust that may arise if your audience doesn’t believe your message.

These steps could have helped Ohio State in its initial stages of crisis communications

It’s been two months since the controversy regarding Ohio State University’s coaching staff became public, and yet, it’s still the main storyline of the Buckeyes’ season. There are crisis communication steps Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer could have initially taken to prevent the escalation of the situation.

3 ways to shift the storyline and spotlight your company

Did you know that seasoned professional journalists use three independent sources when researching, interviewing, and compiling information for a typical news article? In an era of “fake news,” this approach ensures that information is accurate, unbiased, and fair when compared to one-sided narratives that clog newsfeeds. Yet, sensationalized stories are the ones that gain traction and viral exposure. How, then, can companies earn media coverage and rise above the fray? The answer is simply to be provocative.

3 critical factors to crisis communications

Mere days ago, in my hometown, a series of explosions and fires from natural gas leaks caused catastrophic damage, including fatalities, the destruction of homes, and the displacement of more than 8,000 families. At the epicenter of the devastation and mass evacuations of three Massachusetts towns stood Columbia Gas.

How crisis communications is becoming more necessary in college athletics

Allegations and subsequent scandals have rocked some big-name college athletics programs over the last several years. Given the 24/7 news cycle that currently operates, these instances show a shift toward the need for crisis communications for an industry whose traditional media coverage focuses on the outcome of a game.