The Public Relations Blog

A professional headshot is an important asset

Often, clients are surprised when we ask for their headshot photographs to accompany media pitches or news stories. Some have never had headshots and don’t know what we’re looking for from them. Many times, they send us personal photos with their families or images that are low quality.

Having a professional headshot is a must for anyone in a successful business. If you haven’t had a headshot since the ‘90s Glamour Shots, now is the time to update that photo.

Whether you thought Lady Gaga nailed the national anthem or you hailed the combination of Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars’ halftime show, Super Bowl 50 proved to be yet another stunner.

Denver's defense led the Broncos (and Peyton Manning) to victory while MVPs from Super Bowls past showed us they can still rock a tailored suit.

Are you ready for some football (or the ads)?

The Super Bowl is fraught with traditions: adult beverages, hot wings and viewers gripped by an exciting football game and intricately woven-in advertisements.

Most of us have our list of favorite commercials, yet corporations don’t spend millions on creative ads simply for the sake of being creative. They want their messaging contained within the ads to stand out equally as strong.

The Super Bowl is the Holy Grail of advertising. But membership to this elite club costs north of $5 million per 30-second commercial. And that is some serious capital.

What if your business can’t afford such a significant investment? The answer, quite simply, is to invest your money wisely in other forms of public relations and marketing.

Since 1989, USA Today has tallied the top-ranked Super Bowl commercials through its Ad Meter ranking system.

This approach combines results from a privately selected panel and feedback obtained through social media to determine commercial rank.

As we gear up for Super Bowl Sunday, here’s a brief look at the top three Super Bowl ads and what made them so memorable.

Nearly a year ago, business executives began hatching plans to invest millions of dollars in single advertisements to air during Super Bowl 50.

How to choose the public relations company that is right for you.

Public relations companies are a beneficial part of your growing business. Almost every large company has one. And, while it may seem pretty easy, hiring the right PR firm can actually be extremely difficult. Not all public relations companies you come across are capable of doing the job that you need. So, it's good to have some helpful advice when you're deciding on the firm that is right for you. Here are a few tips that could aid in your decision in choosing a public relations company.

Finding the top public relations firm for your needs can be difficult, especially if you aren't already familiar with PR.

Fortunately for you, reading this article is a good place to start. Let's talk about what you should be doing in order to select the top public relations firm to fit the needs of your business.

You wouldn't be human if you didn't register that all-too-human emotion: envy. And it wouldn't be unusual to feel professional envy over seeing a competitor in the news – once again.

With a product or service similar to your own, this competitor seems to have a knack for generating attention and grabbing headlines – sometimes capitalizing on the opportunity to merely comment or supply a rebuttal on some newsworthy event or crisis. You suspect, and with good reason, that one comment can trigger a cycle in which this competitor breeds a media following that could eventually lead to media dominance – and, worse of all, eventually be regarded as a go-to industry expert.

Knowing what stage you are writing for will help you close deals faster

Who are your customers? How and when did they learn about you? What made them decide to give you their business instead of going to your competition? If you answered “I’m not sure” or “It was just dumb luck,” then you need to stop guessing and take control of your buyer personas and the content they receive from you.