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AP is at it Again! Time to Spell Out State Names

By Ann Smith | Apr 26, 2014

For the second time in a month’s span, AP has changed the rules in writing. Effective May 1, the AP will spell out state names in the body of stories. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. The change is being made to be consistent in style for domestic and international stories, as international stories traditionally […]

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Extreme crowdsourcing: These parents let the internet name their daughter

By Kelda Rericha | Apr 23, 2014

In the same spirit of Lay’s Do Us A Flavor contest in which consumers submit and vote for the newest potato chip flavor — Did you know four million people cared enough to submit chip flavors last year?! — expectant dad Stephen McLaughlin created the website NameMyDaughter.com and asked strangers over the internet to name […]

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Commemorating a Genocide via Facebook

By Ann Smith | Apr 21, 2014

A project kicking off this week aims to use social media to commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. The 100 Years, 100 Facts Project will publish facts about Armenians twice a week, beginning April 24, 2014 and finishing April 24, 2015 – 100 years after the Ottoman empire began a massacre and forced deportation […]

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Rabbit Pelt Ad Draws Controversy, Pizzeria Tries to Save Skin

By Mary Gorretta | Apr 18, 2014

  Just in time for Easter, the New Zealand pizza chain Hell Pizza created a controversial billboard advertising its newest pizza topping, smoked rabbit, by covering the billboard with real rabbit pelts and the tagline: “Rabbit Pizza. Made from real rabbit. Like this billboard.” As you can imagine, it received quite a bit of criticism […]

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Twitter Mistakes Gone Viral

By Ann Smith | Apr 15, 2014

Although the latest US Airways Twitter blunder may be one of the most disturbing for Twitter followers, it is not the first made by a corporate giant. Other companies like Chrysler and Kenneth Cole have made slight errors in judgement on Twitter and users are quick to find the mistake and it often spreads like wildfire. Even though in most […]

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@USAirways gets us talking

By Ann Smith | Apr 15, 2014

The Twitter universe is abuzz about the now infamous U.S. Airways X-rated tweet. And while the tweet is unabashedly bad, and questions will swirl about how such a “copy and paste” accident could even happen, I can’t help but laugh and applaud the humorous responses that have spawned as a result. Do a quick search for […]

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Frozen Foods Using PR To Save Their Bacon

By Ann Smith | Apr 13, 2014

A new campaign to defend the nutritional reputation Good news frozen pizzas, peas and other frost-bitten foods, you are about to get an image makeover! It has been confirmed by the American Frozen Food Institute the industry is in the final stages of preparing for a multilayer, multimillion dollar public relations campaign to defend the nutritional reputation of […]

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Can Your Predict Which of Your Messages Will Go Viral?

By Ann Smith | Apr 9, 2014

The Harvard Business Review wrote this week about a recent psychological study that found we can successfully predict which messages will go viral and which won’t. The key to this success, according to the report, lies within the brain of the sender. In short, the more the author of the message values the message itself, the […]

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8 Million Flower Petals

By Kris Travis | Apr 7, 2014

Good advertising can be beautiful. Just take a look at Sony’s new ad by the McCann agency, photographer Nick Meek, and a British special effects team–it’s a dreamy explosion of color in a Costa Rican village, and it’s captivating. According to creative blog DeMilked, “The creative crew and the inhabitants of the entire village took […]

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Who Knew? Choice in Font Could Save the US Govt. Millions

By Ann Smith | Apr 2, 2014

The unexpected impact of switching fonts Middle school student Suvir Mirchandani, discovered the US government could save a combined $400 million just by switching fonts used in printed documents. It all started as a school science fair project. Suvir was looking for ways to reduce waste and save money in the Pittsburgh School District. Fourteen-year-old […]

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