Blog

Join us in conversation on the topics we believe matter...to our industry, our city and our society.

Wrestling With Your Writing

By Ann Smith | Jan 18, 2014

Interviewer: How much rewriting do you do? Hemingway: It depends. I rewrote the ending of Farewell to Arms, the last page of it, 39 times before I was satisfied. Interviewer: Was there some technical problem there? What was it that had stumped you? Hemingway: Getting the words right. – Ernest Hemingway, The Paris Review Interview, […]

Read More

Not what — WHY.

By Kris Travis | Jan 15, 2014

While it’s not especially new, I was just recently introduced to the concept of the Golden Circle,  a philosophy around marketing that recognizes a brand’s purpose, cause, belief, its WHY first, and then moves outward toward selling its WHAT. Many companies will frame their marketing around 1) what they do, 2) how they do it, […]

Read More

Learning from the Elite: Acceptance Speeches at the Golden Globes

By Ann Smith | Jan 14, 2014

Last night’s Golden Globes was not just about fashion, A-list celebrities (hello Matt Damon!) or box office hits. This year’s show was a communications lesson in acceptance speeches at the Golden Globes. It was also a reality check for the masses – to know that even those in the spotlight are not perfect public speakers. […]

Read More

Target's Top Three PR Mistakes

By Kelda Rericha | Jan 14, 2014

Of all the PR fiascos that a retailer could potentially face, none may be more disastrous than Target’s 2013 security breach, which took place between Black Friday and mid-December. As news began to spread — at the height of Christmas shopping, no less — the word on the street was that only Target credit card […]

Read More

Happy Word Nerd Day!

By Ann Smith | Jan 9, 2014

Today is National Word Nerd Day (although some feel strongly that it was yesterday…who are we to judge?).  We are celebrating with our friends (and clients) at the American Copy Editors Society (ACES).  Check out the great guest articles by ACES Board member Karen Martwick in PRNewser and ragan.com.  Now go unleash your inner word […]

Read More

“Because” is the 2013 Word of the Year

By Mary Gorretta | Jan 9, 2014

The American Dialect Society has announced their 2013 Word of the Year is “because.” While “because” is a traditional word, in this case it is being recognized in a new form of use, as “introducing a noun, adjective, or other part of speech (e.g., ‘because reasons,’ ‘because awesome’).” Rising online Ben Zimmer, chair of the […]

Read More

The Growth of Social Media in 2013

By Ann Smith | Dec 18, 2013

Social media continues to make leaps and bounds in how we communicate with one another. This is crucial to the world of public relations, as it is one of the leading avenues used to reach target audiences. 2013 was the year Twitter made it onto the stock exchange, Vine launches and Snapchat continued to break […]

Read More

Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle

By Ann Smith | Dec 16, 2013

More than writer’s block, what plagues me the most in writing is when I can feel my language getting stale. When my sentences aren’t popping like they should, my syntax is weak, and something just feels off. In creative fields like public relations, when the original and effective arrangement of words is vital to conveying […]

Read More

The PR Behind GM’s First Female CEO

By Kelda Rericha | Dec 12, 2013

This week the media buzzed with news of Mary Barra’s appointment to the role of General Motor’s CEO, the first female CEO in the company’s history, and the first female to head a major U.S. car company. Barra, 51, will replace retiring CEO Dan Akerson, who has chosen to step down ahead of schedule to […]

Read More

A Christmas (and PR) Miracle

By Ann Smith | Dec 12, 2013

WestJet made Christmas dreams come true Oh Wow. Incredible idea. Brilliant PR move. WestJet shared a full serving of Christmas joy and happiness to customers, and the results will make any heart grow three sizes. Take the 5 minutes to watch this Christmas (and PR) miracle – it will inspire you to believe that miracles […]

Read More