CBS News Becomes Part of the News Cycle
Round the clock news coverage of the COVID-19 virus became to ramp up as the first cases were diagnosed in the United States. Not long after, one of the news networks became part of the story. CBS News shut down its NYC headquarters for “cleaning and disinfecting” this past week after two employees at that office tested positive for coronavirus. For two days, most employees worked from home and the network tried to keep up business as usual. Eagle-eyed fans could tell CBS This Morning was broadcast from Washington, though most viewers barely noticed a blip. The network managed to continue operations without missing a beat, much to the relief of management, staff, and the loyal fans who depend on…
Read MoreNetflix Winners Use Exposure to Increase PR Footprint
Streaming media continues to thrive, using its growing clout to siphon more ideas and more eyes away from traditional network television. Some of its most recent successes provide object lessons in the potential of applying effective consumer PR to transition a success in one area to a head start in another. In less than a year, Netflix has launched three new reality TV programs, and the winners of those shows are leveraging digital PR and smart social media action to launch new careers. The winner of Netflix’s design reality show, “Next in Fashion,” was Minju Kim, a 33-year-old fashion designer known for designing fashions for famous K-pop singers BTS. That resume was enough for notoriety heading into the competition, but…
Read MoreApple to Pay Big for Slowing Down Older iPhones
A bombshell headline hit the tech world when, in December of 2017, Apple was forced to admit something customers had been claiming for years: the company was “slowing down” or “throttling” older iPhones through software updates. When this news was confirmed, technology consumers fired back, venting years of frustration. Apple’s argument for the practice didn’t hold water with them at all. They said the process was done for safety reasons. Customers argued that, to them, it was clear that Apple was doing this to “force” customers to buy new iPhones. In an instance of taking bad digital PR and making it worse, Apple responded to these complaints and allegations by offering to swap out handset batteries… if consumers paid them…
Read MoreRecording Academy Responds to Reports CEO was “Ousted”
Deborah Dugan, the now-former president of the Recording Academy, has been fired after the organization which hosts The Grammys conducted what they called “two exhaustive, costly, independent investigations” into allegations made by Dugan. Each investigation followed up on accusations made by Dugan about both the Academy’s culture and nomination process, as well as separate allegations made by Dugan that she was sexually harassed. Dugan insisted that the voting process for some top awards was “rigged,” insinuating that the process was unfair, casting aspersions on the winners of some of music’s most prestigious awards. In addition to finding no substance to the allegations made by Dugan, the independent review stated that there was evidence of Dugan’s “consistent management deficiencies and failures…”…
Read More4 Brands That Are Winning with Digital PR
Creating and maintaining a winning digital PR strategy is a must in today’s marketplace. As nearly all consumers are connected to the internet or to digital media in some way, knowing how to succeed in the digital marketplace is a must. One of the best ways to learn how to do that – as well as what mistakes to avoid – is to look at what other brands are doing. Some strategies work across platforms, and others are specific to that industry, marketplace, or that platform, but winning examples offer a lot of positive, helpful information. With that in mind, let’s look at four brands that continue to develop and implement successful digital PR strategies. AMEX Builds Community Many brands…
Read MoreHamed Wardak: Entrepreneur Of The Week
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Hamed Wardak is the son of Abdul Rahim Wardak, the acting Defense Minister of the country for eight years. During his position, he worked hard to oppose the destruction of his home country. Unfortunately, the Wardak family ended up having to flee Afghanistan and become refugees. After living in Pakistan for some time, the family finally moved to the United States, where Hamed has been living ever since. He studied at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. where he became the valedictorian of his graduating class in 1997 and was also named a Rhodes Scholar.Inspired by his father’s wisdom and desire for peace, he got a Bachelor’s Degree in Political and Government Theory, before travelling back to Afghanistan in…
Read MoreBurger King’s New Ad Campaign Turning Heads
In recent years, Burger King’s advertising has been dominated by a guy in a giant “king” head turning up in various places offering strangers food, a concept that some found funny and others found creepy. Now, Burger King’s marketing department is pushing things even further, turning heads and raising eyebrows with its latest in-your-face campaign. The latest ad, which is capturing attention in both Europe and the U.S., features Burger King’s signature Whopper sandwich covered in mold. The message, Burger King says, is that the brand is in the process of removing artificial preservatives from the Whopper. Translation: our burger is healthier, fresher, and will taste better. On social media, where interactive media is a must, Burger King is blowing…
Read MoreMLB Commissioner Apologizes for “Disrespectful” Comments
Controversy has been building in Major League Baseball for some time now, ever since the Houston Astros cheating scandal erupted, calling into question many things, including the legitimacy of recent playoff and World Series wins. Fans remain disgruntled and players have begun speaking out. It could have been an opportunity to reset and redirect the narrative but, instead, the MLB Commissioner made it worse. While addressing concerns about the “tainted” World Series win in a lengthy interview on ESPN, Rob Manfred called the World Series trophy – the top team award in all of baseball – a “piece of metal.” Players and fans, already upset, absolutely exploded. Twitter went toxic immediately, and countless baseball fans were calling for Manfred to…
Read MorePlayers Respond to Cheating Scandal
Ask the average baseball fan these days about the Houston Astros and, if they’re not in east Texas, expect a less than cordial response. Ask sports media, and many would say the 2017 World Series champions should be stripped of their title, because they effectively broke baseball, and those are the comments that are fit to print. Others are being more direct and less tactful. Yankees superstar Giancarlo Stanton said if he was cheating like the Astros he “probably would have hit 80-plus home runs.” Stanton, along with his New York teammate Aaron Judge have been very vocal about their belief that the Astros should have their title rescinded, adding that he, like Judge, believes the cheating continued well into…
Read MoreRonn Torossian Appointed Chairman of American Friends of Duvdevan
Public Relations executive, entrepreneur, philanthropist Ronn Torossian has been appointed Chairman of American Friends of Duvdevan, a 501 c3 charity. The organization supports the soldiers of the Duvdevan unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a mista’arvim (counter-terrorism) special-forces unit. Fauda, the Netflix show is based upon this unit. “These heroic soldiers protect Israel and keep the country safe. Duvdevan has previously been described by Prime Minister Netanyahu as having the most significant effect on the war on terror. This charity helps the soldiers of this unit who make such an enormous contribution and sacrifice,” explained Ronn Torossian. American Friends of Duvdevan – the American arm of the Duvdevan Foundation in Israel – supports Duvdevan soldiers and graduates. The unit specializes in urban anti terrorist warfare…
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