Do We Still Need Nobel Prizes?
The annual Nobel Prizes in Sweden are more sacred than Christmas, drawing out international royalty in the arts and sciences, and attracting an audience of millions to witness an annual event styled in the pomp typically reserved for the naming of a new Pope. The prizes are so important that the king of Sweden last year took an unprecedented step in cancelling the Nobel Prize in literature for 2018. Why? For the same reason Alfred Nobel founded the awards: public relations. Inventor and chemist Nobel was famously known as the “merchant of death”, thanks to his arms dealership’s role in “killing more people faster than ever before.” In an effort to restore the Nobel name, Alfred launched the prizes under…
Read MoreTwitter’s Jack Dorsey is a PR nightmare this week
While Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube are falling over themselves working to keep deadly anti-vaccination rumours and hoaxes from receiving the attention they so desperately seek, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey seems bent on doing the opposite. Dorsey has been on a media rampage in recent weeks, sitting for interviews with a host of podcasters including author Ben Greenfield on Greenfield’s podcast. In relation to the latter, Dorsey tweeted (of course): “[I] appreciate all you do to simplify the mountain of research focused on increasing one’s healthspan! Grateful for you.”
Read MoreElon Musk adds to Tesla PR woes
Everyone’s favorite tech-ego Elon Musk has escalated his feud with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hitting back at accusations by regulators that he violated his settlement with the agency by posting “inaccurate and material information” about his firm on Twitter.
Read MoreThis Bud’s for Her: Beer Giant Celebrates Women with Updated Ads
In a tip of the hat to International Women’s Day, Budweiser dusted off some of its old-school advertising, recreated with a more modern sensibility. Many described the side-by-side adverts as “jarring” or “very telling.” But the end result for Budweiser was a strong wave of people congratulating the brand for taking the lead on this social issue in their industry.
Read MoreAs Brexit Approaches, Messaging Becomes More Impactful
As the deadline for the expected “Brexit” of the United Kingdom from the European Union draws closer, the messaging from British lawmakers is becoming more pronounced and emphatic. All involved want to be seen as being on the right side of history on this, and they also want to have some leeway just in case their current position doesn’t work out as planned. Prime Minister Theresa May, who narrowly survived a no-confidence vote earlier this year, is putting on a brave face after two different rejections of her plans to manage Brexit. May has been strong in her insistence that Brexit will work out well for Britain, and that the country will not leave the EU without a firm agreement.
Read MoreGE Hoping to Reset After Rough Road
The past few years have been very difficult for one of the most revered and successful companies in the history of the United States. General Electric (GE). Founded in 1892, GE has been a stalwart of American commerce and ingenuity for more than a century. Recently, though, the news has not been good for the company… and it’s not getting better any time soon. CEO Larry Culp recently confessed to investors that 2019 is going to be another rough road for GE, but he has promised to take on the issues facing his company “head on” and said that the future is bright. The simple, hard, economic truth is that many of the key products that helped GE remain strong…
Read MoreFour ways to save time on marketing efforts
Let’s face it – marketing can be time consuming, and if you don’t have a team working 24/7 dedicated to marketing efforts, it can take a away big chunk of your day. However, if you’re not spending enough time on marketing then it could affect your business prospects and stall growth. It’s a Catch-22 and a tough question for many businesses: should you spend more time developing and improving your product or more time marketing and selling it?
Read MoreApple is Tackling Data Privacy PR Head-On
In a radical break from the Big-Tech norm, Apple CEO Tim Cook has called on the US government help internet users control the collection of their personal data. In an op-ed for Time magazine, Cook asserts that consumers should have the power to “delete their data on demand, freely, easily and online, once and for all.” Cook’s pledge is pitted heavily against the “shadow economy” of data brokers, firms that ply their wares via the collection and sale of personal data reaped from digital tracking. Think Facebook’s 2018 data sharing scandal, of Cambridge Analytica and Trumpian fame.
Read MoreStruggling to Compete, Hulu Drops Price Point
Sometimes, the best way to win goodwill and hang on to slipping market share is to employ an old-fashioned price drop. This is especially effective when the competition just raised their rates. At least, that seems to be the thinking behind the surprise announcement that Hulu would be dropping the price of its least-expensive subscription by two bucks. Now, Hulu’s basic plan, which still includes advertisements – a point of contention for streaming customers – will only cost $6 per month, at least, as of February 26. The on-demand streaming service without ads will remain $12.
Read MoreCare Facility Forced to Answer Stunning Allegations
When you operate a nursing or long term care facility your primary stock-in-trade is trust. People trust you to properly care for and protect their loved ones. To keep them healthy, clean, entertained and, essentially, happy. It is against that backdrop that one Arizona private nursing facility found itself in one of the worst possible spotlights. According to a flurry of print and TV news reports, a woman at the facility recently gave birth to a child. That, in itself might be considered unusual to the average news consumer. It was the fact that came next which spun the narrative out of control. The woman who gave birth is in a “vegetative state,” entirely unwilling and unable to consent to…
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