Tag: Media Relations

April 16, 2019

Utilizing Current Events for Marketing Purposes

The Red Cross recently had a brilliant marketing scheme. In an effort to drive up blood donor numbers, the nonprofit organization leveraged the upcoming season premiere of the hit HBO series, Game of Thrones, for its marketing campaign.

“Bleed for the throne.”

The slogan was paired with a red-tinged artist’s rendering from a Game of Thrones scene and the font associated with the show’s title letters.

At the very least, the campaign accomplished one goal: to start a conversation. Game of Thrones, with its millions of loyal fans, has a marketing power that other brands are attempting to harness. But this is a smart strategy! Leveraging current events can often be the fresh air that a brand needs to spin out some new marketing materials.

So how does a brand take advantage of current events for marketing purposes? Of course, this has to be done in good taste (unless a brand simply doesn’t care about reception and simply wants to make a splash — that is a different conversation!).

April 9, 2019

Scheer’s mass text a bold but risky move

Receiving an unexpected text messages can catch anyone off guard, especially when it comes from a federal political leader. Even so, it’s part of a new strategy from the Conservative Party of Canada.

In provinces without a carbon pricing system in place, including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, residents have been on the receiving end of a text message campaign launched by Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer.

April 1, 2019

Do We Still Need Nobel Prizes?

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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 the proviso that they be for the “benefit of mankind.”

March 28, 2019

Twitter’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.”

March 23, 2019

This 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.

March 20, 2019

As 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.

February 13, 2019

Arizona PR Scrutiny Reveals Good Reasons to Have a Plan in Place

Voters in Arizona, as well as some lawmakers and media representatives are currently asking the state charter board why it’s spending thousands of dollars each month on a single contractor for “ill-defined media relations” work.

According to reports, the state hired PR representation back in 2017, when it faced “critical media reports” relative to “financial self-dealing and mismanagement” in the Arizona charter sector. The PR professional at the heart of this matter responded to the media critique by saying:

“While I don’t speak for the Board, my recollection is that the Board and charter schools generally had become the subject of intense media focus back in 2017, including a significant number of negative stories…”

February 4, 2019

Apple 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.

January 29, 2019

Struggling to Compete, Hulu Drops Price Point

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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.

January 17, 2019

Care 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 any form of sexual activity… and she has been since long before the apparent pregnancy.