IHOP Burger Gimmick Fails to Entice
Rebranding is serious business, even if the campaign you use to communicate the plan is delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek. There are a lot of variables and multiple interlocking considerations. How will we communicate our reasons? How will longtime customers react? How will the target customers we want to attract react to the campaign? How will our staff and management communicate this change to their team? Will we have a single, cohesive vision and message, or will people adlib and create brand confusion? Will people love it or hate it? So many questions…
Read MoreIs Disney’s Pixar Pier Up to Snuff?
Disney California’s Adventure Park opened its doors to the eagerly-awaited Pixar Pier on the 23rd of June this year. Within the park, visitors can find a selection of wonderful Pixar stories and characters brought to life by exciting attractions like the amazing “Incredicoaster,” beautiful neighborhoods and Pixar-themed restaurants. Alongside a host of new entertainment, there are countless opportunities for tourists to learn more about the Pixar world on a waterfront Disneyland Resort. Pixar Pier is just one of the celebratory events that Disney are introducing as part of Pixar Fest – a celebration of all things Pixar running until the 3rd of September. One of the many highlights of Pixar Fest is the Nighttime spectacular “Together Forever” fireworks show at…
Read MoreFormer Obama Spokesman Joins United Air
The United Continental Holdings group is taking the next step in their reputation management strategy this month by hiring former President Barack Obama’s previous spokesman as a new chief communications officer. The industry veteran, Josh Earnest has the potential to play a significant part in United’s leadership team as the company struggles to maintain a strong position in the marketplace. Although United Airlines is suffering from a relatively bumpy experience reputation-wise, Josh Earnest could be the cure they’ve been looking for. Earnest has a lot of experience managing communications within an agile and volatile environment, making him a strong fit for the airline.
Read MoreWashington State Coach Defiant After Fan Call Him Out for Spreading “Fake News”
The position of head football coach at a major conference university is almost always a hot seat. Typically, coaches find themselves in the news either for winning or losing, or reacting to winning or losing. Occasionally, though, a coach at a big-name school will say or do something that has nothing to do with the sport he was hired to coach, but still manages to put that coach and the university that employs him in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Such is the case for Washington State football coach Mike Leach. With the upcoming NCAA football season set to kick off in a little more than a month, Washington State’s head football coach is in the news… and not…
Read MoreCan ABC Sell Roseanne Without Roseanne?
What do you do when you have a hit show but choose to fire the star? A star, who also happens to be the program’s namesake? If you’re ABC, you reboot the same show without that cast member, and try to sell it to the same fans who loves the old version of the show. Here’s the rub… Many of the fans who loved Roseanne, loved it because of the frank conversations about politics and current events through the filter of multiple different perspectives. In firing Roseanne for a tweet about Valerie Jarrett, ABC angered many of the same fans that say they loved the show’s take on free — and not “politically correct” — speech. Many of those loyal…
Read MoreEarning Media in the Digital Age
With the advent of digital marketing, social media marketing, SEO, and content marketing, some people have given up on one of the staples of media relations: earned media. That’s a huge mistake. No matter what’s happening in other areas of the industry, earned media is still a hugely valuable commodity. And, for PR professionals, earned media is definitely something your client will expect. That’s not to say it’s easy. After all, even though news is 24-7 these days, and there are more outlets than ever before, there are certain topics that always seem to grab headlines. With these popular topics crowding the news cycles, getting noticed takes the right message, a winning strategy, and precise timing. Here are a few…
Read MoreHow to Leverage Influencers in your Audience
When most people think about “peer pressure” they get a negative connotation. Bullying, cajoling, kids trying to get friends to do things they know they shouldn’t. But peer pressure can be a good thing too. In fact, I would venture that all of us have done some interesting and exciting things thanks to peer pressure. We tried that ride or that sport, tasted that menu item, or talked to that girl (or guy). We learned a new language or an instrument, or we picked up a long-forgotten hobby — all thanks to friends that “pressured” us to do so.
Read MoreKellogg’s Stranger Things Campaign Hits Big
Two elements of effective PR that you should never discount are timing and clever brand placement. Sometimes, all it takes to get noticed is to have your brand in a prime place at the right time. From red carpets and royal weddings, to sporting events and movies, product placement can be a very effective way to energize or introduce a brand. Just ask Kellogg’s. Eggo waffles have been around for decades. Most American kids grew up eating them. In fact, it may have been one of the first things those kids – who now have kids of their own – learned to cook.
Read MoreEmirates Trying to Sell Passengers on Windowless Jets
Frequent fliers, if you like the window seat, Emirates has some news you may not want to hear, but the International Airline is going to try to sell you on their new pilot program anyway. Recently, the Dubai-based airline revealed a new “first class” option on some of its jets: virtual windows. Instead of the “real thing” passengers are treated to videos of what’s outside the airplane, recorded by cameras outside the aircraft and projected inside the first-class suite. According to Emirates, the transition could eventually be applied on all the aircraft in its fleet, as long as they can sell passengers on the idea. The first salvo in that consumer PR campaign: without window, airplanes are lighter and fasters.…
Read MoreHow Chipotle Prepared for a PR Crisis
You never know when you might find yourself dealing with a PR crisis. In those moments, when every word of every message is being dissected on social media and cut up for headlines, that is not the time to be building up goodwill for your brand. That needs to happen long before the bad news hits… otherwise you may never dig out. A great example of a company that was well-prepared for a PR disaster is Chipotle. The “fast casual” dining establishment hit the scene and made a big splash, enticing legions of customers with quality food, quick, and selections that would keep the whole family happy. Soon, those customers were loyal fans. But that didn’t happen by accident. The…
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