The PR Blog

I’m all for marketing and advertising messages. I’m all for figuring out best ways to get a message to consumers. This weekend I went to the movies to see “Mirror, Mirror” with my 9-year-old daughter. It was our date night. We went to dinner before-hand and then to the cinema. I bought the tickets: $10 for mine and $7.50 for her’s. We bought a large soda for $5.50 which we shared. And we proceeded to take our seats. Unlike years ago when you’d be bombarded with previews of movies and maybe some trivia screens, we were “treated” to commercials. This is nothing new. I’ve seen them before. But full disclosure: I usually rent movies. I rarely go. This concept of commercials inside the theater has bugged me for a...

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about Mitt Romney and an invite for him to appear on Saturday Night Live. Mitt Romney gets skewered on the show each week, but he has yet to come on the show himself. As he and his team considers whether or not to appear, I have this advice for him: Do it! In my mind, this is a no-brainer. The Saturday Night Live invite is a gift and could not have come at a better time. Even Mitt Romney, even with his enormous wealth, could not buy the publicity he could get from it. So, why do I feel he should accept? Get to Know Him. It will help people get to know him. The public feels like he is too guarded. Nothing like a little skewering face-to-face to get people to know you and be able to judge your character. Self...

U.S. postal workers are taking to the airwaves and appealing to the public for help to fight huge cuts. This is a crisis. They’re fighting for their livelihoods. This is serious stuff for tens of thousands of employees who could lose their jobs. And all of  it will also likely impact how the rest of us send and receive mail. The U.S. Postal Service is losing so much money it may eliminate Saturday delivery, close some post offices and could increase first-class postage from 45 to 50 cents. The fate rests in the hands of the U.S. Congress. And the postal union has launched an aggressive PR campaign to appeal to the public for help in fighting these cuts. The union TV ads emphasize the disastrous effects on employees and taxpayers: The ads, featuring...

I’ll give Rush Limbaugh credit for commanding attention. He certainly knows how to dish it. And his missteps make news too. Especially one this big. Last week, Rush Limbaugh attacked law student Sandra Fluke calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” after she advocated that insurance companies cover birth control. Some advertisers have suspended ads from his popular show. And news outlets around the country can’t stop talking about it: The talk is so acute, on RushLimbaugh.com, Rush Limbaugh posted a message: “Everything is fine on the business side. Everything’s cool. There is not a thing to worry about. What you’re seeing on television about this program and sponsors and advertisers is just...

So I’ve heard about the ratings bonanza for Lindsay Lohan hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’--scoring the second highest ratings for ‘SNL’ this season. I also read the reviews and the criticism of the “minor” part she played on the show and commentators who questioned whether she was ready for prime time. (It’s an expression as I know ‘SNL’ is not really in prime time.) Anyway… Here’s my take on Lindsay Lohan and her hosting of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ She showed up, she brought in the numbers and people are talking about it. She had fun with the experience beginning with the promotion… In entertainment, that’s a home run! Indeed Lindsay Lohan did not appear in the opening...

The images of devastation are leaving quite an impression on the public. The cruise ship on its side sunken in the waters off the Italy coast have caused lots of folks to run scared. Bookings on cruise ships have apparently sunk to extreme lows. The cruise ship company feeling the hurt most: Carnival. The Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corp. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. reports earnings later this week and travel agents are not expecting good news. The concern by the public: safety. They are questioning the safety of cruise lines. And they are questioning what would happen if there were an emergency on their cruise. Sure there are people who think the cruise ship they go on will meet the same fate. But I don’t think the majority really believe...