In IT, a black box is a program that measures output against input in complex systems.
This Black Box is designed to help companies achieve a similar goal in PR. Black Box provides our candid input—based on several lifetimes of experience—for companies that want to measure and improve the performance of PR programs.
A colleague dashed in to my office and blurted out that other agencies are finding story leads on reporters’ Facebook pages, participating in YahooAnswer on the client’s behalf, “linking up” with editors and so on. “Naturally!” I laughed. “They’re all reading the same social media books.”
Like clockwork, three months into the new agency’s tenure they approached us about turning our chief exec into a “thought leader” by ghosting a CEO book. “So — since he’s just a ‘thought follower’ now, would you read his book?” I asked.
Back when I wrote big-ticket business newsletters, the rule of thumb was that if a writer provided at least one useful pointer per issue, that alone justified the subscription price. Though blogs are free, it’s still a good rule.
Child star Anna Paquin spins ’round in the Mohave sands as the camera zooms in for the ad’s tagline: “There will be no more there — We will all only be here.” My voice booms over the studio intercom: “Uh. . .where am I?”
In 1923, the American Society of Newspaper Editors wrote the canon of modern journalism: “News reports should be free from opinion or bias of any kind.” But sometimes companies wonder if all reporters got the word.
ANYPLACE, USA – A leading unidentified company today announced a major contract win to provide unspecified services for an unnamed customer. Terms were not disclosed.
In the last year or so, companies striving to be “cool” and jump on the social media bandwagon have started posting podcasts. For the most part, these efforts are what I call BBB — boring beyond belief.
Companies often ask, “How can we make use of Twitter?” That’s easy: Follow Lao-Tse and General Anthony McAuliffe. Never mind that both have been dead for years.
PR account executives, grab your smelling salts. We’re about commit the ultimate industry apostasy. Here goes: Hiring a PR firm is not for everybody.
As a kid, my idea of a fun Saturday was sitting by my Dad in the darkened transmission room of the local NBC affiliate, where he worked as an engineer.
