• Problem Solved: You've Built a Social Media Fan Base, Now What Do You Do to Keep Them Engaged?Public Relations
  There's nothing we love more than solutions—top-notch insights from top-of-the-line experts that help solve common marketing problems. Once a week, this column will pose a problem, and invite a MarketingProfs speaker—past, present, or future—to help solve it for you. more
• I Get SentimentalPublic Relations
  "The rise of blogs and social networks has fueled a bull market in personal opinion: reviews, ratings, recommendations and other forms of online expression," writes Alex Wright in a recent New York Times article. "For computer scientists, this fast-growing mountain of data is opening a tantalizing window onto the collective ... more
• Webinar Invitation Success: Less Is MorePublic Relations
  When it comes to webinar campaigns, less is usually more. Relying on a "spray and pray" approach may drive attendance numbers initially—but often leads to higher drop-off rates and fewer qualified leads. In a whitepaper titled "Top 10 Tips for Webinar Invitation Success," Connect Direct Inc. (CDI) offers advice for ... more
• The New Downside of 24/7Public Relations
  Who's that bleary-eyed chap in the corner? Why, he's the CMO who stayed up all weekend conducting WOM (word-of-mouth) damage-control—after one bad Saturday-morning customer tweet. Welcome to the new downside of 24/7. "Buzz isn't scheduled, especially bad buzz," says Jackie Huba in a Church of the Customer blog post. "Thanks to ... more
• Social-Media ROI Elusive: MarketingProfs PollPublic Relations
  Social media measurement is top of mind among marketers surveyed in an informal poll by MarketingProfs: 47% of respondents say social media measurement is important to them. more
• The Color of MoneyPublic Relations
  As environmental awareness continues to rise, the average consumer has become more conscious of the need to make greener choices. A post at the Osocio blog highlights a satirical cartoon from Lunchbreath that skewers marketers who respond to the trend with disingenuous, "greenwashed" packaging that relies on elements like this:  ... more
• Warts and AllPublic Relations
  In a move you wouldn't expect from a restaurant chain, Chipotle recently announced it would sponsor free screenings of the documentary Food Inc., an exposé of the American food industry. Chipotle appears to have progressive bona fides: The Mexican grill claims to serve more naturally raised meat than any other ... more
• Thanks for NothingPublic Relations
  In a post at the Marketing Interactions blog, Ardath Albee tells the story of a phone call from a favorite charity, and an inarticulate young man who explained that he wasn't calling to ask for a donation. His purpose, though, was not immediately clear. "He launched into reading a script ... more
• Communications Industry Forecast: Slump, then... GrowthPublic Relations
  Total communications spending will decline 1% in 2009, to $882.6 billion—its first spending decline since the 2001 recession—according to the latest Communications Industry Forecast (CIF) from private-equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS). more
• Fake It at Your Own RiskPublic Relations
  Let's say you visit a site like Yelp.com and discover scathingly negative reviews of your product or service. Making matters worse, only a few of your happy customers have balanced the harsh criticism with their praise. In such a scenario, you might be tempted to pose as a customer and ... more
• Brother, Can You Spare a Quote? Public Relations
  Becoming a source for journalists has gotten a little easier thanks to Peter Shankman's site Help a Reporter Out. "I built this list because a lot of my friends are reporters, and they call me all the time for sources," he explains. "Rather than go through my contact lists each ... more
• When Bad Buzz Happens to Good CompaniesPublic Relations
  It seems almost inevitable these days: You run a search on your company's name or product and a negative review, remark or blog post appears in the top listings. What do you do? "Don't  ... lose your cool and try to retaliate," says Internet Marketing Consultant Jeremy Martin in a recent ... more
• Maximize Your Social-Networking InvestmentPublic Relations
  You don't get to be a social-networking superstar without paying your dues. "The way I look at it," says Jay Baer in a video at his blog, "you ought to try to maximize the value of the time spent." His tips for reaching that goal include: Remembering the Eight-to-One ... more
• Tweet Like You Mean It Public Relations
  Lots of companies are scrambling to see how they can use Twitter to promote their products and services. But a few good tweets can also provide great customer service. Glenn Ross, in a post at All Business, recently looked at the spectrum of possibilities. He offered a few ways that ... more
• The King Is Dead, Long Live the KingPublic Relations
  As it files for bankruptcy, the once-mighty General Motors faces a public-relations crisis of tremendous proportion: How does it convince customers, employees, suppliers and the American public that it not only deserves to survive, but can? "Let's be completely honest," says the narrator of the "Reinvention" video GM posted to ... more
• Case Study as Mirror: Reflect Your Audience's ConcernsPublic Relations
  Imagine this scenario: Your engineering team is about to close out a flawlessly executed systems job, and your customer is thrilled because the solution is already performing beyond expectations. You might have just discovered the ingredients of a great customer relationship—and a powerful case study. But how do you ... more
• Now That's a Good Release! Public Relations
  "As many of you know," begins an article in a recent edition of the Editorial Emergency newsletter, "[cofounder Julia Rubiner has] been cranking out publicity communications—bios, press releases, one-sheets, corporate missives, you name it—for a good decade and a half." The article then lays out a series of Rubiner's PR ... more
• Try not Pitching at AllPublic Relations
  Valeria Maltoni receives four or five press releases on a typical day—and most leave her singularly unimpressed. "'I think you're fabulous' may seem like a good idea for a subject line," she explains at the Conversation Agent blog, "but if you cannot tell me why, as in what about my ... more
• Know What Happens When You Don't Advertise? Google Knows.Public Relations
  It's safe to say the first batch of post-dot-com-bubble brands have come into their own. Brands like Google, eBay, and Amazon. The one thing that sets them apart? They became successful without the support of television advertising to help launch them. more
• The Two-Edged Sword of the TestimonialPublic Relations
  Holly Buchanan opens a post at the FutureNow blog with a pair of seemingly contradictory ideas: that testimonials work very well and that they don't work at all. Both are true, she argues, because customer praise can be a two-edged sword: If it appears inauthentic or doesn't offer true insight, ... more
• We Love EricPublic Relations
  We've seen the power of Twitter's community used for good: spreading vital information during natural disasters, distributing Amber Alerts, and raising money for charities. Now imagine using not only Twitter's power but also the celebrity of the Nine Inch Nails. more
• Marketing Addictionary: 'Badvocate'Public Relations
  Badvocate: (noun): People who passionately criticize or detract from companies, brands, or products. more
• Get CreativePublic Relations
  We've seen some great creative ads in the past, both online and on television. Now imagine that you could be the brains behind a nationwide ad. Well, Panasonic gives you this opportunity with its Next Generation Talent competition. more
• The Deep Pockets of ChattersPublic Relations
  Do Chatty Cathies spend more money online than other cyber citizens? New research says indeed they do. A recent survey of regular online shoppers from BoldChat and Bravestorm, LLC presents new insights into the preferences of customers who use live chat features at shopping sites, and matches their behavior to ... more
• Be Professional: Act Like It's a Cocktail PartyPublic Relations
  You might have seen the PSA in which a teenage cyber-bully reads her hateful words from the podium of a school assembly. The absurdity of the scene illustrates a disconnect that often exists between our online and offline behavior—when emboldened by the impersonal buffer of a social network, we might ... more

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Public Relations articles by the best and brightest in the field

• Four Case Studies: How These (Very Different) B2B Organizations Are Succeeding With Social Media by Christina "CK" Kerley
  Even though B2C companies get the lion's share of coverage about the benefits of social media, B2B organizations of vastly different sizes and industries are making striking gains in employing these technologies to increase their market share and solve revenue challenges. more
• Advertising Is the Price You Pay for Not Being Creative by John Rooks
  We are at a unique place and time. The crossroads of environmental and economic crises provide agile companies with the ability to capture market share in a down market by cutting their media buys and engaging their fan base in new ways. more
• Marketers: Don't Just Buy Media—Earn It! by Ben Straley
  Want to get started with an effective earned-media marketing program? Here are three tips for launching, measuring, and monetizing a low-cost earned-media program that will drive a surge in online word-of-mouth traffic about your brand. more
• Five Social Media Tools You Can't Afford to Ignore by Mack Collier
  Sure, social media is big. But even if your company doesn't have the resources for a dedicated social media strategy, here are five social media sites and tools you can't afford to ignore. more
• Problem Solved: How Do You Convince the Boss That It's Time to Go Social? by Claire Coyne
  There's nothing we love more than solutions—top-notch insights from top-of-the-line experts that help solve common marketing problems. Here's this week's solution, featuring SAS, which offers us a solution to the following problem: How does Marketing convince the CEO that it's time to embrace social media? more
• How To Generate Blogger Buzz: Eight Proven Tips by Kimberly Smith
  For those accustomed to traditional PR, the blogosphere seems an entirely different beast—but one that has the potential to turn your message into a viral sensation. The following eight tips will help you capture the right kind of attention from bloggers. more
• A Corporate Field Guide to Social-Media Policy Development by Kimberly Smith
  Your employees are already on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the like... so isn't it high time for companies to acknowledge that activity and implement a protective framework that will assist them in mitigating the risks related to employee productivity, confidentiality, brand representation, and company reputation? more
• Emerging Consumer Values: Why Brands Must Adjust by Claire Ratushny
  Consumer trends come and go. What else is new? Plenty. We're living in an unprecedented era when several critical elements—consumers' rising debt, higher costs for basic necessities, low savings rates, shrinking assets, and a growing awareness of environmental issues—have gradually come together in a perfect storm. How can marketers respond? more
• Talk to Me: 10 Tips for Translating PR Results Into the Language of Business by Diane Thieke
  As communications experts, we should find it easy to convey the value of our services to the business managers in our organizations. Yet many public relations professionals struggle with expressing results in a way that allows senior executives to easily recognize the impact that PR has on the success of ... more
• Why You Are Unpopular Online: Six Ways to Doom Your Community-Building Efforts by Mack Collier
  Companies are increasingly looking to create vibrant and healthy online communities for their businesses. But many companies are seeing their efforts fail or produce flat results. Here are six reasons why many online communities never materialize, and what you can do to improve your own efforts to build online communities. more
• E-Marketing: Greening the Digital Process by Chet Dalzell
  For those of us who were brought up e-marketing, e-shopping, e-dating, e-gossiping—and all things e—we may feel smug that we are truly paperless (are we really?), and thus we are so green in our behavior that who would dare cast a stone at us? Well, it's time to wake up. Direct ... more
• Open Letter to the Would-Be CEO Blogger by Todd Defren
  Dear CEO: Welcome to the blogoshere! So, umm, how do you really start? How do you get started blogging, and do it well? Let's avoid the technical requirements. (You've got people who can figure that stuff out!) Instead, let's focus on creating the right mindset. more
• Special Report: How the 'Obama for America' Campaign Used Digital Media to Turn Ordinary Citizens Into Campaign Evangelists by Kimberly Smith
  How did the Obama for America campaign do it? By its adherence to several game-changing strategies. more
• Top 5 Legitimate SEO Techniques That Will Help Your Business Get Found by Mike Volpe
  Gems of 2008: People have not stopped buying things, so how are they researching and purchasing products since they have made themselves immune to old marketing techniques like banner ads and direct mail? The answer is with search engines and Google. According to comScore, Americans conducted 11.5 billion searches in June ... more
• Eco-Logos: A Double-Edged Sword? by Jacquelyn A. Ottman
  Eco-logos are all the rage—but how valuable are they as a marketing tool? Are there some hidden risks that warrant a second look? Let's consider the three ingredients of an effective marketing logo—green or otherwise—and their implications for the savvy eco-marketer. more
• Closing the Marketing Credibility Gap by Geoff Dillon
  By now you've heard the news—your paid marketing and advertising efforts are suffering from a loss of credibility with your target market. Marketing authorities Al Ries and daughter Laura have even declared the "Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR" when it comes to building brands and perceptions in ... more
• Big Impact from Seemingly Small Changes: How Multinationals Are Starting the Sustainability Journey by Rachel Botsman
  We are awash in "green" articles that highlight examples and best-practices of companies such as Patagonia, Stonyfield Farm, and Timberland—businesses that have had sustainability as part of their DNA from the outset. But what is the right approach for large, multinational brands? more
• Measuring Social Marketing and Media by Laura Patterson
  The more quantitatively you can measure your social media, the better. And the closer those measurements are to business outcomes, even better. How rapidly people in the network engage with you and respond to your "call to action," such as write a review, participate in the blog discussion, or forward ... more
• How to Be a Good Public Relations Client by Ford Kanzler
  Since public relations isn't done "to" a company, it's done "with" the management team or owners, there's an essentially different nature to how this kind of professional service is successfully delivered. It's much more akin to legal or medical services with the "defendants" or "patients" (read management team members) having ... more
• How Your Business Can Benefit From Using Twitter: Four Proven Strategies by Mack Collier
  Business are flocking to Twitter, but many still aren't sure how to leverage the tool to grow their business. Here's how Comcast, Dell, The Home Depot and others are using Twitter to reach their customers and nurture their businesses, and how you can, too. more
• Direct-to-Consumer PR Reflects Power of Do-It-Yourself by Gail Martin
  With the rise of search engines, Wi-Fi, and a Do-It-Yourself mindset, today's consumers are more empowered than ever before. They not only believe that they're entitled to information but also have unprecedented access to information on a global scale. An increasing number of consumers turn first to the Internet when they ... more
• What Do Your Marketing Communications Reveal About You? by Becky Carroll
  Every touch from every department is marketing. Each customer interaction, whether via phone, email, direct mail, or Web, leaves an impression about your brand. Are your marketing communications self-serving, or are they serving customer needs? more
• Case Study: The Attraction Advantage—How Mexican Mangos Ripened Sales 13% in Four Months by Jenny Schade
  It's a marketer's dream. Customers are so passionate about your product they actually crave it. In fact, outside of the US, your product is the number-one consumed fruit. However, here's where the dream hits reality. You're in the US, where two-thirds of US consumers have never tasted a mango. You've been ... more
• Operation Beijing: What PR Is Doing Wrong by Martin Lindstrom
  There's a lot that China could do better, like every country in the world. But the Beijing Olympics PR machine is failing badly to put a positive spin on anything. So, what are they doing wrong? more
• Four Lessons for Fostering Employee Brand Ambassadors by Elaine Fogel
  Marketers spend gazillions on branding. But what is often missing is a focus on the people who carry the brand around every day: The front line folks who answer phones, sales reps who follow leads, the custodians.... Every word they utter is part of your brand. Yet, how many of ... more

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Public Relations case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How AAA Went to Where Its Members Needed Help: Social Media SitesAmerican Automobile Association (AAA)
  CASE STUDY: With an increasing number of its members talking about the American Automobile Association via social media, the company decided it needed to monitor and respond. more
• How Domino's Managed a Viral Video NightmareDomino's Pizza
  CASE STUDY: What do you do when potentially devastating information about your company goes hyper-viral online, reaching millions of people essentially overnight? more
• Generating Serious B2B Buzz With Dead Bugs... and VideoGrasshopper.com
  CASE STUDY: Entrepreneurs, by definition, don't play it too safe. So for a company that serves startups and small businesses, what better way to launch a rebranding campaign and generate buzz than doing something novel and risky—but being wicked smart about it. Which is where the bugs come in. more
• Tips From Microsoft on Cultivating Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty on a Global ScaleMicrosoft Corporation
  CASE STUDY: With millions of customers in more than 90 countries, Microsoft has its hands full keeping customers satisfied and loyal. But it has found a way to do so—by using Web-monitoring tools, social-media analytics, and the energy of influencers. Read on for valuable insights. more
• How Good Karma Mixed With Moxy and Social Media Created Close to $1 Million in RevenueHelp A Reporter Out
  CASE STUDY: How does helping out a friend, or a friend of a friend, become a million-dollar business... with not a penny spent on advertising? When those little favors are in huge demand—and word-of-mouth and social media spread the good news like wildfire. more
• How Twitter Helped Save Ford From a PR DisasterFord Motor Company
  CASE STUDY: When US Airways flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River, Twitter users broke the news, 15 minutes ahead of mainstream media. The same channel and its immediacy also helped Ford Motor Company's head of social media quell a different kind of disaster--of the PR variety. more
• How OfficeMax Helped an Education-Focused Charity Increase Funding and Classroom AdoptionsOfficeMax
  CASE STUDY: OfficeMax teamed with nonprofit Adopt-A-Classroom to create an annual event to recognize and reward standout teachers for their dedication and sacrifice. This year, OfficeMax stepped up its marketing for the program, upping classroom adoptions +800%. more
• How a Technology Company Leveraged March Madness Live Streaming to Increase Visibility for Its Own ProducteTelemetry
  CASE STUDY: When CBS Sports announced that it would once again live-stream the NCAA March Madness tournament during regular business hours, eTelemetry jumped at the chance to use the event as a prime backdrop for its own campaign. more
• How One Whitepaper Generated 500 Leads and Significant PR for a B2B ManufacturerJER Envirotech
  JER Envirotech, a manufacturer of environmentally friendly thermoplastic biocomposite materials, needed to stand out in the green manufacturing industry. Its solution: create a white paper to both explain and build credibility for its offerings. Here's how that led to 500 new leads over 60 days. more
• How a Consumer Electronics Company Leveraged the Power of Community to Uncover Market Preferences and Build Excitement for a New Product LineEastman Kodak Company
  When it chose to enter the saturated inkjet market 20 years late, Eastman Kodak had a few surprises up its sleeve. Still, the company found it also needed a little marketing ingenuity if it was to gain market share. more
• How a University Embraced Social Media and Scored Millions in YouTube ViewsCarnegie Mellon University
  How does a university up its visibility with an increasingly wired target market of both students of alumni? By orchestrating a Web 2.0-focused Web site redesign that set the foundation for an ongoing social media campaign. more
• How a Finance Director Left Her Day Job and Launched an 'Engaging Brand' Online via a Podcast and BlogThe Engaging Brand
  A finance director, feeling stifled by the corporate world, launches her own business based in branding and egagement... with only $1,000 to spend. Two years later, she's a blog and podcast star with a successful business. more
• How a Technology Firm Upped Webinar Attendance, Improved Lead NurturingObjectivity, Inc.
  By hiring an outside expert in lead optimization and leveraging its full range of data, San Francisco-based Objectivity increased turnout for its webinars an average of 10%. The quality of the leads is high as well: More than 30% of the leads typically score high enough to be handed off to sales. more
• How a Consultant's Internet Radio Show Led to New Business, New Sources of RevenueCRM Essentials LLC
  Atlanta management consultant Brent Leary launched a radio show in 2006 to help small and mid-sized businesses understand technology. It proved so popular that he evolved the show into a series of online podcasts, bringing new business and (ultimately) new revenue to his 15-year-old consulting business. more
• How an International Beer Co. Keeps Its Brand Distinctive and FreshGuinness (a Diageo company)
  Guinness, the top-selling stout in the world, is facing competition as the beer industry consolidates. It also needs to diversify its customer base, as about 95% of its sales volume comes from four markets. Here's how Guinness maintains its distinctive brand reputation. more
• How a Tiny Manufacturer Convinced Apple to Stock Its Product and Tripled SalesWi-Gear, Inc.
  Wi-Gear, an independent manufacturer formed in 2004, was focused on one product—a wireless Bluetooth headset—geared toward the Apple iPod. It had a tiny sales and marketing budget and no outside capital. It needed to grow its distribution from just online sales to other retail outlets, preferably Apple Stores. But plenty of competitors also made wireless headphones for iPods, and they too wanted to get into Apple's stores. more
• How a Swiss Co. Doubled US Sales by Convincing Consumers That Its Product Is Hip and Worth a PremiumSIGG USA
  SIGG had been selling its aluminum water and fuel bottles to the US outdoor market for years at a price about twice as much as the closest competitor's. It counted on the Swiss reputation for quality to drive sales—but sales were flat. Then its newly formed US subsidiary made some surprising discoveries via market research. more
• How an ISP Used Online Chat to Lower Customer Service Costs and Achieve an 80% Customer Satisfaction RateEarthlink, Inc.
  Earthlink, one of the country's smaller Internet service providers, serves just over 5 million customers. To differentiate itself, it has decided to provide superior customer service. An early adopter of chat technology, it has sought to actively offer efficient online customer service via chat—both shifting customer support away from the less-efficient phone channel and increasing customer satisfaction while dramatically reducing expenses. more
• How a Nonprofit Used Member Resources to Increase Brand Awareness Across Multiple MarketsOregon Sports Authority
  The nonprofit Oregon Sports Authority (OSA) was striving to bring new sporting events, teams, and tourist dollars to the state. It also wanted to become the official sports resource for state residents. An overhaul of its promotions and more compelling communication of its brand were the ambitious goals that the four-employee nonprofit set for itself--and achieved, with a little help from a capable member base, which included the likes of Nike. more
• How a Web Services Firm Used 'Fanatical' Customer Care to Increase Sales 60% Year Over YearRackspace
  With Web hosting fast becoming a commodity, Web hosting firm Rackspace realized it needed to stand out from the pack. Its founders decided they would stake a claim to "fanatical" commitment to customer service. Rackspace wove the concept into its very business structure, even trademarking the term "Fanatical Support." And it worked: Revenues grew more than 60% from 2005 to 2006, and the number of employees more than doubled. more

Public Relations: See all 29 case studies

Public Relations online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• Engage or Die: The Insider’s Guide to Social Media for Marketing and PRAttendee rating:  - Aug 27, 2009
• Green to Gold: Why Smart Companies Are Going Green (Even in a Recession)Attendee rating:  - Feb 12, 2009
• Lose Control of your Marketing: The NEW New Rule of Marketing & PRAttendee rating:  - Jan 7, 2009
• Content Marketing: How to Position Your Company as a Trusted Expert ResourceAttendee rating:  - Dec 4, 2008
• Direct-to-Consumer PR: Putting the "Public" back in Public RelationsAttendee rating:  - Sep 11, 2008
• Identity Marketing: Using PR to Reach the Minds (and Wallets) of Today's Diverse ConsumersAttendee rating:  - Apr 24, 2008
• Telling a Story that Sells: Case Studies with HeartAttendee rating:  - Feb 14, 2008
• Publicity Power Tool: Building a Great Online Press KitAttendee rating:  - Nov 15, 2007
• How To Build a Consistent Pipeline of Customer ReferralsAttendee rating:  - Oct 18, 2007
• What Marketers Need to Know about Podcasting and Streaming VideoAttendee rating:  - Aug 9, 2007
• How Connected People and Companies Are Winning Big in the Tech-Savvy Consumer PlaygroundAttendee rating:  - Jul 25, 2007
• How to Tell Your Story to the MediaAttendee rating:  - Jun 21, 2007
• Inside Secrets for Using Blogs Effectively in Your Marketing MixAttendee rating:  - Jun 14, 2007
• How to Develop Quality e-Newsletter Content Without Breaking the BankAttendee rating:  - Apr 19, 2007
• Social Media 1.0: What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Video, Widgets, Blogs and MoreAttendee rating:  - Apr 11, 2007
• Blogs, Tubes, Twitters, and More: Emerging Media's Impact on the Customer ExperienceAttendee rating:  - Mar 29, 2007
• e-Newsletters: Get Attention and Build LoyaltyAttendee rating:  - Feb 22, 2007
• The New Rules of PR: How to Use Press Releases to Reach Buyers DirectlyAttendee rating:  - Jun 29, 2006
• Inside Secrets to Building Links for Online Publicity, Buzz and Search Engine OptimizationAttendee rating:  - Feb 16, 2006
• WHAT WORKS SERIES: QuickBooks Makes Blogs Part of the Marketing MixAttendee rating:  - Jan 26, 2006

Public Relations: See all 20 seminars

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