Last week, my kids were intrigued by a question from a neighbor: “Are you interested in making a little money?” The intrigue turned to excitement when they found out the task related to the compensation: the family was going on vacation for 10 days and, in their absence, they were hoping the Baron children could […]
Category Archives: Public Relations
In the first of this two-part series, we explored the media’s rising dependence on other sources to provide photographs for the stories they tell–and the potential for publicists to fill the void that is created by that shift. Here we explore two of the more common reasons why publicists and marketers fumble the opportunity that […]
In journalism, “sure shot” is a term that I first encountered as a young newspaper reporter. It’s the practice of taking a simple photo, or set of photos, while on the scene of a story. Whether it is a building fire or a feature profile of a baseball card shop owner, the idea is for […]
Have you ever had someone take five minutes to explain why they don’t have any time to meet with you—when all you could spare was two minutes of your own time, anyhow? Or what about the guy who turns on the creative juices to avoid doing essential work that requires one-quarter of the brainpower that […]
When you hear “marquee,” what comes to the mind’s eye? Maybe you envision a movie theater or concert hall, with a big space that touts an upcoming performance. It’s signage on steroids, with more “oomph” than you can muster with typical signs that serve as mere labels announcing the existence of your business. As such, […]
Contrary to popular belief, social media has been around for millennia. For as long as there have been people, there has been a social component to life. On that same thread, as long as there have been people, there have been ways in which we have communicated with one another—whether on cave walls, through ancient […]
From a distance, thanks to the big red letters against the white poster in the front window of the building, the words are easy to see: “THIS STORE WILL BE CLOSING ON.” Only when getting much closer to the window would you be able to see the hand-scrawled customization of that generic announcement: “Sat., 12-28-13 […]
The case of bottled water, used to prop open the front door at 1120 Lake St. in Downtown Oak Park, is what first caught my eye last Thursday afternoon. Inside, three men were engaged in various activities clearly designed to help a store open in the near future. “Hi guys!” I hollered, stepping inside. “What’s […]
In the first part of this two-part look at the Facebook fan page squeeze, we covered the ‘honeymoon is over’ reality of any organization that has developed a following on the 10-year-old social media phenomenon. In this second part, we explore four options you have to “face” this uncertain future, each accompanied by a “pro” […]
“This post was served to 58 people.” In Facebook’s continually evolving approach to commercial and organizational pages, that turn of phrase is among the latest twists. Previously, the line seen only by page administrators indicated how many people had “seen” the post. The new phrasing is not some subtle semantic shift. Instead, it reflects Facebook’s […]