There was a day when a 24-hours news network sounded like a brilliant idea. We live in a complex world full of complicated events that highlight the worst and best of humanity.

From violent wars and corrupt politicians to heroic deeds and acts of selflessness, how could a network not fill its programming with constant and original news updates?

However, with the technology that allowed networks to report 24-7 from every corner of the world, we learned something very important about the public: from cuddly kittens to sickening carnage, we’ll watch the same images over and over and over and over and over again. Who needs a news cycle when you can just hit replay again and again?

The public is strongly addicted to emotional footage, and after September 11, coupling dramatic scenes and outlandish scenarios with charged commentary and paranoid speculation fractured viewers into different but loyal viewing demographics. We all know the stereotypes about the people who watch Fox News and the people who watch MSNBC, as stalwart news anchors like Brian Williams continue to scratch their heads.

Just as times were changing back then, times are changing now, and Jeff Zucker, CEO of CNN, fully understands this. Throughout the past decade the public sensibility has evolved and viewers began migrating from the constant barrage of loud news and bombastic analysis to shows that focused on the more pleasant aspects of life such as food, travel, health, history, science and reasonable opinions on real, everyday challenges.

Though yesterday’s bombing of the Boston Marathon demonstrated there will always be senseless violence and inexplicable trauma in our world, the public appears to be internalizing the frailty of life and living by the mantra we all—at least in theory—agreed to after September 11: the best revenge is living well. And now CNN’s network is beginning to reflect that with more accessible programming. Read more

“Out of sight, out of mind” need not apply to brands that are seasonal, annual or under renovation. Multiple marketing options, beyond having a social media or mobile presence, allow for destinations, museums, hotels, TV series, film festivals and sporting events to remain relevant throughout the year.

We’ve gathered twelve methods across categories to show how selected brands remain in public view. While these are similar to initiatives that year-round brands use, they often require more resourcefulness and additional resources.

     Make your presence known

1. Events: Offering a rich history, scenic countryside and famous golf courses, Scotland is a popular destination. During off-season April, Scotland hosts Tartan Week in New York. Festivities include a parade with Scots (and Scottish terriers) in kilts, and a trendy plaid fashion show.

2. Pop-up/temporary exhibits: Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum closed temporarily for an upgrade and will re-open this spring. Meanwhile, museum-goers can view the Dutch painter’s works at Amsterdam’s Hermitage museum.

     Get the word out

3. Generate buzz: Last year when New York’s legendary Waldorf Astoria was under construction, the hotel created an amnesty program  where prior guests were encouraged to return items they’d “borrowed” during their stays to showcase in the lobby. The program was intended to feed the hotel’s social media platforms and appeal to younger guests.

4. Sharing expertise: New York’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is currently closed during renovations. To draw designers’ notice, their acting director and curators started a blog. Called Object of the Day, it features graphic design items from the museum’s collection.

     Brand extensions

5. New location spin-offs: In 2002 Tribeca Film Festival launched to revive downtown New York after 9/11’s terrorist attack. The brand expanded its universe in 2010 by adding a Doha, Qatar location. In 2012 Sundance Film Festival introduced a London edition.

6. Counter-seasonal additions: Marketers learned about these brand extensions from the ski industry. Years ago Aspen was known just for snow sports. Ever since Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic was introduced, the town is also recognized for summertime culinary fare. Countless brands have copied this concept.

Read more

Beyond the beating that email gave to the U.S. Postal Service, it’s difficult to imagine a brand more threatened by the Internet and digital technology than Playboy. We’re a little surprised that the old bunny is still around, because today anyone can access pretty much every imaginable variety of “adult content” with a few simple clicks of a mouse or taps on a touch screen for the low, low price of a few pop-up ads (and a browsing history that might upset the ladies in your life).

How can Playboy even pretend to compete with all that low-to-no-cost content? Answer: The brand will live on by being dogged, resourceful and creative, because the Playboy we know simply won’t go down without a fight (nor should it). For example, the brand’s new iPhone app doesn’t feature nudity, because its makers are abiding by Apple’s content standards while demonstrating some excellent marketing acumen.

Read more

The late night ratings wars have never been funny. From David Letterman and Jay Leno to Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon, the bitter rivalries and backdoor deals only remind the public of how desperate the television industry is for viewers.

So when news broke that NBC tapped Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show and move the storied franchise back to its original home, New York City, the public collectively sighed and vowed to remind itself to set its DVR or check out Hulu at work. Clearly NBC is seeking the next Johnny Carson to revive television ratings (which is kinda like the music industry seeking the next Michael Bolton or Kenny G to revive CD sales).

News flash: The Roots are a great house band and all, but the public has moved on.

Read more

We all know how important copy editing and fact-checking can be to PR departments; last week we ran a story about a single error that cost New York City’s MTA a quarter of a million dollars.

But sometimes little mistakes can turn into PR wins. Case in point: When Village Voice columnist and theater expert Michael Musto attended the play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, he noticed that the playbill incorrectly credited lead actress Sigourney Weaver with an Oscar for her role in the sci-fi classic Aliens.

After Musto posted the mistake on his Daily Musto blog, he received a perfectly phrased email apology from the show’s publicist Rick Miramontez, who works for top Broadway firm O&M Co. In explaining his error, Miramontez wrote:

Read more

Ugh, we hate to see brands like Disney suffer the consequences of not providing the public with the “transparency” it demands. Pleasing millions of finicky fans seems so simple on the surface: it’s all about respect and communication, right?

Well, not even the most well-intentioned communicator is successful all of the time. Just ask your significant other. Also: when a person or brand forgets to mention certain important details, the public has a dangerous and instinctual tendency to fill in the blanks on its own.

That’s how conspiracies are born. By not providing enough evidence to prove your case to the public, you leave the door open for wackos and well-meaning but misinformed “advocates” to take control of the narrative. Case in point: Disney’s recent decision to require all children entering any of its parks to be supervised by someone at least 14 years old. Said parks will continue to be “the happiest place[s] on Earth”–for kids traveling with legally viable guardians.

Wait…how was this ever NOT a rule?

Read more

Good public relations experts are able to adjust to breaking bad news, provide damage control on all media fronts, advise their clients, and take control of the narrative so that it works in their favor.

Great public relations experts are able to see disasters before they even happen and take the necessary steps to make sure bad behaviors and press never materialize.

And so, as PR industry junkies, we wonder why almost all young pop stars seem to alienate their fans, the press and the public at large when they grow up—which is something not even millions of dollars can prevent. Yes, we’re talking about Justin Bieber, 19, who has both the access and resources to consult with the best and brightest experts in the industry.

Read more

We’re guessing someone at the Syfy Channel dropped the word “synergy” at a recent strategy meeting. Why else would NBCUniversal’s quirky cable brand invest $105 million in Defiance, a TV series and accompanying video game package? This the same channel responsible for Sharktopus and Dinocroc vs. Supergator, right?

David Howe, Syfy president, explains that the effort is leveraging the technology behind the idea of “true transmedia,” an ambitious and collaborative concept that could only come to you via the people who brought the world the fine feature films mentioned above. Defiance the game will develop alongside plot developments on the TV show–and the game’s environs will change in conjunction with the evolving world in the series.

The show’s pilot will air on April 15 and the video game will hit stores on April 2, allowing enough time for fans-to-be to familiarize themselves with the multi-player shooter platform. Both narratives involve aliens and alien cross breeds, though the game is set in dystopian Los Angeles and the show takes place in St. Louis (so much for consistency).

Read more

It’s a Bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Super CEO!

We’re pretty sure The Justice League didn’t advertise an open position, but no matter. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, can stand on his own (and so, apparently, can his comic book).

From the same state that brought you the very first Starbucks comes the inaugural edition of  “Howard Schultz: The Man Behind Starbucks”, written by C.W. Cooke, drawn by Angel Bernuy with cover art by Conan Momchilov and released by Washington-based Bluewater Productions.

Don’t expect any high-flying hi-jinx or otherworldly bad guys in this comic. The ink-and-paper version of Schultz does much of what the flesh-and-blood version does–i.e. serving as the visionary ruler of a coffee empire.

Read more

Poor Psy. His meteoric Gangnam Style rise to superstardom is ancient history. Where was he from again?

Pop culture, which has the attention span of a squirrel on amphetamines, is all about the Harlem Shake right now. You know, that YouTube sensation that combines electronic music from Baauer with clips of people gyrating in costumes. It’s addictive and has spawned countless imitators and millions of YouTube views.

PR professionals have a Pavlovian response to anything popular. Understanding the public is what we do. So when a video goes viral unexpectedly we ask ourselves why and berate ourselves from not being able to see it coming. And, of course, we wonder how we can replicate and leverage this level of notoriety for clients. How can we get the goose of YouTube to lay golden eggs at our command? Read more