The power of suggestion is alive and well on the Internet. A new survey offers some level of legitimate proof that “likes” on social media platforms such as Facebook do, in fact, encourage more “likes.” The same can’t be said for “dislikes.”

It appears haters just do not have the same digital clout as positive people. And that’s probably a good thing. We all know some people like to rant online when in a foul mood. Others just have terrible attitudes every day of their lives—and the Internet has been their dumping grounds for far too long. It appears the public is well aware of this, and that has to make us feel good about being in public relations. We’ve known all along that deep inside the public is all about good mojo. Read more

“So Bill, what you’re telling me is that Napoleon was a short, dead dude.”

He was! But he may also be the founding father of PR as we know it today—at least according an article in Investors Daily this week.

After the French revolutionaries overthrew the monarchy in the late 18th century, Napoleon was just one of many generals leading armies as they fought to take control of land throughout Europe. But he came up with a great idea to further his own power: commandeer media outlets and use them to his advantage.

Read more

“You keep it boring, String. You keep it dead f*cking boring.” – Joseph “Prop Joe” Stewart

Gangster’s motto or PR strategy? It’s both: the quote succinctly explains how drug kingpin Stringer Bell avoids attracting too much attention from the cops and how Bill Belichick, coach of football’s incredibly successful New England Patriots, manages to keep his team in the media’s good graces despite several recent run-ins with the Bad News Bears.

In an article titled “Nobody outworks Belichick in the game of media control,” former Patriot and current Sporting News analyst Ross Tucker explains the man’s secret: keep things nice and dull.

Sounds too simple, doesn’t it? For most pigskin squads, news of a top receiver’s indictment for murder and the arrival of Tim “Jesus Is My Homeboy” Tebow would attract more bad press than a Kardashian wedding. Yet the Patriots have so far managed to avoid the fallout from the Aaron Hernandez and Tebow sideshows. According to Tucker, it’s because the team is “uniquely suited to handle the media scrutiny,” and it all comes back to the man in charge and his diligent approach to PR.

Read more

Last month we discussed the major buzz generated by Cheerios‘ “Just Checking” commercial, which featured an interracial family. Somehow, in 2013, this sweet, simple ad garnered enough inflammatory responses on YouTube for the site to shut down the comments section.

While some adults were losing their cool over the “controversial” portrayal of what could easily be the family next door, many children, it seems, were having an all-together different reaction to the same ad.

The below video, part of a Fine Bros. series that has kids, teens, and elderly people react to viral videos, news stories, or trends, features children reacting to the commercial. After giving their take on the spot (hint: not one mentions an interracial couple), they are told that the video they just watched really, really upset some people, a fact that totally flabbergasts them.

The kids are then told why the ad was controversial, and their reactions are priceless. Read more

We can all agree on one thing: today’s Supreme Court decision invalidating the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was, is, and will continue to be a big deal. It’s not that the justices’ conclusions were a big surprise as most observers did not expect them to uphold existing gay marriage bans on the state or federal level. But it still inspired strong emotions for many Americans.

Of course, politicians of all stripes were quick to offer their takes on the issue.

RT if you agree: http://t.co/ISp1tO2Eqe pic.twitter.com/pKanRtHJK1

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) June 26, 2013

My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling that determined that same sex marriage is okay: “Jesus wept.”

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 26, 2013

In other words, the debate will go on. Now for the question of the day: how can brands turn this major cultural and political event into a great PR opportunity?

Read more

It’s important to remember that we’re in the public relations business because at some point in our lives we thought “Hey, this is fun.”

Of course in an industry hit hard by tough—but hopefully improving!—economic times, and with the inevitable spate of bad news and public relations foibles that make us smack our heads, we should never lose sight that what we do is compelling and enjoyable.

With that in mind, how can you not laugh at the huge controversy surrounding Cap’n Crunch and his suspicious military credentials. What started out as an entertaining conversation about the number of stripes on the Cap’n's uniform—it only boast three stripes, not four, making the Cap’n an actual commander (a rank lower)—evolved into a hilarious PR dialogue involving the cereal’s representatives, the U.S. Navy and the public. Read more

Anyone who ever had a science teacher assign a project centered around the creation of a Rube Goldberg machine — an overly complex contraption that uses a chain reaction to accomplish a simple task — was likely awed by Honda‘s “Cog” ad when it debuted over a decade ago. Ten years later, it seems the spot still possesses the power to amaze — a mark of truly inspired advertizing.

Neil Christie of London agency Wieden + Kennedy received the below letter on Monday morning from a 10-year-old girl:

Read more

The modern American family is no longer only comprised of parents, grandparents, cousins and siblings, but pets. In fact, nearly three-quarters of all families have pets and spend money on Buster and Tigger as if they were actual children. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American household spent $503 in 2011 on pets—which is more than it spent on alcohol or men and boy’s apparel.

This revelation comes as no surprise to those of us who currently own or grew up with pets. Pets don’t judge. Pets are dependable. Pets think we’re gods. And at a time when much of the public is struggling with an anemic economy or the more traditional vagaries of life, it’s nice to have a living entity in your home that sees you as the center of a benevolent universe. It’s a form of respect and love we can’t get from other people.

Americans spent an average of $183 on pet food and $143 on veterinary care, which means that even during a recession human beings were more inclined to make personal sacrifices than take away amenities for their pets. Watch the video below from the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornadoes and you’ll understand why.

Reddit, the “social-news” site, boasted more than 37 billion page views and 400 million unique visitors at the end of 2012; those are some serious stats to throw at potential advertisers. But rather than writing up a boring “look-what-we-can-do” press release or ad pitch, Reddit has opted to reel in ad dollars the way it reels in readers — with strange, appealing, funny images.

Mike Cole, who heads the sales and strategy team at Reddit, recently shared the below ad pitch (in the form of a slide deck) with AdAge. While some of the images may be laugh-out-loud funny, the message is quite clear: Reddit is the new “mainstream media”, and advertisers should want a piece of the 400-million-visitor pie.

Clearly, the promoters of the soon-to-be-revived cult classic “Arrested Development” did not “make a huge mistake” when they organized yesterday’s NYC giveaway of “Bluth’s Bananas”, a frozen treat featured on the show.

Diehard fans waited as long as 30 minutes in lines that stretched nearly two blocks for a chance to get their own chocolate-dipped frozen bananas from the authentic-looking replica of the Bluth family’s stand.

“I am such a major fan,” 21-year-old Sharah Stanley told the New York Daily News as she waited in line. “When I found out it was going to be here, I raced up. I hope the line doesn’t take too long because I’m on my lunch break.”

Stanley is not alone in waiting on bated breath for new episodes of her beloved show. Arrested Development, which originally ran from 2003 to 2006, will be reborn with a new season scheduled to be released by Netflix on May 26.