Lindsay Lohan has a hard working publicist. So does Charlie Sheen. So, surely, someone in the PR industry must be willing to take on the poor snakehead fish as a client. Ever since making an inglorious splash in American headlines for being a marauding invasive species indigenous to Asia and Russia, the public has both hated and feared the snakehead fish.

Scientists, reporters and TV personalities have inundated the public with scary facts detailing how the snakehead fish is a voracious predator that can decimate entire species of indigenous fish and wildlife, upsetting the precious ecological balances of entire ecosystems. Oh, and did we mention the snakehead fish can slither—well, more like wiggle—on land and breathe air via suprabranchial chambers? Well, it can. So load your guns and lock your doors. Snakehead fish are coming after your daughters.

Snakeheads do pose a serious and ecologically costly threat to our communities. They’ve proliferated in the Washington, D.C. area, and have even been spotted in New York City’s beloved Central Park as well as in Florida and California. So the public has every right to be both intrigued and concerned. Snakeheads are spreading. Naturally scientists, anglers and environmentalists are all asking the same question: What should we do now?

This is where public relations can play an important role. The snakehead fish, also known as Frakenfish or Fishzilla, has a horrible reputation. And there is no un-ringing the bell on this ecological development. The snakehead is here, and we must deal with it. Perhaps a savvy PR strategy can help contain the snakehead’s expansion by motivating its only natural predator: the public. However, people aren’t too keen on eating anything with “snakehead” in the name. It doesn’t really read well on a menu.

So can public relations help integrate the snakehead into our cultural palate? With a new name, can the snakehead fish be the next Chilean sea bass?

What would you rename the snakehead fish? Let us know.

It’s only 15 seconds long, but the brevity of this Lucky Charms spot only seems to intensify the “Whoa, what the hell just happened?” effect.

The commercial, which mixes footage from both current and vintage ads for the “magically delicious” cereal, is an explosion of colors, shapes and sparkles, all set to the tune of the classic jingle, which has been auto-tuned almost beyond the point of recognition.

The ad aired during big TV shows this week like the season finales of American Idol and The Voice. So in the event that people were watching those programs high off their gourds, we’re confident this spot either inspired them to eat nothing but pots of gold and rainbows throughout the duration of their trips, or sent them spiraling into a really, really bad place inhabited by T-Pain-sounding leprechauns.

At some point, back-peddling is no longer a viable damage control option. We’d say that point comes somewhere between screaming obscenities in all caps at critics via Facebook, and hurling vague threats while claiming to be a superhero backed by God himself.

Yeah, that happened.

After Gordon Ramsay of reality show “Kitchen Nightmares” declared Arizona restaurant Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro so horrible that even he couldn’t help the owners rescue their establishment, those owners, Amy and Sammy, took to social media to bite back at critics. Here are a few of the most…um…interesting Facebook posts (if you’re offended by the F word, you should probably stop reading):

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Solomon McCown, a Boston-based national public relations firm, announced the opening of its new office in New York City. Solomon McCown has a track record of working with clients in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., so the new office is a natural progression that will enable the firm to be closer to existing and prospective clients, as well as established real estate, financial services and healthcare companies, key growth areas for the agency. The firm has grown in the last two years, and has already hired 6 new employees in 2013. The new office will be led by Jonathan Pappas, a seasoned agency veteran who brings a compelling mix of agency, corporate, and real estate experience to New York City. (Release)

Ketchum has announced four new hires, three in Atlanta and one in New York: 

• Phil Swire joins as senior vice president, digital strategy & technology, New York. Phil Swire leads Ketchum’s development function in the U.S. and oversees technology strategy across the Ketchum network. A digital strategist, Swire joins Ketchum from PricewaterhouseCoopers where he was a leader in that firm’s digital strategy practice.
  
• Matt Browher is the new senior vice president, digital strategy, Atlanta. Browher has extensive experience in strategy development, team management and interactive marketing, having recently worked at Digitas and as the digital practice lead for FleishmanHillard in Atlanta.
• Amy Andrieux, the new vice president, multimedia content & strategy, New York, was formerly editorial director at MTV World. Andrieux oversees the Ketchum Digital video group, helps lead content strategy for the U.S., and helps to evolve Ketchum Digital’s multimedia capabilities. Andrieux brings a wealth of multimedia, video and content development experience to Ketchum from her experience developing and leading editorial strategy for MTV World online portals. 
• Kristen Massaro, Vice President, Digital Strategy, New York, supports a number of key accounts, including Michelin and Gillette, and lends support to other markets in the Ketchum network, with emphasis on the Southern U.S region. Massaro, who has deep expertise in social media engagement, was previously with with Emanate, a public relations sister agency to Ketchum, where she led the digital and social strategy specialty since 2011. (Release)

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PR Daily: PR Lessons Learned from ‘The Office’

The New York Times: Digital PR: New Apps Arrive on Google Glass

The Washington Post: Amy’s Baking Company’s PR Disaster Just Won’t Go Away

Chicago Tribune: Despite Apologetic Stance J.C. Penney Sales Plummet

Forbes: David Beckham, Personal Branding Star, Retires from the Game

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” – George Bernard Shaw

Late July Organic Snacks, Barnstable, Mass., has selected Haberman to handle the fast growing, family-owned company’s social marketing expansion and new 2013 campaign. Late July is celebrating its 10th year of making great tasting organic, non-GMO snacks that the whole family can enjoy.

“Like Late July, Haberman is an independent, founder-driven company with a passion and a purpose, so we felt an immediate bond,” said Nicole Bernard Dawes, co-Founder and CEO, Late July Organic Snacks.

“Haberman understands the meaning and importance of real, great tasting food — with its depth of experience in the organic food category, we know Haberman shares our beliefs and understands our vision. We’re thrilled to have the agency communicate our message to more consumers in an impactful and meaningful way.”

“There is always safety in valor.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Diono, a leading maker of innovative child car seats and travel accessories, has named Current, owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies, its agency of record for public relations. The agency will support Diono in its efforts to raise overall brand awareness, as well as promote new products and partnerships in several markets around the world. Read more

On a planet divided by violent political, sectarian, and international rifts, it’s nice to know that sworn enemies can share a deep admiration for one historical figure who was so much more than a man. Years ago, this misunderstood prophet dared to buck the tide and bring humanity together in the name of an all-encompassing love—the love of crispy, delicious fried chicken.

That man, of course, was KFC founder Colonel Harland David Sanders, and this week the trusty fourth estate brings us multiple stories about residents of Palestine’s volatile Gaza Strip region going above and beyond for a little taste of his special sauce.

Finger lickin’ good PR? Yeah…no.

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As fans of “The Office” prepare to say a fond farewell to their beloved Scranton-dwelling characters on tonight’s series finale, the real-life Dunder Mifflin paper company, launched in 2011 via a licensing deal between Quill.com and NBC Universal, is preparing to ramp up business with a well-placed ad.

The spot, created by PR agency Olson and crowdsourcing platform Tongal, will run tonight in five Dunder Mifflin “branch” markets (Scranton, Utica, Akron, Albany, Syracuse).

While back in 2011 some thought that the concept of reverse product placement in the form of an entire company was sure to be a failure, the real-world Dunder Mifflin has grown into a multi-million dollar brand that is now among the best-selling brands in the office-supply category. We guess having sales geniuses like Dwight in your corner can make all the difference, especially when he delivers nuggets of marketing gold like, “To me, success is simply the opposite of failure.” Indeed.

Princess Merida, the young Scottish girl who broke tradition and took a decidedly feminist stand against being married off to the winner of an archery competition in Disney’s “Brave” (by using her kick-ass marksmanship skills to win her own hand) has officially been inducted into the sacred sisterhood of the Disney Princesses, taking her place alongside the likes of Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel.

But before Merida could join the ranks of her more mature counterparts, she had to undergo quite a makeover. First, her dress — a functional frock, suitable for her outdoor adventures, was replaced by a much brighter, frillier, more low-cut number, reminding young girls that looks trump comfort. And because there’s nothing feminine or damsel-like about packing heat, her beloved bow and arrows were apparently confiscated.

Equally disturbing were the changes that were made to her previously young-girl-like figure: her waist had clearly been cinched and her bust noticeably increased, she was given flirtatious lashes and rosier cheeks, and her adventurous, slightly defiant-looking smile gave way to a sultry smirk. After critics lambasted the made-over Merida for over-sexualizing what was supposed to be a young girl to whom real young girls could relate, Disney quietly pulled the image from their website and replaced it with the Pixar original.

We’re not surprised the backlash was so intense, because while we agree that the over-sexualization was a major problem, we think it went beyond that. Read more

Audubon, one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the country, has been harvesting some of the best earth-minded writing for more than a century. The pub appeals to the well educated, politically active nature lover.

Though the mag is the only pure nature magazine on the market, EIC David Seideman admits that the publication aspires to the reach and commercial success of National Geographic, while still maintaining its commitment to the thought-provoking, long-form type journalism of The Atlantic and The New Yorker.

And, lucky for publicists, editors are more than open to featuring your clients as long as they fit the pub’s nature-loving mission. Get the details on who and what to pitch in How To Pitch: Audubon.

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