A version of this article originally appeared on PR Breakfast Club on August 15, 2012. Digital marketing expert Mitch Joel wrote an interesting blog post last year called “The Art of Fake Familiarity.” In it, Joel criticized a public relations pitch he recently received that used information from his blog and Twitter feed in an attempt to garner a feeling of familiarity and get his attention. Instead, the pitch came off as creepy and...

The past several months have been trying for the $2 billion-a-year compounding pharmacy industry. First, it was a multi-state meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center (NECC). The outbreak, due to unsanitary conditions at NECC, has sickened 730 people, killing more than 50 – and six months later, people continue to fall ill. Investigators examined foreign materials from unopened...

On March 9, 2013, my husband and I sailed on the Carnival Dream as we celebrated our honeymoon. We were treated to the usual cruise luxuries—hot meals, unlimited soft drinks and beautiful ocean views. Carnival treats its customers well, and we were confident that the company had learned from the Carnival Triumph engine room fire. Unfortunately, our high hopes were dashed as we found ourselves stuck in port with more than 5,000 passengers...

Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny – all brand promises gone awry.  But our parents had it right. These major disappointments were merely preparation for the big stage; preparation for our move into the real world where companies and their brand promises often disappoint. Broken promises, whether expressed or implied, can destroy confidence and loyalty. Worse, it can create general apathy. Take the current Washington debacle...

On Tuesday, I discussed how to utilize media coverage to instill a sense of pride among employees and other stakeholders, to demonstrate value to the C-suite and to extend your brand's reach via social channels. In this post, I'll look at four more tactics to leverage your positive coverage – consider this the "advanced class."