While there are numerous examples of companies handling issues and crises poorly (read some of our blog posts about them here, here and here), we also like to recognize those companies that respond swiftly and appropriately to a potential PR catastrophe. Recently there have been two such instances, one involving Royal Caribbean and the other Papa John’s. Early on Memorial Day, a fire broke out on Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas...

Spring’s motivating warm weather – and the fact that the year is a quarter over – makes now an excellent time to reflect on what’s working in your daily routine and what needs to be adjusted. For this blog post, I analyzed my day and identified five habits that typically underpin a successful day at the office. Whether you are a spokesperson, a CEO, a PR professional (or all of the above), these five habits can help you improve your...

Call me crazy, but I love March. It’s that time of year when the weather starts to warm up (at least in the South), the pollen count reaches epic proportions, baseball spring training begins and college basketball becomes THE topic of all water cooler chatter. Show of hands: how many of you will be filling out brackets and eagerly watching the NCAA tournament this year? I’ve got a serious case of hoops fever these days. Whether or not...

The public and media’s desire for the newest, latest and greatest information can put a tremendous amount of pressure on a brand, especially when it’s without news.  Most companies experience newsworthy events in a cyclical pattern—a peak when a product launches, but a valley when the product has entered the market and has lost its novelty. How does a company stay in the headlines when it’s business as usual? Many evaluate public...

This week’s presidential inauguration is a reminder of the power of symbols. Not only was the inauguration (albeit the second) of the nation’s first black president held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol was itself largely symbolic; the President and Vice President officially took their oaths the day before, on the date specified in the Constitution. The public spectacle was only that. And...

As a University of Georgia graduate and an avid football fan, I spent much of last week in a somber haze following what many have termed one of the greatest games in SEC Championship history. While I could spend hours lamenting the thrilling ups and downs (a tipped pass!), I will spare everyone and skip to a pivotal moment that occurred after many had left the Georgia Dome. In the post-game press conference, UGA’s head coach Mark Richt...