The Cauldron

Simmering...

• When Journalists Get Targeted by the Media

  Terri Waters is a senior director at Cushman/Amberg Communications, working on a variety of client accounts.  Away from the office she enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her family. ...

• Mel Gibson, Reputation Beyond Repair?

  should practitioners stick with a more traditional approach and use the situation as what another Huffington Post blogger, Robbie Vorhaus sees as an “opportunity for learning, growth, healing and ...

• PR’s part in the rise and fall of brands

  launch of a new product that the news media can’t get enough of or sound reasoning for poor sales at year end. Companies cannot afford to got without an ...

• A Lesson in Crisis Communication

  Deena Lipson is an intern at Cushman/Amberg Communications. She is entering her senior year at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. In her free time, Deena enjoys taking pictures, ...

• Brand Loyalty Can Make All The Difference When Things Go Wrong

  I think all this will do is serve as a way for frustrated customers to vent and rightly so.  But, I doubt this issue will have any lasting negative ...

• Make Your Releases More Social and Less Media for Greater Impact

  Today’s releases don’t just lead to stories in news print or end up read on a teleprompter. They go where the media audiences go – online. And not just ...

• The “Pitbull”–“Pervert” Saga Lasted Too Long

  Now I’ll admit it – I like Letterman and based on his track record I don’t think his comment about Palin’s 14-year-old daughter being “knocked up” by Alex Rodriguez at ...

• 2009 Business Blunders More about Symbols than Words

  I couldn’t help but chuckle remembering the Monday morning quarterbacking after Tropicana’s botched redesign effort and KFC’s free chicken deficit. What seemed to mark the year, and this list, though ...

• Attack of the Twitter Spam

  Recent schemes involve companies offering Twitter users hundreds of dollars a day to tweet after they pay for a training kit, which never shows up. Others claim “hundreds of paying, ...

• Mommy Blogger Power Play

  It sounds fair, especially when we remind ourselves that bloggers are regular folks, like us, who don’t appreciate junk mail clogging their mailbox at home and work. But outreach isn’t ...

• TRIAL BY MEDIA?

    That is the job of the police and the district attorneys, so they should do it.  However, the media has gone obsessive and virtually giddy doing stories on Dr. ...

• Best Intentions + Poor Planning = Reputation Hit

   Evidently not much. Americans burned through the $1 billion earmarked for the program in the first week.  Theoretically that should have shut down the program, leaving plenty of angry people ...

• New Media Versus the NFL

  The NFL obviously believes that this newest media among the new media presents a particular threat in containing unauthorized distribution of proprietary (make that pretty much all) information.  Twitter is ...

• MEDIA CHOOSES “JUICY” OVER “IMPORTANT” ONCE AGAIN

  what the media have chosen to do with this phenomenon. Virtually ALL the coverage of these important town hall debates on healthcare reform has been restricted to images, sounds and ...

• Pressing Issues with the Press

  Take the recent debacle at the New York Times for instance. An accredited television critic, Alessandra Stanley, wrote a sum-up of Walter Cronkite’s career published the day he died, July ...

• Silence…Not So Golden

   – again via the blog – planned a peaceful protest for Monday evening at Truman College, where they knew Shiller would be attending a public meeting for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid.  ...

• Going Ga-ga over Google’s YouTube News Near You

  According to a recent New York Times article, YouTube claims it will share ad revenues with the media outlets that agree to be featured on the Web site (albeit revenues ...

• Put the Work in Networking

   for people to pick one friend, follower, or contact every day and send them a brief note.  Make it personal and relevant to that person.  It will show them that ...

• Over-Sharing

  The homeowner, who has more than 2,400 followers, thinks it was because he tweeted about his vacation plans (http://tinyurl.com/nnnbo3).   Example 2: I read an article last week titled, “The Perils of ...

• DOES IT TAKE DEATH TO BREED MEDIA CIVILITY?

   I do offer one caveat, it seems that death is the one element which can calm the media waters and force everyone to act like grown-ups. It was a different ...

• Catholic Church’s Faith in TV Misguided

  about one in five Catholics in the Chicago Archdiocese attends weekend mass regularly.  Diocesan leaders’ answer to declining attendance?  Launch an ad campaign to bring ‘em back. So starting in December we ...

• Smart Advertisers Nestle Up to PR for Product Launch

  T-Mobile’s commercial for the G1 phone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr1RsUElWZ4) includes soundbites like: Critics are raving about the new T-Mobile G1 with Google. One of the best designed phones - PC World. ...

• Relying on WWW?

  we’ve made ourselves almost completely reliant on the Internet. The Internet has made so many things obsolete (or nearly so) – from phone books to reference books and catalogues – ...

• Oprah’s Love Letter to Chicago

   while a little too enthusiastic about the impact the event might have, was right. Oprah did deliver some solid exposure for the city.  Winfrey’s team did a nice job in making ...

• Role Reversal?

  As more and more parents join sites like Facebook for the initial purpose of keeping up with their children, we can expect more conversations like this one.  Autonomy with oversight.  ...

• Numbers up the appeal ante

  Dominos Pizza bit into the idea, delivering gift certificates to people turning 9 or 99 on Sept. 9. And of course, you had restaurants offering $9.09 meals and county clerks ...

• WHY BOTHER TO CALL IT THE NEWS ANYMORE?

  programming for a particular demographic is now the function of a newscast and NOT bringing NEWS to the public. There was a time when a “newscast” was not just a name ...

• The Tweet to Delete

   an increasing problem in our profession today: should news and other organizations develop social media policies to protect themselves? A few organizations have already implemented such policies.  The Wall Street Journal ...

• TXT “Mobile Marketing” to 555-1212

   325 percent more entries than the Web option and accounted for 52 percent of the total entries – even though it was only available for one of the ads. The ...

• DAVID LETTERMAN; MASTER OF PR?

   the embarrassing information at the heart of the matter was that Letterman had had sex with various female staffers on his show over a fairly lengthy period of time. Letterman ...

• Treat Your Prospective Employer Like A Journalist

   they’re targeted.  They speak directly to my company and the address the qualifications we’ve established, or they directly show how other experience has prepared them to meet our requirements.  Second, ...

• Say Something Already

  speculate very loudly about what might have happened. Then the self-helper added that Ray’s probably being advised by his lawyers and handlers to keep quiet. I can see why Ray’s colleagues ...

• EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT

  and until the Tribune started printing its tabloid grab’n’go, the Sun-Times was the only daily with personal sales on that corner. And I don’t know if the Sun-Times has increased ...

• Changing Attitudes

   how aggressive these companies are willing to be with their communications.  Companies don’t just want to get a slogan or logo out to people.  They want to connect.  They want ...

• Miscommunication about H1N1 Vaccine Fuels Confusion and Frustration

  the month, but that number may need to be revised once again depending on production. Speaking as a parent of a three-year-old child and a three-month old infant, I am particularly ...

• The Death of the High School Reunion

   used reunions as a life event almost anyone in the country can relate to (think stuff like Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, Grosse Pointe Blank, Peggy Sue Got Married).  ...

• I’m Not Here to Talk About the Past!

  worse than wrong – he is stupidly delusional.  If he thinks he can return to the media fishbowl with more “I’m not here to talk about the past” tactics, ...

• Spin be gone

  I’m interested to see what kind of impact PRSA’s new advocacy campaign, “The Business Case for Public Relations” (http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/BusinessCase/) has on the industry.  I’ve been in PR for 12 years ...

• Is there spell check on Twitter?

  your knowledge and ability to form clear, concise and grammatically correct sentences. And this tall order comes amidst a recent survey in which more than 42 percent said they had often ...

• Point – Counterpoint: Work/Life Balance

  most bosses can fairly determine when an employee is performing or not.  Putting in eight hours doesn't mean someone has done good work.  It just means they've spent time ...

• If Big Ben Can Have Twitter Account, Everyone Can – Right?

  I feel like not that many blogs are posting something original anymore.  For example, I follow a lot of design blogs and used to add feeds to my Google reader ...

• Tiger’s PR Mess – His Silence Became The Story

  a little too late. Unfortunately, it’s been all over the place, and the tabloids controlled this story from day one. Also, a mea culpa on his Web site is not the ...

• Geeks Like Me

  while the content frightens me, they’re always good for a laugh.  But I also love blogs like this because they give me hope that other people are starting to ...

• From Media Icon to Media Joke

  breaking him. I expect that sooner or later these tabloid zealots will move on, and sooner or later Woods will emerge from hiding, make his “apologies”, return to the ...

• The Pink Glove Dance: A Viral Video Campaign that Leaves a Reputation with Good Vibrations

  this will be part of a recipe for a successful viral video campaign; there are no numbers being shared publically yet on the latest sales numbers for Medline Industries’ <http://www.medline.com/> ...

• No Respect

  made great strides – aided in no small part by the Ries’ book The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR – toward educating the public about its ...

• Event Management 101

  Even the White House can’t seem to throw a party without a few problems (namely, Tareq and Michaele Salahi and Carlos Allen). While most affairs aren’t a matter of national security, ...

• Finally Here to Talk About the Past

  He was a perfectly packaged, tearfully repentant sinner repeating his well-rehearsed talking points in a series of handpicked, cathartic media interviews where he masterfully repeated his message. I agree with that ...

• COCO-PALOOZA

  I’m With COCO; changed Twitter icons to the now infamous black and white portrait of Conan with orange hair; and even organized rallies in front of NBC's headquarters and some ...

• Social Media: Embrace, Don’t Ignore, in the Workplace

  the more than half of companies completely prohibiting social networking scares me. I’ll leave it to the HR professionals on how best to handle time management issues; but from a ...

• Brother can you spare a dollar…or three?

  the cash register collection violates that first point. I’m all for companies supplying an easy, structured way for people to give back.  I’m all not for an employee, who in many ...

• And the Winner is…

  wrinkle is the new format of the Academy Awards.  The Oscars just announced its nominations and this year TEN – count ‘em TEN – movies are being nominated for “best ...

• When Public Records Become Headlines

  — the site gave me his place of business, job title, former employer, and alma mater. His spouse’s info was a little less comprehensive, but sure enough, followed in ...

• Vegas, Baby

  “when he comes I'll do everything I can to give him the boot back to Washington and to visit his failures back there.” It sounds to me like someone ...

• Winning Super Bowl Demonstrates Media Spread

  plagues network broadcasting even for the country’s most-watched event.  No other Super Bowl has cracked the 100-million view mark until now. Interestingly, it may have been CBS’ traditional news approach that ...

• Blogging = Brainier?

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping B2B clients grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also enjoys ...

• How to Show an Ex-Sponsor Who’s Boss. A Lesson by Tiger Woods

  Rob Amberg is vice president and general manager in our St. Louis office.  He has led social media efforts for numerous clients and loves to come up with creative ideas ...

• Media Have a Long Memory

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping B2B clients grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also enjoys ...

• A Really Good Reason to Create a Social Media Policy

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping professional services firms grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also ...

• Clash of the Ice Titans

  came the bizarre posting of a platinum-medal victory in Vancouver on his Web site. All of these stunts drew attention to the sport, the Vancouver Olympics and Russia – ...

• Is it the sizzle or the steak?

  Rob Amberg is vice president and general manager in our St. Louis office.  He has led social media efforts for numerous clients and loves to come up with creative ideas ...

• PR Listomania

  Katie Feltz is a vice president at Cushman/Amberg and leads a number of the agency's consumer product and service accounts. When she isn't in the office, you'll likely find her ...

• Do Our Clients Define Us? Or Do We Define Our Clients?

  Luke Cushman is consultant at Cushman/Amberg Communications who works on a variety of projects, including media relations campaigns for B2B, consumer and professional service clients. When he is not in ...

• Curious Cravings from News Junkies

  you’re curious, the top three news topics of most interest to survey participants were (in order of popularity) weather, national events and health or medicine. And most surprising to me, ...

• It’s in the Bag…

  It can’t be easy being the New Jersey Nets, who enter the final weeks of the NBA season at 8-63 on track for a potential worst-ever league record.  I feel ...

• Missing the Business Case for PR

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping professional services firms grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also ...

• “Reporter Does Not Accept Phone Calls”

  Kate Cox is a senior consultant at Cushman/Amberg with expertise in event management and an extensive background in health care communications. Off the job, she enjoys traveling and plans to ...

• Is Tiger Out of the Rough?

  Jon Sloane is CAC’s Vice President of National Media Relations and our “Media Insider” blogger.  Jon came to the agency from a media career which included stints as a TV ...

• “No R-Word” Talk Speaks Volumes about Grassroots Efforts

  Karyn Odway is vice president at Cushman/Amberg Communications. Before helping clients with messaging and media relations, Karyn delivered the news to television viewing audiences in Rockford, Ill., and various cities ...

• Look closer

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping professional services firms grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also ...

• Make News, Not News Releases

  Luke Cushman is consultant at Cushman/Amberg Communications who works on a variety of projects, including media relations campaigns for B2B, consumer and professional service clients. When he is not in ...

• Be My Guide

  Katie Feltz is a vice president at Cushman/Amberg and leads a number of the agency's consumer product and service accounts. When she isn't in the office, you'll likely find her ...

• The Catholic Church’s Attempt At “Spin”

  Those of us in public relations don’t like the word “spin” when associated with our industry because it doesn’t accurately reflect what we do.  However, the term itself has validity ...

• Good Guys Finish First

  Rob Amberg is vice president and general manager in our St. Louis office.  He has led social media efforts for numerous clients and loves to come up with creative ideas ...

• A “Perfect Storm” of Soundbites

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping B2B clients grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also enjoys ...

• Going on Record about “Off the Record”

  Katie Feltz is a vice president at Cushman/Amberg and leads a number of the agency's consumer product and service accounts. When she isn't in the office, you'll likely find her ...

• School Officials Need To Address Issue Head On

  based on some pretty heavy possibilities and a school district’s intent on protecting all of its students. Superintendent George Fornero is refusing to address this issue publicly except for a ...

• When the Subject Fights Back

  Katie Feltz is a vice president at Cushman/Amberg and leads a number of the agency's consumer product and service accounts. When she isn't in the office, you'll likely ...

• Words Vs. Pictures

  Jennifer Douglas is an intern at Cushman/Amberg Communications.  She is a recent graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and enjoys running, spending time with friends and family, and catching ...

• Restoring a Franchise

  Gerry Keane is an intern at Cushman/Amberg Communications.  He is entering his senior year at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and enjoys spending his time on the golf course ...

• It’s Off the Record…and Other Fairy Tales!

  Christie Zielinski is a vice president in Cushman/Amberg’s Chicago office, specializing in helping B2B clients grow their business. In her spare time, she’s an amateur home renovator who also enjoys ...

• Over Exposure, Under Emotion: The Pit Falls to Media Coverage

  Eleanor Flores is an intern at Cushman/Amberg Communications. She is entering her senior year in the fall at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. When not working she enjoys running outside ...