Some public figures apparently love to hear the sound of their own voices … on Twitter! And often tweet without thinking or media coaching. Once again, a public figure is facing backlash after tweeting. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asked courts to hold Elon Musk in contempt of a settlement ruling imposed in August of last year for fraud …
Creating an AXIS Point
How do you take a household product and give it cultural relevance? Like this: Take one part household cleaning product line, Pine-Sol® and two parts marketing and communications agency, AXIS. Mix it all together and you’ve got a multicultural marketing campaign. Together, Pine-Sol® and AXIS created the “Makers of Home” campaign, branding Pine-Sol® through diverse home stories and statistics. The makers of …
What a Play!
Just one inning into the game. You can feel the tension as every sports bar in America has tuned in to the highly anticipated 2017 World Series, Game 1. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros begin to battle it out. An ad flashes across your screen: T-Mobile #HR4HR, Home Runs for Hurricane Recovery. Say what? Wasn’t Houston where …
Publicity Pitfalls
In today’s media climate, celebrity endorsements can be a slippery slope. Sloppy social media posts are one thing, but how do brands react when the public figures they sponsor receive bad publicity? Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte made international waves surrounding the scandal of the 2016 Rio Olympics, in which he accused Brazilian police of robbing him and two fellow swimmers at …
Tell it like it is
Google defines can·dorˈ kandər/ a noun as: the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness. ”a man of refreshing candor” synonymous with frankness, openness, honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, forthrightness, directness, plain-spokenness, bluntness, straightforwardness, outspokenness; informal … telling it like it is Candor is one of READY FOR MEDIA’s C’s of Communication, along with Clarity, Conciseness and Credibility. Taking the initiative to come clean about an …
When it’s Wrong to be Right
The best intentions can still backfire in the media game. In an attempt to address the issue of race relations, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz faced an immediate and intense social media backlash to his “Race Together” campaign. “Our objective from the very start — dating back to our first open forum in Seattle last December — was to stimulate conversation, …
Fact or Fiction
Whether you have decades of media experience or are just starting out, honesty and integrity are key. With the Internet looming overhead, any misstated facts or exaggerated truths may be discovered and broadcast. TV veteran news anchor, Brian Williams learned this lesson after an apparent attempt to be part of the story, rather than simply reporting it. Williams was outed …
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
In their classic hit, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon and Garfunkel offer a message to Cameron Diaz: Take the high road, not the bait! Acknowledge the interview question then bridge to the answer you’ve come to give. Anyone can fall prey to media mistakes if she hasn’t had media coaching, and the typically well-mannered romcom actress, Cameron Diaz, is no …