by Jen Zingsheim on January 26, 2012
The late House Speaker Tip O’Neill said “all politics is local.” It’s a mantra in politics, and is frequently at the core of Public Affairs programs. It makes sense: if you are appealing to a population that is defined by a geographical area (a voting district) you must keep the issues that are of importance to that specific area at top of mind when speaking to them.
But I think we’ve reached a point, because of the Internet, that candidates can no longer rely on this adage as gospel. We are so connected and it is so easy to share news items that while the need to appeal to voters on a local level remains, the ability to confine the messages directed at that local level is gone. And that has ramifications for candidates and elected leaders. Continue Reading
by Jen Zingsheim on January 25, 2012
We don’t talk much about the celebrity endorsement/marketing side of PR here on Media Bullseye–mostly because I tend to think that celebrity endorsement, while presumably effective considering its widespread use, tends to play into a stereotype of PR that I generally don’t care to reinforce. (That PR=publicist.) It is also an area that I think may be overrated, when examining the benefits versus the possible risks–celebrity endorsers have on occasion made rather large splashes in the water during their falls from grace. Continue Reading
by Mackenzie Bradley on January 25, 2012
Do you remember the feeling of being a kid on the way to the nickel-and-dime store? Your pockets were heavy and rattling with all the change you could shake free from your bank, or find rolling around under the couch. You schemed about all of the various combinations of gummies, chocolates, and other sweets to get the biggest brown paper bag of penny candy you could afford with your treasure. Continue Reading
by Jen Zingsheim on January 23, 2012
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jennifer Windrum, the driving force behind the WTF (Where’s The Funding) for lung cancer awareness. Windrum, whose mother has been battling lung cancer for several years (and no, she’s never smoked), continues her advocacy efforts with a seemingly bottomless supply of energy. In addition to continuing her work there, she’s taking the entrepreneurial plunge and will be launching a sock monkey line, called “SMAC”–Sock Monkeys Against Cancer–to raise funds and awareness for a range of different cancers.
As many of you know, Joe Paterno of Penn State lost his fight with lung cancer this weekend. Due to the stigma surrounding this disease, it doesn’t get nearly the attention or funding that other cancers do. I encourage you to listen to the interview and hear about Jennifer’s efforts on behalf of lung cancer patients.
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Our talk is 18 minutes long.
The Q&A ranged from discussing the success of her efforts with WTF, how the sock monkey effort came to be, and how she–and her mom–are doing.
by Jen Zingsheim on January 20, 2012
This week, Sarah Santucci and I discuss the PR and communications strategies and tactics surrounding the SOPA/PIPA blackout effort, Politico has teamed up with Facebook for campaign analysis, and Gawker highlights some bad PR pitches–will they ever run out of material? Continue Reading
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by Mackenzie Bradley on January 19, 2012
At your Monday meeting, your boss says she wants you to start monitoring online media for your organization. You think “Great, I already have so many other projects on my plate! How am I going to fit this one into the mix, too?!?” Not to worry. I have some ideas to help you monitor traditional or social media with just 15 minutes a day. Continue Reading
by Jen Zingsheim on January 17, 2012
With so many screens and gadgets commanding our time and attention, sometimes it’s good to take a mental break from them, and let the mind rest a bit. I do this typically by reading (old school, paper) books. Gini Dietrich has a great post up today about how reading fiction can help your career–I agree whole-heartedly.
It’s also why I think I got such a chuckle out of another post I came across today, from the blog Pioneer Woman. Titled “Goodnight iPad,” it spotlights a book that is a parody to the wildly successful and much-loved children’s book “Goodnight Moon.” Written by Ann Droyd, it has delightful illustrations to go along with rhymes such as “And a BlackBerry ringing/With Eminem singing.” I think my favorite illustration and caption pairing is the one about a “viral clip of a cat doing flips.”
Such a funny and light-hearted way to present a gentle reminder that stepping away from the gadgets for a bit can be a good thing.
by Jen Zingsheim on January 16, 2012
Within the last week, I’ve seen two instances of small business owners responding to bad Yelp! reviews in ways that, to put it mildly, are not helpful to the long-term success of the individual businesses. I can’t imagine the stress of running a consumer-focused business in this economy, and I’m sure that negative reviews are stinging–and perceived as potentially fatal–in this environment. Continue Reading
by Jen Zingsheim on January 13, 2012
This week, co-host Bryan Person joined me to discuss Google+ integration into Google’s search results, the twist on social communications that corporations that are franchised-businesses have to face, and some ways Facebook is changing–and why it matters to companies with fan pages. Continue Reading
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by Mackenzie Bradley on January 12, 2012
Social media has become an integral part of political campaigns, to the point that some folks believe that a candidate’s social media following or favorable online buzz correlates to that candidate’s chances of winning the next caucus or primary. Now that the circus has left town candidates have moved on from New Hampshire to South Carolina, let’s look at how social media fares as a predictive element on the campaign trail. Continue Reading
