Last week, Hodges made history as Sean Ryan, the last iPhone hold-out purchased the iPhone 5s. Everyone at the agency now has an iPhone, even Steve, who was once known for his sleek, sexy and T9-capable LG flip phone. What took you so long people? I recently wrote a blog on how the iPhone changed public relations. In it, I promised a post on the top iPhone apps for PR professionals. Check out some of my favorites below: Tastemade Don’t waste hours or days putting…
Read MoreBirmingham, Ala. and New Delhi, India are two places you wouldn’t think have anything in common. But lately, we’ve been pitching like it’s our job (read: it is our job) and I’ve been corresponding with hyper-local reporters across the United States and international reporters in India. Through this firestorm of media pitching, I learned that some of the basic rules of media research apply when pitching media anywhere in the world. Take a lesson in geography Google Maps can be your best friend when pitching…
Read MoreThis Sunday, I will be rolling out to the middle of the Black Rock desert (of Burning Man Festival fame) in Nevada to help send pillows 100,000 feet up into (near)space, and any of you can watch this unfold live on SleepBetter.org. It is all part of an out of this world promotional campaign we cooked up for Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org on behalf of our client SLAY Communications. It all started this summer with a Facebook fan engagement program called Postcards from Pillow, where…
Read MoreIt's June 29, 2007: Game show fans are still heartbroken after Bob Barker completes his last episode of The Price is Right nearly two weeks earlier; former astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak is disputing accusations she wore diapers while driving 950-miles to confront her romantic rival in the bizarre love triangle case that made worldwide headlines; and, standing in line at AT&T and Apple stores nationwide, thousands of eager consumers are waiting to get their hands on the first ever iPhone. It’s hard to believe the…
Read MoreAlthough I’m only 30, I’m an aspiring curmudgeon. Nothing brings me more joy than getting on a soapbox and ranting about the absurdity of things. My coworkers love it. (Read: I regularly interrupt my coworkers with rants they couldn't care less about.) Well, I recently was perturbed by something that was too important to share with only the select folks at THP. So without further ado… Conversations around public relations can quickly devolve into esoteric nonsense. Go to enough PR workshops, luncheons or conferences and…
Read MorePart of working for a PR agency that specializes in media relations requires that you not only keep abreast of the news, but also pay special attention to the different outlets, its editors and reporters (and the comings and goings thereof) as well as the structure of the content, including any special columns or sections. Keeping this mental map of the media landscape comes in handy when trying to figure out where and to whom to pitch your client. Lucky for me, I happen to…
Read MoreHappy birthday, Benedict Cumberbatch! When’s the new season of Sherlock? Anyway, as a present, here’s some interesting stories we’ve seen or heard this week. I guess they don’t have mail-carrier unions in Wisconsin This might just be the ultimate summer job. Teens in Lake Geneva, Wis. deliver mail to the waterfront community by boat. It would take too long for the boat to stop at each dock, so the teens must jump, deliver mail into mailboxes and then jump back on board … at least…
Read MoreWatching your son or daughter spill their drink at dinner is frustrating. Watching them spill an $8.95 gimmick drink at a theme restaurant is even more so. Watching your server witness spilled drink and not offer to refill it? Frustrating enough to dampen the whole night out – in addition to some 50-odd napkins. I’m the type of person who stays quiet but has a long memory when it comes to customer service, which for me continues to be among the most crucial elements of…
Read MoreFor the past few years, University of Richmond President Edward L. Ayers has been leading conversations about the Civil War and Emancipation in Richmond and beyond. And his books, research and discussions on the “War between the States” have shaped him as one of the preeminent Civil War scholars in the country. On Wednesday, Dr. Ayers was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Obama at the White House. We offer our congratulations to a leader whose vision has made a tremendous impact on Richmond…
Read MoreHere’s a brief look at some interesting stories we’ve read this week, delivered a couple days early because of Independence Day. We call it HodgePodge. Social Landscaping Just when you were thinking perhaps social marketing was maybe getting simpler, Mashable has the details on the latest “Conversation Prism” (or, as Jon calls it, the social media peacock chart) from industry analyst Brian Solis. That’s a lot of logos. Make Money. Live Better. For the second year, Walmart is holding a contest that offers entrepreneurs a…
Read MoreWhile this time of year has everyone else thinking grilling, fireworks and sunblock, for us PR pros ’tis the season for holiday gift guide pitching. Yes, it may only be July but for the editorial world they’re busy making their list and checking it twice. Exactly what is a holiday gift guide? Each year leading up to the holidays, media outlets from your major national monthlies, local dailies to online and broadcast put together their picks for what should be on everyone’s wish list. It…
Read MoreA big part of our jobs as diligent and dedicated PR people is to read a lot of news, from pop culture to politics and everything in-between. We thought it would be fun to share some of those stories here on the blog. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve been reading this week: SCOTUS Run If you thought your internship was tough, let’s take a moment to think about the broadcast interns up in D.C. on days like Wednesday. Following major Supreme Court rulings, interns…
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