PR Confidential

Voters Should be Angry over the Level of Vitriol in Politics Today (From PRWeek)

By Elliott Suthers on February 3, 2012 - 9:19am

With the 2012 election cycle in full swing, congressional approval hovers around 9%. To put this into perspective, at the height of Watergate, President Nixon's favorability never dropped below 23%. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) joked that the 9% who endorse Congress at this point are likely blood relatives or paid staffers.

Measuring the Effectiveness of B2B PR (Part One)

By Benjamin Gorelick on January 31, 2012 - 2:59pm

I’ve been spending a fair bit of time lately thinking about the practice of measurement and evaluation in public relations.

What to Watch For in Tonight's South Carolina GOP Debate

By Elliott Suthers on January 19, 2012 - 6:57pm

Tonight’s CNN debate in Charleston, South Carolina, could well be the last stand for Newt Gingrich. Politico’s most recent poll, released this morning, shows the former Speaker of the House bearing down on Governor-bot Romney, closing the gap to about seven points.

PR Confidential

Stay Calm and Remain Seated: AMR Tackles Bankruptcy Head on

By Alison Clement on December 1, 2011 - 5:11pm

This week American Airlines is shuffling to stand by their slogan, “We know why you fly.” American Airlines parent AMR, once the nation’s largest airline company, filed for bankruptcy this past Tuesday, November 29. Their failed attempt to secure cost cutting labor agreements and choosing to sit out on a round of mergers ultimately led them to their demise.

Did You “Misunderestimate” Your Closet Space?

By Liana Goff on December 1, 2011 - 3:16pm

If you’ve ever spent time on a New York City subway, chances are you’ve seen one of Manhattan Mini Storage’s poster ads. Some crude, others amusing, and a handful just downright offensive, the ads are eye-catching for any number of reasons … except for what they are supposed to be selling.

Five Must –See Political Movies

By Elliott Suthers on August 30, 2011 - 3:56pm

While trapped indoors all weekend, huddling in fear of pseudo-hurricane Irene — sorry Jersey, but there really wasn’t much to her — I took the opportunity to catch up on some of the movies that I’ve missed over the past year or so. Number one on my list was George Hickenlooper’s contemptuous portrayal of disgraced D.C. “super lobbyist” Jack Abramoff.

5 Subjects They Don't Teach You In PR School

By Shelley Spector on May 6, 2011 - 12:00am

Many years ago, I had occasion to ask Eddie Bernays, the father of public relations, what he thought was an ideal undergrad level PR program.

Considering this question was asked years before a PR degree would be widely conferred at U.S. colleges, Bernays had the opportunity to construe his own ideas for an ideal BA degree in Public Relations.

"In today's world, the best PR degree would be equally divided among three disciplines: one-third journalism, one-third psychology, and one-third business," replied Bernays.

PR’s “Nostradamus” Had Home at NYU

By John Doorley on May 1, 2011 - 12:00am

Edward L. Bernays, regarded among the founders of modern-day public relations practice, taught what many believe to be the first course in public relations in 1923 at New York University. This industry pioneer remains connected to NYU and the PR&CC program through new adjunct faculty member Shelley Spector, founder and head of the Museum of Public Relations that houses Bernays’ papers and memorabilia. They are shown here in a 1990 photo.

PR Confidential

When Actions Speak Louder than Words

By Shelley Spector on February 10, 2011 - 4:15pm

A lot has been written about the disconnect between what a company “says” about itself and then what it actually “does” — the most notorious example of this being BP, who, for years, made itself out to be the industry’s top advocate for environmental protection…until it came time to show that it was really anything but.