“What CEOs Can Learn from Oprah’s Sex Abuse Scandal” is my first contribution as a blogger for the Huffington Post. They posted it it under both Business and Entertainment. I elaborated on an item I wrote here, giving Oprah high marks for managing the sex abuse scandal at her $40 million academy for girls in South Africa so thoroughly that she left… Read More
Publicity Blog
Pizza Hut jumps on Witherspoon’s comment
Kudos to Pizza Hut for jumping on celebrity Reese Witherspoon’s innocent, but not-so-nice, comment about pizza delivery drivers and turning it into some fun publicity. The actress told a journalist that her 4-year-old son, Deacon Phillippe, wants to be a pizza delivery driver when he grows up. “Not that there is anything wrong with that,… Read More
Waymarking.com lets you promote interesting places
Here’s a cool social media tool to use in your publicity campaign if you’re promoting a tourist attraction, an event, a neighborhood, or even something as mundane as your local firehouse. It’s called waymarking, and you can do it here. A tip of the hat to Publicity Hound Rebecca Davey of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio who emailed… Read More
Website for young designers needs promotion ideas
Rebecca Witek of Buffalo Grove, Illinois writes: I created a website for young designers that focuses on the soon-to-be or newly graduated. I was in their shoes not too long ago, and I’ve realized as a graphic designer that it’s important to understand and learn skills that compliment their creative talents such as marketing, networking, public relations… Read More
Authors lose during writers’ strike
An article in Publishers Weekly says the Hollywood writers’ strike is affecting authors by suspending production of the late night talk shows that publicists rely on when launching a book to a national audience. Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, for example, had interviews scheduled this week with Karen Greenberg, author of The Torture… Read More
Google Alerts leads to ‘Good Morning America’ gig
What’s a valuable, time-saving tool that every Publicity Hound should use? Publicist Renee Young can tell you. Her client, Dr. Amiya Prasad, a New York City plastic surgeon, appeared on a two-minute segment on this morning’s “Good Morning America” as a result. Google Alerts is a nifty service that notifies you as soon as something appears online… Read More
Nonprofit bios: Keep ’em short and credible
Nancy Schwartz, one of the foremost experts in marketing for nonpofits, passes along handy reminders for nonprofit execs and others on how to write a bio. She recommends: —No more than two paragraphs. Make note of any professional designations, associations and awards. These show you have deep connections in the field. —Write bios for program, communications, fundraising and… Read More
Oprah scandal: A lesson in crisis management and a correction
Please note the correction in the seventh paragraph of the post below, which was brought to my attention today, October 4, 2008 when a reporter from People magazine called me for a comment regarding this story. The story states that Oprah’s former headmistress has filed a defamation suit against Oprah, the Huffington Post, and me.… Read More
Dryer vent cleaning company needs newspaper publicity
Publicity Hound Janice Bittner of northern Virginia writes: “Our company, Dryer Vent Wizard, cleans, fixes and installs dryer vents in an effort to help prevent dryer fires. I’ve sent at least three media kits to 10+ newspapers in our area over the last year that covered fire safety. I even gave out free dryer vent check… Read More
Tweak Your Pitch
When you pitch a story to a magazine editor and the editor declines, sometimes all it takes is a little tweaking to change the editor’s mind. That’s what happened when Tina Lancy emailed the editor of Go, Airtran’s inflight magazine, last November. She pitched a story about College Assistance Plus, the Rochester, New York-based consulting… Read More