It could be a lawsuit against your company. Or a health department violation against your restaurant. Or a post at somebody’s blog, written by a rabble-rouser who wants to drag your name through the mud and destroy your business. If it’s bad news and it’s online, it could live on forever. Anybody who uses the… Read More
News & Events
Artists, photographers: Comment on Miley Cyrus photo
The it-borders-on-kiddie-porn photo of Miley Cyrus in the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine screams for comment from artists, photographers, parents, teens, and anybody else who wants to jump onto this controversy. Miley, who was photographed by Annie Leibovitz, has issued a statement saying she’s embarrassed by the way the photo turned out. And her father, Billy Ray… Read More
‘The Takeaway’ competes with ‘Morning Edition’ on NPR
Publicity Hounds, you have a new program on National Public Radio to add to your publicity toolbox. It’s called “The Takeaway,” a rival to “The Morning Edition.” It’s a chatty, less-formal, more interactive program that launched yesterday on PBS in New York, Boston, Baltimore and several smaller cities. Hosted by John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji, the… Read More
Product placement watchers: ‘The Office’ is back
NBC’s hit series “The Office” returns at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, April 10. That’s good news for its huge legion of fans, which includes “producet placement watchers” who are looking for the next brand name to pop up in the popular series. “The Office” is known for, among other things, its liberal use of… Read More
High school musicals contest sponsored by USA Weekend
USA Weekend magazine is looking for the best high school musicals. Students, parents and schools are invited to enter the second annual HSM Showstopper event. Any musical performed during the 2007-2008 school year is eligible. The winning show will be announced and featured in a late spring issue of USA Weekend magazine. In a separate contest,… Read More
Associated Press hires 21 writers to cover celebrities
Newspapers are headed for extinction, but celebrity news has never been more in demand. The Associated Press wire service is hiring 21 writers this year, spread across Los Angeles, New York and London, says Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily blog. It’s also cold comfort that AP insists its new separate entertainment vehicle is “not about gossip, unnamed sources… Read More
What you can learn from TripAdvisor.com’s ’10 Dirtiest Hotels’
In today’s newsletter, “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” I wrote about the “10 Dirtiest Hotels” contest sponsored by TripAdvisor.com. The annual contest draws attention to TripAdvisor’s “Travelers’ Choice Award Winners” in 10 categories, from the Best Luxury Hotels to the Best Inns and B&Bs. Each year, consumers nominate the filthiest hotels, then weigh in with… Read More
Zvents.com sends your calendar listings to local, national media
Update: Zvents is closing its doors on Oct. 31, 2014. Here’s another local events calendar listing service to add to your list. Zvents.com sends your event listings to more than 200 media outlets, for free. They include the San Jose Mercury News, The Denver Post, LA.com and newspapers in the North Jersey Media Group. Read the full list of media partners. News about a… Read More
How to get your product into celebrities’ hands
Princess Grace once said this about Estee Lauder: “I don’t know her very well, but she keeps sending me all these things…” Estee Lauder would mail her homemade cosmetics to celebrities she didn’t know. She’d even give them to stars she spotted on the street. The constant practice of gifting celebrities with her cosmetics is what many say… Read More
ACT! promotion needs ideas for publicity
Lori Feldman of St. Louis, Missouri writes: “I am an ACT! Software consultant and I belong to The CRM (Cusomter Relationship Management) Alliance, a consortium of the top ACT! Consultants across the U.S. “We have pooled resources to offer a $6,300 grand prize for a complete CRM/Email Marketing/Internet Marketing package for one winner, with other… Read More