Critical Mass PR

It’s about the coffee, not the couches claims the current “Dunkin’ Beat Starbucks“ advertising campaign that employs the classic blind taste test format. This tactic’s most famous incarnation would likely be the Pepsi/Coke challenge from the mid 80’s. But what might Dunkin stand to gain from such an effort?
Dunkin’ Donuts is willingly inserting itself into a [...]

The “Socializing Industry Analyst Relations” article I wrote for PRSA Tactics published online today. It also appears in the December print edition which mails to PRSA members and Tactics subscribers.
The piece reviews suggestions for applying social media specifically within the analyst relations (AR) discipline. These can also be broadly considered by all professional communicators.
My thanks [...]

You wouldn’t want to upset your mother would you? How about thousands of moms in one sitting? That’s what Johnson & Johnson’s Motrin marketers did with their weekend. Motrin posted a video advertisement on its Web site targeting “baby wearing moms” that made some unpopular references and comparisons, to put it nicely. By Saturday, marketing melee had erupted [...]

I’m a big music fan and Dr Pepper is my soft drink of choice, so the Dr Pepper / Guns N’ Roses debacle is too hard to resist even though others have covered it well. I particularly like Keith Zimmerman’s take on The 1to1 Blog. My perspective focuses on how this stunt has the potential to [...]

Australian rock band AC/DC released “Black Ice” in the U.S. today, its 15th studio album. I find that the band’s choice of Wal-Mart (and Sam’s Club) as exclusive retail store outlet for the album sends a subtle yet interesting corporate message. Mainly that – like it or not – Wal-Mart has the influence and buying power [...]

Today my article “Birds On A Wire: PR In The Twitterverse” was published in Tactics, a Public Relations Society of America publication. The article is online and also appears in the October print edition mailed to PRSA members and subscribers.
My thanks to John Elsasser, Tactics Editor In Chief, for the opportunity to write this piece, and [...]