Saturday April 27, 2024

Riding A Whirlwind

Politicians often balance opposing forces, but so do popes.  This article details a precarious balance the current pope is taking.  He is riding a whirlwind of criticism from within his own ranks — conservatives who believe he is committing heresy and liberals who are pushing him to clean up the Vatican.  It is a daunting […]

Assigning Blame

The Taliban are holding captive an American teacher whom they kidnapped.  His health is poor and the Taliban are blaming the US for his condition because the US has failed to negotiate his release.  It’s a lame publicity attempt to influence world opinion.  The US has a rule that it won’t bargain with terrorists or […]

Power Vanishes

It is a truism that companies with great power in the marketplace might not stay there long.  We have two examples now – Nike and General Electric.  It is no overstatement to say both were fearsome competitors and unbeatable for decades.  Now, they are trying to find their way.  This happens because the world doesn’t […]

Classic Marketing

The family that sold OxyContin to the American public used classic pharmaceutical marketing techniques — medical spokespersons, giveaways, detail men, studies, etc. There was nothing novel about the methods.  That the pills were addictive was de-emphasized in favor of pain management.  In fact, the drug was marketed as non-addictive for some time.  Purdue was able […]

Credible Source

Who is better to caution a leader than another one who has been in the same position and knows the strains of it?  That is why George W. Bush’s comments are credible in his veiled criticism of the current occupant of the White House.  Calling bigotry and white supremacy “blasphemy” against the American creed, Bush […]

Enforcement

PR can fail.  Authorities, companies and other organizations can plead with the public to no avail.  For example, this case.  Governments and not-for-profits harangue citizens to put away cell phones while driving.  But, they haven’t.  They continue to talk and text (!) while steering vehicles down the road. There is little wonder accidents have increased.  […]

Beauty Pageant

Yet another city has entered the beauty pageant to win Amazon’s second headquarters prize.  The promise of 50,000 jobs eventually and the prestige of having such a large e-commerce firm in one’s town has sent mayors and governors into a frenzy.  One town and state after another has proclaimed it is best for the second […]

In Control

There are times when proper public relations is to maintain an atmosphere of calm control.  This is one.  Cabin staff on airlines are supposed to be heavily trained for what to do in an emergency.  It is a sign of professionalism to maintain certitude in the face of massive uncertainty.  The steward’s and stewardess’ job […]

Rebuilding A Brand

Samsung is a case study in how to rebuild a brand after a disaster.  The firm was on its back after its Galaxy Note 7 phones began to explode and melt down.  The company was forced to recall millions it had already sold and go back to the drawing board.  Samsung did it by holding […]

Bump Stocks

For once, the National Rifle Association is not opposing a gun control measure.  It has announced it won’t fight a law banning bump stocks.  The devices are not weapons in themselves but they turn semi-automatic rifles requiring a finger pull on the trigger each time to an automatic where with one pull of a trigger, […]