The Spin Within

There were plenty of candidates for our list of the top PR blunders of 2011. In most cases the difference between a public relations blunder that irreparably damages your reputation and one that is just a blip on the radar hinges on how quickly, authentically and transparently the company (or the person) responds. The public is incredibly forgiving but their bullish&%t meters are high.

Netflix – Netflix ticked off millions of customers this fall when CEO Reed Hastings announced he was splitting the company in two, essentially doubling the monthly fees … Continue Reading

Ohio Governor John Kasich at the TQL Press Conference

We often tell our clients that the most beautifully written press release won’t work if it isn’t based on real news.  The inverse is true as well.  When you have a big, compelling story, you almost can’t keep the media away.

That was the case today when we were privileged to help Total Quality Logistics (TQL) hold a press conference with Ohio Governor John Kasich where they announced that they were adding 1,000 new … Continue Reading

I recently came across this post on Graydon Head’s legal blog.  It raises the very interesting question about whether bloggers are considered journalists, and if their sources are protected.  Here’s an excerpt of the post:

An Oregon woman who ran several blogs got some bad news recently, when a judge ruled she was not a journalist for purposes of Oregon’s “shield law.” That decision paved the way for a libel judgment against her in the amount of $2.5 million.

The woman, Crystal Cox, ran a blog called obsidianfinancesucks.com. On it, … Continue Reading

According to Chief Marketer, last November American Express OPEN spent exactly two and a half weeks pulling together its first “Small Business Saturday” campaign. The merchant services division of Amex leveraged primarily Facebook and a few brand partnerships to set up a program rewarding cardmembers for carving out time between Black Friday and Cyber Monday to shop their independent local stores.

It’s back again this year, on Saturday Nov. 26. complete with a robust marketing effort that includes television commercials, an endorsement from The Today Show’s Al Roker, and a robust social media strategy designed to capitalize on last year’s … Continue Reading

Carol Bross-McMahon

A big welcome to Carol Bross-McMahon who joins us as Vice President where she’ll help our clients maximize their return on marketing investments and become thought leaders. Carol previously ran a successful marketing consulting business and served as Vice President of Marketing at Harte-Hanks for nearly 10 years. Combining her knowledge of sales, marketing and public relations, Carol also provided business development leadership for Whittman-Hart and software startup, The Sant Corporation. Her strengths in team development and her bias toward action have earned … Continue Reading

Perception Problem – 74% of U.S. and Canadian Consumers Don’t See Benefit of Exchanging Personal Information, LoyaltyOne Research Shows

52% Say Marketers Use Data to “Better Serve Me”

23% of Consumers Forgo a Purchase Out of Concern about Use of Their Data

Seventy-four percent of American and Canadian consumers said they don’t feel they’re receiving a benefit from sharing personal information with marketers, according to the latest survey research from LoyaltyOne.

Just 52% said they somewhat or strongly agree with the statement that companies … Continue Reading

Greetings from the World Business Forum in New York.  I’m excited to be attending this event for the second year.  The next two days will be filled with presentations from 20 of the top leaders in business, management and marketing including Bill Clinton, Jack Welch, Seth Godin, Malcom Gladwell and many more. Here’s a preview:

I need an EXPERIENCED senior executive to run several accounts. It’s a full-time job and this person will eventually build and manage a team. See the description below and please let me know if you know anyone who would be a good fit.

JZMcBride and Associates, a rapidly growing downtown public relations and marketing agency seeks a senior-level team member to serve in an important client-facing role. Duties will include: direct client management and the development and execution of public relations and marketing strategies. The role may also include new business acquisition and internal corporate marketing based … Continue Reading

Why are the Jews not at work today?  It’s Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year that never happens on the same day from year to year.  Confused?  Give me three minutes and let Uncle Jay explain how it works:

Bryan Pearson and Lisa Biank Fasig putting the final touches on The Loyalty Leap

Picture this: A summer cabin, a lake, a boat and a book. Summer vacation? Well, kind of.

This year we at JZMcBride and Associates chose to forgo our summer reading in favor of summer writing. We spent the final months of the season helping our client, Bryan Pearson, write his first book, The Loyalty Leap: Turning Customer Information into Customer … Continue Reading