The Spin Within

We all know it’s coming. After all Ben Franklin warned, “Of two things you can be certain; death and taxes.” Yet 20% of us—more than 28 million people—wait until the last minute to file.

Since 1955, Tax Day has been on April 15…with a few exceptions. When April 15 falls on a weekend, on Emancipation Day (April 16), or on any other holiday, tax returns are instead due on the following business day. In 2012 we get a double-whammy: April 15 is on a Sunday and Emancipation Day is Monday, … Continue Reading

James Bond is known for three things: He fights bad guys. He’s a ladies’ man. He drinks martinis, shaken, not stirred.

But not anymore. In the latest film installment, Skyfall, Bond will now be ordering a Heineken instead of his usual. This is all thanks to a major marketing deal between Heineken and the film, which not only includes product placement, but the image of Bond himself printed on limited-edition bottles of Heineken and in a television ad campaign.

The old adage, “Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear” absolutely … Continue Reading

You may  be aware that “Clueless” actress Alicia Silverstone feeds her 11-month-old son Bear Blu by pre-chewing his food and spitting it into his mouth — in the same manner that a mother bird feeds her young.

Silverstone posted a video of the nourishment transference on her web site. The video went viral and the media has reported on it widely.

As far as I know, only the Los Angeles Times has covered the public relations angle, reporting that comedy writer Chase Mitchell tweeted as follows: “We need a bold new strategy to get people talking about you again,” (signed) Alicia Silverstone’s … Continue Reading

As a loyal TODAY show viewer I’m going to try something new tomorrow. I’m switching to Good Morning America with the hope that the news will be more interesting.

This morning on TODAY we got to hear Ryan Seacrest basically say nothing. Ok, he did announce he’s officially joining the NBC team to cover the Olympics this summer. However, he couldn’t say for sure if his American Idol contract was extended. And he also couldn’t say for sure if he’d be replacing Matt Lauer as co-anchor some day. His appearance … Continue Reading

Facebook doesn’t always get the best publicity, but you can’t deny the influence it has. Facebook helped to secure Betty White as a host of Saturday Night Live. It helped to spread the now infamous KONY 2012 video. (To name just a couple.) Now it’s helping to bring a new Barbie into the world.

With 157,000 supporters, the Bald and Beautiful Barbie Facebook group is using the social networking site’s power for good. They have been petitioning Mattel to create a bald Barbie and it was just announced that a … Continue Reading

Being fair and being loyal are not the same thing. But can one engender the other?

The question hit me when reviewing J.C. Penney’s annual report, which reveals that its heady new pricing strategy, called Fair and Square, could produce a fair number of zeros in the coming months – meaning declining sales.

Penney’s approach is admirable enough. As coupons, price cuts and other deep discounts have essentially trained consumers not to pay full price (and to wonder what the full price on anything really is), the department store chain opted … Continue Reading

Nothing. That this is even a question makes. me. boiling. mad. Missing the point, people. Missing the point.

On Twitter and Facebook, people are demanding that Skittles make a statement regarding the fact that Trayvon Martin happened to be holding a Skittles bag when he was gunned down a month ago. But Skittles is staying quiet, for which I applaud them.

Here are some of the messages Skittles is receiving on its social media sites:

… Continue Reading

Not sexiest jeans, sexist jeans.

Sexiest jeans likely would be a more interesting topic. But the following musings, in fact, are about sexist jeans and how the world is pondering anew the timeless PR question: Is all publicity good? Or said differently, bad publicity is still publicity.

Belvedere Vodka tweeted and posted a Facebook ad March 23 showing a smiling man grabbing a frightened woman from behind –with the caption, “Unlike some people Belvedere always goes down smoothly.” So now more people have heard of Belvedere. Facing a backlash, the company pulled the ad the same day.

A Turkish commercial that ran for … Continue Reading

Perhaps I’ve been asleep all my life but I hadn’t heard of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) until the organization awakened my awareness using the classic public relations 1-2 punch — survey research results accompanied by a quiz, in this case, a sleepiness quiz.

That’s right I said a sleepiness quiz. Not just any quiz, a quiz based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a tool doctors use to test sleepiness levels. If you rate “sleepy” on this scale, a chat with your doctor may be in order.

You’re saying, “I get sleepy sometimes. Where is this quiz? Bring it on.” Sorry, you’re … Continue Reading

“If you found a wallet on the street, what would you do with it?”  I remember having that discussion as early as elementary school.  Would you track down the owner?  Take the money but still find the owner?  Take the money and run (finders keepers, and all that…)?

The computer security gurus at Symantec Corp. put a hi-tech spin on that age-old dilemma recently.  But I warn you – the results may bum you out a little – and have me thinking twice about how well my own phone is protected.  Or not, as the case may be.

The research team “lost” … Continue Reading