How Rolling Stone Won The News Cycle and Then Lost The Story

Interesting insights on this link.

Rolling Stone magazine had the scoop of the week: an interview with General Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan who made critical remarks about the Commander-in-Chief. Yet the magazine played by old media rules and, instead of being out in front on this story, Rolling Stone played "Follow the Leader" on its own story.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/how-rolling-stone-won-the-news-cycle-and-lost-the-story.php

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Will World Cup 2010 give the MLS a PR boost?

Will World Cup 2010 give boost the popularity of soccer, and the MLS, in the United States?

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/06/10/soccer-fans-hope-england-world-cup-match-boost-sports-popularity-america/?test=faces

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BP's once exemplary reputation now floating away

BP's once exemplary reputation now floating away
http://adage.com/article?article_id=143663

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Just Tasteless. Just Play Golf

Have you seen Tiger Woods' latest ad featuring his dead father's voice?
Did Ari Fleischer, Tiger's "crisis p.r. guru," approve this?

Adweek, the industry trade, calls it "embarrasing."
http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2010/04/nike-unveils-embarrassing-new-woods-spot.html

TIME: Nike, Tiger Woods and the Saddest Ad of All Time
http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2010/04/08/nike-tiger-woods-and-the-saddest-ad-of-all-time/#ixzz0kc39UVhp

Washington Post: Nike's Tiger Woods ad takes shame to another level
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/08/AR2010040805309.html

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Tiger: Drop the swoosh and zip it
http://www.seattlepi.com/thiel/418167_thiel09.html

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5 Myths About Public Relations

Great piece about what Public Relations can/cannot do.
http://praecere.com/public-relations-firm-pr-blog/five-myths-about-public-relations


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Masterful at the Masters

Tiger's PR performances are improving.
If he wins the Masters this week -- and let's face it, no golfer has filled the void in his absence -- the scandals will begin to fade away. The powers-that-be in the sport want it. The ratings this week will be HUGE.

http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=5AA50C55146B4C8C98F903986BC02C56&tier=4&id=0BB72956343C4B74B27C55D22AECAFC2&AudID=3FF14703FD8C4AE98B9B4365B978201A

How Public Relations is like dating

A humorous, but insightful article on the Journalistics blog for April Fools Day.

Dating Advice for PR Pros
by Jeremy Porter
http://blog.journalistics.com/2010/dating-advice-for-pr-pro/

20 Things You Should Share On Social Media

20 Things You Should Share On Social Media
http://jeffbullas.com/2010/03/28/20-things-you-should-share-on-social-media/

Toyota is now part of the PR Hall of Shame: Portfolio’s Steve Rosenbush

PR hall of shame: Toyota joins the ranks: http://bit.ly/auZ5RB

5 Emerging Social Media Sites to Watch in 2010

Just as marketers are getting a handle on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, a fresh group of social media networks are poised to make a splash in 2010.
Good info from Peter Wylie.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-emerging-social-media-sites-to-watch-in-2010

U.S. athletes could use a dose of patriotism PR | Article | Homepage articles

Great article by Tripp Frohlichstein about America's Olympic medal winners:
U.S. athletes could use a dose of patriotism PR
http://bit.ly/a41iFm

Maybe they should have taken the words of 1980 U.S. Hockey coach Herb Brooks to heart: "When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front is a hell of alot more important than the one on the back!"

Was Tiger Woods' Apology a Game Changer?

Was Tiger Woods' Apology a Game Changer?

What does it take to become Top Dog at Westminster? A marketing campaign

According to the NY Times today, it costs thousands of dollars to become a "Best in Show" champion at the Westminster Dog Show. And the spending isn't only on Pedigree dog food and hairspray. Try big bucks for ads in dog magazines that recount your prized pooch's victories -- sometimes with a shout-out to the judges!

Watch the country's worst PR person in action

Here's a p.r. manager who desperately needs media training! Watch this tête-à-tête between a utility company's media relations person and a FOX 4 reporter in Florida.

"Rules are rules," she says after the company sought a $200 reconnection fee from a man who owed $36. Why wasn't his billed paid on time? He's a Marine serving in Iraq. When the station conveyed the Marine's mother's anguish, the response was, "She is entitled to her opinion."

Later, about four minutes into the video, the feisty spokesperson says the station's stories -- which arose from customer complaints -- are driving up electric rates.

“I have other work that I should be doing … it (answering reporter's questions) does drive the costs up,” she said. View the clip: http://bit.ly/d45oYY

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www.overthemoonpr.com

Super Bowl XLIV's "Did I just see that?" moment

Did I just see David Letterman sitting on a couch with Oprah Winfrey AND Jay Leno? Easily the biggest surprise among the much anticipated Super Bowl ads: http://bit.ly/daKBpi

USA Today tells us how it all came to be: http://bit.ly/b91ZU2

Other favorites:
Dr. Pepper - Mini KISS http://bit.ly/cFMC6Q
Snickers - Betty White http://bit.ly/ayqSqr
TruTV - Punxsutawney Polamalu http://bit.ly/9WfVXQ

The PR schism: Divided we fall | Article | Homepage articles

The PR schism: Divided we fall | Article | Homepage articles

Restaurant Guests Sound Off

Restaurant Guests Sound Off: "Restaurants & Institutions' 2010 New American Diner Study asked consumers to name their top three components of good service at a restaurant; among the choices provided, "a friendly disposition" (56%), "stopping by regularly to check if I need anything else" (51%) and "clean/safe serving habits" (44%) came out on top. The survey also asked for diners' pet peeves."

Grammy Recap

It felt like Ladies Night at the 52nd Grammy Awards.  Some thoughts:

Good choice in letting Lady Gaga open. Great for intrigue (Who wasn't wondering what strange outfit she would wear or how she would try to shock us?)  An interesting touch with the piano duet with Elton John.

Beyonce is stunning and talented.  She won the most Grammy Awards by a woman in one-night. So how did she lose the top prize:Album of the Year?

OK, so I get the pairing of diverse artists, but Placido Domingo had to be thinking "What is this guy doing on the stage with me?" when Mos Def couldn't even open an envelop.  However, the Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige duet on Bridge Over Troubled Water, worked well.  Bettere yet, the song can be downloaded from iTunes to help with Haitian relief efforts.  Bravo!
Michael Jackson Dedication: It was fitting to honor the music legend and touching that his kids attended, but seeing them also reminded me about his unusual personal life.
 
Taylor Swift brings youthful energy, a cute look, wholesomeness, and country charm.  I understand winning the Country Awards, but Album of the Year?  Her live performance was off-key - the worst possible timing. If on sheer singing talent, how does anyone beat Beyonce?  If sales are the measure, Gaga and her four #1 hits would have ruled. And if the prize is a career capstone (Tony Bennett, Steely Dan, etc.), then Dave Matthews got robbed. The question is: In the Digital Music Age, who is buying Albums?

With all the attention on the ladies, let's not overlook Kings of Leon, who nabbed Record of the Year for Use Somebody.  They admittedly were having a good time.  Good for them.

Yet, despite not winning any awards, Pink stole the show with her near naked, Cirque du Soleil-esque performance dripping wet and upside down high above the audience. She sang, too, and pretty well.  Nonetheless, the Grammys are all about celebrating the music industry and putting on a great show.  We're talking about it today.  Mission accomplished.

Ship of Ghouls

Just days after 250,000 people were killed in the earthquake in Haiti, one of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships sailing in for a scheduled stop. The photos of holiday-makers made the cruise line (and its passengers) seem self-centered and uncaring. But there is more to this story -- first reported in the New York Post Ship of Ghouls) -- than just black-and-white.

The cruise ship had scheduled the visit months in advance, docked about 60 miles away from the epicenter in Port-au-Prince, and brought relief supplies for the victims. Additionally, Royal Caribbean said it would donate more than $1 million in humanitarian relief.  In a country that faces huge economic challenges, the cruise industry employs Haitian people who might otherwise not be able to earn a living. It’s unlikely that sailing lines, which sell pleasure and relaxing scenery, will be flocking to return to Haiti in the near future. Further, Haitian officials say they are thankful for cruise ship visits and the resulting economic impact for their economy.

It's a public relations quandry.  Royal Caribbean faces a difficult challenge; in many ways, the cruise line is damned if uses the port of Labadee and damned if it doesn’t. One solution would have been to have the scheduled ship dock in the Dominican Republic instead, pay the Haitian port workers anyway, and perhaps even send a ship with medical supplies to Haiti as an act of good will. Then, at some point in the future – when the bodies have been buried and the country begins to rise again – vacation visits to Haiti will seem more appropriate.

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Mark McGwire, Steroids and the Hall of Fame

Mark McGwire ALMOST got his image-building public relations campaign right. 

He answered one of the biggest questions: Why did he essentially "Take the Fifth" at the Congressional hearing on steroids in 2005.  He was believable when he said he asked for and was not granted immunity. Thus, his lawyers advised him to stay silent.  Any reasonable person would follow that advice.  He also came off as contrite -- the polar opposite of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.

McGwire tried to follow Andy Pettitte's path. The Yankee pitcher's reputation has not been as damaged by his admission of performance enhancing drug usage in the way that Bonds, Clemens and others have.  The retired slugger said the drugs enabled him to bounce back from injury (and avoid the scorn of teammates), play in more games, and see the ball better.  That sounds like a recipe for putting up better numbers.  In a widely watched interview, Bob Costas pressed him several times on this stance.  McGwire did not change his answer.  But he never explained why he felt compelled to call and apologize to former HR king Roger Maris's widow.  Thus, the Costas interview and subsequent others have not helped McGwire restore his reputation in the way he had hoped.

However, I believe McGwire doesn't deserve the vehement scorn he has gotten about his steroid and HGH use.  Players knew, owners pretended not to know, and reporters and fans suspected.  Big Mac & Sammy Sosa reenergized the game in 1998 and helped repair fallout damage from the strike and cancelled World Series. It was exciting -- fans loved the HR chase and wanted to see history, owners loved the receipts from ticket sales, and reporters loved the great story. (And yes, they alluded to McGwire as a "Paul Bunyon-esque" figure.) To treat Mac & Sosa as pariahs now seems a bit disingenuous.

McGwire hopes to earn the support of the St. Louis fans when he begins his new job as a hitting coach for the Cardinals this spring.  I hope he does.  The man has apologized and admitted his mistakes although maybe not to the extent some would like.  Should he have come forward sooner?  Yes.  Is this related to his poor showing in Hall of Fame votes despite his 583 career home runs?  Probably.  And clean players past and present are entitled to be angry with him.  But everyone deserves a chance at forgiveness. 

Gaylord Perry admitted cheating and was coy about it during his playing days. Yet there is no groundswell to have him removed from Cooperstown. There are Dead Ball Era players who were known for cheating. And one has to wonder if there are future -- and dare I suggest current -- Hall of Famers who simply didn't get caught and who have no incentive to come clean now.

Jose Canseco has indeed been open about steroids, but he is so obviously driven by money from book sales and a desire to stay in the public eye.  The only person to get this right was football player Lyle Alzado, a dying man who came clean and said his motivation was to help warn others of the dangers of taking steroids. 

Welcome to the Over The Moon Blog

The field of public relations is rapidly changing on a daily basis. Print, broadcast and Internet media are evolving so quickly that most people and organizations cannot keep up. In the age of Social Media and Citizen Journalists, new rules apply...while some rules have never been more valuable. In the post-Tiger Woods era, sports marketing will never be the same. How do companies stand out? Who is doing a good job? The Over The Moon blog will delve into these subject, analyze developments in the field and attempt to add thought-provoking and occasionally humorous perspectives on communications in the second decade of the 21st century