Branding’s Winners and Losers, from Ms. Clinton and Madonna to Monica and Mitt
[Originally posted on Forbes.com.] Some people have the brand elasticity to not just survive crises but also transcend them, rising up out of the proverbial ashes newly empowered and invigorated, remaining in the spotlight because they want to be there. Whereas others simply can’t seem to bounce back, no matter how hard they try to [...]
When Brands Need a Reboot (Think Lance)
[Originally posted on Forbes.com.] It used to be that if you were famous and you screwed up, the path to redemption was clear: Hire an old-school, big-name publicist to keep yourself out of the news for a while, then orchestrate a high-profile comeback (think a self-deprecating turn on “Saturday Night Live”) to prove that you’re [...]
Stories Worth Telling
@erwwpr excels at earned media, at ensuring that our clients aren’t just in the news but are the news. And now we’ve got four new awards that back up our claim (and highlight our cause work, too), from Bulldog Reporter for media relations. Our pro bono efforts for The French Will Never Forget’s 9/11 anniversary [...]
Is Mark Zuckerberg Today’s Country Joe?
Originally posted on Euro RSCG Worldwide’s Prosumer Report microsite. In recent months, Euro RSCG has commented on how the revolution is not just being televised, but tweeted about, updated on Facebook, and uploaded to YouTube. In our trends preview for 2011, I touched on the new face of anger and how most of us are [...]
Back to School
Earlier this week, I went back to school and back to a CBI—the ultimate distinction at Euro RSCG Worldwide and ERWW PR. That’s our shorthand for Creative Business Ideas, those big leaps that rewrite a brand’s potential and give it new probabilities. Back in the early days of aspiring to CBIs, we defined them as [...]
What I’ve Learned from Wyclef Jean
Originally posted on the Huffington Post. When Wyclef Jean hired my agency about six months ago, I knew that our mission would be to help him pursue his mission: tirelessly working toward Haiti’s recovery. I and my team were to take care of the details so Wyclef could look to the bigger picture—that of making [...]
The Mind and Mood of America
This is the first in a series of six. Things should be looking up. Officially, the recession is over, with economic indicators showing strong upticks in growth in many sectors. The first African-American president, voted in on an overwhelming wave of popular support, holds the highest office of the land. Technology continues to make leaps [...]
Why Do Some Celebrities Rise Up?
I’m very proud that Euro PR counts Wyclef Jean and his nongovernmental organization, Yéle Haiti, among our clients. I’ve been fortunate to work with him on ongoing communications and when headdressed the delegates at the One Young World conference in London in February. As both a collaborator and an observer, I’m deeply impressed and inspired by [...]
The Power of One
Originally posted on the Huffington Post. There were so many high points of this week’s One Young World summit, which brought nearly 1,000 young people from around the world together in London to address the most challenging issues facing the world today. But if I were asked for one that really stands out, I would say [...]
