business

You’ve heard it before: “Correlation does NOT equal causation.” Just because it follows, doesn’t mean it connects. The same can be true in public relations and marketing. And, if we fail to respect this, we can easily confuse our audience and delude ourselves. How easily can this get out of hand? Consider the following correlations courtesy of the site, “spurious correlations”: Using data from the U.S. Office of Management and the Centers For Disease Control, you can create a graph that “shows” the correlation between U.S. investment in STEM and space initiatives and suicides by hanging. Another popular example of... Read More >

  Amazon is a hot commodity these days, and not just with consumers. The online retailer has grown into a major economic powerhouse, and many cities want a piece of that action. After the announcement that Amazon planned to open a second headquarters, more than 200 cities signed up for consideration. Recently, Amazon announced it has trimmed that list to 20 contenders, most in the Midwest and at least one in Canada. Contenders still in the running include Toronto, Boston, New York, Chicago, Columbus, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Those left off the... Read More >

  Purpose: Duration: July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 with an option to renew for one (1) additional year. Geo-target: Areas surrounding Rowan College At Burlington including Burlington County, Mercer County, Ocean County, Middlesex County, Atlantic County and Camden County. (This should be flexible and we should be able to change this at any point throughout the campaign) Target Marketing: Prospective students, and their parents, age 17-50 in the predefined geo- targeted areas with 12 interchangeable campaign categories targeted to the appropriate audience as identified by the firm. Scope of Work: Our target audience includes: Traditional college-aged students –... Read More >

  Dunkin’ Donuts is being updated, and not just the logo. In an effort to keep up with the competition and respond to customer preferences, Dunkin’ is changing a lot about how it does breakfast. Recently, the company cut the ribbon on a concept store that represents the future of what Dunkin’ could be. That store includes digital kiosks, as well as more Grab & Go options and the opportunity for online ordering customers to cut the line at the drive-thru. More innovations included beverages on tap, so customers don’t have to wait. Branding Changes Then there are the branding... Read More >

Maverick Apparel, a New York City based leading manufacturer and clothing company that prides itself in “building wholesome apparel brands for juniors and children” demanded today Logan Paul stop using their brand name. As the letter notes, “Maverick by Logan Paul and Maverick Apparel (“Maverick”) trademarks are confusingly similar but moreover because you have embedded the term ‘Maverick Apparel’ as the title of the domain https://shoploganpaul.com, consumers have been confused, deceived and misled that he is affiliated with Maverick Apparel. In a letter sent today by esteemed New York lawyer Robert Garson, the brand says he hijacked the maverick name... Read More >

With only a few weeks left in the regular season, it’s official, 2017 has been a down year for Sunday Night Football, one of the NFL’s most prominent national TV audience productions. Part of that downturn has been some of the games. National NFL viewers just don’t get as “up” for, as an example, Ravens v. Steelers as they used to. Even a down-to-the-wire 39 to 38 nail-biter could not put viewers in front of the TV. And it hasn’t helped that the Cowboys and Giants are both having terrible years. That fact is telling, considering the 2016 Sunday night... Read More >

In the coming year, there will likely be some big shifts in public relations and marketing communications, other changes will be more subtle and slow. One or two changes expected should involve a move to a more professional appearance across the board with communications firms. Some of what to expect: Shifting for the Good For decades the public relations profession has taken some hits because there are those who use it in less than honest and honorable ways. Last year the PRCA ousted Bell Pottinger in England from its ranks for some pretty scandalous behavior on their part. This action... Read More >

Facebook, as a social media platform, has long held strong and, while somewhat vague, mostly consistent community standards about decency on the platform. Nudity, especially of a sexual nature, is a no-go. So, it was a bit of a surprise to learn recently that Facebook was creating a pilot program to collect millions of nude photos of its users. The impetus of the idea is that the platform can use image-matching technology to find and stop anyone else from sharing nude photos of a person online. The point being to end the practice of “revenge postings” of nude photos made... Read More >

With all the news of war and turmoil and PR crises based on harassment allegations in the news these days, you can be forgiven for forgetting that former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is locked in a vicious legal tilt with the New York Times. The lawsuit stems from a political editorial this past summer that linked an ad created by Palin’s SuperPAC and the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords back in 2011. That shooting, at an Arizona campaign stop, wounded several and killed six. At the heart of Palin’s case is the idea that the shooter never saw the... Read More >

Another week and another prominent person apologizing for sexual misconduct. This time, it’s former comedian, writer, and current Minnesota Senator, Al Franken, on the hot seat. Franken will very likely be exposed to a Senate ethics investigation since he has been accused of “forcibly kissing” a Los Angeles radio host during a shared USO tour back in 2006. Franken Admits to Accusations At this point, Franken has admitted to some of the accusations, while both Democrats and Republicans are calling for further investigation. So far, Franken has yet to relinquish his Senate seat over the incident. The talk show host,... Read More >