Editor’s note: A version of this post was originally published as an op-ed in PRDaily.

Rutgers University in New Jersey announced today that it has fired its Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Rice.

There’s no doubt that terminating Rice’s employment was the only remaining course of action for the university to follow. Still, it’s akin to applying a public relations Band Aid: a temporary fix that takes place after the damage is already done. And what damage it is.

Continue reading " Rutgers PR crisis stems from months of woeful inaction "

This week we decided to take a stroll down memory lane as we look back at some of our favorite Friday Fives and highlight five major trends in 2012 that are indicative of where the public relations profession is heading in the New Year.

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary —we look back on the importance of social media use at the C-suite level, explore the impact of good and bad company reputations, work to perfect our pitch to reporters, get an overdose in crisis communications and finally look at some exceptional non-profits that made the most of social media engagement in 2012. 

Continue reading " Friday Five Trends in 2012 "

Companies and brands work tirelessly to build a strong image and protect the reputation of what that entity represents. Even the most guarded company and/or brand can make mistakes that lead to bad press. Some are able to make a comeback that leaves any negative association in the past, while others suffer from disastrous PR crises that leave the media saying, “let a sleeping dog lie.” Regardless, media attention, good or bad, still means visibility and for some that’s the ultimate end game. 

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary —we look at how companies, brands and public figures recover from public relations blunders and how media attention drives behavior. We see, also, how even the smallest mistake can turn a company on its head when the unthinkable occurs.

Continue reading " Friday Five: Mistakes, Crises and Bad Publicity Lead to PR Lessons Learned "

We now can say with certainty that we know what was needed to get the National Football League (NFL) to end its impasse with the National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA).

It wasn’t the increasing frustration of the fans, who took to Twitter and sports talk radio to voice their extreme displeasure, and 70,000 of whom reportedly flooded league-office phones with angry calls. Can you imagine the look on Commissioner Roger Goodell’s face upon being told by the automated voicemail attendant, “You have 70,000 new messages. Message one …”

Continue reading " Lessons from the NFL’s Crisis Playbook "

The events of this past week have effectively re-written the history of Penn State University. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) handed down unprecedented sanctions against the school, which erased 14 years of football victories, reduced football scholarships and prohibited bowl appearances for the next four years and divested the university of $60 million in funds,  Even before these sanctions were announced, university administrators  took action by directing the removal of the Joe Paterno statue that stood outside Beaver Stadium.

Continue reading " Important Lessons from Penn State "