Ryal Curtis's Blog
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
This morning provided yet another example of how sometimes any publicity is good publicity. Today’s case study in PR comes to us via the Professional Golf Association, better known by some as the PGA. FYI, I use the word “some” loosely in referring to PGA fans, as the Association without Tiger Woods playing well is very much at risk of becoming the next MySpace – which is to stay that it is at risk of becoming irrelevant.
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PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
You have landed the opportunity to pitch new business – congrats, you’ve obviously done something right. The meeting is confirmed and all the decision-makers are gathered, ready to give you an hour of their precious time. It’s time for you to sell yourself and your PR firm.
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PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
To my knowledge, there is not a shared definition to define of what a "perfect PR move" looks like. But what General Motors did on June 3, 2010, in my opinion has to be considered pretty darn close.
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New Media PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
Something very un-cool happened this morning while I was waiting in line for my cup of java. What should have been a harmless mistake followed by a genuine apology quickly escalated into a something completely different – something inappropriate and uncalled for, and yet another example of the growing dark side of social media. It’s a case study in what I consider the wrong way to use Twitter.
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Do vampires impact your business? If so, what are you doing RIGHT NOW to spin this marketing blood into revenue and awareness?
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
I’d like to share Erik’s video today because: a.) it’s pretty dam powerful, b.) he’s a MSU Spartan alum just like me and c.) sometimes it takes a visual to fully appreciate the power of something like social media.
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Do you live in the Triangle? Are you into social media? Would you perhaps be interested in learning more about why the LED revolution is sexy? Well, you’re in luck if you answered yes to any of the questions above.
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PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
As of 2:32 p.m. today, the traditional public relations landscape as we know it continues to evolve. The industry I entered into five years ago is becoming far more creative and even more influential with rising emerging trends such as social media and online video, just to name a few.
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
My wife and I are expecting our first child in August. We’ll find out the sex in mid-March. But regardless of whether it’s a boy or a girl, I’m sure of this -- our child will eventually use social media and that totally freaks me out!
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Until recently, I tweeted a lot from the road – often while driving. I tweeted, re-tweeted, direct messaged and even read tweeted-about articles from my Blackberry.
Tweeting while driving (“TWD”) became my personal borderline addiction.
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PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
In my five years working within the Raleigh PR industry, I’ve come to discover some of the most amazing lunch locations all over North Carolina’s capital city. Here’s my list to get the conversation started. And as always, I’d love to hear feedback from you about your favorite Raleigh lunch spots.
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PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
I’ve made a list and checked it twice. It’s a list of the top 25 public relations firms in the Triangle market.
The list includes company Web sites, company blogs, and company Twitter accounts.
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Who do you blog to? This sounds like a simple question, right? But it’s actually something many bloggers, including countless company bloggers, forget to answer before crafting blogs posts. It’s a critical mistake that forces bloggers to miss out on a number of sticky benefits that come from having a solid “blog community.”
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MMI Watercooler
by Ryal Curtis
Over the last two months, MMI Public Relations has received more than 280 resumes for our open position of Entry-Level PR Professional.
Most have been extremely impressive, surprisingly though, a number of applicants are finding ways to discourage us from setting up interviews.
With that in mind, here are the Top 5 Ways NOT to get hired by MMI Public Relations...
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Social Media. Twitter. Blogs. Search Engine Optimization. Online Reputation. Widgets. Podcasts. Blogosphere. Online Video. Web 2.0.
These sexy social media buzz words are being used, recycled, tweaked and pitched, not only by online marketing and social media companies, but by public relations firms as well. It is one of the fastest-evolving pieces of the larger communications pie, and PR firms are moving quickly to make it part of their respectable (and profitable) set of company services.
Some PR firms are excelling in the incorporation of social media into their PR toolbox. And frankly, some are not.
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MMI Watercooler
by Ryal Curtis
So much of Public Relations is instinct; some have it and some don't. Day in and day out we are forced to make judgment calls on the turn of a hat. Successful PR pros are excellent in these types of situations and actually thrive on making daily decisions that are critical to a client's success. But even the best PR pros must know this: some things in life are difficult to change (especially instinct) -- they are a function of the brain. You can absolutely improve on your shortcomings (public speaking, judgment, leadership, creativity, etc), but you must be willing first to admit these limitations.So much of Public Relations is instinct; some have it and some don't. Day in and day out we are forced to make judgment calls on the turn of a hat. Successful PR pros are excellent in these types of situations and actually thrive on making daily decisions that are critical to a client's success. But even the best PR pros must know this: some things in life are difficult to change (especially instinct) - they are a function of the brain. You can absolutely improve on your shortcomings (public speaking, judgment, leadership, creativity, etc), but you must be willing first to admit these limitations.
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
The repercussions of instant access via social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace (among many others) are beginning to be felt by some of the nation’s leading prep basketball recruits. While the NCAA regulates interaction between college coaches and the high school players they are trying to recruit, there are no such rules against the many loyal (and sometimes rabid) fans of college athletic programs across the country.
A recent article by SI.com’s Kevin Armstrong...
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
Social Media experts are asked all the time, "what is the next big thing!?" A popular response appears to be the self proclaimed "next generation of Internet communication." It's Google's new real-time communication platform called "Google Wave."
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New Media
by Ryal Curtis
I came across an excellent blog post on the 2009 blogworld new media expo web site. Posted July 22, 2009, this blog gives a helpful (and quick!) update on Twitter vs. Facebook with a break down on key items.
Which do you prefer? Which will survive? One or both? And which one will have the most daily impact on the PR industry and the media? The debate continues...
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New Media PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
by Ryal Curtis
Terrorists Evolve. Threats Evolve. Security must stay ahead. You play a part! These are the words slapped on the front page of the TSA (Transportation Security Admission) Web site. Their new approach, which is both surprisingly creative – not to mention proactive and user-friendly – is a blog. Pinned Evolution of Security, TSA’s blog is offered up to its two million daily travelers as a solution to facilitate an ongoing dialogue to discuss innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process.
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