Jake Potter's Blog

PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

You Speak My Language

by Jake Potter

The value of an effective communicator doesn’t come from a broad vocabulary (Scrabble winners aren’t always the best writers), or who can shout the loudest (Keith Olbermann, Bill O’Reilly and Stephen A. Smith need not apply). The best communicators can convey ideas and concepts with clarity to both a college professor and her fifth-grade son.

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comment | 03/12/2010


New Media

Facebook Anthropology

by Jake Potter

Facebook now claims 400 million users. By comparison, The New York Times maintains a daily circulation of about 1 million, the U.S. population is about 307 million, and one time I scored 10 million in Super Mario Bros. and thought that was the biggest number imaginable.

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2 comments | 02/23/2010


New Media

Is #brandbowl The New Big Game?

by Jake Potter

I doubt I am the first to tell you that many people watch the Super Bowl every year simply for the commercials. I’m more the type to analyze New Orleans nickel defense, but I’ll readily admit that I happily set my DVR so I could watch and rewatch some of this year’s ads.

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comment | 02/09/2010


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

5 Steps To PR Savvy Anyone Can Take - Right Now

by Jake Potter

One goal that any PR pro worth his salt should strive for is to instill and encourage enthusiasm for PR savvy, not just with his clientele but going beyond to the general public. A working knowledge of how to leverage basic PR tactics can spell good fortune for anyone.

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comment | 01/26/2010


MMI Watercooler

A Behind-The-Scenes Look At A National TV Interview

by Jake Potter

I accompanied our firm's president, Patty Briguglio, to the Microspace Communications film studio in Raleigh yesterday for Patty's appearance on Fox Business' "America's Nightly Scoreboard."

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comment | 01/12/2010


New Media

YouTube Isn’t Just For Cats Wearing Funny Sweaters Anymore

by Jake Potter

Yes, that's me shooting video, and yes, those are bubbles.

A fun fact for you: as pervasive as YouTube has become in many of our lives, it only was founded in February 2005. Google’s acquisition of the site for $1.7 billion came less than a year after the online video portal went live. Remarkable, isn’t it?

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comment | 12/29/2009


New Media

How To Help Next Generation Journalists

by Jake Potter

I recently caught a thought-provoking tweet from Andrew Dunn, current editor-in-chief for The Daily Tar Heel. It really captures how pervasive the Internet has become in the realm of reporting.

@andrew_dunn: I'm going to put something out there: I think new reporters should be forbidden from using the Internet for research."

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comment | 12/11/2009


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

For Nobel-Winning Obama, Selling The War Might Be Tough

by Jake Potter

President Obama has faced his share of PR challenges since assuming office. He has worked to push forward a health care reform package that has been met with fierce opposition. He has met criticism for delays in some campaign promises. But for a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president, there might be no greater task than pitching a troop surge in Afghanistan to a nation grown weary of conflict in the Middle East.

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comment | 12/01/2009


New Media

President Obama and Twittergate

by Jake Potter

TechCrunch caught President Barack Obama in a lie this week. Apparetnly, his Twitter account is ghostwritten despite @BarackObama’s clearly-designated “Verified Account” status.

Woodward and Bernstein 2.0 has officially arrived.

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comment | 11/17/2009


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

What’s Your Story?

by Jake Potter

Photo via Creative CommonsI'm an unabashed cheerleader for the city of Raleigh. I love the pace, the climate and the people here in the City of Oaks. Most of all, I love telling Raleigh's story -- where it has been, where it is going and why so many magazines seem to keep listing us atop their "Best Of" surveys.

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comment | 11/03/2009


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Mark McGwire: A Lazarus Experiment In PR

by Jake Potter

Baseball fans recall the summer of 1998 in the same fashion that one might feel about his or her childhood -- while it was fun, we'll never get it back.

It was The Summer of the Home Run, and two sluggers received top billing: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa. McGwire rewrote the record books that year, topping Roger Maris' 61 home runs with 70 of his own. It was an impressive feat that re-energized Major League Baseball and got kids excited about the sport again.

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comment | 10/26/2009


MMI Watercooler

Meet RaleighPublicRelations.com

by Jake Potter

For the past year or so, MMI new media specialist Bobby McDonald and I have worked to provide an unfiltered source for PR commentary on issues in Raleigh and the rest of North Carolina. RaleighPublicRelations.com is designed to give an unbiased voice to the local industry -- while our staff and interns maintain the blog, it has no content affiliation with MMI. Raleigh is home to a great public relations community, with strong university programs and a competitive media market. Being a PR professional in Raleigh can be exciting.

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comment | 09/24/2009


MMI Watercooler

Goodberry’s Celebrates NCAA Tournament With Gift Card Special

by Jake Potter

As “March Madness” kicks off this week, Triangle dessert company Goodberry’s Frozen Custard is rolling out a deal on discounted gift cards to celebrate three things our area does better than anywhere else – the spring season, the NCAA Basketball Tournament and freshly-made, all-natural frozen custard .

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comment | 03/19/2009


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Triangle educators speak out on Ayers

by Jake Potter

Faculty members at any of the Triangle’s major universities frequently find themselves in the spotlight, be it for recognition of achievement or research news. But sometimes the story is less than glowing – such as today’s revelation by Eric Ferreri of The News and Observer that several members of local academia have signed a national petition giving support to Bill Ayers.

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comment | 10/15/2008


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Cowboys’ Jones dishes up more controversy

by Jake Potter

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Fool me nine times, shame on Adam 'Pacman' Jones.

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comment | 10/09/2008


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

“Flash Of Genius” takes on Ford (again)

by Jake Potter

I’m excited about seeing the Greg Kinnear-led Flash of Genius, which opens today. It boasts the classic David-versus-Goliath matchup between a lone man and what appears to be a faceless corporate machine; best of all, it’s a true story. Robert Kearns really did invent the intermittent windshield wiper, and "Ford Motor Co. really did swipe the idea. The film has seen mixed reviews, but Roger Ebert notably gave it three stars.

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comment | 10/03/2008


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Wachovia-Citi deal spells worries for Charlotte economy

by Jake Potter

For more and more of us, the economy’s dire straits are hitting close to home. Charlotte-based Wachovia Corp. is the latest victim, and locals are reeling from the news.

How does a city so dependent on its banking prowess cope with the news that Wachovia will sell its banking operations to New York-based Citigroup? There are 20,000 Wachovia employees in the Charlotte metro region, and it’s likely that none of them found much reassurance in the company’s statements this morning.

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comment | 09/29/2008


PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Terrell Owens, Gilbert Arenas and taking the scenic route to success

by Jake Potter

I sat with eyes affixed, like many fellow armchair quarterbacks, to this week’s Monday Night Football clash between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, and its reliable source of insanity, neuroticism and overall superstardom, Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens.

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comment | 09/17/2008