PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
I See You Everywhere
by Jake Potter
I was at the gym the other day, and I could not get my mind off PR.
2 comments | 08/02/2010
Jake Potter's Blog
Newsletter PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Start Thinking Like A Reporter
by Jake Potter
Here’s a poorly-kept secret: the crux of good public relations is a fascinating, original story.
comment | 07/28/2010
New Media
What Compels Me To Go (To Your Blog)?
by Jake Potter
Bobby McDonald, MMI’s resident new media specialist, shared a great link with the staff this week: Time magazine’s Best Blogs of 2010. It’s a veritable who’s who of the must-reads from all walks of the blogosphere, from fashion to technology (and from cake commentary to photos of kittens).
1 comment | 06/28/2010
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
U.S. Congressman Bob Etheridge Takes The Bait
by Jake Potter
It’s one thing to take a hands-on approach to media relations. It’s another to physically place your hands on a reporter.
3 comments | 06/14/2010
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
A PR Lesson From John Calipari
by Jake Potter
Sports fans gearing up for an exciting Memorial Day weekend – filled with perfect games, dramatic championship series and an intense race to the checkered flag – might have missed a big headline in Friday’s edition of The New York Times.
1 comment | 06/01/2010
New Media
Google Buzzkill
by Jake Potter
I recently opted out of Google Buzz. Here's why.
comment | 05/17/2010
New Media
Declaration Of Social Media No-Nos
by Jake Potter
Many of our clients are eager to put social media tools to work in order to achieve their PR goals. We share their enthusiasm.
3 comments | 05/04/2010
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
PR Isn’t Easy
by Jake Potter
I came across an interesting link today via a tweet from Phil Buckley (@1918). EasyPR.com allows users to plug in a news release, hit Send and transmit said news release via fax to “13,594 newspapers with 421,404,801 readers in 157 countries” (according to its website).
comment | 04/20/2010
New Media
Informed 2.0
by Jake Potter
Just a few years ago, I used to measure my level of media awareness by the number of news outlets I read or watched. To me, being informed was purely quantifiable. This, of course, is patently ridiculous.
comment | 04/06/2010
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Your Tone, It’s All Wrong
by Jake Potter
The best writers have a distinct writing tone. My favorite authors and reporters all have effective “voices” – to the extent that I can tell who has penned a passage without looking at the byline.
It’s a high standard, but – as Christopher Walken might say – no one wants to face the consequences of having the “wrong tone.”
1 comment | 03/26/2010
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.
3 comments | 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.
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.
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.
1 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."
comment | 01/12/2010
New Media
YouTube Isn’t Just For Cats Wearing Funny Sweaters Anymore
by Jake Potter
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?
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."
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.
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.
comment | 11/17/2009
PR: The Good, Bad and Ugly
What’s Your Story?
by Jake Potter
I'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.
comment | 11/03/2009
