April 19, 2012
Change is never easy. I’ve talked to public relations leaders across the land about the shifting landscape of our profession, and the one constant is this: social media has changed everything. Some of us recognized this years ago and adapted. It was difficult, but the choice was rather simple: change or die. Others to this day cling to the hope that social media will run its course; that soon we’ll all be able to return...
Read More ›››April 18, 2012
By now most of us in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area have received our Restoration Hardware tomes – those gorgeous catalogs that weigh a hundred pounds and make me wish Calypso was handling their marketing, photography, and printing. While these objects d‘art are proof that the visual medium of yummy, eye-candy print is not dead, today I am musing about successful brand transitions. Restoration Hardware has a great story to tell from its opening in...
Read More ›››April 17, 2012
With May fast approaching, my inbox is full of so many resumes from soon-to-be college graduates looking to start their career in public relations. Someone said that you have about 30 seconds to create interest with the reader of a resume. Meanwhile for professional recruiters, it’s closer to 7 seconds to gather facts and gauge fit before hitting delete or firing off a thanks-but-no-thanks note. With such critical time constraints, you need to make it...
Read More ›››April 16, 2012
I’ve now come to the conclusion that showrooming is a form of theft, a stealing of ideas and knowledge, and an actual theft of opportunity and talent. Continue reading →
Read More ›››April 10, 2012
Hi, there. I’m new to Calypso Communications (it’s lovely to meet you, devoted blog readers) and I’m psyched to be here. I’ve lived in Portsmouth, NH, for about seven years now, and I’ve seen the Calypso name all over town. I’ve attended two PechaKucha nights and have noticed Calypso’s sponsorship of The Music Hall (a marketing/PR/design agency supporting local arts and culture seems like a natural fit). And now, here I am, tasked with putting my extensive writing background to work developing integrated communications for a range of client brands. Now, to dig in…
Read More ›››April 5, 2012
One of the best communicators I’ve ever known retired this week. A favorite client and friend, George Gantz, has worked at Unitil for just shy of 30 years – since before Unitil was Unitil – back when green was just another color and power grids weren’t expected to be smart. I hesitate to use the cliché “pioneer” but, for many of us in the PR, communications, and external affairs industry, and especially for those of...
Read More ›››March 29, 2012
There’s something interesting going on in the PR agency world, one that measurably benefits clients but is rarely openly discussed by public relations firms or the VPs of Marketing who select them.
See, there’s more to hiring a PR agency than meets the eye, and smart company execs know this. There’s something I’ll call Frictionless Caring. That is to say, clients know that some firms have baked into their culture the idea that sharing a client’s social content is as important as attracting new audiences.
Read More ›››March 23, 2012
I’ll get to the idea in a minute, but first the background.
Most people in business have slogged to trade shows and conferences. Most of them are soul-sucking experiences, in my opinion, in part because there are very few surprises.
Read More ›››March 21, 2012
Our PR clients have varying degrees of sophistication when it comes to social media, and I’m sure that’s true of most agencies. That’s fine, and it’s our job to help educate marketing and communications folks about the opportunities and challenges, the tools and the rules of engagement, and so on.
Some companies are already highly engaged and view social media as a major component of their overall marketing mix. Others have a less holistic view, and regard “the social media stuff” as a simple utility akin to DirecTV or home electricity. You throw money at it and it should work; don’t pay the bill it stops working.
Read More ›››March 14, 2012
Social media can boost a brand in myriad ways. It can help attract more fans, followers and customers. It can be a boon to organic search results. It can showcase your culture, attract smart employees and enable you to tell your story on a more organic, human level. And yes, it can help fatten up your wallet. But not every company has the right people to evangelize for their respective brands on social platforms. If...
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