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PR, Retainer Fee, Savings

PR Problems? What they are, and what they aren’t!

By Lyndon Johnson On April 5, 2019 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Public Relations, Strategy, Toronto
I read articles that talk about a company having a PR problems multiple times every day.  Most of the problems that are described aren’t. They’re operational problems; reputation problems; ethics problems.  They might be a problem that the communications department within the organization but they’re not public relations problems. That’s not to say that thereContinue Reading
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Innovation, Business Model Design, Invincible Companies

Business model innovation in public relations

By Lyndon Johnson On February 8, 2019 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Strategy
The business model for the public relations industry hasn’t changed in more than two decades. How do I know? I joined the industry in the last 90s. Nothing has changed fundamentally since that time. Agencies charge a retainer fee – generally based on a prospective customer’s budget – in return for pre-determined services. The focusContinue Reading
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Copy Apple’s PR Strategy – Not Apple’s Publicity Strategy

By Lyndon Johnson On December 15, 2017 · Add Comment · In $AAPL, Media Relations, Public Relations, Publicity, Toronto, Uncategorized
I read this article by Ed Zitron on the Inc website earlier and tried to comment.  When the comment wouldn’t load for technical reasons [I’m assuming] I thought the comment was worth turning it in to a short blog post. The point Ed makes is that most  companies shouldn’t try to emulate Apple’s publicity strategy.Continue Reading
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Why Bad Content Makes PR More Important

By Lyndon Johnson On December 15, 2017 · Add Comment · In Marketing, Public Relations, Toronto
There’s been an article doing the rounds suggesting that content marketing could kill PR When you read the piece, the point being made by +Christopher Penn is that bad content could damage the effectiveness of media relationships because journalists won’t like being pitched bad content. I’m not justifying it but, trust me, journalists are usedContinue Reading
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Evaluating PR + Marketing Effort

By Lyndon Johnson On December 15, 2017 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Marketing, Measurement, Public Relations, Strategy, Toronto
Evaluating the effectiveness of any communications program is essential – but too often agencies say it’s intangible – citing awareness and thought-leadership. In reality, if you know what success looks like before you start and create a campaign designed to achieve it, it’s easy to measure whether something is working. Here are a few tips:Continue Reading
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Networking and Building Key Relationships

By Lyndon Johnson On December 15, 2017 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Media Relationships, Public Relations, Toronto
Mutually beneficial relationships are the foundation of every good public relations campaign. One of the best ways to build them often is to offer help to somebody without the expectation of an immediate benefit.  A piece by Gary Vaynerchuk in the Wall Street Journal makes the point that first-mover advantage can be a powerful toolContinue Reading
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What is Effective PR?

By Lyndon Johnson On December 14, 2017 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Strategy, Toronto
Effective PR is the delivery of the right message to the right audience at the right time and via the right delivery mechanism in order to build a relationship. There are an increasing number of articles published in both the PR industry media and in entrepreneur magazines and websites that offer ‘X things you shouldContinue Reading
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What is PR?

By Lyndon Johnson On December 14, 2017 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Public Relations, Publicity, Toronto
The definition of public relations according to the largest industry association is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” There is no mention of the media, yet most PR agencies sell pre-packaged media relations programs under the guise of public relations. We’ve taken the Public Relations Society ofContinue Reading
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Startup and SmallBiz PR Basics

By Lyndon Johnson On December 14, 2017 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Methodology, Marketing, Public Relations, Publicity, Strategy, Toronto
If you want an overview of the fundamental principles of PR for small businesses and startups this is worth a watch.  It’s more than two and a half hours, but it explains the theory and practice behind successfully using public relations to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time viaContinue Reading
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PR Industry Has Been In Fake News & Alternative Fact Business For Years

By Lyndon Johnson On December 19, 2016 · Add Comment · In Communications Strategy, Lean Communications Framework, Lean Communications Methodology, Public Relations, Publicity, Strategy, Toronto
PR Industry Has Been In Fake News Business For Years Fake news is a hot topic since the 2016 US Election.  But in reality, fake news is nothing new.  It’s not even news. The PR industry – or the PRublicity industry, as I call it – has been in the business of fake news andContinue Reading
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