Flack Pack

A new report card that considers PR leadership has been issued by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. It’s the third time the card has been issued since 2015, and once again, the grades are not great.Is PR in a rut? Robert asks that question and discusses the results of the latest Plank Center Leadership Report Card with one of its authors, Dr. Bruce Berger, at the University of Alabama.Our Buzzer Beater player today manages communications for a well-known Washington, D.C. media outlet, but how well does he know AP Style? The answer is revealed on this new round of PR’s only podcast quiz show. Time travelling interns Sarah Shelson and Sharon Osano cook up a report about a fast food campaign that traded burgers for fries in their latest installment of our history feature, PR Rewind.And O’Dwyer’s Associate Editor Steve Barnes is along with the week’s biggest PR headlines, reporting from the Flack Pack studio inside the O’Dwyer’s newsroom in New York City.Links:The Pizza Box Hasn’t Evolved in De

When we hear from journalists that all they want is a one or two sentence story pitch, we have to weigh whether the media kit is still worth the effort. Certainly, digital kits with logos, infographics, and photos have utility. But in the Internet age, what about kits you can hold in your hand? Where do those add value? Or do they? Recently, students in Bill Zimmerman’s PR Media and Methods class at Penn State considered the old-school media kit and ways to make them better. Robert caught up with Zimmerman to find out how the students did, creating media kits for the university’s new Roaring Lion food truck, and the lesson these budding PR pros have for the rest of us.Also, Robert and Jessica play a very fashionable round of the Buzzer Beater, while Flack Pack interns Sarah and Sharon revisit a 1929 PR campaign inspired by a classic novel. Finally, Steve Barnes delivers the week’s biggest PR news headlines in his report from the O’Dwyer’s PR newsroom in New York City.Links:The Bomb OutKim Jong Un on Mount Pae

What’s more credible? Earned media or paid media? The question is as old as the disciplines of advertising and public relations themselves. We think stories reported by journalists, that we placed, are more believable than a memorable television ad. But is that true? Are we right to think so? Robert examines a study on the topic with Dr. Julie O’Neil, Associate Dean at the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University.Also, John O’Dwyer, publisher of the O’Dwyer’s PR Newsletter, gives us the scoop on Communications Week 2019, launching Monday in New York City, London, and Germany. Our time traveling interns, Sharon Osano and Sarah Shelson, rewind one year to an art show that went awry.And Steve Barnes reports the latest PR news headlines from the O’Dwyer’s PR newsroom in the Big Apple.The Buzzer Beater returns next week! Links:Texas Christian University Study: Is Earned Media More Credible Than Advertising?Guest: Dr. Julie O'NeilO’Dwyer’s Associate Editor Steve BarnesSubscribe to O’Dwye

When you look at your media list, where are the trade media outlets? Are they at the top or the bottom? If they’re not the first newsrooms you pitch, your strategy may be outdated. That’s because the audience continues to shift away from mainstream media to sources focused on specific issues or topics.Mainstream outlets will always have a role, but there’s no doubting they’ve dropped beats, cut staff, and focused their resources on only the biggest national and local stories.Robert’s guest, Scott Nover, is a freelance journalist writing about media and politics for pubs like the Washington Post and The Atlantic. He tells PR pros not to worry.This week’s Buzzer Beater contestant fights hard to fulfill her AP Stylebook destiny. Also, we have the latest PR news headlines from O’Dwyer’s Associate Editor Steve Barnes reporting from New York City. And Flack Pack interns Sharon and Sarah set the PR time machine for the moment in 1985 when an important cause was born.Links:O’Dwyer’s Associate Editor Steve BarnesSubsc

The idea of public education in America is older than the nation itself, with the first school, the Boston Latin School, opening in 1635. John Hancock and Samuel Adams went there. Benjamin Franklin dropped out.Today, there are more than 98-thousand public schools in the U.S. with almost 51 million students attending. Private schools are busy too. There’s more than 34-thousand private schools open now, teaching nearly six million kids.Robert celebrates the start of another school year with two communicators, Rich Bagin, the Executive Director of the National School Public Relations Association, and Cody Kennedy Communications and Media Manager for the Olathe School District, in Olathe, Kansas.Also, we get a crash course in education style courtesy of the AP Stylebook, in two rounds of America’s favorite PR podcast quiz show, the Buzzer Beater.Links:First Public School in AmericaTotal Number of Educational Institutions in AmericaBack to School StatisticsGuest: Rich BaginNational School Public Relations Associat

Today, we pause to remember an event that changed the world forever, the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Next week, Americans, and our allies around the globe, will reflect on the attacks against four flights full of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, business executives, parents, students, and children. Speeches will be delivered. Wreaths will be laid. Survivors will be profiled. And security protocols will be revisited. Media coverage will remind society of the horrors many remember and educate those too young to recall. In this very special conversation, Robert visits with two veteran communicators, Brian Turmail and Nico Melendez, asking them to share their memories, not just from the day of the attacks, but also of the PR work that resulted once Congress created the Transportation Security Administration. Brian and Nico were hired to handle TSA’s media relations and eventually became Robert’s trusted deputies as the three of them worked long days and nights to explain the changes to transportati

Labor Day is here! It’s the perfect time to talk about finding your next, or first, PR job. On this bonus holiday episode of the Flack Pack, Robert wraps up the PR Summer School series with Stephanie Ranno, a recruitment expert working for TorchLight Hire, a firm that helps companies find marketing and communications talent. She offers tips for finding the next job, and confirms that this fall’s job market will be white hot! Our games and features get the day off, but they’ll return in a couple of weeks. Links: Guest: Stephanie Ranno TorchLight Hire Five tips to prepare for a job in public relations PRSA Jobcenter Interviewing for a PR job? Prepare for these 5 common questions

The Internet is full of data about the PR Industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says more PR people work in Washington, D.C. than any other city in the U.S., including New York City! If you happen to be one of those already employed, but are looking to change jobs, this fall will be a good time to do it. The same goes for those, including students, who still are looking for the perfect position. With a recession predicted by the end of next year, employers are rushing to build teams now. In recognition of Labor Day, we’re talking about PR jobs with two recruiters. One today, and one on Monday. Robert’s guest today is Brian Phifer, CEO of Phifer and Company, based in New York. But a word of warning: If you can’t handle the truth, you may want to download a podcast about gardening, because Brian’s advice might sting a little. Also we dub Shalon Roth the latest contributor to the Flack Pack by testing her knowledge of AP Style in a royal competition you won’t want to miss! Links: DC sets another tourism recor

Responding to a PR request for proposals (RFP) can be stressful, time consuming, and sometimes futile. But it’s also necessary, as RFPs are a staple of agency business development efforts. So how can PR pros engage the RFP process and live to tell about it? Robert spends some quality time this week with two experts on RFPs: Robert Udowitz and Steve Drake, principals of RFP Associates, based here in the Washington, D.C. metro area. They examine the pitfalls of the process and share some tips that will help us master our next RFP response. Links: Sean Spicer on “Dancing with the Stars?” ABC staffers say “it’s a slap in the face” DWTS Shocker: ABC skips spring cycle after controversial Season 27 Contributor: Shalon Roth Flack Pack Intern: Sharon Osano Flack Pack Intern: Sarah Shelson Buzzer Beater Guest: Samantha Summers Guest: Steve Drake Guest: Robert Udowitz RFP Associates Research: The impact of the agency selection process on public relations programs & outcomes

Social media is the beast that never stops eating. No matter how much content we create, there’s always more we could do. Platforms have different rules, audiences, and needs. Producing social media content, even for a small business or client, is a full time job. Given that, is there enough time in the day to write good copy and still get the rest of your work done? Or does the pressure to get posts online cause you to cut corners, rushing through the process? Jason Mollica, a communications professor at American University and a Flack Pack contributor, joins Robert in the Flack Pack studio to share his tips for writing better social media copy. Links: Prominent Economist Wrote Op-ed About Amazon’s New Headquarters What Began as an Exercise in Learning to Podcast Evolves Into a PR Variety Show PR Breakfast Club Guest: Jason Mollica Twitter: Flack Pack Facebook: Flack Pack LinkedIn: Washington Media Group

As PR legend has it, early pitchman Ivy Lee pioneered the news release when he sent the story of a train wreck to the New York Times, and the newspaper printed it. Little did he know that millions more news releases would be issued by those that followed in his footsteps. It’s this crushing volume of digital paper that, today, more than a hundred years later, has many journalists crying “enough!” Is the news release dead or alive? If more and more reporters don’t want them, does it make sense to write and send them anyway? Robert talks with PR pro Shalon Roth, an agency veteran who runs her own shop in London, called PR-it, to get her take on the past, present, and future of the humble, but loveable, news release. Links: The First Press Release PR Daily’s 2019 Digital Marketing & Social Media Awards Guest: Shalon Roth PR-it Learn-it Blog Are Press Releases Still Relevant?

Writing a speech might be the biggest test you’ll ever face as a PR pro. It’s a task not suited for the rhetorically challenged. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of speeches are given in the U.S. each year. But how many of them connect with their audience? Do they accomplish anything? Are you staring at a laptop right now, wringing your hands over a speechwriting assignment? Robert sits down with Bob Lehrman and Eric Schnure to talk speechwriting, and about the new second edition of their book, “The Political Speechwriter’s Companion,” coming July 30th . They’ll share from the book some of their best tips for writing an effective speech, and stories about the speechwriting process that may leave you laughing out loud. Lehrman was chief speechwriter to former Vice President Al Gore, while Schnure is founding partner of Washington, D.C.’s Humor Cabinet and has written speeches for Gore and led Executive Communications at GE. Links: 1988 Flash Back: Read my lips, no new taxes Guest: Robert Lehrman Guest:

Fifty years ago tomorrow night, America put a man on the Moon. It was an engineering and scientific feat, but it also was a PR success. Eagle’s historic landing didn’t just happen because of the work taking place in Apollo’s labs or on its workbenches. It also happened because of efforts in media briefing rooms and during press tours. It was sold in news releases and press kits, product endorsements, and magazine articles. Corporate PR people joined with their NASA counterparts to push the idea of space exploration. Many believe the Apollo 11 program was the first to leverage today’s version of brand journalism driving media interest and support. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, Robert interviews author and marketing expert David Meerman Scott about the PR campaign that sold the Apollo lunar program, and his book, “Marketing the Moon.” Our Buzzer Beater player maneuvers the galaxy of grammar and usage rules that is AP Style, while Jason visits the studio with a review of NASA’s current

It’s tougher than ever these days to get a journalist to pay attention to a story pitch. PR pros outnumber reporters, so the volume of ideas flooding their way is no doubt too much to manage. Given that, what should you do? Robert interviews Greg Galant, the CEO and Founder of Muck Rack, a software platform that aims to make your work with journalists more effective. Their conversation is packed with tips to remember the next time you have to sell a reporter your story idea. Also, Flack Pack contributor Gina Luttrell braves the Buzzer Beater. What grade does she get for her knowledge of AP Style? Listen to find out! Links: Guest: Greg Galant Muck Rack New Muck Rack survey: How journalists find their news, use social media and work with PR teams in 2019 Muck Rack: 5 seriously easy ways to build stronger relationships with journalists Muck Rack: This month in bad PR pitches Contributor: Gina Luttrell Amazon: The PR Agency Handbook by Gina Luttrell and Luke Capizzo Amazon: Public Relations Campaigns: An Integrat

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is an American icon that also happens to be a PR bonanza for Kraft Foods, owner of the hot dog brand. This week, Robert talks with Ed Roland, manager of Oscar Mayer’s fleet of 27 foot long road wieners, and the college graduates who drive them. The Flack Pack celebrates the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend with a food-themed edition of the Buzzer Beater, Jason’s review of Wienermobile tweets, and Kathleen’s Wiener Whistle give-away! Links: Fireworks Firms Plan Bigger Pyrotechnics for Trump’s Fourth Speech Guest: Alexander Downing AP Stylebook Guest: Ed Roland Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Wienermobile App (Apple) Wienermobile App (Google) Hotdoggers Wanted Contributor: Jason Mollica Kathleen in the City Swedish Chef Singing Oscar Mayer Wiener 1965 Commercial The Simpsons: Oscar Mayer Wiener Song Oscar Mayer Wiener 1950’s Commercial

Most people agree that misinformation is a major problem in the United States. So what can we as PR pros do to battle false, incorrect, or erroneous information? This week, Robert explores “10 Ways to Combat Misinformation” with Dr. Terry Flynn, a communications professor who edits the Journal of Professional Communications and sits on the board for the Institute for Public Relations. Links: Blondie - The Tide is High Guest: Dr. Terry Flynn 10 Ways to Combat Misinformation 2019 IPR Disinformation in Society Report Toronto Raptors Win the NBA Title

In a world dominated with story pitches and carefully worded messages looms the need to show results beyond what we can see in news media coverage or on social media posts. Media measurement has evolved from the days of comparing inches of published copy to advertising rates, thankfully! Today, with digital messaging dominating our PR plans, pros must know how to confirm their campaigns are connecting with audiences and driving results. For decades, Katie Delahaye Paine has set the standard for measurement. Her expertise in this field is known worldwide. This week, in a can’t miss episode of the Flack Pack, she takes a break from planting her amazing tomato crop outside her home in New Hampshire to discuss social media measurement with Robert. Katie walks us through her eBook, Social Media Measurement 101, and helps Robert with his fear of all things math-related! Also, Kathleen debuts her summer-time feature, Kathleen in the City. She’s a California girl, so it’s no surprise her question for D.C. commuters f

LinkedIn lists more than 12,000 PR companies in its U.S. database. There are estimates that about 93-thousand people work in those firms. Are you one of these people? Do you want to be? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you’ll appreciate this week’s guest, Kristin Johnson, the co-author of a new how-to guide for PR agency prospects, “How to Succeed in a PR Agency.” In this week’s PR Summer School episode, Robert interviews Kristin about the insights offered in the book, and her advice for anyone interested in the agency lifestyle. Also, the Buzzer Beater guest is cool under pressure, with a set of questions that will make your mouth water. Links Top 12 Movies/TV Shows for Every PR Pro’s Collection Twitter: Flack Pack AP Stylebook Guest: Hannah Mooney Why Public Relations Agencies are Evolving Guest: Kristin Johnson Guest: Shalon Roth Amazon: How to Succeed in a PR Agency The French Chef February 6, 1972 Opening