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Luise Rainer Dies at 104

December 30th, 2014 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Happy New Year!

Classic movies are my favorite genre!  From Jimmy Stewart to Clara Bow to William Powell!  The movies are classy and intelligent.

Today we lost a legend in classic movies.  Luise Rainer died today at 104 from pneumonia.

She was a two-time Oscar winner for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth.

Rainer was one of the last great stars of the Golden Era of Hollywood.  She was a great lady.

As her daughter said, ” She was bigger than life and can charm the birds out of the trees. If you saw her, you’d never forget her.”

Good night Luise!

I will be back in the New Year.

Sara

Public Relations is all about relationships.  We learned it in kindergarten.  Treat others the way you wish to be treated.  The same applies to work and especially PR.

I saw this article yesterday on PR Daily and had to share it!  Enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

Imagine for a moment that each mistake that you made would live forever on YouTube, as seen inthis not-safe-for-work video, or each time you produced something, it would be open for public comment and sharing (usually with a headshot of you next to it).

Then imagine that you chose to do this, not for pay (because there isn’t much), but because you really love a good story.

For all of the criticism of the press (and media should be criticized), there is no reward when they perfectly deliver a story. That is just the expectation. With that in mind, a small dose of empathy for the press can go a long way.

I know the following behaviors are guaranteed to irritate any editor, reporter or producer because I have been guilty of them myself. You don’t have to go down that road.

Don’t do these:

Flake.

You’ve worked hard to craft the pitch and, finally, the producer says he will go with your story. There’s just one problem: Your source decided to flake completely. Best of luck trying to explain yourself or offer other options. It doesn’t work.

If you pitch a person (or yourself) as a resource or expert, know what is expected, have a strategy and talking points. Flaking out hurts your reputation far more than a boring interview.

Overpromise.

News outlets always want to be the first with a story. It’s how they compete. If you offer a scoop or tell a reporter they will be the first to cover an announcement or story, then you need to make good on that.

Avoid telling everyone after you’ve made that promise. Be strategic with whom you pitch first. You will need to read, research and find the best fit.

You may think, “I don’t owe them anything. It’s my story. I can pitch as many people as I want.” You’re right. You can sleep well tonight knowing you are right. Meanwhile, your competitors will be the ones getting coverage.

Be vague.

Let’s say you’re a reporter and I tell you I have a story idea for you that will be perfect for your audience. Of course, I have said that it would be perfect to every media person on this list I downloaded, and I’m not offering up solid details as to why it’s so perfect for you. Are you interested?

Slow down before you pitch. Be sure you know who you are pitching, why they would like it, and stats or contacts to back up your idea. Then pitch individually. Save time for the reporters you pitch and yourself.

Be transactional.

Reporters owe you nothing. It’s important to keep in mind when you’re framing a story. They serve their audience, not you. Treat them accordingly.

When I was an editor, I had people asking regularly me when their story was going to be on the cover. With that attitude, the guaranteed answer was, “Never.” You can have enthusiasm. By all means, sell your idea, but do it in a respectful way

My Most Fascinating People of 2014

December 16th, 2014 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

On Sunday night Barbara Walters released her most fascinating people of 2014.   She gave her opinion, so I thought I would give mine.

This year we had several fascinating news stories.   Remember that fascinating does not necessarily mean that person is doing good.  The definition of  fascinating is:

extremely interesting.
“fascinating facts”
synonyms: interestingcaptivatingengrossingabsorbingenchantingenthralling,spellbindingrivetingengagingcompellingcompulsivegripping, thrilling

So here is my top five:

1. Our fascination with booties:   From Kim K, to J. Lo to song, “It’s All About That Bass,”  booties seem to hold the public’s fascination.  All it took to almost break the Internet was Kim Kardashian showing hers on the cover of Paper magazine.

2. Kate Middleton:  She is serene, beautiful and she does not let anything get in the way of her health.  When she came down with severe morning sickness, she took care of herself and did not let business get in the way.  She seems innocent in a world where cynicism is the number one exponent.

3. Frozen:  OK, everything is about Frozen.  You step in to any store and they have something Frozen. Hats, books, clothing, even food!  Enough!

4. Celebrity babies:  they are famous before doing anything.

5.  Americans:  I’m proud to be an American, because of all the peaceful protesters around the country.

Bill Cosby and PR

December 11th, 2014 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Bill Cosby has an enviable career.  From his early days as a stand-up to his award-winning turn on “I Spy” to his legendary, groundbreaking TV show, “The Cosby Show,” he has always achieved and been recognized.  His comedy is some of the best in the world.  His storytelling technique is creative and fun.  I used to listen to “Bill Cosby Himself” as a child.  His different voices were hilarious! I was a Cosby fan and proud of it.

I still enjoy listening to his Fat Albert and Old Weird Harold stories.

Now, he finds himself in the middle of a PR crisis.  With several women making sexual accusations toward him, his reputation has taken a serious hit.  In show business, that reputation is everything.  For decades audiences idolized Cosby and now it is these accusations that are grabbing the headlines.

Cosby refuses to comment on the accusations.

As a PR professional, this situation is fascinating.  It is very true that the higher one climbs in show business, the harder they fall.

What is the most fascinating aspect of this case is the silence.  Not only the silence from Cosby but the silence from his supporters.  For years many fellow comedians and co-stars have gushed over Cosby and his role in their careers.  Now… silence.

One has to wonder what Joan Rivers and Robin Williams would have said.  I doubt they would be quiet.

Buyers Can Haggle with Amazon

December 9th, 2014 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

According to USA Today, buyers can now negotiate with some sellers on Amazon.  Here are more details.  Buyers can negotiate in Fine Arts, Sports and Entertainment and the Coin market.  Unlike Ebay the price starts high and goes down.

Only items over $100 are eligible.

Many sellers are liking the new features as it offers the same courtesies online that they find in brick and mortar stores.

The service is available on more than 150,000 items.

It will be interesting to see what Amazon will do next.

Monster and USA Today

December 4th, 2014 | Posted by Sara in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Happy Thursday.

USA Today published Monster Needs a Christmas Tree in their holiday roundup article for best holiday children’s books.  Congrats to the publisher Scarletta, the author Paul Czajak and illustrator Wendy Grieb.

Here is the article.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/12/03/holiday-childrens-books-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/70055698/

 

Huffington Post just published Major Reece’s remarkable essay about his Veteran’s Day in New York.  Take a look here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/major-miguel-reece-retired/my-remarkable-veterans-da_b_6225666.html