I guess I’m channeling Yogi Berra again. It happens, especially when I read the news. For the past week or so, there has been a lot of media speculation that toymaker Hasbro was interested in buying movie studio DreamWorks Animation. The appeal for Hasbro would be exclusive rights […]
“Doesn’t it seem like somebody is working awfully hard to convince us of how imperfect we are? If we could be more emotionally resilient or get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning or remember to do that one thing that successful people never forget to do, would our […]
An excerpt from “An Honest Day’s Work,” my new book, which will be published in the fall of 2014. One of my favorite Burson-Marsteller clients was Lloyd’s of London. Lloyd’s was renowned for its willingness to take on all kinds of outsized risks – major catastrophes, environmental disasters, […]
Mark Twain famously said, “There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies and statistics.” I know exactly what he meant. My first job in PR was working for a sole practitioner. His main source of income was an engagement with Grumman Boats and Canoes. Legions of one-time […]
Some years ago, when I was working for a major PR agency, my buddy stuck his head in my office doorway. “Listen,” he said. “I know we were supposed to go to lunch today, but we got a call about a huge new business opportunity. The prospect wants […]
Anyone who has spent a few years in a PR agency can tell you about the client that never should have been. It’s an experience that scars you for life and has caused many a green pea to decamp for business school. When revenue growth slows, and especially […]
If you started your first job in 2013, you have never known life without PowerPoint, the ubiquitous presentation software developed by Apple and later sold to Microsoft. Powerpoint can be an effective supplement to a discussion, but we have all experienced the microtype, over-stuffed slides that gave rise […]
Thanksgiving always reminds me of my second PR agency job. My employer’s office was on Broadway, and the agency had a very cool tradition of hosting a breakfast for clients and staff on Thanksgiving morning. Our fifth floor offices afforded an outstanding view of the Macy’s parade, whose […]
You hear the term “Big Data” a lot these days. It seems to be the answer to almost any question that arises. • How can we predict what our customers will want to buy in six months? • How can I predict the next financial downturn? • Where […]
Chris Atkins’ Random PR Thoughts