We all face challenges in getting our brands - whether personal or institutional – to "stick". Particularly in higher education, it can often seem daunting to have a differentiated brand in the marketplace.Jeremy Miller, president of a brand building agency and author of the book Sticky Branding, will share some principles on how to get your brand to resonate with audiences. Specifically he …
Podcast Episode 20: Professor David Burkus on the Myths of Creativity
Where do great ideas come from? Professor David Burkus of Oral Roberts University provides answers to this question on episode 20 of FIR on Higher Education.He offers insights on how communicators can creatively share thought leadership and what academics can do to innovate in the ways they research and teach. Host of an excellent podcast called Leader Lab (LDRLB), David also discusses how …
Podcast 18: Adopting a PR 2.0 Mindset
Public relations has drastically changed in recent years. And these changes will only continue as we move forward.On episode 18 of the FIR on Higher Education podcast, communications thought leader Deirdre Breakenridge shared insights on how professors can prepare students and professionals for these new realities. Deirdre outlined the eight practices for the PR professional and discussed best …
How to do media relations without pitching a story
PR professionals – are you doing media relations” or “media blasting"? There is an important distinction between the two.Many journalists complain about some of the terrible tactics public relations professionals employ. From what I see and hear, this complaint has some warrant to it. Many PR folks resort to blasting their message as far and wide as possible. The idea is that the more wild …
Leveraging online communities and relationships to make big decisions
Who did you want to be when growing up? For me as an avid sports fan growing up in New Jersey, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of former New York Mets center fielder Lenny Dykstra, basketball legend Michael Jordan and renowned sportscaster Marv Albert.As a grown adult, I still ask myself that question, though with a different lens and a bit more of a pragmatic perspective, realizing that I …
Podcast # 3 – LinkedIn tips for thought leaders
Surely all of us use LinkedIn in some capacity. But how many can claim that they are fully leveraging LinkedIn to the fullest?LinkedIn offer's opportunities for thought leaders to disseminate their research and connect with other influencers in their respective fields. For public relations practitioners, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool to promote news and information, particularly with the …
2013 reflections and lessons on launching a consultancy while balancing other responsibilities
2013 will go down as one my most exhilarating and intense years of my life. Starting my own communications consulting company has been a career goal for many years, and I am delighted to be in the position to finally go for it.Getting a company off the ground, as any entrepreneur can attest to, requires an incredible amount of time and dedication. I can certainly vouch for this. …
How to organize a media roundtable
Experts and public relations professionals interested in building media relationships + a group of targeted journalists + good food and drink = successful media roundtable.This above formula is a rather simplistic way to go about organizing a media roundtable. This past week at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, we used this approach in hosting a roundtable for local media in the …
Networking 101 – Why It Should Be Required Learning, Particularly for Communicators
In today’s world of technology, ignorance is a choice. We have so much knowledge and information at our fingertips. News and analysis about the world around us are just clicks away. So too our potential contacts that can help us in our career interests. I want to share some thoughts about this latter area.The reality is that anyone with access to a library internet connection can research their …