Ask a horse thief for a horse not worth stealing and you’re bound to get a broken-down nag. Asl a senator for a list of tax breaks that should be eliminated, and you won’t get reform. In this case, however, senators are being asked for tax breaks worth keeping. The senate still won’t get tax […]
Posted on June 28th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 185 Comments »
Threats mean nothing unless there is action to back them up. That is why this threat seems empty. The newspaper has made the promise before and it didn’t close. Who says it will this time if production unions aren’t compliant? The PR response should be to set a date for closure unless the unions to […]
Posted on June 27th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 197 Comments »
Public relations deals with perceptions — what people think they know versus the facts of an event or an individual. Perceptions are often influenced by impressions, particularly first impressions. It hadn’t occurred to me that wine tasting is perceptual and that tasters are influenced by their first impressions of the cost of a vintage. That […]
Posted on June 25th, 2013 by admin
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To all those who publicize healthy eating, this is a counter punch. Twinkies epitomize junk good, yet millions eat them and are excited that they are coming back. If anything shows the limits of persuasion, this is it. Hostess and the “healthy food” movement are opposed voices in the marketplace. Both will win to some degree, but […]
Posted on June 24th, 2013 by admin
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Samsung teamed up with Foursquare to create “Time Machine,” a co-branded microsite that turns a consumer’s Foursquare history into content. Users can watch their history unfold in real time, get recommendations on “the next big thing” to visit and share their history in infographic form. While the approach is familiar, the campaign is new and […]
Posted on June 22nd, 2013 by admin
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What does a company do when its board fires its founder and public face? This is the challenge of Men’s Wearhouse, which let go George Zimmer who started the chain in 1973. Every Men’s Wearhouse ad featured Zimmer intoning, “You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.” To make matters more difficult, […]
Posted on June 21st, 2013 by admin
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Among the many aspects of life that have been automated, put speech coaching into the mix. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed software that gives practical hints to budding orators. Those of us who teach speaking might find this worrisome, but we shouldn’t be. Automation can be a valuable assistant to helping people overcome […]
Posted on June 19th, 2013 by admin
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One would think by now the FBI would give up its hunt for Jimmy Hoffa’s remains. The agency has spent decades on the search and follows up every spurious tip. It has proven a continual embarrassment for the Bureau since Hoffa’s disappearance in 1975. It is clear that his murder was a professional job and pros are […]
Posted on June 18th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 50 Comments »
New York University has found itself in a painful position — accused by a Chinese dissident of kowtowing to the Chinese government. The university is defending itself, but the charge is still sensational and likely to make the school think twice about helping the next dissident who leaves China. It is understandable why Chen Guangcheng thinks the […]
Posted on June 17th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 199 Comments »
For the first time in a century or more, more white Americans have died than have been born, and in the next 30 years, people of European origin will become a minority in the US. That is something to celebrate and to prepare for. It should make no difference to an American what the ethnic origin […]
Posted on June 14th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 235 Comments »
