I am a bit of a Cory Booker fangirl. Dubbed the “Internet’s favorite Mayor” by Mashable, Booker rose to Twitter fame by using the social network to help residents during the massive snowstorm. He achieved Super Mayor meme-status after running into a burning house and saving a woman’s life. (I also appreciate his approach to […]
Author Archive | Heather Whaling
Carefully Crafted on July 06
Carefully Crafted on July 05
How Customer Service Saved My (Almost) Travel Disaster
Recently, I was traveling for client meetings. I was booked in a hotel that had so-so ratings on Yelp. (Lesson #1: Trust Yelp.) But, my client booked the hotel and I figured they wouldn’t lead me astray. As I was walking to the hotel, I could feel that it wasn’t the best neighborhood — an […]
Carefully Crafted on June 12
Building a Team? Start with WHY.
Have you read Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why?” If you haven’t, check out his TED Talk, but get the book and read it. It should be required reading for anyone involved in shaping or deploying a company’s messaging. (Which is really everyone at a company, when you think about it … more on that later.) In […]
Carefully Crafted on June 04
Case Study: Targeted Media Generates Customers
Client: B2B technology provider, serving clients ranging from large brands to franchises Situation: A B2B mobile technology provider – serving companies ranging from Sears and Redbox to quick-service restaurants and franchises – was on the verge of launching a new product. At the same time, the company was about to receive a major award and […]
Carefully Crafted on May 29
Blockbuster-Itis Strikes PR
“Tech is becoming a hits business.” As noted in this month’s Fast Company, if a startup doesn’t catapult to success — a la Instagram or Draw Something — it’s deemed a failure. In the article, Path’s founder Dave Morin explains that “There’s a subsection of people in the Valley who think the only way to […]
Carefully Crafted on May 24
Look Beyond the IPO to Discover Facebook's Real Value
I don’t know much about stocks and investing, but I do listen when my financial advisor tells me not to look at the day-to-day market fluctuations. Investing is a marathon, not a sprint, right? Yet, everyone — from actual Wall Street analysts to armchair commentators — feels the need to broadcast their opinions on the Facebook […]
Carefully Crafted on May 22
What’s Worth More to You – The Cost of Your Reputation or the Cost to Monitor Your Reputation?
This is a guest post from Danny Brown. A couple of weeks ago, Heather shared the story of Nationwide and how they responded to what could have been a very difficult situation. While there was still come criticism about the response possibly being less “human” than it could have been from the various Nationwide accounts, […]
Carefully Crafted on May 17
HOW TO: Avoid Burnout at Work
If you work in PR, you probably aren’t surprised to learn that it’s one of the most stressful careers. But, that doesn’t mean you have to adhere to “the way it’s always been done.” I spend a lot of time with startups that are focused on disrupting the status quo. Apply that mentality to your […]
Carefully Crafted on May 15
Overcome "Slacktivism" with a Better Ask
Cause-marketers face a serious problem: “Slacktivism.” As noted on Huffington Post: Slacktivism, usually the signing of online internet petitions, Facebook and social media campaigns, and often commercial efforts including T-shirt, bracelet or ribbons sales, is often defined as merely a feel-good measure that requires little personal effort or sacrifice on the part of an individual […]
Carefully Crafted on May 09
Challenge: Incorporate "Work Away" Into Your Work Week
A couple months ago, I was drafting a bylined article for a client. I’d tried to work on it at various times throughout the week, and it just wasn’t happening. Then, on Sunday morning, the writer’s block evaporated and I finished the article in under an hour — in my pajamas … on my living […]