My hometown newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, played a major role in catapulting Ted Williams, the now-famous homeless man with the golden voice. More than a month ago, Dispatch videographer Doral Chenoweth III shot the original video of Ted, which was posted on the Dispatch’s website on Jan. 3. That next day, a Reddit user posted […]
Author Archive | Heather Whaling
Carefully Crafted on January 07
Carefully Crafted on January 05
10 Press Release Alternatives
More than a few PR people want to declare the press release dead; however, as long as reporters continue to ask for releases — and sometimes run them verbatim — the press release is alive and well. That said, a media release isn’t the perfect tool for every situation. Sometimes, other modes of communication are […]
Carefully Crafted on December 27
What Are You Known For?
A few weeks ago, my dad attended a holiday party. As he was being introduced to a new person, someone mentioned that he was my dad. But, they didn’t just say “That’s Heather’s father.” Instead, they followed it up with, “you know … prTini on Twitter.” Pretty sure my dad (who isn’t on Twitter) thought […]
Carefully Crafted on December 23
New PR Resource Launches, Extending the #pr20chat Community
This week, we launched pr20chat.com, a hub for PR professionals and students to discuss PR and social media trends, best practices and what’s next. The site’s name stems from the weekly PR 2.0 Twitter chat (#pr20chat on Twitter), co-moderated by myself and Justin Goldsborough. pr20chat.com, which is free to join, currently includes forums and groups […]
Carefully Crafted on December 21
Effective PR Agency-Client Relationships
There’s a library worth of material available to help businesses select a PR agency; however, there aren’t as many resources about how to be a good client. Public relations success doesn’t come from pure luck, fate or happenstance. In my experience, the best PR starts with a strong agency-client relationship. I wrote the other day […]
Carefully Crafted on December 20
POLL: Will You Check Email During the Holidays?
In PR, we joke about being “always on, always connected,” but the truth is, most of us don’t work in a 9a-5p environment, and we’re rarely 100% disconnected. Which presents an interesting situation around the holidays, right? So, inquiring minds (me!), want to know: Will be checking email during the holiday break? Whatever your answer, […]
Carefully Crafted on December 20
Setting Goals for 2011
A couple weeks ago, I spent a few days in Mexico on a family vacation. With virtually no access to Internet or phone, I was truly disconnected for the first time since my honeymoon a couple years ago. This “unplugged” time gave me ample opportunity just to think and get some perspective. As a result, […]
Carefully Crafted on December 15
Media Training: Creating a Pre-Interview Briefing Document [Free Template]
So, you landed that coveted interview with the reporter/blogger in your industry … now what? I thought it might be helpful to share the pre-interview template we use at Geben Communication. Feel free to beg, borrow and steal from this document. Customize it to make it your own. But, whatever you do, be sure to […]
Carefully Crafted on December 14
Geben Communication is Seeking a Talented PR Pro to Join Our Team
Geben Communication is in growth mode and looking to add a proactive, smart, talented PR person to the team. We’re seeking someone with 1-3 years experience who can work ~25 hours a week, with the potential to grow into a full-time position in the future. The person will implement public relations and social media strategies […]
Carefully Crafted on December 07
Is Writing the Most Important PR Skill?
What do you think is the most important skill for PR people to possess? Some options: Ability to pitch media Understanding of Facebook, Twitter and other online tools Multi-tasking and time management Knowing how to measure PR outputs and outcomes Networking/developing relationships Fostering/sparking online conversations Basic understanding of HTML Incorporating customer service into the PR […]