Beyond the press release: Developing other media materials

  By Aliki Vrohidis Since the inception of public relations, the press release has been the standard tactic to gain the attention of media. Although the press release is in no way deceased, providing other media materials in addition to the press release paints a bigger picture for reporters.   Here are eight other media…

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Six public relations trends for 2016

By Aliki Vrohidis As the first week of the new year comes to a close, we begin to see trends already taking hold. Whether it’s fitness, fashion, technology or public relations trends, people have begun to make predictions for what this year will bring. Here are six public relations trends we will see in 2016.  …

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Your business New Year’s resolution

By Megan R. Auren Many people set a New Year’s resolution for themselves — so why not take a moment to do the same for your business? Set aside time Begin by setting aside time to reflect on the last year. Simply ask yourself what worked, what didn’t work, and how you can do better…

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Think of blogs as the new magazine

By Megan R. Auren Blogs have become the new magazine. Like magazines, there is a niche blog out there for everything: traveling, entertainment, cooking, parenting, fitness. People seek out and follow blogs and bloggers because of mutual common interests. For example, if you’re a Midwest bicyclist looking for trails, there’s a blog for that. If…

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Public relations case study: Chipotle E. coli and norovirus outbreak

  By Aliki Vrohidis In late October, nearly two dozen people reported having an E. coli infection after eating at Chipotle restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after the incident, Chipotle closed 43 restaurants in the surrounding area due to food safety concerns. Although only eight restaurants were found to be contaminated, Chipotle closed additional…

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Top posts of 2015

Social media case studies, public relations research and tactics, and insights from Minnesota members of the PRSA College of Fellows were among the most popular posts on the Skogrand PR Solutions Blog in 2015. Here are this year’s most popular posts in terms of traffic: Social media case study: Sephora’s stand-out beauty video strategy Just…

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Who dominated the biggest shopping weekend of the year?

By Aliki Vrohidis This past weekend people lined up outside storefronts as well as waited patiently in online queues to score the best deals on home decor, beauty, clothing, electronics and more. Although there were still significant lines this year on Black Friday, more people opted to shop online instead of in store.   Thanksgiving/Black…

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Value of a MAT release

By Aliki Vrohidis A MAT release is a fast way to deliver your message to a broad audience. The term MAT comes from the 1950s, essentially meaning camera-ready. During this time, newspapers were physically laid out and formatted. Although the layout process is mostly online now, the name remained.   Today’s MAT release is typically…

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Learning audience behavior to drive stronger results

By Megan R. Auren Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recently hosted the webinar “Learning Audience Behavior to Drive Stronger Results.” Founder and owner of Wax Marketing Bonnie Harris led the webinar and presented on the use of integrated marketing communications (IMC) strategies to learn and influence customer behavior. Harris began her presentation by bringing everyone up to…

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