“Honey, if those kids are going to be journalists, they have to learn to write drunk.” Throughout my time in journalism school, this was my mantra. This quote is one of the many references from the spectacular Warner Brothers (WB) show Gilmore Girls that make their...
Top U.S. Personal Watercraft Brands for May 2016
Following the recent Memorial Day Weekend, summer is officially upon us here in North America. And that means that bodies of water across the U.S. and Canada are now covered in marine vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Much like every year, watercraft season is...
North Carolina’s LGBT law: State tourism takes heat on social media in Q1
For any U.S. state, the travel and tourism industry is key to maintaining and elevating economic well-being. Organizations spend millions of dollars a year in direct and blanket advertising to not only attract people to visit their locales, but to also build their...
Who were the top social influencers of the 2016 World Public Relations Forum?
This year Canada (Toronto, ON) was home to the 9th Annual World Public Relations Forum—more excitingly, it’s the first time the conference has ever been held in North America. With 3 evening events, 6 Keynote speakers – including David Shing of AOL – and over 30...
Twitter reacts: “Why the **** are the Yankees in Canada on Memorial Day?”
A note to MLB schedule-makers: You might want to consider the patriotism of New York Yankees fans before finalizing dates for next year. Game One of the current Yankees-Toronto Blue Jays series starts tonight, at 7 pm. That’s totally cool, of course, if you’re a Jays...
Heading up to the cottage, cabin or chalet? It all depends on where you’re from
Cottage? Cabin? Chalet? Say each one right now in your head. Each one makes sense, but chances are only one of them will feel right to you. With the Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, and Canada’s Victoria Day long weekend now behind us, many sun-seekers are no...
PR content strategy: Getting social with social media content
According to the recent survey by the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations, PR agency leaders forecast the growth of the worldwide PR agency business from its current estimated size of $14 billion to $19.3 billion over the next five years. The same leaders...
Print analysis: US dailies react badly to Trump nomination
Following disastrous defeats in the primary, the two largest remaining GOP challenges to a Donald Trump presidential nomination — that of Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich — both announced last week they had dropped out of the race. The result? Something that several...
A meaty controversy: The people of Alberta v Earls
On April 28, Earls Restaurant Ltd. announced it would no longer source from Canadian farms any of the two million pounds of beef it sells every year, after its demand for Certified Humane produce could no longer be met by Alberta ranchers. Certified Humane standards...
Summertime marketing: 7 ways to combat the lull
As a marketer, you can feel the effects of summer approaching—out-of-office replies become plentiful, and engagement begins to wane on pieces that once saw a blooming number of form submissions and call-to-action clicks. Before you know it, you’re in the middle of it:...
A bloody mess: Tracking Twitter reaction to the Theranos criminal investigation
Theranos is in the spotlight again, and this time the news is the bleakest it’s been. Once the most popular kid in Silicon Valley, the biotech startup now finds itself the subject of a criminal investigation by U.S. federal agencies ━ including the Department of...
PR Lessons from Beyoncé: How to Master Social Media
No interviews, magazine covers or late-night talk shows led up to the release of Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.” Instead, Queen Bey turned to social media to promote the weekend release of her visual album. Through videos and photos, she tipped off her “bee-hive” and set the...